Business Tips
Seven Simple Ways to Grow Your Email List in 2021
In recent years, email marketing has become a focal point in many marketing strategies because it is so lucrative. Having immediate access to prospects gives businesses an upper hand when it comes to making those all-important sales. If you are looking for quick and easy ways to build a successful email campaign, follow these seven simple strategies.
1) Create a Prominent Opt-In Form
Statistics from Radicati Group estimated that in 2021 the number of emails consumers receive each day will reach 320 billion. It’s no secret there is a strong correlation between the size of a firm’s email list and its sales. But some businesses still tip-toe around acquiring a lengthy list by putting their email opt-in forms in obscure places. This, of course, is because they don’t want to appear too pushy. However, research suggests that when businesses put their opt-in form where visitors can easily see it, they get more sign-ups.
Marketing expert, Neil Patel, encourages marketers to test this out so they can see the results for themselves. He recommends using a Lightbox opt-in form with a delay of anywhere between 15-45 seconds. This way site visitors can be acquainted with a brand before being given the sign-up option.
2) Emphasize Benefits
Why would someone want to subscribe to your email list? What’s in it for them? Tell your audience all the benefits of why they should be willing to hand over their email details. Another key factor at play here is content. If your content is quality any site visitors with an interest in what you have to offer will be glad to receive regular newsletters in their inbox. And if you have had some positive feedback from current subscribers be sure to include it in the comments section. This way, any prospective subscribers get to see proof that it’s in their interest to sign up.
3) Publish a Newsletter
Newsletters are what email marketing is all about. It’s an effective communication tool that gives you an opportunity to engage with your audience. Inform them about useful topics that are likely to be of interest to them. To maximize impact, consider your reader’s needs and aim to produce a newsletter that offers high value. Aim to send out one newsletter each week. The best days for this are Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays as these days produce the highest opening rates.
4) Increase Engagement
A proven way to increase engagement is to run regular contests that get your audience’s attention. A well-organized contest might take the form of a trivia quiz, voting poll, or require participants to submit content. If you choose to run a content creation contest the reward might be to have it published on your website so that the participants gain recognition for their efforts. In addition, with this type of contest, entrants are likely to promote it on their own social media channels to increase votes. This is a win-win situation for you because the participants will register their details and promote them to their own followers. It’s really just a matter of choosing a topic that relates to your brand or industry.
Research from landing page experts, Unbounce, showed that running a contest can significantly increase a company’s email subscribers. After analyzing more than three million visitors from 100 customers landing pages, their email subscribers went up by 700 percent when they had a contest option.
5) Utilize Instagram
Any business that isn’t using Instagram for reach is missing out. It’s estimated that anywhere between two and seven percent of followers will interact with a post, so it’s a useful way to generate interest in your business while simultaneously building an email list. What’s more, Instagram doesn’t allow businesses to promote their email list through adverts, but it does allow you to promote your business through your bio. So, it won’t cost you a penny! It’s really just a matter of creating an eye-catching bio showcasing what your brand is all about to get prospects to click on a link to your business website. Then once they’re there they will have the option of signing up for your email list.
6) Use Referral Programs
According to the data and market information firm, Nielson Global, 77 percent of consumers are more likely to buy a new product after hearing about it from friends and family. This statistic shows just how important influencer marketing is and that you should implement a referral strategy to increase your reach and sales. One of the most effective ways to do this is to offer cash incentives, coupons, and discounts to your loyal customers who recommend your brand to their inner circle.
Many entrepreneurs who have an online presence note that once they decided to focus their efforts on growing their email list, their engagement rate and sales increased exponentially.