Many of you have read this blog’s posts about how to effectively create, test, and run a direct mail campaign, using either postcards or some other printed medium, like catalogs and postcards. And while direct mail is still an effective way to promote your business, get information out and give special offers to customers, email marketing is another avenue to consider. There are a number of advantages to email marketing, including lower costs and ease of use. But some of you have asked how to best build up an email list of customers. There are a number of options available to you.
Unlike direct mail campaigns, where all you need is an address, email is a bit trickier. While you can go out and buy an email list like you can with many direct mail services, it’s sometimes more difficult to target and segment your potential customer base. There are oftentimes also a backlash if people receive emails from you without signing up themselves. Taking the time to build up a list of contacts that are yours and yours alone will pay big dividends in the long run, because you can decide how often to email them, which offers work best, and build up a long standing relationship that is mutually beneficial. But how do you start building these lists in the first place?
One of the easiest ways is by having a “Contact Us” page on your Website, and also a separate page for customers to sign up for your email offers and newsletters. This will give customers a chance to ask you questions, but you can also have them input some basic information that will allow you to address their question and reach out to them at a later date. This gives customers a chance to also see what offers have been sent in the past, and give them an easy way to subscribe. On this page you can also work to include customer testimonials and positive quotes to help increase opt-in rates.
If you have a physical store, you can always put a sign-up sheet at the register and encourage people to sign up for you email lists, even offering a $2 off coupon on their next purchase as an incentive. You’ll not only encourage repeat business but also get valuable information for retaining that customer.
Of course with any emails that you send out, you’ll want to make sure you include the option (if possible) for someone to pass along the email to friends and family easily. This way the email can potentially spread virally, and you can gain subscribers through word of mouth. If your email or offer is good enough, it’s possible you can pick up dozens of subscribers with one campaign. From there, your list will continue to grow and hopefully expand exponentially in no time at all.
Have any of you successfully built up an email list through hard work and word of mouth? What methods were successful for you?
