E-mail marketing, be it in the form of an e-newsletter, information about new packages, or a discount for loyal customers is an up-and-coming method of reaching out to clients and prospects. Before you can start your e-mail marketing plan, though, you have to have a list that will make it worth your while. If gathering contact information for the list is going slowly, here are some ideas that will shift it into high gear.
1. Be Easy to Find
So many websites make the mistake of offering a single place to sign up for the mailing list. Don’t follow in their footsteps. Offer a simple form that people can complete to join your mailing list on every single page of your site. Not only will this make sure your customers have no difficulty finding the sign-up form, it also ensures that customers will think about the form whenever they visit your site.
2. Tell Visitors What You Want Them to Do
A sign-up form should be pretty explicit, right? Wrong. Some people need a direct call to action before they surrender their email address. A call to action doesn’t have to be harsh. A simple statement like, “Sign up for my free weekly newsletter,” or “Sign up for news and deals” will work well.
3. Offer Incentives for Signing Up
Some websites offer a free, downloadable book as an incentive. Others offer coupons, free movie passes. A free consultation with an experienced agent is also a great incentive.
4. Use Customer Surveys
Ask your clients to take a ten or eleven item customer survey. Ask thought-provoking questions about areas where feedback will be useful to you. At the end of the customer surveys, thank the customer for his or her time and offer a chance to sign up for your free newsletter and promotional offers. By this time, the client is probably feeling at least a little invested in your company and may sign up out of interest.
5. Use Social Media
Whenever you make a new friend, fan, or connection on social media, suggest that he or she visit your website and sign up for your newsletter. Ask, too, if they have a newsletter you could sign up to receive. Reciprocating shows that you’re more interested in building a community than in just making a sale.
6. Don’t Annoy Your Mailing List
One of the most common reasons people take their names off mailing lists is because they are receiving an annoying amount of mail. Your customers don’t need to hear from you a dozen times a day. Once a day is fine, as long as you have something besides fluff to communicate. Once a week is ideal for small agencies because the agency stays in the customer’s mind but doesn’t become an irritant.
Building your e-mail list isn’t something that will happen overnight, but once you get started with the ideas listed above, it may happen much more quickly than you think.
