Email marketing is a powerful tool for small business owners, providing an easy way to stay in touch with customers or reach out to potential ones. Features like automated follow up messages can save you time in regularly marketing your products.
But no email campaign is effective unless you have a list of subscribers to send your emails to. The easiest way to collect names and addresses for your mailing list is by placing a sign-up form on your web site. Combining other tactics can help your list grow faster.
Here are five ways to get in your customers’ inboxes.
1. Use Social Media Sites
Grow your email list while building your online following by placing a web form on your company Facebook page or tweeting a sign up link from your Twitter account.
As you gain more social followers, your mailing list will get more attention, too.
Target uses a web form on their Facebook page
2. Show Examples of Your Newsletter
Do you get more sales by telling your customers how great your services are or by showing them, too?
Your email campaign is no different. Market it like you market your products, by showing your customers an example of what they’re signing up for. Link to an example of your newsletter on your web form or on a special sign-up page to show off your valuable content.
Southwest Airlines links to a sample of their email updates on their web form.
3. Use QR Codes To Build Your List Offline
Quick response – or QR – codes are barcodes that a smartphone can scan to display a variety of digital content, anything from a web page to contact information to an email sign up form.
Print them on your business cards, on pamphlets and flyers, on banners for events, or on stickers in your store window, and link them to a mobile-optimized version of your landing page. When a passerby scans the QR code, they’ll see your landing page and have the chance to sign up for your emails on the spot. Much easier than writing out the link for them.
4. Take Advantage of Local Events
Getting offline and into your local community helps build stronger relationships with customers nearby. You can get them on your email list, too, and continue those relationships in the inbox. Emailing local customers on a regular basis brings more foot traffic to your business.
Print sign up sheets and bring them with you to events, explaining the benefits of your mailing list. (This is another place to get savvy with QR codes, too!)
5. Don’t Forget Professional Events
If you market services for businesses rather than consumers, take advantage of conferences, networking and other professional events to build your list.
Mention your email list to the peers you exchange business cards with and ask if they’d like to join. You can mark the business card with their response to keep track of who opted in to your emails and who didn’t.
Do What Makes Sense
When getting creative with your list building, do what makes sense for your business. Using QR codes works best for a tech-savvy audience that skews younger. If your target customers are in an older demographic, you may want to stick with simpler sign up forms.
Don’t be afraid to experiment to find what works best for your customers.
About Justin Premick