In today’s digital age, building and cultivating an email list is one of the most important things a business can do. An email list allows you to directly reach your target audience in their inboxes, nurture relationships over time, and drive sales through special offers and promotions.
For entrepreneurs and small business owners, email marketing can provide an affordable way to boost brand awareness and stay connected with customers.
But simply collecting email addresses isn’t enough – you need to build a high-quality list and send out valuable content to see results. In this article, we’ll explore best practices for building your email list from scratch and maintaining it for marketing success.
Define Your Target Audience
Before starting your email list, take time to define your target audience so you can create content tailored specifically for them.
Identify your ideal customer persona – who are they, what do they care about, and what problems can your business solve for them? Defining a detailed persona prevents you from spreading yourself too thin trying to appeal to everyone.
It’s also wise to segment your broader audience into groups with shared interests, needs, or demographics. For example, you may separate subscribers by location, purchase history, or job role.
Segmenting allows you to personalize content and offers, and, as the image below shows, it can lead to a host of benefits.
Recent graduates may appreciate tips for entering the job market, while seasoned professionals want advice for advancing their careers. Send new products to existing customers and blog updates to prospects.
Make sure to thoroughly understand your target audience’s needs, goals, and preferences. What messaging resonates with them? How do they like to engage – educational content, discounts, or industry news? Spend time researching their pain points and taking surveys to gain insights. An audience-first approach ensures your emails provide real value.
Set Clear Objectives
Setting clear objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) is crucial for email marketing success. This strategic foundation guides your efforts and helps track progress toward your goals.
Start by defining your primary email marketing objectives. Be specific. For instance:
- Do you want to increase sales of a new product by 25% in the next quarter?
- Do you want to generate 500 new leads for your sales team in the next 6 months?
- Do you want to drive registrations for an upcoming webinar?
Outlining detailed goals keeps your messaging and content focused squarely on business outcomes.
Once you determine key objectives, establish metrics to measure performance. Quantitative KPIs like open rate, click-through rate, and conversion rate allow you to continually optimize your approach.
- Open rate shows how many people open your emails – aim for 20-30%.
- Click-through rate tracks the clicks on links – target 5-10%.
- And monitor conversion rate from clicks to desired actions like purchases.
Supplement hard metrics with qualitative data through surveys, reviews, and engagement tracking. Ask subscribers about email frequency, content interests, and satisfaction. This feedback helps refine your strategy over time.
With goals and KPIs defined, build out a timeline for achieving milestones. Planning key send dates over months and quarters allows you to execute campaigns and track growth.
Adjust timelines as needed based on performance – if your averate open rates are low, reassess your messaging. With a results-driven framework in place from the outset, you can realize the full potential of email marketing.
Choose an Email Marketing Platform
Selecting the right email marketing platform is crucial for creating professional campaigns and connecting with your audience. Take time upfront to thoroughly compare your options to find the best provider for your business needs and budget.
Start by researching leading services like MailChimp, Constant Contact, AWeber, and ConvertKit. Compare available features like customizable templates, drag-and-drop builders, advanced analytics, automation workflows, landing page creation, and integration with sales and CRM systems. Make sure the platform allows both simple newsletters and complex behavioral-based emails.
Also, evaluate ease of use. Look for an intuitive interface that allows you to quickly build emails without coding. Useful capabilities like saved templates, copy/paste from Word, contacts segmentation, and WYSIWYG editing can simplify your efforts.
Evaluate subscriber management and deliverability. See how each option handles collecting contact info, importing lists, and managing opt-outs. Check their delivery success rates and inbox placement with major email providers.
Importantly, assess pricing tiers. Many offer free entry-level plans that support up to 2,000 subscribers. Paid upgrades provide more contacts, unlimited sending, advanced features, and premium support. Select an affordable plan that can scale with your business.
Once you’ve compared and selected your platform, take time to fully customize your account and integrate it with your website.
Follow setup guides to connect your domain, import contacts, create signup forms, and embed tracking pixels. With your new email marketing solution ready, you can start growing your list.
Create Compelling Lead Magnets
Lead magnets are powerful tools for rapidly growing your email list. These free offerings incentivize visitors to exchange their contact info for access to valuable content. To create effective lead magnets, identify the right types for your audience and optimize them to convert.
Start by researching what lead magnet formats resonate most with your target customers. eBooks, whitepapers, templates, checklists, and webinars are proven options.
- Consider an eBook if you want an in-depth lead nurturing asset.
- Webinars work well for establishing thought leadership.
- Productivity templates appeal to busy professionals looking to be more efficient.
Once you select a format, craft compelling content. For example, an eBook should provide actionable tips and insights, not a sales pitch. Webinars should feature experts sharing practical, educational information. Lead with value to earn people’s attention and contact information.
Refine your lead magnets to convert visitors into subscribers. Write strong headlines and descriptions that speak to what the reader will gain. On landing pages, clearly explain the offering and benefits. Use urgency and scarcity to encourage signups. Offer the content in exchange for just an email, not too much info.
With a polished, professional lead magnet ready, promote it across your website, social channels, and ads. Then continue nurturing leads with helpful email content. Investing in quality lead magnets compounds returns as your list grows.
Implement Sign-Up Forms on Your Website
Strategically placing email sign-up forms across your website is key for capturing more leads and growing your list. Optimize form design and location to maximize visibility and conversion rates.
To start, place signup forms in prime visibility spots throughout the customer journey. Add forms in navigation headers, page footers, landing pages, sidebar widgets, blog post content, and pop-ups. Make them prominent without overloading every page.
Design simple, clean forms that are easy to complete. Stick to essential fields like first name, last name, and email address. You can also use email-only forms. Minimizing fields increases conversion rates. Use clear labels and attractive, branded button designs.
Make sure to use pop-ups and exit-intent forms – windows that open when the visitor is about to leave your site. Time these carefully to engage users without being annoying. Test inline forms within blog posts too.
Continually experiment with form locations, designs, and styles to determine what resonates best with your audience. Try different colors, shapes and sizes. Leverage seasonal themes and imagery. Forms above the fold tend to perform better.
With optimized signup forms in strategic spots, you can seamlessly convert website visitors into email subscribers without disrupting their experience. Just take care to not overdo forms across your site.
Craft Effective Landing Pages
Creating dedicated, optimized landing pages is vital for converting website visitors into valuable email subscribers. These targeted pages promote your lead magnets and encourage email signups.
The sole focus of a landing page is to get visitors to convert by taking your desired action, such as downloading a lead magnet in exchange for their email. Keep the layout simple and the messaging laser-focused on that one goal.
For each lead magnet you offer, develop a tailored landing page that explains the benefits of accessing the content. Write strong headlines that capture attention while clearly conveying what they will receive.
The page copy should highlight the value being delivered and build trust. For example, explain how an eBook provides tips to save them time. Use persuasive language focused on their gains, not hype about your brand.
Include trust-building elements like customer testimonials, security badges, satisfaction guarantees, and business credentials. This boosts visitors’ confidence in providing their email.
Use clear calls-to-action like “Download now” and “Get instant access”. Make signing up frictionless. Continue refining your landing pages until they effortlessly convert visitors into lead magnet downloads.
With dedicated, high-converting landing pages, you can scale the growth of your email list while providing value. Just avoid overly promotional language – your goal is delivering value, not making a hard sell.
Drive Traffic to Your Landing Pages
Creating high-converting landing pages is only half the battle – you also need to drive qualified traffic to those pages through promotional strategies if you want to grow your email list.
- Use Valuable Content To Promote Your Landing Pages: A core strategy should be developing consistently valuable content like blog posts, videos, and visual assets that attract your target audience. Within this content, organically incorporate links to your landing pages and calls to action to download your lead magnets. Content builds awareness and establishes trust.
- Use Social Media to Promote Your Landing Pages: Promote your lead magnet offers heavily on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Craft engaging posts that capture attention in feeds and include clear calls to action to sign up. Consider sponsoring posts to extend reach.
- Use SEO To Promote Your Landing Pages: Ensure your landing pages are fully search engine optimized with relevant keywords and meta descriptions so prospects can easily find them through Google searches. Investing in pay-per-click ads can further increase visibility and traffic.
- Use Email To Promote Your Landing Pages: Use email signatures, as well as business cards, and online bios, and anywhere else you have an online presence to promote your lead magnets. The more exposure across channels, the more sign-ups you’ll generate.
Continually test new strategies for getting your offers and landing pages in front of your target audience. Drive traffic through both paid and unpaid methods for optimal results. With diverse promotional tactics, you can maximize conversion potential.
Email Marketing Campaigns
Once you have subscribers signing up for your list, it’s crucial to engage them through value-driven email campaigns rather than just promotional emails. Develop a strategic mix of content that nurtures subscribers, builds relationships, and provides incentives.
First, create a welcome email series that onboards new subscribers. Share 3-5 emails that provide useful tips related to your business, establish your expertise, and set expectations for future communication. This builds goodwill from the start.
Send regular newsletters, like monthly or weekly, to give ongoing value through content like blog summaries, industry articles, how-to’s, new product updates, and more. Include an easy unsubscribe link as required.
Develop drip campaigns that automatically send a series of 5-10 emails when someone signs up. Tailor the content journey – provide tips for prospects or special discounts and personalized content for existing customers.
In addition to informational content, utilize promotional emails sparingly. Offer clear value like exclusive discounts for loyal subscribers, contests, or special access to new products/services.
Just ensure most emails educate rather than constantly pitch.
Thoughtful email campaigns demonstrate respect for subscribers’ inboxes. They want quality content and offers over time, not constant sales hype and noise. With a strategic mix of value, your list will grow and engage long-term.
Optimize for Mobile Devices
In today’s mobile world, ensuring your email marketing looks great and functions seamlessly on mobile devices is crucial. With higher open and engagement rates on smartphones and tablets, optimization can really impact performance.
Start with an email service provider that offers mobile-friendly, responsive templates that automatically adapt to smaller screens. Design your custom templates and layouts for readability on mobile as well. Use larger font sizes, space elements apart, and create a clear visual hierarchy.
Test your sign-up forms extensively on mobile to ensure a streamlined experience. Check that forms are easy to read, access, and submit on touchscreens. Minimize unnecessary fields for faster completion.
Be sure to preview your campaigns across a range of mobile devices, including both Apple iOS and Android. Open and interact with the live emails in different mobile email clients like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc. Identify any display or functionality issues.
Regularly check your email analytics to see the top platforms and devices your audience engages with most. Target subject lines and calls-to-action for mobile users based on their behaviors.
With mobile optimization as an ongoing focus, you can tap into the major marketing potential of smartphones and tablets. Create seamless experiences and your emails will convert better across devices.
Monitor and Analyze Results
Ongoing analysis and optimization should be integral parts of your email marketing strategy. Dive into metrics, run A/B tests, and leverage insights to continually refine and enhance your approach.
Carefully monitor open and click-through rates to gauge subject line effectiveness and content engagement. Are subscribers opening and interacting with your emails? Conversion rates reveal how successfully you turn contacts into customers. Set benchmarks to improve.
Run A/B tests to experiment with different variables – email subject lines, content formats, calls-to-action, timing, segments, and more. The results will show you what resonates best with your audience so you can tailor future emails accordingly.
Regularly dig into the data and analytics provided by your email service to identify opportunities. See which campaign types, segments, and approaches perform best. Use these insights to craft more relevant, higher converting emails.
For example, if a segment of subscribers engaged heavily with a recent promotion, you can create a tailored offer just for them. Or if click-through rates lag on Tuesdays, reconsider sending broadcasts on that day.
Let the data guide your strategy over time. Optimize subject lines, automation, targeting, and design based on subscriber behaviors. With an analytics-driven approach, your email marketing will continually improve.
Comply with Email Marketing Regulations
As an email marketer, you have an obligation to comply with relevant laws and regulations as you build your list and run campaigns. This ensures you send quality, consent-based content that subscribers want. Taking time to understand requirements demonstrates a commitment to ethical marketing.
Specifically, familiarize yourself with regulations like GDPR, CAN-SPAM Act, CASL, and ESP terms of service.
For example, GDPR has strict consent rules for contacting users in the EU that you need to follow. Stay up to date on policies as they evolve to remain compliant. Adhering to laws protects your business and shows respect for subscribers.
- Only add new contacts who have directly opted in by signing up on your website, checking a permission box, or taking clear action to receive emails.
- Never just buy or import lists of unqualified leads. Building your list ethically inspires trust and engagement over time.
- Include options in every email to manage preferences or unsubscribe from your list.
- Immediately honor all unsubscribe requests and keep your list clean. Don’t continue emailing contacts who have opted out. Transparency gives subscribers control over their inboxes.
Complying with regulations builds subscriber trust and loyalty over time. Taking steps to follow requirements results in an engaged, high-quality list receptive to your content. Ethical practices demonstrate respect for contacts and strengthen relationships.
Maintain List Health
Building your email list is just the first step – you also need to maintain the overall health and quality of your list over time. This involves regularly cleansing your list of inactive contacts and segmenting users for more targeted outreach. Healthy list practices maximize the value of your email marketing efforts.
Periodically review your entire email list and remove contacts who have been inactive for 6-12 months without opening or clicking.
Also promptly delete hard bounces and any unsubscribe requests. Regular list cleaning ensures your emails reach real, engaged users.
Consider segmenting your list based on levels of engagement, interests, demographics, and other factors. For example, send re-engagement content to inactive users and educational content to highly engaged users. List segmentation allows personalized messaging at scale.
Send periodic re-engagement emails to subscribers who have been inactive for 3-6 months to prompt re-participation. Offer fresh content incentives and discounts to get them open and click again. Keeping users actively engaged improves overall deliverability as well.
By continuously monitoring and nurturing your list, your emails will consistently reach motivated subscribers interested in your content. Maintaining high list quality and engagement is an ongoing process.
Scale and Expand
Once you have a strong email marketing foundation, look for creative ways to continually expand your reach and list size.
Employ diverse organic and paid growth strategies to get your lead magnets in front of new audiences. A larger, high-quality list means more brand advocates over time.
Here are some of the most effective ways to scale and expand your email list.
- Refine your website content, offers, and SEO to attract more visitors who will naturally convert into leads.
- Run carefully targeted retargeting ad campaigns on social media and Google to reconnect with past visitors and drive them back to opt-in. Promoting your content through multiple channels compounds growth.
- Seek out synergistic partnerships with relevant blogs, influencers, or brands to collaborate on co-marketing campaigns. Brainstorm creative initiatives like guest posts, giveaways, or lead magnet collaborations that expose your brand to new, qualified contacts. Strategic partnerships expand your reach exponentially.
- Add social sharing buttons and email referral options so current subscribers can easily spread the word about your lead magnets to their own networks. Word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied subscribers provide a strong endorsement.
Set monthly subscriber growth goals and continually brainstorm innovative strategies to expand your reach. Don’t let your email efforts plateau. Building a large, engaged list fuels business growth for the long term.
Conclusion
Building and cultivating an engaged email subscriber list is foundational to the growth of any business. Done right, it provides a direct line to qualified prospects and customers.
Just remember, email marketing success is a long-term, cumulative process. It takes strategy and diligence, but the payoff in brand awareness, lead generation, and revenue is immense.
With a laser focus on providing value to subscribers through education, exclusives, and great content, your efforts will contribute directly to business growth.