Do you engage in email marketing as part of your efforts to grow your business?
If so, do you know how to collect email addresses for email marketing? Read on to find out.
Some days ago, I received an email. Though I didn’t recognise the sender, the subject caught my attention. It surprised me that the email escaped my overzealous antispam app and landed straight in my Inbox.
Against my better judgement, I opened it, albeit with my antivirus app on alert!
The content of the email addressed a pain point. I realised that it must have come from some kindhearted person who knows that I face that challenge.
The email copy was convincing, and I thought a marketing pro crafted this message since they sent it through a well-known email marketing service provider.
Since I did not subscribe to their mailing list, the sender got my email address and added it to their mailing list without my permission!
It is spam. So right away, I hit the spam button. If it were in Europe, with this new GDPR law in place, the sender could have been in big trouble if I had reported them.
If perchance, you are the sender, and you are reading this post, then pay attention. Let me teach you how to collect email addresses for email marketing.
Before we go into that, let me ask.
Should You Send Email Newsletters?
Email newsletters have existed as a means of news sharing for individuals and organisations since the early days of the Internet.
If you want to keep your target audience abreast of the latest in your organisation, email newsletters are a cost-effective way to go.
However, before you send your email newsletters, there are some things you must put in place.
Privacy Policy
It is almost impossible to do business on the Internet without collecting personal information from people who visit your site or social media channels. Even when people contact you on the phone or chat, you are still having access to their information.
There might be cookies on your site that collect information about your visitors’ website use. For example, the web pages they visit or if they experience any technical issues.
The information collected by your cookies on your site must be anonymous. It is only meant to help you improve your website experience, understand what your site visitors interests are and measure marketing effectiveness.
Therefore, you need to have a privacy policy that states how you intend to handle the personal information that people share with you.
Landing Page
If you are collecting email addresses online, then have your subscription forms placed in strategic locations throughout your site and your social media channel if possible.
Besides, it is advisable to have a dedicated landing page for people to subscribe to your newsletter or mailing list. Fortunately, most email service providers will have all these features included in their solutions.
Unsubscribe Link
You must provide a means by which subscribers to your mailing list can unsubscribe. Fortunately, most email service providers have this feature incorporated into their solution.
So please ensure that you respect their wish and desist from sending the person your messages. Place the unsubscribe link in a prominent location.
What Is an Email List?
When a business collects email addresses (with permission) from existing or potential customers, they are building an email list. Business owners need to work on growing an email list.
Subscribers to your email list are persons who have permitted you to market your product or service to them.
There are some unscrupulous individuals and organisations who offer to sell you an email list. Don’t waste your time or money. You don’t know what dubious means they used in gathering the contact details of persons on their list. The contact details might be fake.
My candid advice is to grow your email from scratch. That way, you are marketing to real people who have shown a genuine interest in your product or service.
How to Grow Your Email List
Here are seven superb ways to grow your email list.
Create an E-book
Create a remarkable piece of content and offer it to your people for subscribing to your email list. An excellent example of this is my Reaching Your Target Audience e-book, a free and comprehensive 34-page e-book that I offer to anyone who subscribes to my email list. It shows you how to reach your target audience through digital and social media marketing.
Here are seven superb ways to collect email addresses for your marketing campaigns. Click To TweetCreate a Free Tool or Bonus Content
Various online tools promise to make your life easier in exchange for your email address. If you add these types of features to your website, you can collect email addresses from your site visitors.
Create Bonus Content
When you publish a tutorial or guide, you can give out the essential information for free in your post. Then create a bonus content that contains further information and offer that bonus content for your reader’s email.
Create a Contest
Create contests, sweepstakes, whereby people give you their email to take part. Offer enticing prizes that will attract people to take part.
Collect Email in Your Shop/Store
When customers visit your shop, humbly ask them for their email address. Let them know you wish to inform them when you have new products or services that might interest them. Be cautious about using this method, so it does not backfire.
Gather Contact Info at Trade Shows, Workshops, Seminars and Other Events
Do you take part in trade shows, workshops, or seminars? These are significant events for you to collect email addresses and offer subscribers your promotional items such as pens and key holders.
Collect Contact Info at Webinars
Online webinars are great ways to collect email addresses. Make sure the webinar topic is something that will attract your target audience. If possible, invite other notable persons from related industries (not your direct competitors) as your co-hosts for the webinar.
Conclusion
These are seven ethical ways to collect email addresses for your marketing campaigns. If you have questions, let me know in the comments or tweet me at @ademolaabimbola.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I appreciate it. Please share it with your friends and colleagues.
Related Article(s)
- 5 Common Misconceptions About Email Marketing
- How to Create an Effective Email Marketing Campaign
- 10 Benefits of Email Marketing for the Holiday Season
- How to Tell If Your Email Newsletter is Effective
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