We know building a list is the lifeblood of an online business. So who wouldn't want to know what 8 experts think is most important?
I know I do.
Thanks to our friends at AWeber for sharing this article.
Here's 8 tips – from industry experts – about growing your email list:
1. When it comes to your sign up form, less is more
Erin King, Sr. Email Marketing Manager at Litmus
A painless sign-up process is essential when building a list. When potential subscribers are first opting in to your list, it can be tempting to ask them for a large amount of information (address, job title, company size, etc). But a lengthy sign up form can lead to a higher rate of sign-up abandonment.
Keep your sign up form fields to a minimum — at most, a name and email address. This is the start of your relationship with the subscriber, so no need to overwhelm them with too many questions. As you build trust with them, you can employ tactics like progressive profiling to learn more about them.
2. Make your sign up form work harder for you
Chad White, Research Director at Litmus
I’m a fan of strengthening strengths. Your best subscribers always come from owned acquisition sources — your website, stores, call center, mobile app and other sources close to your shopping and customer service operations — so I recommend improving those.
Make them work harder for you by:
- Making sign-up opportunities prominent during key interaction points
- Reducing unnecessary and low-value fields on sign up forms to reduce friction
- Making the sign up value proposition stronger
- Setting clear expectations as to what new subscribers will receive and how often
- Optimizing the sign up form call-to-action
Even small improvements to these subscriber acquisition sources are really valuable, because the subscribers you acquire through these sources are much more valuable than ones you attract elsewhere. So start A/B testing today.
3. Get social
Kristen Dunleavy, Content Marketing Manager at Movable Ink
When you add contextual elements to your emails, you show your audience that you really ‘get’ them. One way to build your list with context is by adding a live social feed to your emails. Give your social followers a heads up and tell them to sign up for your list to check it out.
This helps create buzz around your email list and gives you the chance to showcase user-generated content in your emails.
4. Ask your audience what they want
Amy Schmittauer, Founder of Savvy Sexy Social
Anytime my audience gives me an idea of something they want or need, I try to create the ultimate lead magnet around that so I can grow my list. It’s a win-win for everyone because I’ve specifically offered them something they asked for in return for contact information.
Instead of just guessing what your audience wants, ask and create the very best thing you could offer. They will opt-in happily knowing you listened!
5. Leverage your expertise
Carl Sednaoui, Director of Marketing at MailCharts
As an entrepreneur, you’re likely to have expertise in whatever your business focuses on. Leverage that expertise to create and distribute valuable educational content. This will help you connect with your community while growing your reputation and email list.
6. Identify pain points, solve them with incentives
Rachel Moffatt, Social Media Manager at Express Writers
The best way to grow your email list with quality subscribers is to provide an incentive your target audience would find valuable. Provide a solution to the problems they’re facing!
One of the best ways to do this is through content upgrades on individual blog posts. It’s the perfect way to get new visitors to your website to take action after reading a blog post. And it will definitely give your list a major boost!
7. Remember the 3 P’s
Andy Crestodina, Co-Founder and Strategic Director at Orbit Media Studios
Email list growth is a conversion optimization challenge. And the conversion rate is determined by the three P’s:
Prominence
The sign up form is visually prominent. It doesn’t have to be a pop-up, but it should be high on the visual hierarchy of the page.Promise
The benefits of subscribing are explicit. The sign up form tells people the topic and the frequency.Proof
There is some indication that you’re legit. This could be the number of subscribers or a short, sweet testimonial.8. Warm up your audience with valuable content
Jenna Kutcher, Founder of the Jenna Kutcher Course and Host of The Goal Digger Podcast
Not a lot of entrepreneurs know the impact of having an email list for their business, but email lists are so important no matter what industry you’re in.
This is because it connects you to people who are already interested in your products and services. And more importantly, you own that list. The time you are spending on social media to grow your following is basically like renting space and any day, the people who own that space can change the game with algorithms.
So much of my time is spent creating free valuable content for my audience to demonstrate that I care about them and understand their needs. This gives them a no-risk way to get to know me and my style before comfortably purchasing down the road.
You can read more at AWeber.
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