“91% of Consumers Use Email At Least Daily” — ExactTarget. So building an email list is a must.
Email marketing is going to remain a top priority for companies in 2016-a survey says.
I know you will be surprised to know that how your competition has grown such a vast email list. You may be wishing you had a larger audience of your content and able to build a huge email list. Believe me; you are not alone.
Nearly one-fourth of companies’ says they will spend an average more than 30 emails per month in 2016.
Additionally, 86.7% of the survey respondents said they would spend more money on email marketing this year.
It is a bit of science to build a profitable email marketing list.
Here I like to share few stats points of inbound marketing-
- Email marketing as a channel was the third overall lead gen source for marketers in 2013, producing 13% of all leads.
- Email marketing created above average lead conversions for 27% of marketers in 2013.
- 21% of marketers report that social media has become more important to their company over the past six months.
- Email marketing is considered the third overall most effective channel for lead generation for marketers in 2013, producing 13% of all leads.
Email proves, again and again, it’s the best way to engage customer, blog readers. Fans and others. Even with the rush of social media options, the best response rates comes from email.
Every 60 seconds-
- 120,000 tweets are posted
- 510,000 comments on Facebook are published and
- 1,350 photos are uploaded to Instagram.
Free PDF Download: Get access to the free checklist that will show you how to grow your email list with social media.
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That’s why you need to build an email list, grow it, and optimize it for your needs. So how do you get your people to take the next step and join your email list?
Here are thirteen simple strategies to try out-
- Goodbye to “Submit” Button
- Use “Share With your Network” Button
- Add in Custom Facebook App like ActionSprout
- Use Twitter Bio
- Lead generation Cards on Twitter
- Host an event
- Generate A Pinterest Offer
- Post Compelling Photos on Instagram
- Publish links to gated Offer On Linkedin
- Add URLs in YouTube video
- Promote offers and Email sign-up through Google+ page
- Run a contest
- OFFER EXCLUSIVE CONTENT OR SET BENCHMARK
Social media is all craze, but we can’t forget to use these marketing channels to fuel our growing email list. – Brian Honigman.
1.Goodbye to ‘Submit’ Button
There are many different app options to add and set up an email sign-up form to your Facebook page.
Some suggested email sign-up apps are-
- Constant Contact Facebook app
- MailChimp’s Facebook sign-up app
- iContact’s Facebook app
- Benchmark’s Email app
- JD Subra Email Sign-up app
To add one of these apps to your Facebook page-
- First, visit the top right app banner
- Click on the drop-down menu indicated by a number with an arrow pointing downwards.
- Add Facebook-app-tab
Click on this drop down menu to view your other added app and to install more.
Facebook Introduced the Call to Action button in 2014. This button resides on a page’s cover photo. There are several Call to Action button like-
- Sign-up
- Shop now
- Contact us
- Watch Video
- Save
- Donate Now
Here look at the example of “Sign-up” Call to Action Button-
Another example of “Donate Now” Call to action button-
When audience clicks on your sign up button, show them why they should give their email address to you. For example, “Download our checklist for free” or “Get Your Update Content”.
2.USE “SHARE WITH YOUR NETWORK” BUTTON
It is important to encourage your current email marketing list members to share your list. Remember, people are more likely to trust a recommendation from a friend. It helps you to built an email list.
Wisely use your timeline to promote offers and be sure to “Share with your Network” or Social Sharing Button to the landing pages and thank you pages you send them to encourage to share your content and newsletter with their common zone network contact.
3.USE CUSTOM FACEBOOK APP( A GREAT TOOL- ACTIONSPROUT):
Check if you’re CRM have a Facebook integration add a new tool called ActionSprout. They serve up Facebook to enable petitions to your audience.
ActionSprout makes easy for the social activist to take actions with one click. Their tool has a forever free plan so that you can try it out.
See another one…
4.USE TWITTER BIO:
You can use your Twitter Bio in a very effective way. It also can be a cool way to engage with your audience and build your email list.
You have to be creative to use your limited space. Place a link to your email sign up form directly in your bio. For example, OpenMerit promotes their free guide and email series using Twitter bio….
A ‘Thank You’ message will encourage your audience to tweet more. It’s always nice to thank you to your audience and retweet their messages.
But think if you retweet their mentions of your articles it becomes an ambassador’s message and both thank you messages and retweet going to add exposure to sign-ups and newsletter.
5.LEAD GENERATION CARDS ON TWITTER
Twitter offers lead generation cards that allow you-
- To promote your content
- Collect information on customers
Here’s an example of a card from Cruise Line…
You can promote anything you choose through this lead generation cards. From your email newsletter to a new secret part of your website.
So create a Twitter campaign to offer an eBook or a free resource to your followers that require an email address to reclaim.
6.HOST AN EVENT
Hosting an event is a great way to connect with your audience, Facebook makes it easier. Whether you host an online webinar or an event for your business make sure you’re collecting email addresses during the registration process.
Here’s how Ross McKenzie promotes a webinar-
Another Example of Twitter Webinar….
7.GENERATE A PINTEREST OFFER
You could leverage to host a variety of different offer that will help you to capture email addresses. Here I ‘m mentioning two Pinterest contest platform-
- Piqora and
- Curalate
Running a photo contest on Pinterest could be a great jumping off. Make sure you create a killer and eye catching call to action within the pin.
Pinterest is a super place to target and get closer to your target audience.
- 68% of the users are women
- 50% have children and
- 1% of users make $Six figure+ per year
People love to share infographics through Pinterest and it an amazing place to share sleek infographics. Here is one of the tactics is to create an infographic with a very specific Call to Action that will take your audience to a sign-up page.
For example, a button at the bottom of the infographic that says, ‘Like what you’ve seen? Click Here to subscribe to our blog
8.POST COMPELLING PHOTOS ON INSTAGRAM
One of the best things you can do if you are getting started is to increase your traffic. You cannot grow your audience without traffic because no one will know about your existence. You will find Instagram to be an outstanding place to grow your website traffic.
You could leverage in a number of ways-
- Post a photo of a discounted item or offered product exclusively for your email newsletter subscribers.
- Upload a video showing the benefits of signing up for your email newsletter.
- Make a post a picture or video that details your exclusive email content.
Here I also like to mention that regarding link posting Instagram offers you two options-
- Either copy and paste your link onto your actual photo, Or
- Include it in your Bio.
Make sure you include clear directions if you choose to paste the link onto a photo. Also, tell your follower about the email sign up a link in your bio.
9.PUBLISH LINKS TO GATED OFFER ON LINKEDIN
Publish links to gated offer in your LinkedIn company page. You can also publish in appropriate and related LinkedIn group discussions.
10. ADD URLS IN YOUTUBE VIDEO
People respond to images more than text means using video will most likely earn you more likes, shares, and follow than simply posting information. It will allow people to engage with your content and make them convinced to join your email list.
Add URLs and calls-to-action in your videos to encourage your audience to subscribe your email list. You can include links to relevant landing pages in videos’ text descriptions.
11. PROMOTE OFFERS AND EMAIL SIGN-UP THROUGH GOOGLE+ PAGE
Social media marketing and email listing both are effective in their own place. But when you combine the two you got the opportunity to grow your email list by engaging more with your audience.
By placing offers and email sign-up through your Google+ page by making use of your two sections-
- Google+ Updates and
- Google+ “About.”
Promote offers and email sign-up through your Google+ Page by making use of your Google+ updates and your Google+ “About” section.
By placing email sign up links within your social media channels, you’re given the chance to turn interested prospects into valuable customers.
12. HOST A GIVEAWAY
If you want to grow your subscriber, host a giveaway. You can try KingSumo Giveaways plugin.
Your entrants just have to pop in their email address and then good to go.
Once they do that they can see on screen-
If your audience shares the giveaway on their social media or with their email list, then they have the opportunity to get even more entries for each person who sign up through your “Special URL”. Thus, you can create “Viral” giveaway.
Try one of the following Facebook apps to run your contest, sweepstakes or giveaway-
- Fanappz
- Votigo
- Bulbstrom
- Noth Social
- Offerpop
- Rafflecopter
- Strutta
Be sure to choose one that offers sign-up form as a type of entry for participation to generate emails from a contest on the Facebook platform.
13. OFFER EXCLUSIVE CONTENT OR SET BENCHMARK
As a person of the content world if you don’t have a product to giveaway think about what exclusive content you can offer.
On cloud computing, anything from a downloadable guide to a link to a secret content could be just the incentive your audience needs to give you their contact information.
If you thinking something to do that can blow someone’s mind…….see this-
Headbands of Hope is a company founded by a college student, Jess Ekstrom, that gives headbands to girls with cancer and funding to research For every headband sold, one is given to a girl with cancer. Headbands of Hope has donated headbands to every children’s hospital in the United States.
For every headband purchased, one is given to a child with cancer.
Take a look at the Giving Gallery-
CHANGE THE NAME
Long gone are the days of people joining a ‘Newsletter’? Either think of a creative name or even call it an email list, exclusive list or VIP list.
Have a strong follow-up series after they join and send them a series of emails over the course of a week or two. Talk about you, what you can share and share some of your best content. It’s a great way to welcome them and let your personality shine through as well as prove that your emails are valuable to open up.
Final Thoughts
“People don’t change their email addresses. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, People join and drop that pretty often. But changing your email address is a hassle. That’s why you still have friends with AOL and Hotmail accounts”- notes New York Times best-selling Author Jon Acuff.
I agree that it is better to have a list than to have never started one. I’m glad that you will no longer rely on social media only to get your message there. There are plenty of awesome list building strategies available. You will shine to see your business growth as your email list grows by following effective ways. GO AHEAD!!
Related articles: lead generation techniques, best email services, email marketing strategies
