The Ultimate Guide to Building an Email List for Small Businesses
An email list is one of the most valuable assets a small business can have. It allows you to stay in touch with your customers and prospects, promote your products and services, and build relationships with your audience.
How to build an email list from scratch: An online marketer's perspective
Building an email list is one of the most important things you can do to grow your small business. An email list allows you to stay in touch with your customers and prospects, promote your products and services, and build relationships with your audience.
But how do you build an email list from scratch?
Here are some tips that I have found to be effective:
1. Offer a valuable lead magnet.
A lead magnet is a free offer that you give away in exchange for someone's email address. It could be anything from an ebook to a webinar to a checklist. The key is to offer something that is valuable to your target audience and that they would be willing to trade their email address for.
Here are some examples of valuable lead magnets:
An ebook that solves a common problem your target audience faces
A webinar that teaches your target audience a new skill or strategy
A checklist that helps your target audience complete a specific task
A discount on your product or service
While crafting a lead magnet is an important initial step, building strong email marketing fundamentals will set you up for long-term success.
2. Make it easy to sign up.
Your email sign-up form should be simple and easy to fill out. Only ask for the information you absolutely need, such as name and email address. You can also offer to add subscribers to your email list when they checkout on your website or when they sign up for your newsletter.
Here are some tips for making your email sign-up form easy to fill out:
Place it in a prominent location on your website, such as your homepage or in your website's header.
Use clear and concise language.
Only ask for the information you absolutely need.
Use a large font size and plenty of white space.
Make sure the button to submit the form is clear and easy to find.
3. Promote your lead magnet on your website and social media.
Once you have a lead magnet created, make sure to promote it on your website and social media. Tell your followers about the offer and why they should sign up for it. You can also create landing pages specifically for your lead magnets.
Here are some tips for promoting your lead magnet:
Write blog posts about your lead magnet and share them on your website and social media.
Create social media posts that promote your lead magnet.
Use paid advertising to promote your lead magnet to a wider audience.
Partner with other businesses to promote your lead magnet to their audiences.
4. Run email list building campaigns.
You can also run email list building campaigns to attract new subscribers. This could involve running contests or giveaways, offering discounts or promotions, or partnering with other businesses.
Here are some examples of email list building campaigns:
Run a contest or giveaway where the prize is a valuable product or service from your business.
Offer a discount or promotion to people who sign up for your email list.
Partner with another business to offer a joint lead magnet or promotion.
While running these campaigns is essential for list growth, understanding email marketing best practices will ensure you're maximizing the effectiveness of your efforts.
5. Use pop-ups and exit-intent pop-ups.
Pop-ups and exit-intent pop-ups can be a great way to capture email addresses from visitors to your website. Exit-intent pop-ups are especially effective because they appear when a visitor is about to leave your website, which means they are more likely to be interested in what you have to offer.
Here are some tips for using pop-ups and exit-intent pop-ups effectively:
Make sure your pop-up is relevant to the page that the visitor is on.
Offer a valuable incentive to sign up for your email list.
Make your pop-up easy to close.
Use exit-intent pop-ups to capture email addresses from visitors who are about to leave your website.
6. Segment your email list.
Once you have a list of subscribers, it's important to segment it so that you can send targeted emails. This will help you to improve your open rates and click-through rates.
Here are some ways to segment your email list:
Segment by interests. For example, you could segment your list by the products or services that your subscribers are interested in.
Segment by demographics. For example, you could segment your list by age, gender, or location.
Segment by behavior. For example, you could segment your list by the pages that your subscribers have visited on your website or the emails that they have opened and clicked on.
7. Send regular emails.
Don't just send emails to your subscribers when you have something to sell. Make sure to send them regular emails with valuable content, such as blog posts, tips, and insights. This will help you to stay top-of-mind and build relationships with your audience.
Tips for sending regular emails:
Create a content calendar to plan out your email content in advance.
Send a variety of email content, such as blog posts, tips, insights, and product or service updates. This will help to keep your subscribers engaged and interested in your content.
Personalize your emails whenever possible. This could involve using your subscribers' names in the subject line or greeting, or sending them targeted content based on their interests.
Test and optimize your email campaigns. Track the open rates and click-through rates of your email campaigns, and use this data to optimize your future campaigns.
Additional tips from an online marketer's perspective:
Use email automation. Email automation allows you to send emails to your subscribers automatically based on certain triggers, such as when they sign up for your email list or when they purchase a product from your website. This can save you a lot of time and help you to send more relevant emails to your subscribers.
Use email segmentation. Email segmentation allows you to send different emails to different groups of subscribers based on their interests or demographics. This can help you to improve your open rates and click-through rates.
Use email personalization. Email personalization allows you to use your subscribers' names, interests, and other data to create more relevant and engaging emails. This can help you to improve your open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.
Use email testing. Email testing allows you to test different email subject lines, content, and designs to see what works best for your audience. This can help you to improve your open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.
By following these tips, you can send regular emails that are valuable to your subscribers and that help you to achieve your marketing goals.
Here are a few case studies of businesses that have successfully built their email lists:
AppSumo: AppSumo is a website that offers daily deals on software and other digital products. They have built a massive email list of over 1 million subscribers by offering valuable lead magnets, such as ebooks, webinars, and discounts on their products.
Video Fruit: Video Fruit is a video production company that helps small businesses create high-quality videos. They were able to grow their email list from 0 to 205 subscribers in just 48 hours by hosting a giveaway for a free video.
Copyhackers: Copyhackers is a copywriting training company founded by Joanna Wiebe. They have built an email list of over 500,000 subscribers by offering high-quality content, such as blog posts, ebooks, and webinars. They also offer a valuable lead magnet called the "10x Framework," which is a free, five-day email course on copywriting.
Beardbrand: Beardbrand is a men's grooming company that sells beard oil, beard wash, and other beard-related products. They have built an email list of over 1 million subscribers by creating engaging and informative content, such as blog posts, videos, and podcasts. They also offer a valuable lead magnet called the "Beard Bible," which is a free ebook on beard care.
Grammarly: Grammarly is a grammar checker and plagiarism detector. They have built an email list of over 20 million subscribers by offering a free version of their product. They also offer a valuable lead magnet called the "Ultimate Grammar Guide," which is a free ebook on grammar and punctuation.
Sumo: Sumo is a suite of marketing tools that help small businesses grow their email lists and website traffic. They have built an email list of over 1 million subscribers by offering a free trial of their product. They also offer a valuable lead magnet called the "Growth Hacking Guide," which is a free ebook on how to grow your business.
All of these examples show that there are many different ways to build an email list. The key is to offer something valuable to your potential subscribers in exchange for their email address. Once you have a list, you can use it to send them valuable content and offers that will help you grow your business.
Here are some tips for small businesses that are using the above case studies as inspiration:
Offer a valuable lead magnet that is relevant to your target audience.
Make it easy for people to sign up for your email list by placing sign-up forms on your website and social media channels.
Promote your lead magnet on your website and social media channels, and through other channels such as paid advertising and guest blogging.
Use pop-ups and exit-intent pop-ups to capture email addresses from visitors to your website.
Segment your email list so that you can send targeted emails.
Send regular emails with valuable content, such as blog posts, tips, and insights.
By following these tips, small businesses can build a thriving email list that will help them to grow their business.
Building an email list takes time and effort, but it's one of the best things you can do for your small business. By following the tips above, you can start building your email list today.
Additional tips from an online marketer's perspective:
Use social proof. When you promote your lead magnet or email list, be sure to include social proof, such as testimonials from past subscribers or the number of subscribers you already have. This will help to build trust and credibility with potential subscribers.
Personalize your emails. Whenever possible, personalize your emails to your subscribers. This could involve using their name in the subject line or greeting, or sending them targeted content based on their interests.
Make it easy to unsubscribe. It's important to allow your subscribers to unsubscribe from your email list at any time. This will help to ensure that your list is healthy and engaged.
Test and optimize your email campaigns. Track the open rates and click-through rates of your email campaigns, and use this data to optimize your future campaigns.
By following these tips, you can build a thriving email list that will help you to grow your small business.
