Did you know that every $1 spent on email marketing generates a return on investment (ROI) of $36? It’s a clear indicator that this is a smart marketing strategy for anyone looking to boost sales and company awareness.
Mailing lists are a crucial part of any successful marketing strategy however the secret sauce of success is acquiring high-quality email addresses.
Our guide discusses seven effective tactics to help you create an email list that exceeds all your expectations.
So, let’s get cracking and start creating that perfect email list today!
Table of Contents
What Is an Email List and What Are Its Main Types?
An email list comprises email addresses used by businesses and individuals to deliver important updates, special offers, collaboration options, etc to a designated group. Commonly employed for email marketing, this practice involves sending focused and personalized messages to subscribers who have willingly opted to receive such communications.
You can create different types of email lists based on your business objectives and target audience. Here are a few examples:
- Potential customer/user list. This list is comprised of email addresses of potential customers displaying interest in your business, yet to make a purchase. Typically sourced from website opt-ins, social media followers, event attendees, and other lead-generation activities.
- Existing customer/user list. This one consists of the email addresses of existing customers. It facilitates sending targeted upsell and cross-sell messages. They are instrumental in encouraging repeat purchases and fostering customer loyalty.
- Newsletter list. The list encompasses email addresses of individuals who willingly opted in to receive regular newsletters or updates. Commonly used for sharing company news, blog articles, and other valuable content.
- Partner List. This list compiles the email addresses of individuals or businesses engaged in co-marketing partnerships. Partner email lists are effective for expanding reach and directing traffic to websites or landing pages.
- Special offers list. This list includes email addresses of individuals who opted in for promotional messages or special offers, these lists are instrumental in driving sales, promoting new products or services, and announcing limited-time deals.
- Attendee registry list. This type of email list includes email addresses of individuals who attended events or expressed interest in future events. Event email lists are often used to promote upcoming events, share highlights, and collect valuable feedback.
What Are the Benefits of Using an Email List?
According to data, an astonishing 99% of email users worldwide check their email inbox at least once every day. Building on this information, using email lists is a very effective way to share your message with a wide range of people.
Next, with the use of email lists, it becomes convenient to categorize your intended recipients into different groups according to their demographics, age, interests, and more. This simplifies the process of tailoring your campaigns and enhancing the likelihood of successful conversions.
Last but not least, with the usage of email lists you can significantly increase your sales as well as your website traffic in general.
Without a doubt, email lists have the power to completely revolutionize your business and provide numerous advantages for boosting sales. However, it is crucial to strategically build and effectively implement your email list.
- The quality of contacts. Ensure your email list comprises high-quality contacts that you have permission to email. Avoid purchasing email lists, as this is strongly discouraged if you aim for quality and want to uphold a positive reputation for your brand.
- The number of contacts. Only after ensuring your email list’s quality can you grow your list to capture a broader audience.
- Personalization and segmentation. 72% of marketers worldwide, personalize their email messages. To enhance the effectiveness of your email campaigns and make them more tailored to your audience, it is recommended that you segment your email lists according to the specific characteristics or preferences of your customers, prospects, partners, etc.
7 Tactics To Use For Creating an Email List
In this section, we will examine 7 powerful strategies designed to assist you in building and improving your email list to achieve greater success in your marketing efforts. Take a look at them to discover which ones align with your business objectives better. Let’s get started!
1. Build a High-Converting Landing Page
A dedicated landing page is a crucial part of how to create an email list with maximum potential. Some users direct the visitors to the website’s homepage. However, it could lead to confusion on where to apply for the mailing list. That’s how you could lose someone genuinely interested in your products or services.
Creating a dedicated landing page is a better option. Make it simple and intuitive, but make sure to include the following features:
- Come up with a catchy headline that pinpoints the benefits of your exclusive offer.
- Insert a background image that will help convey the right message while improving the overall page appearance.
- Add a short but attractive copy that provides more information to users.
According to statistics, addressing buyer concerns can increase conversion rates by up to 80%. Don’t hesitate to mention that you won’t spam the user or unlawfully process their data. If necessary, specify that there’s no need to use a credit card. You shouldn’t overdo it, but addressing key concerns can help to show you care about the subscribers and create an email list successfully.
2. Craft Irresistible CTAs
We have moved far beyond the era of basic CTAs such as ‘Sign Up Now.’
These call-to-actions are effective only when the offer is genuinely appealing to the user. However, if you desire to learn how to initiate a mailing list and maximize its possibilities, you require an irresistible CTA.
It is important to place CTA buttons on each page strategically. If you are writing a blog post and mentioning your promo offer, that’s where you should position the CTA. That way, visitors can sign up immediately instead of having to scroll to the end of the post.
For you to collect emails successfully, your call-to-action should be attractive and catchy. Here are some approaches to use when coming up with the right text:
- Emphasize value. What does the user get by signing up for your mailing list? Mention the discount, free toolkit, or anything else you offer in return.
- Use humor. If it suits your niche, don’t hesitate to use humor. For example, add a catchy meme or a funny image. However, make sure the jokes used are appropriate and non-offensive.
- Be direct and concise. You want to use actionable language. The message should be short and effective, so there’s no room to beat around the bush.
You also shouldn’t overdo it with the number of CTA links. The statistics show landing pages with a single link have the best conversion rate. The percentage drops with more links added.
3. Leverage the Power of Social Media
If somebody follows you on social media, that means they already have an interest in what you offer. That’s what makes social networks a crucial step in learning how to create an email list. If you have a strong presence on a particular platform, use that to your advantage.
New businesses shouldn’t forget to add a Sign-Up button on their Facebook page. It serves as a reminder for anyone who heads to your page. While you are on Facebook, try Lead Ads. This option allows joining the list in-platform, which minimizes the hassle for the user.
You can design a social media campaign that will help to collect emails from followers. Offering a discount or something for free is always attractive. If you are willing to invest, you can launch a paid campaign to reach a wider audience. Apart from helping with the mailing list, it’ll help acquire more followers on social media.
4. Use Lead Magnets and Other Incentives
If you are thinking about how to make a mailing list with maximum potential, don’t underestimate the potential of lead magnets. People rarely want to give their email addresses straight away. It’s much better if you offer a little incentive. That’s where a lead magnet comes into play since it entices people to join your email list.
The idea of how to create an email list with lead magnets is simple – a user signs up to your list to get access to exclusive content or benefits. Here is what you can use as a lead magnet:
- An interesting infographic with valuable information
- Coupons that generate discounts on your or other websites
- A worksheet or template that can help people in particular situations
- Registration on a free webinar you hold
- Access to a free e-book or article with useful information
As you can see, pretty much anything can serve as a lead magnet. It’s only about selecting the best approach for your desired audience.
5. Create the Right Pop-ups
The internet has taught us that pop-ups can be uninteresting, but this is only the case if they are unwelcome or irrelevant. In actuality, pop-ups can be an effective tactic when it comes to building a mailing list, as long as you know how to do it right. The key is finding the balance between capturing people’s attention and avoiding boredom.
Here are the different approaches to using pop-ups:
- Go strong with a full-page option. A full-page pop-up needs to be visually attractive. You want to show value by sending a short and concise message. The attention span of a user won’t be longer than several seconds, so make sure you design the pop-up properly.
- Inline form. An inline form is another option of how to create an email list by discreetly suggesting visitors subscribe to your mailing list. It blends with the content but can attract users’ attention.
- Exit intent form. This form is slightly different as it shows when the website “senses” the visitor is about to leave. There are ways to set when you want this pop-up to appear. The idea is to remind the users who want to sign up for your mailing list. It ensures you don’t lose a potential member and future customer.
Finally, make sure that it’s easy for the users to turn off the pop-up. You don’t want to annoy visitors but motivate them to keep coming to your site.
6. Gate Part of Your Content
If you’re thinking about how to create an email list with your existing content, gating part of it is the best option. It has become a popular way of encouraging people to sign up to your mailing list. The idea is to offer a portion of your content for free, while the rest only becomes available after they subscribe. For example, if you are writing a blog post, you can leave the first several paragraphs open. But users that want to continue reading will need to join the mailing list.
If you’re considering applying this method of how to create an email list, signing up should be free. Paid subscriptions are an entirely different territory. Your goal here isn’t for the client to pay but to collect their email address.
7. Host Giveaways
It’s always nice to get something for free, and that’s why giveaways have always been a popular marketing strategy of how to create an email list that contains quality emails. Giveaways work best for e-commerce stores since they offer an easy way to gather hundreds of high-value email addresses quickly.
The reward doesn’t have to be expensive, but it should be attractive to your target audience. Giveaways usually don’t have more than one to three prizes. They help to acquire emails but also spread brand awareness. More people will hear about your store, and all addresses you collect will be qualified leads and not just random visitors.
You Are 1 Step Away From Creating that Perfect Email List with Andava Digital
The latest reports indicate that more than four billion people worldwide use email. If you are ready to use that huge database to your advantage, don’t hesitate to contact Andava Digital’s email marketing specialists today.
Our team of experts will assist you throughout the entire process and aid in gathering emails to create a remarkable mailing list.
With extensive experience and meticulous attention to detail, we guarantee that every aspect will be covered to maximize the potential of your mailing list.
Contacting our specialists is the most effortless method to swiftly build an email list.
Feel free to reach out and schedule a meeting with our experts.
