How To Grow Your Business Using An Email List

Does your business have an email list yet? Maybe you’ve been thinking of starting one, but aren’t really sure if it’s worth the time?

An email list can help you to build a relationship with your customers, allows you to carry out direct marketing and can increase your sales. Best of all, an email list can be built with a small upfront cost, and is something that can be easily outsourced.

In this week’s blog I discuss why you need an email list for your business, and how to start growing yours today.

The Benefits Of An Email List

Build a relationship with your customers

An email list allows you to communicate directly with customers, helping you to build the ‘like, know, trust’ factor. Social media such as Instagram often only shows a small percentage of your audience your posts, however with an email you know it will directly reach your customers.

An email often feels more personal, and it can allow you to tell the story of your brand, and helps you to remain front of mind to your customers.

Customers are usually a lot more selective in which email lists they sign up to when compared to who they follow on social media, meaning they are likely to be more receptive to your communications.

You own your email list

Along with your website, an email list is something you have direct ownership of. When it comes to social media sites such as Instagram or Facebook, you are at the mercy of algorithm and company changes. This means your reach and visibility could be limited as any time without your control.

You could also lose your whole business page if your account gets hacked or accidentally deleted. An email list can give you peace of mind that you can still have contact with your customers, and you also have more control over who sees your content.

Allows for direct marketing

An email list can play an essential role in your marketing strategy and sales funnels. An email list allows you to segment your customers into different categories and market directly to them. For example you can break your audience down into different demographics, interests or their position in the customer journey, and send them different email sequences.

This form of direct marketing will make your customer feel as though you are speaking directly to them, and will result in higher conversion rates.

Staying in contact regularly with your email list will also increase your rate of return customers.

How To build Utilise Your Email List

Offer an incentive

Customers will be more likely to sign up for your email list if they receive something in return. Offering an incentive such as free shipping, or 10% off their next order in exchange for them signing up to your email list is an easy way to grow your list.

Host a contest or giveaway

Hosting a contest is another effective way to increase your email sign ups. It is a great way to build a list of already interested customers, as they are likely to be interested in your products if they are entering a giveaway for it. You can offer a discount to anyone who enters the giveaway but doesn’t win, in order to encourage sales.

Regularly nurture your email list

Once you have sign ups, it is important to nurture your list and build those relationships. Try sending an email on a frequent basis such as every fortnight. Here are some ideas for your emails:

• New product releases
• Abandoned cart emails
• Emails outlining any news or important updates regarding your business
• Advertise your sales or offers
• Start of/end of season announcements
• Share social proof, ‘as seen in’ or customer results

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