You want to bulk up your email list but not quite sure how? Here are our 5 fool-proof methods to get you on your way!

The internet is all around us, so it’s no wonder it’s become one of the core methods of communication between people and businesses alike. Despite the advances in social media and text messaging, email is still a front-runner in the world of online communication, so it’s important that we utilise it to its full potential.

So how can you get more people on your email list?

Free Stuff!

Everyone likes a freebie and customers are often willing to give up a little of their time to get one. Offer some funky merchandise or entries into a prize draw. Get creative and think about what goodies would make you sign up to a similar business’s email list.

TIP: Don’t have a lot of time on your hands to send things out individually? Set up an auto-reply that delivers your freebie in a text format, such as a free guide or trial.

Competitions

I already mentioned offering entries into a prize draw but let’s dig a little deeper into the idea of competitions.
Depending on the nature of your business, you could host a whole range of competitions to do with your field of work, from baking to graphic design, content writing or go-karting. Contenders would be required to enter with their email address and voila, your email list is growing!
This is a great catch for budding individuals wanting to get into your field of work. The prize doesn’t need to be anything crazy expensive – you could offer exposure online if you have a good social media following or even invite the winner to train with your team for a week. If you’re a large company looking for new recruits this could be a great way to kill two birds with one stone!

Referral Incentives

Word of mouth is one of the most effective marketing tools out there, so get your existing subscribers to give you a helping hand!
If you’ve got an event or special offer coming up, don’t just email your subscriber list but ask them to forward the news on to their friends’ and family’s emails. This method works great if you’re hosting an event that people might want to attend in pairs or groups. Another tactic is to offer an incentive for successful referrals!
Remember: Always include a call to action in every marketing email for people to subscribe, as you never know you might be picking them up!

Optimise Your Site

Optimise your website for opt-ins to target those who are browsing your site. These guys are a safe bet as they’re already somewhat interested in what you’ve got to offer!
Get clever and have certain pages trigger different sign up messages – for example, if a potential customer is clicking through your online shop, pop up with a discount offer for subscribing with their email. Perhaps if they’re looking through your blog page you could suggest they subscribe to keep up to date with all your latest tips and resources. It really depends on the nature of what you’ve got to offer them!

BEAR TRAP: Don’t annoy your customers by using huge pop-ups that infiltrate their entire screen, as they’re more likely to click off than sign up. Try using a colourful pop up in the bottom corner of your screen instead.

Ask in Person

It’s not always practical to set aside time for online marketing, so one quick and easy method is to ask in person! This, of course, only works if your business often interacts with your customers face to face.
Think of an incentive for your staff to collect emails so that this gets actioned (maybe the person that collects the most emails wins a prize). Have your staff explain the perks of signing up to your email list, such as exclusive offers and discounts. People find it hard to say no in person, but they find it even harder if you’ve something good to offer!
Use these tips to get your list booming and make sure to send out regular news, offers and perks to keep your new subscribers interested!

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