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Did you know that for every $1 spent on email marketing, the average return on investment is $42? That's a whopping 4,200% ROI, making email marketing one of the most effective marketing tactics for businesses. Yet, many business owners neglect to build an email list, missing out on this huge potential for growth and profit.
In this blog post, we'll explore the importance of building an email list for your business, and how you can start growing yours today.
What is an email list?
Simply put, an email list is a collection of email addresses that you have gathered from your customers or potential customers. These emails can be used to send out promotional newsletters, updates, and other marketing materials to your audience.
How can having an email list benefit your business?
Direct and personalized communication
With an email list, you have a direct line of communication with your subscribers, allowing you to personalize your messages and make a stronger connection with your audience.
Targeted marketing
Through segmentation and targeted emails, you can cater to the specific interests and needs of different subscriber groups, increasing the chances of conversion.
Cost-effective
Unlike other advertising methods such as social media ads, email marketing is highly cost-effective. With a low overhead cost, you can reach a larger audience with personalized and targeted messages.
Drive sales and revenue
With targeted promotions and exclusive offers, you can drive sales and revenue for your business through your email list.
Builds brand credibility and trust
By consistently providing valuable and relevant content, you can build trust and credibility with your audience, making them more likely to purchase from your business.
Measure and track results
With email marketing services, you can track metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversions, allowing you to measure the success of your email marketing campaigns and make necessary adjustments.
Social Media vs. Email Marketing
While social media can be a great platform for connecting with your audience and promoting your business, here's why email marketing should not be overlooked.
Social media feeds are crowded and constantly changing, making it easy for your content to get lost. On the other hand, emails stay in your subscribers' inbox (unless they are deleted) giving you a longer window of opportunity to be seen.
Social media algorithms can limit the reach of your posts, while emails have a higher chance of being delivered and opened by your subscribers.
What do you need to start building an email list?
1. A website
A website serves as the main hub for your business, where you can lead traffic to and capture email addresses through opt-in forms.
2. An email marketing service
To effectively manage and send emails to your list, you'll need an email marketing service. This will also help with tracking metrics and automating your email processes.
3. High-converting opt-in forms
These can be in the form of pop-ups, in-line forms, or landing pages that incentivize visitors to sign up for your email list.
How do I start growing my email list?
Here are some effective strategies for growing your email list:
Lead magnets - Offer something of value in exchange for your visitor's email address. This can be in the form of a free consultation, a webinar or a free digital product such as:
Pricing/Services Guide
Checklist
E-book
Media Kit
Workbook
How-To Guide
E-Planner
Other
An easy and beginner-friendly way to create your digital opt-in freebie is to use Canva.
Canva is a free-to-use online graphic design tool that allows you to create all kinds of different media including pdfs, png, jpg, video files and sooo more!
Giveaways - Host a contest or giveaway and require entrants to provide their email address for a chance to win.
Quizzes - Create a fun and interactive quiz and require participants to enter their email address to receive the results.
Discounts or special offers - Offer exclusive discounts or special offers to your email subscribers, incentivizing them to sign up.
Referral programs - Encourage current subscribers to share your email list with their friends and family through a referral program, rewarding them for each new subscriber.
What is the best email marketing service to use?
While there are many email marketing services out there, we use and highly recommend Flodesk for any creative entrepreneur or service provider.
Flodesk makes designing beautiful and on-brand emails easy, and with its simple drag-and-drop interface, you can create stunning email campaigns in no time. Plus, it offers advanced automation and segmentation features, making it a powerful tool for your business.
Summary
In conclusion, building an email list is crucial for the growth and success of your business. With the right tools and strategies, you can start growing your email list today and reap the many benefits it offers.
Don't miss out on this valuable opportunity to connect with your audience and drive sales and revenue for your business!
