When was the last time you received any type of Email from any Business? This Fine Morning, Right?
Businesses keep spending a huge chunk of their money to create an Email List and to be in regular contact with their customers or potential customers via Emails.
If Email Marketing is Dead, why are they still sending these Emails and spending their Money & Time on them?
This is a clear indication that Email Marketing works – EVEN TODAY. In Fact, Emails are here to stay for a long – long period of time. It’s not going anywhere.
Whatever these Businesses and Companies invest, whether it’s their money or time in creating Email List and Emails – they are definitely getting something in return – otherwise, they would have stopped it a long time back.
Now – the Real issue begins when you want to start getting into Email Marketing – but have no experience in doing so and without a clue, where to start. Most Importantly, How to create a list of Emails of people, who are interested in your Service / Product.
Buying an Email List is definitely not a good idea when starting (or at a later time, for that matter). You want to send Emails to people who want to listen to you and have opted for your Mails – not to just anyone who will just mark your Mail as Spam.
But how can you create an Email List of people who will be interested in what you have to share – that too, from scratch?
Also, How can you be so sure whether they want to buy from you or not? – Because your Target Customers belong to a certain Category – it could be based on Geographical Area, based on specific Industry, based on certain interests, based on specific Job Titles, etc, etc.
When you target your people based on these specific characteristics – they are most likely to become your customers.
Actually, there are many ways to do this. Some of them will be applied to your Business, based on your Business type. Or all of them could be applied if leveraged smarty – That’s for you to decide.
The following ways to make an Email List have been working very well for Businesses – especially for Small and Medium Size Businesses:
1. LinkedIn
Which Platform is better than LinkedIn to search and find people based on – their “Job Roles” and “Job Title”, people specifically from a specific “Department within an Organization”, working in your “Industry”, based out of specific “Geographical Area” and much more?
Using ‘Advanced Filter’ to Search for People from a specific niche, LinkedIn is the perfect platform to find and connect with people, who are most likely to make a purchase from you.
Once Again, How can you be so sure whether they want to buy from you or not? – Because your Target Customers belong to a certain Category – it could be based on Geographical Area, based on specific Industry, based on certain interests, based on specific Job Titles, etc, etc.
Once you have connected with these people, you can then start a conversation with them then and there – OR, you can now collect their email ID from their Contact Section in their Profile.
(Always Remember, in this case in your first Mail – Always ask for permission for further communication. This is not only the right thing to do – but also a Legal Compliance in many countries)
2. Facebook & Instagram
Facebook – Instagram and other Social Media Platforms are the best places to catch Quick Attention for your Message.
You can then offer a free Value (such as a Free eBook, a Free Webinar Session, Cheat-Sheet, Coupon for a Discount, or anything else) in exchange for their Email.
When you’re asking for something without giving back anything, your audience is most likely to reject your Offer.
Instead, when you give them something of value – they’ll be more receptive to your message and will be happy to share their email ID with you – not only because of the value in return – but after you’ve given them free value, they will want to hear more from you.
3. Optimize Your Website For Opt-Ins:
If you have a website (If you don’t have a website – GET IT) – and you know that your audience or customers do visit your website often – then it’s a great place to ask for their information or Email ID.
How to do it? Let’s see:
- Top Bar in your Website, asking for an Email ID to become a subscriber to your Mails:
- Asking for an Email ID with a Pop-up Bar to download a Free eBook or to Enter a Contest:
- Asking for an Email ID within your Website Blog Posts – with a Link to register for your Free Webinar.
- Any other information or Anything else of value, which you can offer to your audience for FREE – You can ask for their Email ID in exchange for that.
Top Bar, Pop-up Bar, and other Bars can be added using Free and Paid Tools available out there. Or you can just ask your Web-Developer for it.
If you have any questions related to this or anything else mentioned in this Article, Comment Down Below or Message to know more about it.
4. Blogs & Articles
Just like integrating Registration Links to your Webinar, Link to Download your Free eBook into your website can be used to ask for their Email ID in the Website – Blogs and Articles are a great way to do the same.
Blogs and Articles are not necessarily shared on your own Website. You can write Blogs and Articles on other’s Websites as well – it’s called Guest Blogging.
With the prior permission of the owner of that particular Blog, you can insert the links to your website within a Blog or Article.
This way, you can benefit from their Audience as well – who are already interested in a subject you are talking about. Hence, they are most likely to sign-up for your Offer and will happily share their Email for the value you have to offer.
Articles like this on LinkedIn, Medium, and other relevant platforms are a great way to achieve the same.
5. Premium Content For Subscribers Only
A Travel Agency (doesn’t matter if you traveled using this Agency or not) promises to send weekly Mail – about Cheapest Fares for International & Domestic Flights.
To do so, this Agency is asking for your Email ID. You are not going to hesitate for a bit – because you want to know about the latest cheap Flights. The return value for just giving out your Email is so High.
This is a perfect example of exchanging your customer’s Email ID with Important and valuable information. You can send Links to your weekly latest Blog Posts. You can share information about Upcoming Events, New Product Launches, OR anything which you can share on a regular basis.
Everyone likes to be included in a Special Group – leverage this and create a Special Group with access to only your Subscribers – and more and more people would be interested in your Message.
On top of that – you get their Email ID, which they gave you themselves.
Blogs and Articles are not necessarily shared on your own Website. You can write Blogs and Articles on other’s Websites as well – it’s called Guest Blogging.
With the prior permission of the owner of that particular Blog, you can insert the links to your website within a Blog or Article. This way, you can benefit from their Audience as well – who are already interested in a subject you are talking about.
Hence, they are most likely to sign-up for your Offer and will happily share their Email for the value you have to offer.
Articles like this on LinkedIn, Medium, and other relevant platforms are a great way to achieve the same.
BONUS: Facebook – Instagram – LinkedIn Sponsored Content
Unsurprisingly, this is an option too – In most cases, these are the Best Performing Content. As the name suggests – These are Paid Content.
Social Media Platforms [Facebook – Instagram – LinkedIn or other] are Businesses and they wish to make a Profit. Letting us share Paid Content on their Platform is a way for them to do so. And they want us to come back and pay them again and again for this Paid Content.
To Do So – Facebook, Instagram, and other Platforms work in a way, so the Profits are higher than the amount we pay to the platform to run Ads.
That’s why there are many businesses, that keep throwing Millions of Dollars on a yearly basis just on Facebook – Instagram Ads. [Many Shark Tank Companies have admitted this in the Show]. Revenue generated on these Millions? – At least Double.
When someone clicks on your Ad – You can either Redirect them to your Landing page, where you’ll collect Emails from them in exchange for something you promised. OR, if you want to sell a product, you redirect them to your Sales page or Website.
Facebook now allows you to create in-built Landing pages, to make your customer’s online experience more smooth. Hence, results in more Sign-ups or Sales for your Offer.
CONCLUSION
26% of people check their email before getting out of their bed. This is Huge. Every place where you can reach your Audience / Customers – is an opportunity for you.
It’s a matter of – what message you want to share with your audience – and How are you going to create and grow your list of Emails.
Because the more people subscribed to your Emails – meaning more people are interested in your service /product. More people are interested in your offering, meaning more Profit for your Business.
Combines with Social Media, Emails are a great way to share your message with your audience with a Personal Touch (which is sometimes missing in Social Media Posts).
The question is, which platforms are perfect for your Business to collect and grow the Email List of your customers?!