How To Build Business Email Marketing Lists

All business owners know that they need to have an online presence through a website or through social media.  However, it is just as important to have business email marketing lists as it is to have a website.

Business email marketing lists help you keep in contact with potential customers and turn them into paying customers.  The problem comes with creating an email list and many people do not know what to do.

You Should Never Buy A List

There are a lot of people who feel that the fastest way to create their business email marketing list is to buy it.  While this is quick and you can easily find suppliers, you need to consider whether this is the right option.  A bought list comes with a number of problems that you may not be aware of.

The first problem is that you have no idea how the email list was created.  If the people on the list did not opt into receiving emails similar to your own then they are likely to unsubscribe or mark your emails as spam.  This can cause major problems for you because if too many people mark your emails as spam they will start to be filtered by email clients for everyone.

Another problem with bought lists is that they may not be targeted to your industry.  If you sell dog accessories then there is no point in sending marketing emails to people who do not have any pets.  This is a problem that you could find with bought email lists and it is best to avoid this.

Have An Opt-In Box On Your Website

The best way to create your email list is to have an opt-in box on each page of your website.  If the visitor is already on your website then they are interested in what you have to offer.  When they opt into your list they are already partially ready to make a purchase and this increases the chances of conversions.

The opt-in box on your website should be on each page to ensure that it is always seen by visitors.  It should also be close to the top of the page as this is where visitors are most likely to see it and opt in.

Many marketing experts state that it is best to have a pop-over which opens when a visitor has been on your site for a set amount of time.  Regardless of the way that your box is seen, it is important that you have one and that you have an auto-responder series ready.

Offer Something For Free

Having an opt-in box is a good start, but you also need to offer people an incentive to sign up.  If you run a restaurant you could offer a discount code which can be used when the person next orders or visits your business.  If you run a service then you could offer a free eBook or other information that makes people want to sign up.

When you offer something for free, you need to ensure that the person actually gets it once they have completed the opt-in.  If you do not provide the incentive then it is likely that your business will be viewed negatively and the person could opt out of the mailing list.  It is recommended that the first email in your auto-responder series has a link to the incentive.

Use Your Social Media Content

Many businesses do not realize that their social media content can also help them build their marketing email list.  There are a number of ways that you can harness the power of your social media accounts into opt-ins for your mailing list.

The first is to have good social content that directs your followers or visitors to your website.  Once the visitor is on the website they will see the opt-in box and will hopefully want the incentive that you offer.

Another way that social media can help is through an opt-in box on your social media account.  It is important to note that not all social media platforms offer this.  However, you should add an opt-in on all of the platforms that do.  This can increase the number of people on your list and you know that they are all interested in what you have to offer.

Run A Competition

Competitions are a great way to get people to sign up to your mailing list.  The prize for your competition does not have to be very big or even related to your industry.  All you want is to have people sign up to your list so that you can email them later on.

Of course, it is important to note that you could have people sign up to your mailing list who are not interested in what your business has to offer.  If you want to avoid this then you need to offer a prize that is related to your industry.  While this will not eradicate all of the entries that are not interested in your business, it will limit the number to an acceptable level.

Building business email marketing lists is important because it allows you to stay in contact with potential customers once they have left your website.  However, you should consider all of the organic methods of getting people to sign up and not look at buying a list.