The following is a brief excerpt from my soon to be released eBook: The Art and Science of Email Marketing… Enjoy!
The most critical part of email marketing is building a targeted list.
That is, finding people who are going to be interested in your product or service at some point. As we all know, the sales cycle varies greatly from industry to industry. But for most of us, the fact is that we aren’t going to make a sale at the first point of contact with a prospect.
For those businesses that have to cultivate clients and are unlikely to make a sale immediately, building a list can provide you with the opportunity to stay in touch and build credibility, so when the time comes for prospects to make a purchase decision your company will be in the forefront of their mind.
On the other hand, if your sales cycle is shorter, a solid email list will allow you to upsell after the initial sale or sell more products to your customers over the long term. The bottom line is, a good email list will give you multiple opportunities to close the sale.
Ask for email addresses on the first point of contact - When someone calls or visits, simply ask for their email address. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how many people have no problem with handing over their contact information. Oftentimes, for the stubborn prospect, the promise of information about special offers or sales will do the trick.
Ask upon checkout - You’ll see that the majority of people won’t mind, especially if you relate that you only send special offers out through email. Email is the new telephone number and most people will be happy to pass it over to you. Everyone knows that the easiest customer to get is the one you already have!
Put a sign-up feature on your website - This is an extremely effective method of getting email addresses. But, you have to offer people something in return, I’m not talking about a free product but rather, interesting information they will find valuable. You’ll have to figure out what sort of content your customers and prospects might find interesting.
Offer a Free Report or White Paper – Ask for an email address in exchange for a special free report, white paper, industry newsletter or any other ‘buzz piece’ your prospects will be interested in.
Hold a draw – It might seem simple, but have you ever left your business card in a glass container at a restaurant? Well, you aren’t the only one. People love entering free draws and this is another really simple, and low-cost way of getting people to leave you their information. Be sure to clarify you’ll be sending follow-up emails to these people or they might be annoyed when they receive your communications.
Buy a list - This option is the least attractive for me personally. It’s expensive and there are no guarantees you’ll be getting any return on your investment. A list might seem fairly targeted but at the end of the day you just never know if it will work for you. Nonetheless, there are companies making millions every year by selling contact lists so there’s obviously value in this approach for some businesses.
Use one or more of the ideas above and you will be well on your way to building a solid and targeted list of prospects. Be patient as it does take some time to create a list that will bring your company long-term benefits.
