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Email marketing can be effective for any business regardless of the product or service you’re offering. It’s much cheaper than other marketing methods and if done right helps you to build loyalty and trust with your leads which results in you generating more sales.
The foundation for successful email marketing is a targeted and permission based email list. Marketers call their contacts lists their ‘goldmine’ because it can generate a lot of their sales revenue. If you have a list of contacts that are interested in what you have to offer, then you’ve completed the first step and are well on your way. Now it’s time to ‘mine’ for gold.
Below you’ll find many ways to get more leads and to keep the leads you already have to maximise your email marketing activities:
- Provide useful, relevant content – Your visitors don’t just give their email away for nothing. You need to provide unique and valuable information that will be of value to them.
- Add a subscription form to every page on your website – Make sure it stands out so it’s easy to find. If your site isn’t too cluttered, you can add an additional sign up form. For e.g. If you have a sign up form at the top left corner of your website, have another one at the end of your blog posts.
- Add a subscription form to your social media pages – Don’t waste this valuable source of revenue opportunities. Integrate your sign up forms with Face book, Twitter and the main social media pages.
- Make it easy for readers to sign up – The more information you ask for, the less the subscribers you’ll get. A name and an email is all you need. I normally use just the email address as you’ll get more subscribers.
- Publish a privacy policy – This is to let your readers know that they can be confident that you will not share their information with others. You can do this by having a privacy policy web page and linking it to your sign up form.
- Provide samples of your newsletters – This lets potential subscribers review your materials before they sign up so they can find out if they’re interested in it or not.
- Archive past newsletters and articles – This is both appealing and useful to visitors. It helps to build your credibility as an authority. If your articles are written with SEO in mind, they can help to increase traffic to your website through enhanced search engine positioning.
- Give gifts subscribers can actually use – Offer a bonus for joining your subscriber list. Give them bonuses when they fill out surveys, give you great product ideas or provide testimonials. Everyone likes something for free. If you give them freebies throughout the year, they’ll feel truly appreciated which is great for business.
- Ask your subscribers to pass it on – Word of mouth is a great viral technique that works well with email marketing. If your subscribers find your content interesting, amusing or informative, they’ll share it with their friends. This is a great source for new customers. So, make sure to remind your leads to pass it on.
- Let others reprint your newsletter as long as the content is not modified – If you’re happy to share your content with everyone, then why not. Many newsletter publishers are looking for high quality content and if they reprint your newsletter, you’ll get more subscribers, traffic and links pointing to your site.
- Include a sign-form button in your newsletter – You may think this is not necessary as the lead is already on your list. Remember, the reader may forward your newsletter to others or reprint them online. So, make it easy for them to subscribe.
- Have a squeeze page – A squeeze page has one goal, to get an email address to build your list. It’s like a mini sales letter which goes along with your subscription gift. It needs to have a strong headline and a couple of powerful benefits that should make your subscribers dying to sign up. Then start promoting your squeeze page.
- Include testimonials on your squeeze page – This is crucial. Put some strong testimonials from satisfied customers on your squeeze page. Get permission from your customers. Also invite others to participate. It’s free publicity.
- Blog religiously – Blogging is a great way to communicate with prospects and potential customers. It creates a nice synergy with your email marketing. Make sure to include your newsletter sign up form on each page of your blog. You can start a free blog with Word Press.
- Post on other blogs – Post thoughtful and valuable comments on similar blogs with a link to your squeeze page or your own website. You can comment with track backs. Your comments will be posted on their site with a link back to your site. It helps to generate new traffic, subscribers and it helps to get your brand out there.
These 15 tips should help you to build your list with highly responsive leads who are interested in what you have to offer.
If you don’t already have an email marketing service, now is a great time to join GetResponse. It will help you to build your list with the tips from above and to get a lot more sales.