This blog isn’t about crafting the perfect email, or developing an enticing subject line, nope this blog is about the most important aspect of email marketing – the list. Whether you’re just starting out, have a list but have never sent an actual email or you finally realized the value of email marketing (took ya long enough) this is important info.
Solidifying a GOOD email list is a process. It takes time and energy and shortcuts will only hurt your reputation, not to mention your actual effectiveness. DO NOT BUY AN EMAIL LIST.
We’ve got the do’s-and-don’ts and some bonus info on writing compelling copy that will boost your open and click-through rates.
Please, please, please don’t buy an email list
It might be tempting to start off your email marketing with buying or renting a list from an online marketing service. Marketing…ha – nope.
Don’t do that.
While you might be able to buy a list of 20,000 or even 50,000 email addresses registered to those in your target demographic and psychographic, you’re going to find that many of these addresses suck. Like they are totally unusable.
Good email lists aren’t for sale. Whatever you are thinking of buying, it more than likely contains email addresses that have been deemed non-responsive. If you owned an opt-in email list, would you share that list with another company? Yeah, we didn’t think so.
Often, email lists for sale contain addresses that were not legitimately acquired. You might find an email list labeled as an “opt-in” list, but if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. While these customers may have opted-in to a certain list, they didn’t opt into your list. This can put you at risk of violating national and international regulations (such GDPR—General Data Protection Regulation) and ultimately lead to a fine from your internet service provider. Not to mention, we’ll mock you for it.
You don’t want to come across as annoying. These people don’t know you and didn’t ask for your services, so shoving yourself into their inbox is only going to turn them off. Don’t hurt your brand’s reputation by taking shortcuts.
Build an email list without breaking the law
Okay, purchasing an email list is bad, but where do you start?
There are lots of ways to grow your email lists organically. What’s even better is that all these tactics will ultimately make you a better marketer.
Conduct lead generating campaigns
Share blogs, posts and promote products across social media channels pages. Be sure to include landing pages where readers can opt-in to a newsletter or email list.
Focus on creating compelling content
Great content will ultimately strengthen consumer trust and relationships with your brand. You can employ all sorts of techniques to grow your email lists, but if your content isn’t any good, readers will lose interest or opt-out.
Create gated access to resources, content, and tools
Consumers will often give up their email address to gain access to certain types of content or internet tools. Find what your demographic is interested in and let that guide your content and strategy. It could be an eBook, journal, infographic or some sort of online resource.
Create unique and creative email campaigns
Be sure to include buttons for calls-to-action and the ability to share your email. By having a unique and creative campaign, you have a better chance of getting your email in front of more people. Get them talking! Quality content leads to higher open rates and CTR.
