Email marketing is an important strategy to generate new leads, widely used since many years.
The purpose of this strategy is to “convert” contacts, interested in your business, in potential customers who are going to increase your mailing list database.
This operation is called lead generation, as an action that allows precisely to generate a list of people who show interest in your products or services.
Email marketing is probably one of the most effective weapons available to expand your business.
Promoting products and services and providing relevant information through an adequate newsletter service, is just one of the steps in the process of email marketing.
Users should consciously choose to sign up for your mailing list, as interested in receiving more information about your business.
Therefore, your newsletter becomes a direct channel of communication with your audience.
For the success of your email marketing campaign, you should aim not only at the quantity of your subscribers, but also the quality. For this, you must be sure to gather contacts of value, in compliance with the privacy regulations.
This process begins with understanding how to “attract” good contacts for your business, then continue with trying to increase your package of “potential” customers.
Here are some ideas to help you achieve this mission:
1. Make the Opt-in Visible
If your business is online, then making your newsletter opt-in clearly visible on your website is an important step towards the growth of your contacts.
Be sure to set up a simple and intuitive module of registration and place it on the homepage and in most parts of your site.
Good visibility is crucial. Your users must, in fact, easily find the form of subscription to your mailing list.
And to make it even more effective, have you ever tried “pop-ups“?
The “pop-ups” are small windows that appear automatically after a certain time the user navigates within your website, in order to attract his attention.
But do not abuse this sytem, because it could become annoying and go against your purpose of increasing the contacts in your mailing list.
Even a simple: “Sign up for our newsletter” may be useful, but it surely would be more effective if this invitation was made more attractive offering a benefit for those who decide to subscribe (a discount, a gift card, free resources as an eBook or free shipping costs on products).
The purpose is to invite your readers to leave their email address, almost as a bargaining chip.
In return you will offer them benefits, but above all a service: quality information from the business to which they are showing interest.
2. Create a Clean Landing Page
Building a simple and clear landing page is part of the mission to increase the number of your contacts.
Your design should be clear, in this way your readers will navigate easily within your landing pages.
It’s important to consider appropriate colors and add your logo in these pages.
Do you need help to create a nice layout for your landing page? Try the landing page tool from GetResponse to create a minimalistic design within minutes. A great landing page creator you can use to make a flawless lead machine. Keep in mind to add the call to action above the fold, which is the area that most converts.
Also, remember that usually a single column design is much better than a multi-column one.
Finally, be sure to optimize for users landing from tablets or smart phones, as the future of marketing will be mobile.
2. Finding Contacts in the “Real” World
In the “virtual” world we often forget the importance of interaction with people.
We think that every click is valid source of contact, but this is not the only way. In fact, it is just one of the points of interaction with your users.
So take advantage of direct marketing initiatives (during fairs, stands, workshops and other events) for inviting to subscribe to your mailing list to receive your information and offers.
Also, it might be helpful to include your email address in the documents intended for customers, such as brochures, receipts or any other document.
Tip : Do you need a customizable email signature tool? I suggest you WiseStamp, which gives you the option to add, among other things, your address, job, phone number and social media profiles. Use it to create a dandy email signature to help you be more professional.
3. Word of Mouth
Who better than your current customer or newsletter subscriber can be a good testimonial of your business and become a source of enrichment for your database?
We obviously give for granted that they should be totally satisfied with your products or services. The card to play is therefore the “trust“.
Existing customers who recommend your company to their friends is a very effective way to get new quality leads.
It’s advisable, therefore, to add in the notes of your newsletter, the invitation to share the content with their circles or invite other users in exchange of benefits.
The stimulation of requesting action to your users is a valid strategy for expanding your business.
4. Use of Social Media
Social networks have great potential of expanding your business through targeted marketing strategies.
Visibility and shareability are the two major strengths of these channels.
Your page should be, first of all, a reference point in your niche and your know-how a means for gaining the trust of your audience.
Social media is a powerful tool to encourage users to subscribe to your newsletter, as well as a channel for sharing your content on a large scale.
Whenever you publish a message or post, it is always good to add the invitation to visit your website and maybe remember the opportunity to subscribe to your newsletter or sharing it with other contacts.
On your social media pages, as well as on your website, visibility plays a fundamental role: your visitors must find a simple registration form, clearly visible and easy to manage.
Social signals, finally, will be noticed by search engines that could increase your organic traffic, which later can be converted into qualified leads.
And more qualified leads you get, the higher the possibility of future sales.
5. Content Marketing
Last but not least, the importance of the validity of your content.
Yes, because everything moves only if you provide valuable information to your users.
Sending emails with interesting and useful content will ensure your subscribers to remain in your mailing list, as well as new users will be encouraged to opt-in.
Understanding your users needs and problems is an important part of the work. Here’s a post on MOZ website about how to get to know your audience, with a list of great resources to use.
Think of content marketing as a technique which consists in creating and distributing important and quality content in order to attract, acquire and engage your target audience of users.
Remember to communicate with your contacts without the anxiety of the sale. This makes your strategy more effective.
The trick is not just a little and targeted promotion of products and services, but also a constant offer of information and useful content that make your contacts more aware of and maybe will reward you with more purchases and loyalty.
The interest of your potential customers and their trust to conquer are the guidelines for an effective newsletter service and weapons for a successful email marketing strategy.
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