Partner in Publishing • September 13, 2021 • 0 comments

EMAIL LIST

Email marketing is not only the route to your customer’s heart, it is also the most economical way to reach your audience, so it is not surprising that your most valuable asset is your email marketing database. Your list of potential prospects is the point of entry to inform the market about your products and services and as such it needs to be cared for, managed and organized in a way that will yield the highest results possible.
 Building your database for email marketing can be done in a number of ways but the best route is to build your audience through the implementation of various strategies that encourage prospective customers to opt in and subscribe. Your goal is to cultivate an audience that is interested in what you are saying, promoting, and importantly, the solutions you are providing to their problems. Those of you who have not read our companion pieces on the perils of email blocklists and how to avoid the spam box, I highly recommend that you do so. They contain valuable information on the dependencies between your email marketing strategy and its execution – the links can be found “here” OR: the links are at the bottom of the article.

Wouldn’t it be easier to just buy a list instead?

Unlike money, lists do grow on trees, but tempting though it may be to go out and buy or rent one from a provider, (however well-known), please do not. Buying a list presents a quick fix, but The long-term payoff lies in an organically grown list.

Why we do not buy a list and call it a day:
1. Email lists are expensive
2. If you are buying it, so are multitudes of other people
3. Purchased lists consist of email addresses that are deemed unresponsive and/or unqualified
4. You will be sending unsolicited mail which may result in…..
5. Damage to your sender reputation which could result in the termination of your account by your email service provider (ESP)

1. Identify your audience

If you have not already done so, you need to create a customer persona, a.k.a. your target audience. The more you know about your audience, the easier it is to make a connection; remember, your success is tied to the number of leads that, by choosing to opt-in, agree to give you their email address. You want to use your emails to connect, so share your story. Promote your business and your products through your website, blogs and newsletters, and convert your subscribers into loyal customers. Provide value, teach your audience: Give before you get!

2. Create a landing page and an opt-in form

Yes, ultimately you need a website, but if that seems daunting, don’t worry, it’s ok to start small. Your landing page can be your single-page website and contain your all important opt-in form. There are plenty of services who can help you make it gorgeous, like Unbounce.com, or Landerapp.com. The beauty of using services like these is that they have templates ready to go, with the added bonus of proven conversion rates. Alternatively, work with a PIP Project Manager, we will help you get your story told and your products sold.

3. Choose an email marketing platform

Your Email Service Provider is important; not only does it send emails, it keeps the list organized. As your business grows, keeping organized will be paramount as you will be using your list for many different things (think: drip campaigns, or trigger-based automations).

• Segmenting your list based on behavioral analytics
• Sending different sign-up forms and automated messages to different segments
• Monitoring the effectiveness of these actions

4. Incentivize, Incentivize, Incentivize!

You catch more bees with honey than with vinegar. There are plenty of ways to persuade consumers to give you their email address, so identify what your target audience wants and give it to them; provide value, offer insights, be a true partner. Offers come in many shapes and sizes; free downloads, discounts, updates on future promotions etc. Don’t view it as anything other than a trade off – I am giving you something of value, and you are giving me your email address, WELCOME!

5. Purchase ads

You can give your email list a real leg up if you are not afraid to spend…..perhaps we’ll rephrase that and say, “invest.” Purchasing ads obviously costs money, (speculate to accumulate, right?), but placing ads for your products in the middle of a proverbial thoroughfare pays off. How? Look at it this way; social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn are heavy-traffic sites which offer you high visibility opportunities, translating into customer potential. Thanks to effective segmentation capabilities, sites such as these will target your audience efficiently, and even if you pay a couple of bucks per email, they offer value for money in the long run. Retargeting is a great way to stay in front of prospects. Ask us how it works!

Do not trust your email list to luck. Building and maintaining your list requires strategic planning. At Partner in Publishing, we understand that more can be better and that the quality of your database and the prospects it contains, play a very important role in your overall marketing strategy. Want to hear how PIP’s wealth of experience and list access can help you create and maintain your email list? Click here: ……..

#buildyourlist #PIPcanhelp #emaillist

About the Author

Partner in Publishing is a full-service agency that connects education providers with the market expertise, customer insights, and talent they need to scale their products and services. Founded in 2007, PIP stands out among agencies and consultants for its decades of industry expertise, its robust network of educators and providers, and its ability to support both strategy and execution. Learn more: www.partnerinpublishing.com