5 Tips for Building a Profitable Email List

What is an Email List?

Simply put, an email list is a list of email addresses belonging to people who are happy to receive marketing communications from your brand via this method. You can collect them in various ways; however, some of the most common include sign-up forms on the website or asking customers to check a box permitting them to add them to the email list when they check out on your eCommerce website.

An engaged email list is a great asset for any business, as it’s part of any media channels your brand controls. One of the main benefits of owned media is that it will not be affected by sudden algorithm changes, for example, SEO or PPC advertising. Owned media allows you to get complete control over your brand storytelling and how it is shaped and achieves a greater reach compared to other paid media types, along with being more cost-effective. A reputable startup SEO agency, distinguished by its proficient agency operations, can play a pivotal role in not only optimizing your website for search engines but also devising effective strategies to organically grow and monetize your email list, turning it into a powerful tool for profitability. It’s crucial to carefully consider the strategies you use for building your email list. While you can build an email list free of charge, and it’s often best to use the strategies above to get genuine and engaged addresses on it, it can take some time and effort.

How to Build an Email List

Spending time building your email list is required if you want to get the best results. Although building your email list from scratch can be time-consuming and much hard work, it is the best approach if you want to ensure that your list is profitable in the future. Steer clear of any quick fixes, such as buying email lists. As tempting as it might seem to just pay a fee for a ready-made email list that you don’t have to build, this could backfire in a big way, as you’re going to be sending marketing messages to people who have not agreed to receive them from you. Not only does this mean that you’re unlikely to get much engagement, but it could also seriously harm your sender score, as recipients report your messages as spam or unsubscribe in droves.

Building Your Email List for Free

Building your email list from scratch without paying for a ready-built list can take a lot of time and effort, but it will be worth it in the end. You can use various options to build a list of email addresses organically. These include:

·       Create Original Content

Regardless of your business industry, the high-quality, original content will always be a winner in encouraging people to subscribe to your email list and take further interest in your brand. Updating your content regularly with fresh, exciting and valuable content will help boost organic traffic from search engines to your site, getting eyes in front of your email sign-up form.

·       Promote Upcoming Products

Using your website to promote any upcoming products can be an ideal way to generate further leads for your email list without spending any money. You can use your website to show a sneak peek of information to your customers about products that they may be interested in that is set to be released soon and encourage them to leave their email address to be added to your mailing list so that they can get further information on the product release once it’s ready.

·       Use Lead Magnets

Lead magnets can be a hugely effective strategy for generating leads for your email list. The purpose of a lead magnet is to offer something to the subscriber that is valuable to them in return for their information. For example, this could be unrestricted access to typically gated content, a free eBook, a PDF, a template, or more.

·       Optimise Your About Us Page

When a visitor to your website looks at your ‘About Us’ page, this is a good sign that they are interested in learning more about your brand, products and services. Use this to your advantage when adding more email addresses to your mailing list by optimising this page on your website with a sign-up form that visitors can use to subscribe and learn more.

Best Practices for Building a Mailing List

When building your mailing list, it’s essential to be careful that you are only adding email addresses and names of people who want to be there. Not only will this help protect your reputation, but it will also save your business money as you won’t be spending on sending emails to subscribers who are not interested in hearing from your brand. Because of this, a few best practices should be kept in mind when building your email list.

·       Get Consent

First, you should always have the email address owner’s consent before adding the address to your list. This could be as simple as offering a check box when they are checking out to buy a product on your site or a check box to confirm that they are happy to hear more from you in the future when signing up for your newsletter on your website. Make sure that this is clear and that subscribers are not forced into signing up in any way.

If a customer can’t buy a product on your site without agreeing to receive marketing emails, then chances are they will not be very engaged with the materials you send in the future. While getting explicit consent might mean your email list is shorter, it’s always better to have a small list of engaged subscribers than an extensive list of subscribers that never open your messages.

·       Use Double Opt-In

Double opt-in is another method to ensure you get full and informed consent from your subscribers. With this method, you will send a confirmation email to subscribers once they have signed up for your newsletter from your website. This ensures that you get email addresses from the individuals that own them and will provide you with further confirmation that you have permission to go ahead and send marketing emails in the future.

·       Make Unsubscribing Easy

People who end up on your mailing list might not always want to be on it. It’s important to understand that people might change their minds or have joined the mailing list by accident and want to be removed. While making it easy to unsubscribe might seem counterproductive at first glance, it can help you ensure that your email list is more profitable as you will not be wasting time and energy sending marketing materials to people with no interest in hearing from you. By ensuring that there is an unsubscribe button in each email that is easy to locate and use, you can ensure that your email list stays up to date and get feedback on how to improve it from those who do unsubscribe.

Finding the Best Email List Builder

When it comes to building your marketing email list, there are various tools and programs that you can use to help you ensure your list is as profitable as possible. Before choosing the right email list-building tool for your business, there are lots of different factors to consider, such as how big your email list is going to be, where you are going to include sign-up and opt-in forms if the tool consists of hygiene and cleaning features, and much more.

When choosing the right email list-building tool for your brand, one of the most important things to look out for is that it will help you build a list of addresses that belong to people who have given their consent to hear from you. This is one of, if not the most important, factors when it comes to building a profitable and successful email list since, without the consent of the address owners, your emails could come across as spammy and annoying, harming your sender reputation and causing more harm than good over time.

Building an email list is one of the most effective ways to market your business. Understanding the different ways to build an email list, best practices, and the importance of consent when collecting emails will help you build a profitable list.

8 Mistakes You Can Make When Building a Profitable Email List

Email marketing remains a powerful tool for online businesses, but building a profitable email list is not as straightforward as it seems. While there are effective list-building tactics, there are also pitfalls that can hinder your email marketing strategies. Here are eight mistakes you should avoid when building your email list.

1. Ignoring the Importance of a Landing Page

One of the biggest mistakes is not having a dedicated landing page to capture email addresses. Landing pages are specifically designed to convert potential customers, and they often have a strong call to action (CTA) that encourages visitors to become email subscribers. Without a landing page or even multiple landing pages, you miss out on a crucial list-building strategy.

2. Not Utilizing Social Media Channels

Many online businesses underestimate the power of social media platforms in building an email list. Your social media accounts are not just for posting updates; they can also be used to direct traffic to your email signup forms. Ignoring social media as a channel for lead generation is a missed opportunity.

3. Poorly Designed Opt-In and Signup Forms

Your opt-in form is the gateway to new subscribers. A poorly designed form can deter people from signing up. Whether it’s a pop-up form, email signup forms, or other types of sign-up forms, make sure it’s easy to fill out and has a compelling call to action.

4. Neglecting Existing Subscribers

While it’s essential to attract new subscribers, don’t forget about your existing subscribers. You can use referral programs or even multiple referral programs to encourage them to refer new people to your list. Exclusive content and exclusive discounts can also keep existing subscribers engaged and less likely to unsubscribe.

5. Overusing Pop-Ups and Pop-Up Forms

Pop-ups and pop-up forms can be an effective list-building tactic, but overusing them can annoy visitors. Website pop-ups should be used judiciously and offer real value, like exclusive discounts or content, to encourage visitors to provide their visitor’s email address.

6. Lack of a Clear and Strong Call to Action

Whether it’s in a blog post, social media posts, or direct mail, a clear and strong call to action is crucial for encouraging email signups. A vague or weak CTA will not motivate visitors to become email subscribers.

7. Failing to Comply with Regulations

Not adhering to regulations like the CAN-SPAM Act can not only get you fined but also erode trust. Make sure your email marketing software or email service provider complies with these laws, and always provide an easy way for people to opt out.

8. Inconsistent Marketing Campaigns and Tools

Consistency is key in any marketing strategy. Inconsistent or sporadic marketing campaigns can confuse your target audience and lead to fewer email signups. Make sure your email marketing strategies align with your overall marketing tools and objectives.

Bonus: Ignoring the Email Signature

Your email signature is often an overlooked place to include a CTA or link to your email signup forms. It’s a simple yet effective list-building tactic that can add more subscribers to your list.

Final Thoughts

Building a profitable email list is a multifaceted endeavor that involves more than just collecting email addresses. From the design of your landing pages to the CTAs in your blog posts and the referral programs you set up for existing subscribers, every element plays a role. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can build an email list that not only grows in size but also in engagement and profitability for your online or ecommerce businesses.