If you operate a business that sells products and services via the web, building a responsive and targeted e-mail list is critical to your long-term success and profitability. When you build an email list of interested prospects you essentially own a potential income stream for life.
Unfortunately, building an e-mail list can be frustrating at times. To gain subscribers you must generate traffic, and to generate traffic you must do a slew of other things that are beyond the scope of this article. But today, I’m going to share three simple ways you can make sure you capture every opportunity to add a targeted subscriber to your list regardless of the amount of traffic you get.
THREE SIMPLE STEPS TO AN EVEN BIGGER EMAIL LIST
1. Create Irresistible “List Bait” – “List Bait” is content you use to compel your readers to sign up for your e-mail list. The main purpose for your list bait is to provide value to your reader in exchange for the opportunity to establish an e-mail relationship with them.
The key to creating compelling list bait, however, rests on your ability to resolve a specific and pressing issue that plagues your readers as it relates to your products and services. And, whatever you offer as a solution should garner them immediate results.
For example, let’s say you offer match-making services between business owners and virtual assistants.
One issue many visitors to your site may face could be how to work most effectively with a virtual assistant. By creating a free downloadable guide that walks your reader through the best practices for working with a virtual assistant you are solving one of their most pressing issues immediately.
When you do this you not only enable yourself to build a highly target list of prospects, but you establish trust with your reader because you’ve already proven yourself to them on some level.
2. Use Inherent Human Behavior To Your Advantage - If you read tip number one and thought “I know that already, but it’s not working!” Then you really need to pay attention right now.
Since more and more business owners are using “list bait” to target prospects, prospects are becoming less enticed by the plethora of free whitepapers, courses, and eBooks available to them in exchange for their email addresses.
This is especially true in niches where site owners have abused this strategy, and provided junk in exchange for e-mail addresses, which they turn around and spam. Obviously that is not the way to build an engaged e-mail list.
So how do you overcome the bait-shy reader?
You kill them with curiosity.
How? Easy.
You tell your reader that your list bait can give them the outcome they desire, but you don’t tell them how. To get the “how,” they must opt-in for the download. Creating curiosity is primarily about choosing the right words, and providing just enough information, to create an overwhelming desire in your reader to have everything put together. It’s about creating a gap between what the reader knows and what the reader wants. If you do this successfully, your opt-in rates will skyrocket.
3. Make Signing- Up Easy! - This tip may seem obvious to you, but you’d be amazed at the number of business owners who try to build e-mail lists, but make it nearly impossible to do. If your opt-in form isn’t highly visible, and clear on what to do – it simply won’t convert visitors.
And, believe it or not, one opt-in form really isn’t enough. You should give visitors multiple opportunities to sign-up for you e-mail list. This allows you to not only increase the chances that you will convert visitors, but it will also allow you test different types of list bait.
If you want expert guidance on how and where to use opt-in forms, you must read: The 7 High-Converting Places to Add Email Sign-Up Forms to Build Your List by Derek Halpern of Social Triggers. Derek is a list building and marketing genius who has dedicated hours upon hours of time actually testing the best uses and places for high converting opt-in forms. If you’re serious about growing your list, Derek’s information will be a key resource for you in that area.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON BUILDING A BIGGER LIST
Having a list allows you to stay connected to the people who are willing to spend time reading your content and possibly buy your products and services. Respect the privilege they give you to communicate with them. Be sure to care for your list by never sending them spam, sharing their contact information, or inundating them with constant sales messages. Even though our interactions online are "virtual," there are people sitting behind those computers. Treat them with care and consideration, and watch your e-mail list keep growing, and growing, and growing.
When a small business decides to take their business online there are usually several mistakes that they do. This is partially due to lack of experience and often lack of knowledge. There seems to be a trend that small businesses think of their website as an online business card instead of a marketing tool.
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