There’s one vital thing when launching an email marketing campaign: subscribers. These are people who agree to receive your marketing content. And the critical thing to note is that this isn’t just as simple as buying contact information. If you want to stay both legally compliant and successful, you’ve got to collect your email subscribers the right way.
Collecting subscribers can involve anything from loyalty programs to WiFi marketing (more on that later). But the good news is that after some initial hard work, this quickly becomes light work. If you’re building an email list with the right tools, it can quickly develop into a passive process.
In this guide, we’ll show you how you can build an email list of your business dreams. Get ready for definitions, benefits, and sneaky tips on retaining subscribers. Give us less than ten minutes, and we’ll transform you into an email marketing whizz!
What Are Email Subscribers in Marketing?
Email subscribers are people who agree to receive email content for marketing purposes. Usually, you collect their email addresses through funneling strategies like competition or loyalty programs. After that, you send a welcome email, and they opt in, and the rest is history.
Subscriptions are the backbone of business email lists. Email marketing laws dictate that businesses must obtain permission to send email campaigns to individuals. Therefore, email lists are the smartest way forward: building a community of people who consent. It’s clear for legal compliance, and it’s more successful since your emails are actually welcome. It’s a win-win.
With an email contact list, you can sync the database with technology like marketing software. This means that you can bulk-send to current subscribers rather than emailing them individually. Often, this software also includes personalization tools.
It’s worth noting that subscribers aren’t guaranteed forever. You’ll need to retain these initial contacts; otherwise, they’ll opt out or mark you as spam.
Because of this, gathering an email list isn’t linear. There will be ups and downs, and it requires long-term commitment.
You’ve got to be savvy, too. The content you send and the frequency of communication are also of utmost importance. Too little, and subscribers will lose or fail to build rapport, while too much will irritate you.
The average email unsubscribe rate is just 0.11%, yet 46% of daily emails wind up in the spam box. So, sure, collecting subscribers can become passive, but you’ve got your work cut out keeping them. We’ll address retention by creating valuable content later.
How To Get More Email Subscribers
You know the basics of how to get email subscribers, but what about how to get more email subscribers? In this section, we’ll show you how to grow your list from zero to hero. Because the most effective strategies go far beyond the tried-and-tested and a little ineffective email signup form.
To see sky-high success rates, you need to maximize your chances through a larger audience. Here are the three ways you can blow your conversion rates out of the park.
1. Offer Better Rewards
The thing about enticing people is that you need to offer something worthwhile. There are multiple levels to this.
For instance, if running a giveaway, don’t offer zoo tickets and butcher vouchers to a predominant customer base of vegans. You’ve got to understand the wants and desires of the people you’re targeting.
On another level, you’ve got to look at the quality of your output. Should you request someone’s email address, make it clear how rewarding the result will be. Would you like to receive promotional newsletters or exciting updates with snippets from exclusive interviews about a topic you love?
The thing that most attracts anyone is value, so when wanting more subscribers, reassess the rewards you’re bringing.
2. Invest in Passive
The thing is, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Yet nobody can take shots constantly around the clock. And waiting until the optimal time to take shots manually — like busy services — is often unrealistic. You see the dilemma?
Investing in passive subscription prompts is the best way to address this limiting factor. These run constantly in the background, targeting customers around the clock and at optimal times. But rather than demanding your time and total dedication, this approach lets you stay hands-off. It’s an automated strategy.
Good examples include QR codes for loyalty programs on menus, a captive portal network, and optional booking confirmations. All of these are savvy ways to offer a service that benefits you. And because customers stumble on these organically, they can tick over without your input.
3. Combine With Other Strategies
You’d be amazed at how well email marketing combines with other approaches. For example, you could use internet marketing. You could write blog posts providing valuable insight into specialist topics, linking a signup form in a CTA. It’s simple yet incredibly effective.
Instead of choosing just one approach, branch out. You could launch a blog and use QR codes or SMS campaigns to maximize brand authority with better opening rates. All of these channel more people toward your email list and business, putting your business in front of more faces.
3 Benefits of Running a Subscription-Based Email List
You know what an email list is and how to grow it. The real question remaining is why you’d actually want to. What is so special about this marketing approach?
The primary benefits of running subscription lists include increasing sales and overall profit. But let’s dig deeper; it means more than that. These are the three reasons why you should invest in a collection of subscribers.
1. Increases Email Regularity
This is a big one; without a list, your regularity suffers. Why? Because it’s incredibly unmotivating to send hard-crafted emails into an abyss. And frankly, we understand why: it’s almost pointless.
To see any sort of results, you need to a) create good content and b) ensure that content gets seen. Without a good list, you’re failing at the second hurdle.
Once you build a subscriber base, there are recipients there to justify your efforts. It seems worthwhile, and you get the reward of seeing progress. Positive reinforcement is vital. And with it comes a boost in the regularity you’ll find yourself sending emails.
Just remember to hold your horses slightly! Nobody wants a flurry of spam emails, no matter how enthusiastic the sender is.
2. Builds Customer Rapport
So, yes, a list can rocket your profit, but it’s wise to know why that is. One of the deeper reasons for this is that it builds customer rapport.
Rapport is the level of connection that a customer feels with your business. A positive rapport can increase the likelihood of engagement, encouraging things like social media interaction or purchases. It’s like sitting on a train during rush hour. Are you more likely to sit beside your friend or a stranger?
By creating a community via email, you enable regular, encouraging contact. This allows you to build a relationship with your customers, which in turn increases the chance of them engaging with your business in a beneficial way.
3. Increased Business Legitimacy
When we say legitimacy, we partially mean that through building email lists, you stay on the right side of the law. That’s always a plus — isn’t it? There are so many GDPR and similar marketing laws out there. By getting consent from subscribers, you ensure you don’t fall foul of penalties.
On the flip side, though, subscriptions also make your business look more legitimate to customers. Think about it. It’s not just customer rapport but customer respect. Sending out regular (and valuable) content to customers establishes brand authority.
All of these factors are vital for any successful business and promise an increase in profit over the long term.
3 Ways To Retain Your Email List
We spoke earlier about the importance of retaining your email list. It’s not just a passive thing; you’ll need to invest time and effort to ensure you don’t lose contacts. Email contacts are fickle. All it takes is for someone to hit the Mark as Spam or Unsubscribe button.
In this section, we’ll show you how to collect and keep subscribers. If you’re going to remember just three things, make them these.
1. Value Over Everything
First things first, always look at value. If you don’t offer value, the best alternative is silence. Remember that you’re not even massively competing with competitors. Instead, you’re actually competing with silence and an empty inbox. Who doesn’t want that?
The only way to retain a list is to offer impressive value. For example, a restaurant could offer monthly giveaways, tickets to events, and recipes to try at home. A clothes store could offer fashion show ticket giveaways, icon interviews, and expert style advice.
Do you see how you tailor the meaning of value to your individual demographic?
2. Savvy Frequency
A big thing to consider is the frequency of communication. As we mentioned before, too much communication is a one-way ticket to the spam or unsubscribe box. Yet too little, and you lose all of — if any — of the rapport you’ve accrued. It’s a harsh reality, but one to understand if you’re trying to retain subscribers.
Once or twice a week is generally a sweet spot, and even better if you can pick a set day. This makes it a weekly affair and builds investment, boosting open rates and rapport. But pay attention to updates and email marketing trends around contact patterns.
Furthermore, always invest in software with an analytical dashboard. This way, you can track engagement’s highs and lows, spotting the best frequency for your demographic.
Ultimately, you’ve also got to start on the right foot. When initially inviting subscriptions, be transparent about why you want the contact details. Don’t promise something you can’t follow through on.
And overall, always keep your word — be that sending no more than once a week or always messaging on Mondays.
Setting realistic expectations at the beginning is a great way to prevent instant unsubscribing. Similarly, sticking to your promises will prevent your list from gradually dwindling.
Picking Good Email Marketing Software
You’ve got to make the right choice regarding email marketing software. This decision can truly be make or break; it decides the quality of your campaign.
To help narrow down your search, here are some of the aspects we’d consider non-negotiable. Here are seven things to look for (and the honest reason why):
- An analytical dashboard is vital to track progress and adjust things like email frequency if necessary.
- Great reviews — no explanation necessary.
- Bulk sending is absolutely non-negotiable. It means you won’t have to send thousands of emails individually.
- Ideally, it should be compatible with desktop and mobile devices. Offering a mobile app, not just computer software, is a huge green flag. It increases accessibility; business owners and good staff are always on the go, so this helps to maintain efficiency.
- For more flexibility, look for software offering a free trial or demo. These require less financial commitment and allow you to try the software risk-free.
- Good storage systems (like databases for email addresses) are essential. Look for signs of investment in security, too, like two-factor authentication or downloaded security software components.
- Always check compatibility with other software or whether it allows other marketing forms. Captive portal compatibility is big if you want to collect emails through your WiFi system. While not absolutely essential, it’s something you’d be smart to consider.
FAQ
Why are you disappearing so quickly? Managing email list subscriptions can be incredibly difficult. Because of this, we’ve created a quick collection of FAQ to consolidate your understanding. Get ready to test your knowledge so far.
What is an email subscriber?
An email subscriber is someone who has agreed to receive marketing content. Instead of contacting random people with cold marketing messages, you go in lukewarm with an existing relationship. These are people that have opted into your program.
It’s not just strategy, though. It’s also a legal requirement, so set up a subscription list ASAP.
How do I collect more email subscribers?
You collect more subscribers by creating more opportunities to invite people to join. For instance, you might use a captive portal system on your WiFi or create a loyalty program. These strategies all require some initial legwork to set up but eventually become passive.
You should focus on retaining subscribers, too, by following through on promises and providing good-quality content.
What is the benefit of a subscription-based email list?
It builds rapport, which increases the chance of boosting your profit. The more connected customers feel to you and your business, the more engagement you’ll see. Obtaining permission before adding recipients to marketing lists is also a legal requirement. Stay on the right side of the law and earn more money!
Beambox: WiFi Might Help You
If you are passionate about growing your subscribers and have a physical business address, we’d suggest investing in WiFi. Roll your eyes all you want; we’re not talking about just offering guest WiFi. Nearly all businesses do that already!
Instead, capitalize on a smart strategy called captive portal marketing. This plug-in acts as a temporary barrier, redirecting guests who attempt to join to a webpage form. Here, you can request contact details for marketing purposes. They comply and get instant internet access, and you grow your email list.
In business, you’ve got to make your existing strengths and resources work for you. Utilizing your WiFi is one of the greatest things about offering a physical business address. The best part is that it’s completely passive after you set it up — you can sync it to a software database.
Sound exciting? Look no further: here at Beambox, we offer an all-in-one marketing platform for your WiFi. We operate on a monthly subscription system for ultimate flexibility and provide businesses with customizable captive portals.
Start your Beambox free trial today and increase your email subscribers!
