Top 4 Tips to Build Your Email List

As Told by Wizard of Oz GIFs

Whether you’re a novice or well-versed in building an email list, building your email list takes time. Getting a grasp on where to start can be one of the hardest steps. It’s easy to get bogged down in the flurry of resources that is the internet, but enlisting the right methods will set you up for success. That’s why we’ve created a few tips to help you get started. As a piece of our three-part series, part one will focus on proven methods for building your email list. We’re here to offer advice that’ll get you started down the path toward optimizing your customer acquisition efforts, building the email list of your dreams, and achieving a higher ROI.

Focus on Your Content

Before you start investing funds to build your email list, get your content together. This may be one of the longest (and most difficult) steps because creating relevant, engaging content takes time and resources. If you already have content that works well in email, make sure you are continually updating gated or blog content that isn’t evergreen so that you establish yourself as a thought leader with new subscribers. If you’re starting from scratch or need a refresher, HubSpot has some great resources, like content calendars, which can help you get started down the yellow brick road.

Think Before You Buy

Buying email lists can often seem like a quick fix to achieve rapid growth. Purchasing an email list versus renting a list from a list owner is dependent on what is right for your company or brand—there is a big difference between B2B and B2C. For B2B brands, it can be acceptable to buy a list; however, for B2C, consumers need to opt in to brand emails. B2B brands usually buy lists for prospecting or event-based outreach. On the other hand, B2C brands want to build relationships with their target market by giving the audience a chance to raise their hand, allowing the brand to have a conversation. The process often involves brands renting a list, the list owner sending an email on the brand’s behalf, and the audience deciding if they want to further the conversation by opting in. This method of email list growth enables brands to be better equipped to engage with their audience, to protect their reputation, and maintain compliance with CAN-SPAM and GDPR laws.

Growing Your Email List Is Key

There’s no singular strategy that will help you grow your list alone, which is why both organic and paid media are important. Organic list growth can come from a variety of sources, such as social media marketing, strategic use of lightboxes, or other types of interrupters. Paid media tactics that support acquisition efforts include ads or featured content in digital publications, social ads, co-registration, and banner ads on relevant websites. Reaching your target audience where they are by giving them an opportunity to raise their hand for an offering and by providing them with a compelling reason to join your email list is an efficient and effective strategy to grow your subscriber base.

Sign-Up Made Easy

Don’t make joining your list a hassle. Engage your audience quickly with a compelling CTA and a value proposition that 1) tells them how you can make their lives easier, 2) entertains them, 3) provides a life-changing experience, and 4) offers them a solution to a problem. Once you do that, reduce friction by making the sign-up experience seamless. You can do this by limiting the amount of data your audience is required to provide during the sign-up process.

Building a successful email list takes time and the backing of more than just your marketing team to make it happen. Evaluating what resources you currently have and will need to grow your list takes time, and setting realistic benchmarks beforehand can help you get an idea of what is attainable going forward. In our second blog, we will go over ways to maintain your email list and tips for creating amazing emails that spark growth. Stay tuned and remember…