Looking to expand and promote your business online by keeping your clients updated, providing customized service and engaging with new ones? Are you worried about the technical know-how involved?

You don’t have to bother about any of these anymore.

Email list is here to the rescue. 

In today’s digital era, having a killer email list aids in sky-rocketing your business.

Put simply, an email list is a collection of email addresses utilized by an individual or a company to send marketing content to multiple recipients in one go. 

It provides for a better form of communication with your customers, informs them about the launch of new products, imparts information on customized offers and much more. This aids in the growth of the conversion rate as well.

If you need help with creating an efficient email list and run email campaigns that really convert, we can help you out with this!

How to build a basic Email List 101

Building an Email List is fairly simple. Let’s look at the steps one by one.

Step 1: Sourcing a good email marketing software

Acquiring an efficient email marketing software is essential to building an equally efficient email list. 

• The top recommended ones, after use-and-trial method, are Mailchimp, SendinBlue, Constant Contact and GetResponse.
• Many of these offer free trials for a month and hence, it is up to the marketer to use the one best suited for his business. Mailchimp and SendinBlue, amongst others, offer a free basic plan which is beneficial for businesses in their beginning stages.
• They offer a user-friendly interface, making it easy for marketers to set up campaigns and build appealing newsletters. 
• Moreover, they aid in automating the campaigns, sending private mass emails to the subscribers, tracking and grouping them based on their actions. For more information on this, click here.

You can run A/B split tests to gauge which subject line, content and offers are popular with your subscribers.

Step 2: Create a pop-up form

Now that you have acquired an email marketing software, the next all-important step is to create a pop-up form.

Pop-up forms provide visitors with a quick and easy way to share their contact information and subscribe to your list whilst they are exploring your website, potentially making them powerful tools in expanding your online business.

It aids in attracting new leads by creating engaging lead capture forms.

The above pop-up form instantly attracts the viewer’s attention due to the stark color contrast with the background, and the tempting offer provided on the first purchase by the viewer.

Step 3: Set the display timing

An average internet user spends only a few seconds on a website. Hence, the time span to engage with them is extremely short. 

• Entry pop ups immediately emerge when you open the landing page. Since the headers are clear and to the point, the visitor feels more inclined to subscribe. Including these increases your chances of expanding your email list.

 Set the timing of the pop-up form to appear instantly on the screen of the viewer (or with a 5 second delay). If some visitors possess the tendency to browse, you should take a 20 seconds delay into consideration.

• Exit pop ups act as the last resort to get your viewers to subscribe or input information before they leave your website. It has to allure the viewers to make them return to the website.
• Therefore, align the timing of your pop-up form with the average amount of time a visitor spends on your website or page. 

Including these elements brings about a massive difference in the number of subscribers.

Step 4: Strategically place the pop-up and input forms

One common mistake that marketers tend to make is that they place the pop-up forms outside the immediate attention radius of the viewer and thus, the chances of the viewer converting into an email subscriber go down tremendously.

Placing the forms at the top of the sidebar, in a small box on the top of your site, on the “about”  page, immediately after a blog post etc works wonders to compel your viewers to fill in the sign-up information. 

Additionally, positioning the subscription form created with alluring language in the below fold of the landing page acts as an advantage.

What is the first thing you notice when you see a landing page such as the one above?

It’s the bright red arrow directing you to the signup form. Such prominent directional cues and CTA buttons, along with their respective positioning aid in converting viewers who visit your website. 

You can probably estimate the importance of the position of the sign-up forms by now.

Step 5: Engage with your audience

As a marketer, you have to aim to broaden your reach with the aid of social media marketing. 

One of the ways to achieve this is by running an ad campaign on any social media channel like Facebook. 

It is important to note that your ads should have clear CTA buttons, telling your viewers exactly what to do. When a viewer enters your landing page via an ad, your input forms, be it a pop-up form or a subscription one, should be appealing enough and also, cater to the audience’s wants.

This encourages your audience to sign up for your weekly newsletters and updates.

Step 6: Monitor the progress

After publishing your ads, keep track of your reports, progress and the number of new people who join your new list.

Once you establish your baseline, you can adjust your messaging, timing and other variables if your conversion rate has gone down.

Step 7: Send out a welcome email

Now that you have got everything in place, create a welcome email that sends out itself when new people subscribe. 

Through this email, you can offer exclusive offers, discounts, “subscriber-only” content, promote your new services or products, or simply thank your subscribers for their keen interest in your services.

A welcome email will look something like the one shown above, with enticing colours, font, graphics and alluring discount offers. 

What are you waiting for? Let’s build an empire of subscribers!

The work does not end with creating a well-structured and organized email list. 

You have to effectively nurture your leads, develop a pattern of regular communication with your customers, increase sales, provide exciting incentives and engage with other potential subscribers.

Follow these simple steps to help you get started with building a great email list. It works wonders.

In case all this sound confusing to you, we can help you build the email list that works wonders for you. Do give us a try!