Five basic steps to growing your subscriber list
As a small business owner you know that however many subscribers your email list already holds, the search for new ones never stops. Winning new subscribers while holding on to your current readers is genuinely a hard fight. So what is the best way to keep the list growing rather than shrinking?
Here are our five main methods for growing it:
- Use a targeted signup form on your blog or website
Adding an embedded signup form to your site or blog is the first step in growing an email list. Consider a pop-up form as well — it can be a simple and effective approach.
- Connect with the followers in your social networks
As a business owner you probably already know that posting regularly on social media helps generate interaction with customers, promote special offers and raise brand awareness. Equally, you can use channels like Facebook and Twitter to grow your email list. By encouraging your social followers to sign up for your email, you attract people who are already interested in your business and in what you publish.
- Offer a new incentive on your signup form
When it comes to growing an email marketing list, you have to demonstrate the value of your business, because most people will not hand over their email address without a good reason. This is why we recommend offering a free digital incentive — an ebook, a report, a webinar, a video series — as the reward for subscribing. What matters is choosing something appropriate that relates to your business and that attracts the right audience.
For example:
A. A restaurant owner or food blogger can share exclusive recipes, or a discount on the customer’s next visit.
B. A graphic designer can send subscribers original desktop wallpapers.
C. If you are a coach or a teacher, you can offer subscribers a free 1:1 consultation or an introductory course.
By offering an exclusive, high-value reward like the ones above, you give people a reason to subscribe. It also creates an opportunity to demonstrate thought leadership in your industry and establish yourself as a trusted and valuable source of opinion.
- Encourage subscribers to share with friends Making it possible for existing customers to tell their networks about you is a powerful way to grow the list. One study found that 78% of consumers consider word of mouth to have real influence on their purchasing decisions, since people are more likely to trust a business recommended to them by someone they know.
So make your email easy to share and easy to subscribe to. Include social sharing buttons every time you send, encourage subscribers to spread your content, and let them forward the email to friends.
- Collect email addresses wherever you are You never know when you will meet someone interested in signing up. That is why being properly prepared at conferences, trade shows and networking events matters. By using the conversation in front of you, you can naturally ask the people you meet to join your list. Whether you take their name and address with pen and paper or download a signup form app, it is straightforward to start a relationship with someone you have met in person.
Building a list takes time, but there are steps you can take now to gain subscribers and extend your reach. Start your list-growth effort now, and set aside time this week to put it into practice.