Why Subscriber Lists Are So Important for Email Marketing

If you’re new to internet marketing, you might not be aware that you use one of your most powerful marketing tools every day: email. One of the easiest ways to get your target market engaged with your company online is through marketing emails. You’ll be blown away by the increase in website traffic and online engagement you’ll see when you get an email marketing campaign off the ground, and the single most important aspect of that is having a solid subscriber list. We’ll look at what an email subscriber list is, how it works for you, and even how to build one.

What is a subscriber list, anyway?

First of all, let’s nail down what we’re discussing here. A subscriber list, sometimes called an email list, is simply that: a list of email addresses for people that have given you permission to send them promotions, information, links, and other marketing materials to their email boxes. This means that an individual had to join your email list on your website and then click a link in their email to verify that they wanted to join the list. This is someone who is obviously interested in your company, so you have a pretty solid sales lead. Now you just need to follow through by delivering interesting content via your email marketing campaign.

Reasons Email Marketing is Effective

An email subscriber list is a powerful tool in your company’s internet marketing toolbox for many different reasons.

• Email is private and personal. – Social media posts are just that: social. They’re public, but an email is delivered to one individual in their inbox. Most people can read their email in privacy, so you’re talking just to them. This means you can deliver interesting content that’s a little more casual, and it builds trust with the user because it’s a personal connection. When you send someone an email, it’s like you’re talking one-on-one with them, even if you’re a large multinational company with thousands of subscribers.
• Email is instant. – These days, people have their phones in their pockets all the time, and often they see email notifications. This means that your information will get to them quickly, and they can also follow up quickly. If you watch your website traffic and sales, you can see them respond faster to email marketing than social media posts, which are dependent on the user checking a feed.
• Email is focused on your target market. – Again, a user has to actually sign up for your email list, so you already know they have an interest in your products or services. Your subscriber list should be a capsule of your target market, and you can turn their interest into more sales with good content.
• Email is relevant. – This is an aspect of email marketing that some companies can forget. You know your email subscribers are interested in your brand, but you have to keep them interested. Marketing emails need to deliver relevant content, period. Offers and promotions are great, but subscribers also want to see informational articles and blog posts too. That way, they feel like they’re learning something useful or connecting with your brand on a more personal level. Freebies never hurt, either, and always make sure to make things offered to your email list exclusive.
• Your subscriber list is only yours. – The thing about social media marketing is that the formats for posting are all owned by other companies. They can change their policies to best help their users or simply shut down as a trend dies, leaving your business in the lurch. However, a subscriber list is your intellectual property, so you can utilize email marketing no matter what’s happening on the rest of the internet.

How to Build a Solid Subscriber List

Now that you’re up to speed on how your subscriber list can work for you, let’s look into how to build an effective email list. It’s easier than you think: all you really need is a website for users to visit, a form that encourages users to sign up, and an email marketing service. We’ll skip the website because that’s a whole different thing to develop, and most companies have one at this stage in the game. You could even set this up with a blog.

Opt-In Forms

An opt-in form is a form with a bit of marketing copy and a couple boxes for entering an email address and a button to click. This form can be delivered in many different ways: as a page on your website, as a sidebar on your blog, as a pop-up window, or even at the end of an ebook or other internet-deliverable freebie. You want to make sure your opt-in form offers the email subscriber some value, so you should have an image, enticing copy, or some other draw as well a the email form itself.

Email Marketing Services

You can find a service that will automatically collect email addresses from your forms and compile information about the subscriber list, as well as sending out the emails according to your schedule. There are free services for those just starting out, as well as free trials of paid services if you have a little bit in your budget for email marketing. You want to look for completely customizable content as well as details statistics about how your subscriber list is performing.

Growing Your Subscriber List Grows Your Business

Once you’ve built your email list, you’re not done. You need to make sure your opt-in forms are fresh and delivered in as many different ways as possible. You can even share them on social media and offer a special deal just for first time subscribers. With fresh and relevant content, you can have engaged subscribers, and they will naturally share with friends and family as well.

Email Marketing and Your Brand

Let’s zoom back out. Your subscriber list is the lifeblood of your email marketing, but email should be one part of a larger internet marketing strategy. That itself is a part of your whole marketing system. One important aspect that many companies miss is branding. Your brand needs to be consistent from everything from your marketing emails to your packaging. If you need help making sure your physical branding is as sharp as your internet marketing, look to the experts at PBFY.