Email marketing is something I’ve always felt very passionate about. While there’s no question I love social media, the beauty of email is that it gives you a direct line of contact to your most valuable customers – the customers who want to learn more about your brand. So it’s no surprise the next step in our Business Essentials series looks into how to get the lovely people out there to sign up to your email list so you can keep growing, sharing and being.
Why email?
• Email helps you get to your know your customers better through understanding what content gains click through and how to tailor your content to meet each individual customer’s needs.
• Your email marketing is your content. It’s quickly and easily shared to your community of brand lovers across the globe which means it helps to keep you top of mind and leads to greater conversion, repeat purchases and brand engagement (yay!).
• Unlike social media, where you rent the space, you own your email list. That’s valuable property.
But how do I get people to sign up?
There are lots of ways you can ask your customers to sign up to your mailing list. Whether you ask people to sign up in store or online when they visit or transact through your web store, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Just asking ‘do you want to join our mailing list’ makes it very easy for people to say no. So here are my three top tips to consider in order to encourage customers to join your mailing list and remain an active member of your email list.
1. Be likeable & trustworthy
First and foremost, customers will choose to be on a brand’s mailing list if they like that brand and they trust them to contact them about things they actually want to hear about. Nobody’s a fan of spam. Building a brand that’s authentic and likeable is the first step to building a fan base that wants to sign up and hear about your news. The key takeaway here is to be yourself and focus on creating a unique and enjoyable customer experience first.
2. Offer an incentive
Give people a reason to sign up to your mailing list. If a customer is already a fan of your brand, an incentive to sign up is a great way to get them excited about what you have to offer. Don’t just focus on the discount however, always remember that your email marketing should offer your customers valuable and interesting information. So, why should they sign up to your emails? Whether you’re asking customers to sign up via your website, store, social media or elsewhere, here are a few prompting examples I’ve used in the past…
‘We tell our email subscribers first about new stock arrivals, promotions and sales. How about we pop you on the list?’
‘Our members enjoy exclusive deals not offered to others – would you like to be on the exclusive list?’
‘We have a VIP list for customers so we can make sure you hear about new arrivals, sales, exclusive shopping nights, limited ranges and free personal shopping for Christmas/Mother’s Day with an email to you. I’d love to include you on the list. Would that be OK?’
‘We have an email list for VIP customers, and when you sign up we offer you 10% off your purchase. Would you like to take advantage of this offer now?’
In these options, the customer is the focus and the mailing list is a way to ensure they’re the first to know about exciting news and can benefit from exclusive members only offers. Your members are important and this is your chance to make sure they feel that way.
Hello Frankie entices members to sign up with a fun introduction to the brand and pays special attention to their much-loved fur-baby – the story behind the brand’s name.
3. Be honest
Don’t tell customers they’ll be receiving an email every few months if they’ll really be receiving one every week. Be honest about what information they’ll be receiving and how often they’ll be receiving it. If you’re honest from the start, people know what to expect which means you can avoid disappointment and lessen your rate of unsubscribers.
These are just a few tips to help you get started building your email list. Consider shouting out to your social media community and popping a link in your social media profile descriptions to make it easy for them to subscribe. Add a note to any thank you cards that go out with customer orders to ensure they know about special members benefits.
Download: Of Kin – 2015 April Monthly Calendar – blank – landscape
Spend some time thinking about what makes it special to be a member with your brand and make sure your delivering on your promises. Your mailing list shouldn’t mimic your other marketing efforts but should add to these so that customers see the value in signing up. Use this month’s free downloadable monthly calendar to schedule in your email content. Easter’s a couple of days away, school holidays have begun and there are many more wonderful things happening. Get cracking on that gorgeous content!
Need some help getting started? Share your questions or concerns below lovely ones.
Kylie, xx
Related Posts:
Business Essentials #1: 2015 Planning Tools for Creative Entrepreneurs
Business Essentials #2: Your Business Manifesto
Business Essentials #3: Your Business Action Plan
Business Essentials #4: Content Inspiration