If you’re not collecting emails, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to convert leads into customers.
One thing I have learned in the eCommerce industry is that you can never have too many customers and you can never have too many email addresses. While the first one was obvious to me a long time ago (more customers mean more money), the second is becoming more apparent as I go.
Having customers is great because they will spend money on your business, but maybe only once. I have found that if you can collect their email address simultaneously, you can get them to buy again and again.
Once you have a customer’s email address, you can send them an unlimited number of emails showcasing different products, advertising sales, or any number of things beyond one single sale. That’s why stores ask you for your email address when all you want to buy is a pack of batteries. They know that once they have your email address, they can get you back in the store and spend more than just $6.
And that’s why email marketing is an indispensable part of almost every business. A massive email list is necessary if you want to succeed with any digital business — the bigger, the better.
This is why an extensive, engaged list of email contacts is one of your most effective marketing and sales management assets.
Contents
How to grow an email list?
If you want to build your email list (whether you have a small list or are starting from scratch), the most critical question is how to get email addresses first.
Your contacts on your email list are just as important as how many you have — quality versus quantity. You want to get potential customers on your list, not just anyone with an email address.
When you’re building an email list, you need to make sure three things are true:
- You have a way of reaching people
- You have a way to collect their emails
- They’re the right people
This blog post will discuss the top ten strategies to collect emails and convert them into customers.
Why should you collect emails?
Before we get into the top strategies for collecting emails, we must understand why you should collect them first.
There are a few key reasons:
- Email is one of the most effective marketing channels: Email has an ROI of 122%, which means that for every $100 you spend on email marketing, you can expect a return of $122. That’s nearly double the ROI of the following most effective marketing channel, search engine marketing.
- You own your list: When you collect emails, you’re building an asset that belongs to you. You don’t have to worry about changes in algorithms or platforms that could impact your ability to reach your audience.
- You can segment your list: Segmenting your email list allows you to send more targeted, relevant emails that will convert at a higher rate. For example, you could segment by location and send emails about events happening in specific cities. Or you could segment by purchase history and send targeted offers to customers who have already bought from you.
Should you buy email lists?
The short answer is no. While it may be tempting to buy an email list, there are a few reasons why you shouldn’t:
- You don’t know if the emails are accurate: When you buy an email list, you cannot know if the email addresses on the list are correct or valid. This means you could send emails to people who will never see them.
- You don’t know if the people on the list want to hear from you: Most people on email lists that are bought and sold have no idea they’re on those lists. That means they didn’t sign up to receive emails from you and are likely to be unengaged with your content.
- You could damage your sender’s reputation: If you send emails to people who don’t want them, you’re likely to see high spam complaints and unsubscribes. This could damage your sender’s reputation, impacting your ability to deliver emails to the people who want to receive them.
Top 10 strategies to collect emails
Now that we’ve covered why you should collect emails and why you shouldn’t buy email lists, let’s get into the top ten strategies for managing emails.
Use custom pop-ups
Email list building from a well-designed website can be a great way to increase your reach and engage with potential customers. There are many different ways to use pop-ups on your website to get customers’ email addresses.
One way is to trigger the pop-ups after a specific time – for example, 30 seconds instead of immediately. This allows people to get familiar with your site before being asked to subscribe.
Another way is to trigger the pop-ups after a certain percentage of the page has been scrolled – for example, 50%. This means people only see the pop-up if they’re interested in reading more about your site.
You can also trigger the pop-ups based on exit intent – whether the person is about to leave your site. This ensures that only people who are interested in what you offer will be able to subscribe.
If you don’t use a pop-up, you’re missing out on one of the best ways to collect email addresses. Popups make it super simple for users to subscribe to your emails.
As seen in the chart above, there’s no question that using pop-ups to get customers’ email addresses can effectively improve your website’s conversion rate, depending on where they are placed.
However, it is vital to ensure that you design them well and display them in a way that will achieve your marketing goals. Most pop-up design tools offer several customization options, including the ability to upload your own images, change colors and fonts, and add animations.
You can also target them based on various parameters, such as country, traffic source, device, or new vs. returning visitors.
Additionally, you can use smart triggers to determine when and how they appear. For example, you may want them to appear after a visitor has scrolled down a certain percentage of the page or after a certain amount of time has passed.
Provide value
People are more likely to sign up for your email list if they perceive that they will get something of value from it. That could be exclusive content, helpful resources, or early access to new products or sales.
When you ask for someone’s email address, you ask for more than just their name and contact information. You’re asking for their trust. And to earn that trust, you need to offer something of value in exchange.
That’s why giving your website visitors something of real value when you ask for their email addresses is essential. Whether it’s a free course, templates, or a quick start guide, make sure that what you’re offering is something that will genuinely help them improve their business or their lives.
And don’t forget: the content you provide doesn’t have to be limited to written resources. Videos are a great way to attract attention quickly and are particularly popular among online audiences. So make sure to include a link to a promised video in your website visitors’ first email after signing up.
Give coupons
Everyone loves a good deal, so offering coupons is an effective way to collect email addresses. You can promote your coupon code through social media, on your website, or in your store.
When you offer a coupon, you can ask the shopper to provide their email address to redeem it. This is a great way to collect new emails and increase sales simultaneously.
You can also include a message on your website encouraging visitors to sign up for your mailing list to receive coupons and other special offers. This is a great way to build your contacts database and keep them engaged with your brand.
Use paid TikTok ads
TikTok ads are a great way to collect email addresses from potential customers. You can target people who are likely to be interested in your product, and you can see results quickly. Further, this is the perfect time to take advantage of large inventory and low costs to maximize your budget. This makes TikTok Ads an excellent option for small businesses who need to generate sales rapidly.
If this is your first time using TikTok ads to collect email addresses, start by creating a campaign. Choose the objective of collecting email addresses, and then build a custom audience based on the demographics you want to target. Create an ad that encourages people to sign up for your email list, and make sure to include a clear call to action.
You should also create a landing page to which people will be directed when they click on your ad. This page should be designed to collect email addresses, making it easy for people to sign up.
Once your campaign runs, you can track the results and see how many people clicked through your landing page and signed up for your email list. If your conversion rate is low, you can tweak your ad or landing page to make it more effective.
TikTok Ads are a great way to collect email addresses from potential customers. By targeting the right people and using an effective ad and landing page, you can see results quickly and increase your chances of making a sale.
Create a quiz
Quizzes are a fun way to collect email addresses and segment your list. You can use quizzes to learn more about your audience, what they’re interested in, and what they’re willing to sign up for.
When you think about it, using an online quiz as a lead-capture tactic is a no-brainer. Quizzes are wildly popular and provide an excellent opportunity to learn more about potential customers. Plus, they’re the perfect way to collect email addresses.
LeadQuizzes has found that quizzes can increase lead capture by up to 500%. Quizzes are a great way to get people interested in your product or service. They also provide an opportunity to learn more about potential customers and their interests.
So, how can you use quizzes to capture leads? First, create a quiz that is relevant to your business. Then, include a lead capture form on the quiz page. Make sure to offer something valuable in exchange for people’s email addresses, such as a free e-book or a coupon code.
You can increase your chances of acquiring new customers by using an online quiz as a lead capture tool.
Offer free resources
One of the best ways to acquire customers’ email addresses is by providing them with free resources. This can be in the form of a downloadable report or ebook, for example, that is relevant to your target customer. By providing something of value in an immediately consumable format, you can entice people to provide their email addresses in exchange for access to the information.
It is crucial to ensure that the resource you provide is relevant to your target customer and addresses a pain point they are experiencing. If you can do this, you will be well on your way to collecting valuable email addresses that can be used to market to potential customers in the future.
Make it simple
The simpler your lead form is, the more likely people will fill it out. Ensure your form is short and to the point, and only collect the necessary information.
Making it easy for customers to give you their email addresses is a great way to acquire more customers.
- You can ask them directly
- Add in an easy-to-see subscription bar
- Add a link to your signup form after your email signature at the bottom of your email
- Ask people to share your emails.
Whichever method you choose, make sure it’s easy for customers to do so, and they won’t have any trouble adding their information.
Make your lead collection form presentable
Your form should be easy on the eyes and easy to understand. Use images, whitespace, and clear labels to make your form more visually appealing.
As a business owner, you know that acquiring email addresses is key to growing your customer base. However, simply asking people for their email addresses can be a big turn-off. This is where making your capture form presentable comes in.
A well-designed form will not only look good on your website, but it will also be easy for people to fill out. The less information you ask for, the more likely people are to provide their contact information.
In addition, make sure your catchphrase is catchy and intriguing. This will encourage people to give you their email addresses.
Use the best email capture tools
There are a lot of email capture tools out there, but not all of them are created equal. Make sure you’re using a tool that’s reliable and easy to use.
Email capture tools are a great way to collect email addresses from potential customers. The best tools offer a wide range of features and are very affordable.
Host a free webinar
When you host a webinar, you’re providing a valuable service to your audience and allowing them to learn from you. But you’re also doing something else: you’re collecting email addresses.
By providing a free webinar, you’re making it easy for people to sign up. And by giving them access to valuable content, you’re ensuring they’ll be happy with the experience and more likely to want to hear from you again.
That’s why hosting a webinar is an effective way to acquire customers’ email addresses. It allows you to connect with potential customers and provide them with valuable information while collecting their contact information.
What to do with your email list
Now that you have collected a bunch of emails, what are you going to do with them to get more paying customers for your business?
Now that people have given you an email address of their own free will, you can email them anything you want.
However, with this great power comes great responsibility because they can just as easily unsubscribe from your list, and all your hard work has gone down the drain. Here are some quick ideas to get the most out of your email list and convert them into paying customers.
Personalize their journey
Personalization is one of the most effective tools in a marketer’s toolkit. Personalizing your emails can boost open rates by up to 26%. And personalization tools allow you to do all sorts of things to tailor your emails to each recipient, from geographic and demographic-specific offers to VIP loyalty rewards and cart abandonment reminders.
But personalization is only as good as your data. Ensure that you collect data early and often in the lead nurturing process through forms and surveys or with plugins that track visitor behavior on your website.
With good data, you can personalize each recipient’s journey and increase their chances of taking the desired action. Encharge has a fantastic email personalization feature that lets you craft personalized emails and add dynamic content that will massively increase conversions.
Break down your list further
Once you have your list of subscribers, you need to break it down into segments. Segmentation allows you to scale relevant information and send the right emails to subscribers at the right time. This idea can lead to a 760% increase in revenue over non-segmented campaigns.
You might segment your list by previous engagement or website behavior, sending one email to New York and another to customers in London, for example.
By narrowing down your email audience, you can send targeted and relevant emails that resonate with your audience and encourage them to take action. As a result, you’ll significantly boost your conversion rate and ROI.
Create detailed segmented email lists with Encharge. You can segment your email audience and target your customers by activity, user behavior, page visits, live user data, and more.
Give them what they want
When it comes to email marketing, it’s essential to give your customers what they want. You can make a sale that much easier by targeting their needs and speaking to their reservations.
Remember, people only buy when they see a clear benefit. When you align your product or service with the customer’s goals and needs, you’re well on your way to a closed deal.
Show them the benefits you offer
Many companies want to tell their customers what their product does and how it works. While that’s great to know, people want to know how it will help them.
People are selfish. They don’t care how it works, only that it works and that it’s making their lives easier. Tell customers about your product or service’s benefits when you send them an email, not its features.
Customer journey automated emails vs. traditional emails
When turning email list subscribers into paying customers, it’s important to be relevant and timely. Automating your emails based on the customer journey stages is an excellent way to do both.
With automated emails, you can also send them to different email subscribers at different stages of their buying journey. You’ll focus on stages two and three, as most subscribers will graduate from stage one when they become subscribers.
However, you can set triggers within your marketing automation tool to send one email to a new subscriber and a different email to a subscriber who has already signed up for your webinar, for example, but has yet to buy.
You can use a tool like Encharge to create an automated email sequence so that your subscribers get the right email at the right time to get them on their buying journey.
Make email part of your content marketing strategy
Email marketing can be an extremely effective way to turn subscribers into paying customers. However, ensuring that your email strategy aligns with your overall content marketing strategy is important.
One great way to do this is to design your blog posts to drive email signups. For example, you could include a call to action (CTA) at the end of your posts inviting readers to subscribe to your email list. You could also offer readers exclusive content or discounts if they subscribe.
Once people are subscribed, it’s essential to keep them interested. You can send regular emails containing links to your latest blog posts and other types of content, such as videos and infographics. You can also use email marketing to promote special offers and discounts.
Using email as part of your content marketing strategy can turn subscribers into paying customers and increase your ROI.
Provide social proof
If you’re looking to turn email list subscribers into paying customers, providing social proof can be a huge help. Case studies, testimonials, and reviews from happy customers can show potential buyers that your product or service is worth investing in.
And when prospects see that others have had great success with what you offer, they’ll be more likely to trust you and pull the trigger on a purchase.
Know your analytics and results
As an email marketer, it’s essential to know your email metrics results. This information can help turn email list subscribers into paying customers. By tracking open, click-through, and conversion rates, you can pinpoint what is and isn’t working.
If people aren’t opening your emails, your subject line needs work. If people aren’t clicking through, your CTA might need some improvement. And if people aren’t converting, you may need to rethink your offer.
Thankfully, by using analytics tools like Google Analytics, you can get a good understanding of how well your campaigns are performing. With this data, you can make the necessary changes to improve your results.
Conclusion
As a business owner, collecting email addresses from potential customers is important. There are several ways to do this, but not all are equally effective. Your best bet is to run a few tests of each, see which work best and are the most cost-effective, and scale them.
The ten strategies detailed in this blog post are some of the best ways to collect email addresses and convert them into customers. By using custom pop-ups, providing value, giving coupons, using paid Facebook ads, creating a quiz, offering free resources, making it simple, making your form presentable, using the best email capture tools, and hosting a free webinar, you’ll be able to collect email addresses effectively and convert them into customers.
Once you have the email addresses you want, you will be in a very good position to start an email marketing campaign to get your email address turned into paying customers. The hard part is accumulating the list of potential customers. Now you just have to convert them and watch your email list turn into a paying customer list.
