How to Build An Email List for Your Business from Scratch.

If you’ve ever tried to create an email list, you’ll know that it is often tricky because there are many common myths and misconceptions surrounding it. You’ve probably heard people say, “the money is in the list”, but do you even know what that means? No matter what form of business you operate, an email list is the most significant element of a successful email marketing strategy. With that list, you will be able to share your story, promote your business, and showcase your products, while turning subscribers into paying customers. Although social media gets lots of attention, in online marketing, the use of emails is one of the most valuable digital channels to explore.

A smart way to maximize your marketing value is by building a list. In addition, do you know that you can build your email list from scratch with no cost implication attached? Below is a step-by-step process which you can follow if you’ve got no email list and need to build one in no time. If some things are not carefully considered, building an email list will be quite difficult. Here are some things you need to settle before you start building your email list.

Know Your Target Market

Who are you targeting? Before you start building an email list, it’s helpful to know who these people are. I like to recommend that you create a marketing buyer persona, a made-up person who represents your ideal customer. A buyer persona of your target audience should have; name, gender, age, interest, occupation, education, location, etc. The more information you have got about your target market, the better! One of the best places to find your audience is on social media. If you can identify where they hang out on social media, you’ll be able to get their email addresses more easily.

Have A Website or Landing Page

Another essential thing is, you need to set up a place where you can receive your traffic’s email address. This could be a website or a simple landing page. Creating a website is a big scary step, so let me explain the way to make this as easy as possible. You don’t need a large website to make an email list. All you need is a landing page — a single-page website that contains your email opt-in form. You’ll be able to create a stunning landing page in only some minutes using any one of these services: Landerapp.com, iContact.com, Hubspot.com, Leadpages.net, Unbounce.com, Wix.com. Most landing pages have key features like a picture holder, headline, payment gateway integration, and multiple pages.

The Email Marketing Service Provider

To communicate with your new email subscribers, you’re going to need an email marketing platform. There are lots of platforms to chose from, and you can start with a cheap and straightforward service like Mailchimp. An email platform has a simple purpose: it helps you organize your email list, and send the email when you wish to. As your email marketing campaign list grows, you’re going to be doing a lot more along with your email list, like sequencing, drip campaigns, etc. If you’re starting from scratch, simply concentrate on collecting those addresses in a very safe and legit way.

Offer Catchy FREE Gifts or Value

If you want people to grant you permission to add them to your email list, give them something in return. Everyone likes to receive gifts. Offer coupons, discounts, trials, or freebies to get more email addresses. Whether you’re selling, building, creating, or asking, people need a reason to join your list. Think about it! If you stumble on a landing page that is asking for your email address, you wouldn’t want to give it our except you are getting something in exchange. What does your target market want? Often, the simplest offers are your best resources, totally free. You’ll be able to give them access to your software, a report, an eBook, or something else that provides real value. Most people call this type of offer a lead magnet that lures or catches people’s attention.

Optimise Your CTA Buttons to Get More Email Leads

CTA is the single most vital element you will change to optimise your conversion. You can replace different designs, duplicate them and monitor their effectiveness. Did the new version help to encourage your visitors to sign up and add their email address to your email list? If not, change it again.

Finally, it’s never just about growing a list. It’s about building a close relationship with the audience on your list. The money isn’t in the list as much because it is in the relationship that you have with your audience. You don’t just build a list and leave it. You build a list and cultivate it with high-value emails, exclusive offers, rich information, and a personal tone. We’ll like to know which methods you utilised when creating your email list from scratch. Share with us in the comment section.