Email is a proven method for reaching prospects and
cultivating long-term relationships with customers. You probably know it has one of the highest ROIs across
online marketing channels, especially when used in tandem with social
and search. Plus, email provides greater visibility compared with fleeting
tweets and the fractured attention spans on Facebook.
The big question is: How can you capitalize on email’s best
features to grow your audience and generate more leads and sales?
You need to make
your opt-in form prominent
Many sites downplay email signups in favor of social media
icons. Sure, those fans, followers, and likes are valuable, but not more
valuable than your email list. Besides, how do those buttons grow the one list
you actually own?
Facebook decides when your fans see your content. Twitter is
a constant stream, where your messages easily can get lost in the flood. But
you own your email list, so put those sign-up forms where visitors will see
them and be compelled to use them.
Better yet, make
the opt-in form impossible to miss
Every time I present, I ask who hates popovers, and 2/3 of
the crowd nods and groans. The other 1/3? They’re usually okay with popovers
because they’re getting good results from them! Results are why I strongly encourage marketers to at least
test a lightbox opt-in form, usually with a delay of between 15-45 seconds,
and set to appear only once per session. Let’s look at how those have performed
on some very prominent sites:
Make the “What’s in
it for me?” crystal clear
Speaking of impossible to miss, the value proposition of
your email should hit visitors over the head almost immediately. Show them the
answers to “What’s in it for me?” and they’re much more likely to sign up. There are a few ways to do this, but making sure your blog
posts deliver awesome content regularly is a big factor. That’s like a free
sample of the email content. If the posts are average, why should blog visitors
come back, much less give up their email?
Along these same lines, playing up social proof and
third-party credibility indicators also give you an edge with those initial
impressions. If 30,000 people subscribe to your email, chances are you’re doing
something right. Many visitors will want to sign up and find out what it is
themselves.
Run a contest that
engages your readers
Contests, when well constructed, create a fun and engaging
experience for your readers. While there are many forms a contest can take –
trivia, content submission, user voting – the key is to ask entrants to
register for participation with their email address. As with a white paper, you need to offer value to
your
reader in exchange for their email address. With contests, this value often
takes one of two forms. If it’s a content contest where users submit a photo or
article, the value is recognition or the opportunity to share their creation
with a community.
Publish a
newsletter with niche-specific information
Newsletters are the workhorses of email marketing as they
allow you to deliver value to your readers on an ongoing basis. There’s a lot involved in creating well-read newsletters. In
fact, many companies have full-time staff completely dedicated to their
creation. However, even if you have limited resources, there are a variety of
strategies you can employ to produce a high-value newsletter.
In addition, offer at least three to four stories in your
newsletter across varied, relevant industry topics. Essentially, cast a wide
net so that you can interest as much of your audience as possible. If you are
running a tax blog, for example, you might include pieces on tax write-offs,
choosing an accountant, business expenses, and tax software.
Contact Information:-
Call us: 1-206-792-3760
Email us: sales@infoglobaldata.com
In this free guide, we'll outline a step-by-step
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