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If you have an email list, you’ve probably tried some of the common ways to get more subscribers. Well, how about some unconventional ways to grow your email list? Sometimes, the secret to getting new email subscribers is in the little details you haven’t thought of.
Now we look at three tactics to get more subscribers by walking the unbeaten path.
An unconventional way to gain new subscribers on your list: ask
Many email marketers have gotten so far away from where it all started. Whether it’s in person or over the phone, what if you just asked? Start asking again: person-to-person. Go old-school and say “Do you want to be on our list?”
You could also try enticing them to subscribe so they know why. “Would you like to get discounts? There are some great deals in our emails.”
Since it’s free to sign up, people shouldn’t hesitate. You can even create an internal contest within your team to see who gets the most newsletter sign-ups. The winner could get a reward for the most subscribers or you could motivate everyone to hit a certain target.
Unconventional email boost: cross-promote with other newsletter senders
In every aspect of life, allies are important. Ask yourself: what brands are in related industries, but aren’t your competitors? Seek those companies out and develop a genuine relationship with them. For example, if you sell high-end clothing, a merchant offering dress shoes could help you and vice versa.
When it comes to email marketing, make a deal to cross-promote your products in your newsletters. It’s also a good idea to include a promo code to sweeten the deal for those first-time customers.
Cross-promotion can be a great way to boost your subscriptions and sales as well. It can be interesting to come up with outside-the-box allies. For example, someone who sells travel packages could partner with a security company that protects your home while on vacation. You never know who else has an email list with readers that would be ideal for your audience.
Use all of your channels to get the word out
It makes sense that someone who follows you on one of your social media or other channels will be interested in getting your emails. Mention your email newsletter by discussing what’s inside the latest issue on every platform you have.
Does your company create content? Whether you have a YouTube channel, podcast, blog, or use the standard social media channels, plugging the newsletter should be a big priority. Why? Because people’s use of channels and platforms comes and goes, but most constantly check their email.
Always mention the newsletter, and talk about something in a recent email. Don’t tell them everything, but instead keep their curiosity piqued. They should feel like they’re missing out on something.
Now is an excellent time to ask yourself the question: are they missing out on something? All the promotion in the world will not help a lackluster or immaterial newsletter. The ones that succeed have undeniable value.
Fast tips to make the most of your email marketing
Remember that the-tried-and-true is that way for a reason. You can use creative ways to succeed, but traditional approaches are still a necessity.
Before you go, be sure and try these tactics you may be overlooking. They are effective.
• Have sign-up forms everywhere. Don’t force a would-be subscriber to look around for the subscribe form. Sign-ups should be in many places and visually prominent.
• Produce content that you gate behind a sign-up form. It could be anything from a white paper, infograph, audio download, or ebook. All people have to do is sign-up for the email newsletter and they get the free gift.
• Make subscribers show a little intention before they get on your list. This seems counterintuitive, but always make sure that your email sign-ups use double opt-in. After entering their email address, a verification email is automatically sent that requires the subscriber to confirm interest by clicking a generated link. This keeps unauthorized sign-ups and ambivalent people from ending up on your list.
• Send your emails on a set schedule. The emails that hit the inbox go out at regular intervals. You have to determine the right schedule. Bombarding your list is probably not a good idea, but you also never want to disappear. When you stop the regular sending schedule and then resume, it can make Internet service providers categorize you as spam. Going to spam will sink your email campaign like a stone.
• Remove inactive or invalid email addresses from your list periodically. This means regular email validation, whereby you upload your list to an email verifier platform that can identify those bad addresses. Not removing them will hurt your deliverability big-time.
• Keep low-quality or invalid emails off of your list in the first place. Why would you add bad data to a good list? Connecting an email validation API to all of those sign-up forms will prevent people from accidentally mistyping their email addresses. It also stops them from subscribing with a disposable email or another type of bad contact. Does someone not want to use their real email address? Well, you don’t want them.
Finally, a good idea with email newsletters is to be dependable and timely, while also being unpredictable in other ways. How many emails do you get? If you’re like most people, it’s more than 100. Always ask yourself: is this an email I would want to get?
