Blog>Trade>Marketing>How to grow your email subscriber list
Last updated: 4 May 2023
How to grow your email subscriber list
Growing your email mailing list can be very lucrative. After all, the more people on your mailing list, the more people will get to receive your marketing messages, which could result in more sales. But what's the secret for how to grow your email subscriber list effectively? Read on to find out.
Email marketing is one of the ways you can generate leads for your trade business. Done well, it can also build brand awareness and grow your customer loyalty.
With your email subscriber list in hand, you can send out a regular email newsletter to promote your services to existing and potential customers.
This could be relevant information about your business and its services, company news and updates, or special offers. You may even have some useful video content to include.
Creating the content to include in your email newsletter is one thing. Knowing how to grow your email subscriber list, or how to build an email list, is another challenge, which we'll explore in this post.
The importance of an email subscriber list
Email marketing is an effective way to send highly personalised marketing messages to your subscribers.
If you have a promotion or special offer, for example, you can let your existing and potential customers know by sending an email directly to their inbox.
The more people on your mailing list, the more potential buyers see your marketing messages, increasing the opportunity for you to make sales.
It's crucial, however, that you adhere to the GDPR laws to process and manage data properly.
How to build an email list that counts
So far, we've learned that you want a big email list in order to help get your marketing messages seen by people who may want/need your services.
But that last sentence is more important than you might think.
We all know what it's like to receive emails from companies trying to sell us products and services we neither want nor need.
It's crucial that the people on your email list should be people who are genuinely interested in your services, otherwise, you risk damaging your reputation by 'spamming' people with content that has no relevance to them.
Tips for generating an email list from your website
If you have a company website, you have a few options to help you build an email list. Here are two of the most popular ways:
Add a sign-up form
You can add a sign-up form on your website, or within specific content on your website, for example, at the end of a blog post.
Make sure you include a benefit of signing up, i.e. what's in it for the reader?
For example, as a lawn care specialist, your sign-up form could lead with a key benefit such as, 'Want a lawn your neighbours will envy? Sign-up for our top tips for seasonal lawn care'. Followed by boxes for first name, surname, and email address.
Add a pop-up box
A pop-up box will appear on the readers' screen and prompt them to enter their email address to receive your newsletter.
We all know how irritating these can be if not done sensitively, so plan carefully when and where it would be appropriate to use this tactic.
Your pop-up box could appear after the reader has spent a certain amount of time on your site or when they've reached a specific section.
This demonstrates that the reader is quite interested in your services and may be open to learning more or moving toward a purchase. For example, "Get 10% off your first lawn treatment when you sign up for our newsletter".
Find out about more lead generation strategies.
How to build an email list without a website
Nowadays, it's not necessary for small business owners to have a company website. In fact, there are arguably more effective ways to market your business (insert shameless plug for Checkatrade membership!).
Your email signature
If you and/or your team are sending quotes and invoices to customers via email, why not include an invitation to sign up for your company newsletter within your email signature?
Remember, it needs to be enticing and the wording needs to make the reader want to action what you're asking. Put yourself in your customers' shoes and ask, "What's in it for me?".
Your social media platforms
If your customers and potential customers are on social media, you have numerous creative ways to grow your email list.
For example:
Post an offer on Facebook that requires an email sign-up in order to receive it
Create a Linktree on Instagram to collect email addresses from potential customers
However, people will rarely give you their information for nothing. Think about what you could offer in return. Perhaps a guide to seasonal lawn care that can be downloaded by inputting your email address? Or an exclusive prize or giveaway to entice people to sign-up.
Don't forget to let people know this content exists by promoting it in your Stories and in your news feed.
The best way to grow your email list fast...
...is really all wrapped up in this post. Using your social media platforms is an effective way to grow your email list fast, but there are no 'quick wins' here. It can take time to build an email list that's worth having.
Get creative with your content, think about the benefits for your potential subscribers, and keep your interactions useful, relevant, and authentic. You'll have soon built a contact list that proves lucrative for your trade business and will get you more enquiries.
FAQs
How do I increase my email subscribers?
Some of the best ways to increase your email subscribers are via social media, your website, and your email signature.
What is the fastest way to build an email list?
One of the fastest ways to build an email list is via social media such as Instagram and Facebook. If you know your audience on these platforms, it's the ideal place to create highly-targeted content to encourage people to sign-up for your email list.
How do I create my own email list?
You can create your own email list in various ways. If you have a website, including a pop-up box, or a sign-up box is a very effective way to build a list of subscribers.
*Claims are sourced from a survey conducted by Deep Blue Thinking on a nationally representative UK sample in November 2021.
