I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but the Internet is a little distracting. It’s difficult, to say the least, to get people’s attention. Sometimes, in fact, it is just pla… Hey, check out that new post on Vine!
I kid!
Anyway, there’s a lot to take people’s attention away from your website. They may stop by and think it’s really great, but soon you’ll be pushed so far down their bookmarks they won’t be back. This is where an email newsletter comes in handy. It puts you in front of the people who care about you and need regular reminders why. The fuel of that process is the email list you cultivate. The bigger it is, the more people your message reaches.
But how do you grow an email list? Well, I’m glad you asked.
1. Tell your website visitors you have a newsletter
If you think that sounds incredibly obvious, you’d be surprised to know just how many businesses don’t think to put a button on their website promoting their newsletter. If you’re one of them, it’s OK to admit to it. Acknowledging the problem is the first step to fixing it!
A simple “subscribe here” button can pull in the many anonymous clickers who travel pass through your website every day. But when you add the button, keep it simple. The simpler, the better. The more information you ask for right off the bat, the more prone they’ll be to shy away.
2. Make it worth their while
The Internet wants all sorts of stuff from you. Click here! Download now! Sign up for free! It can be a little overwhelming, and we all know most of it just results in spam mail. People aren’t dumb; they know that. So getting them to hand over that email address is an uphill battle. Even if they’re on your website already and see that little subscribe now button, they will be understandably hesitant.
But, entice them with something they want, and you’ll give them the reason they need to follow through. It doesn’t have to be something uber-fancy or expensive even. Heck, it doesn’t have to cost anything. It can be a coupon, an e-book, or exclusive access to something – whatever. Just make it something that grabs their attention.
3. Just say thank you
If someone has made a purchase from your website, you likely send them a receipt via email. In that email, thank them for their business and invite them to sign up for your newsletter. They’re obviously interested in your company, so you have a good chance they’ll be interested in a newsletter from you as well.
Feel free to include that same deal on your website in thank you email. Even though they’re interested, a little nudge never hurts.
A final thought
That doesn’t sound too painful, now does it? Of course there are a myriad of other ways to grow your newsletter list, but these three tips will get you started.
Thanks for reading,
