Creating Email Lists
An email list is what it sounds like: a list of contacts to which you can distribute content about your business, products, and services. A "good" email list meets three requirements:
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Quality-A quality contact is a human (not a bot account) who checks their email often.
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Relevance-A relevant contact has needs or interests related to your products or services.
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Size-The more quality, relevant emails your list has, the better because, according to MailChimp, the average email open rate for all industries is just 21.33%. And only a fraction of the users who open your emails will convert (visit your website, buy a product, sign up, etc.).
Finally, beware purchased email lists. Buying contacts may seem like an efficient way to build your list, but the chances are that many of the entries are duds, or could cause your account to be flagged for spam. Whenever possible, you should build your email lists organically.
Collecting Customer Emails
A website sign-up is among the best possible ways to collect contact information. This option appeals to individuals interested in your business, ensuring quality, relevant consumers. Include a call to action that clearly explains how enrollees will benefit.
Giveaways, such as an ebook, promo code, or discount, are also effective ways to acquire user contact information.
In-person solicitation works too. Urge employees to ask customers if they want to receive emails and promotional material.
Organizing Customer Contacts
Having lists isn't enough, you need to know how to use them. While some promotions will be appropriate for everyone on your list, other messages will function best when shared with specific subsets of your market. For example, an individual customer likely won't want your promo rates for business insurance. But they may respond to a newsletter on how to make the most of a homeowners' policy.
While some promotions will be appropriate for everyone on your list, other messages will work best when shared with specific subsets (segments) of your list. For example, an individual customer likely won't want your promo rates for business insurance. But they may respond to a newsletter about making the most of their homeowners' policy.
By organizing your list into sub-categories, you can ensure all of your emails will go to those most likely to act on the information provided. Targeted emails, or those aimed at specific interests, are the most successful, boasting a 10% increase in response or action.
Customer purchase histories can help you understand their needs. If you don't have these details, you need to find them. Use surveys to gather data from customers after they subscribe or otherwise interact with your website.
Organize your customer lists by topical data, including:
- Purchase habits
- Purchase frequency
- Birthday and demographic details
- New customers
Then, when creating email campaigns, use this data to decide who to target. For example, you can cross-reference your email list by new customers and specific demographics to welcome newcomers to your brand with a personalized promotion.
Protect Your Customer Contact Information
Email lists can be powerful marketing tools. However, you are also responsible—and possibly legally liable—for the privacy of customer contact information that you gather. If you lose that information to a cyberattack or data breach, it could cost you financially, reputationally, or both.
When building your email lists, you should take steps to protect that information from cyber liability risks such as ransomware, phishing, and more. Why? A study we conducted with Appalachian State University found that just 20% of small businesses surveyed carry cyber coverage.
If email list building is part of your marketing strategy, then cyber insurance should be part of your business protection plan.
Mastering Email Marketing
By collecting and organizing contact information from as many relevant, quality individuals as possible, you can expand your reach and broaden your customer base.
With the power of email lists, it's possible to move your brand forward, building connections and deepening relationships with those who matter most.
For information about protecting your business from cyber threats, find to a trusted local independent agent today.