How to start an email marketing list

The Art of Building a High-Quality Email List

Whether you’re laying the first brick for your startup or are a seasoned business magnate with years of industry experience under your belt, the digital age mantra remains consistent: it’s never too late to dive into email marketing. The journey of starting an email list might feel akin to climbing a steep mountain, especially with the ever-evolving digital landscape. But here’s the silver lining – while there are time-tested tactics that have proven effective over the years, there are also innovative methods making waves today. In this guide, we unravel both the classic strategies and the latest trends to help you master the art of building a high-quality email list.

What exactly is a high-quality email list, and how do you build one?

Defining Quality in an Email List:

Consent is King: A high-quality email list is consent-based. It’s crucial to obtain permission from potential subscribers, often through methods like double opt-in signups, to ensure compliance with regulations like GDPR and the CAN-SPAM Act.

Relevance is Key: Your subscribers should have a genuine interest in your content and what your business offers. Avoid purchasing lists, as these often lead to higher unsubscribe rates and can tarnish your sender reputation.

Segmentation for Precision: To send targeted campaigns, your email list should be easy to segment based on criteria like demographics or preferences.

Building an Effective Email List:

Know Your Audience: Before you start collecting emails, understand who you’re targeting. Analyze existing subscribers or peek into the social activity of your competitors.

The Right Tools: Using a comprehensive email marketing software can simplify the process. Look for features like CRM integrations, segmentation, and marketing automation. 

Platforms like Brevo and Drip have been noted for their effectiveness.

Irresistible Incentives: Offering something of value, whether it’s an ebook, exclusive content, or discounts, can entice users to join your list.

CTA Craftsmanship: Your call-to-action should be clear and persuasive. Test different CTAs to identify which one resonates most with your audience.

Strategic Placement: Position signup forms on high-traffic areas of your site. Headers, footers, and blog homepages are great starting points.

Harness Exit Intent: Utilize pop-ups that trigger when visitors are about to leave your site. These can capture otherwise lost opportunities.

Landing Pages That Convert: Use dedicated landing pages for specific campaigns or promotions. This narrows down the user’s focus and can lead to higher signups.

Leverage Social Media: Promote your newsletter across social platforms. Consider running contests or giveaways to boost engagement.

Referral Programs: Encourage current subscribers to spread the word. Incentivize their efforts to maximize results.

Chatbots for Interactivity: Engage visitors using chatbots. When executed well, they can make the signup process feel more personal and interactive.

Offline meets Online: For businesses with physical touchpoints, QR codes can be a bridge, allowing in-person visitors to join your online mailing list easily.

Budgeting for Your Email List

The costs can vary when building an email list. On average, businesses might spend between £200 to £300 for 1000 addresses, with more segmented lists fetching higher prices.

In today’s digital ecosystem, cultivating a robust email list is akin to having a gold mine. The more refined and targeted your list, the higher the potential ROI. However, list-building is more than just plastering a ‘Subscribe’ button on your website. It’s an art that marries strategy, creativity, and an understanding of user behavior. Whether you’re new to this realm or looking to rejuvenate your existing tactics, we’ve collated a list of strategies that range from the time-tested to the ingenious. 

Building a Strong Email List: Advanced Strategies with Brevo

In the digital age, fostering connections with your audience through email marketing is pivotal. A robust email list not only boosts your marketing efforts but also enhances engagement with your potential and existing clients. Here’s how you can utilise Brevo to intensify your list-building endeavors.

1. Leverage High-Value Pop-Up CTAs

Employing well-timed pop-ups on your website can skyrocket your list growth. Brevo can integrate with your site to manage these pop-ups and streamline the sign-up process. With your engaging offer, such as a valuable toolkit or exclusive insights, you can allure visitors into becoming subscribers.

2. Personalize Your CTAs for Different Content Pages

Brevo assists you in creating personalized CTAs, acknowledging that a one-size-fits-all approach is outdated. Design CTAs that resonate with the specific content on your landing pages or blog posts, offering relevant, high-quality content or exclusive deals to entice sign-ups.

3. Incorporate Humor and Personality in Your CTAs

Distinctive and light-hearted CTAs tend to capture attention. Utilizing Brevo’s dynamic content capabilities, you can experiment with various CTA texts to determine which elicits the best response from your audience.

4. Utilize Scroll Boxes for Timely CTAs

Scroll boxes can be an excellent tactic to grasp your visitor’s attention when they are most engaged. Brevo’s versatile tools enable you to test different placements for your CTAs and analyse which ones drive more conversions.

5. Highlight the Value Proposition in Your CTAs

Brevo supports you in crafting CTAs that spell out the clear benefits subscribers will receive. Steer clear from generic terms and instead entice them with value, using phrases like “Get Exclusive Access” or “Unlock Your Free E-book Now”.

6. Introduce Incentives for Sign-ups

Brevo’s email marketing functionalities let you seamlessly distribute and manage incentives such as discounts or exclusive content, rewarding new subscribers and incentivizing sign-ups.

7. Launch a Referral Program

Brevo helps you manage referral programs by tracking referred sign-ups and automating the reward distribution process, turning your existing subscribers into ambassadors for your brand.

8. Enable Opt-Ins during Checkout

Integrate Brevo with your e-commerce platform to introduce an email opt-in feature at checkout. This simple yet effective strategy ensures customers can quickly and easily join your mailing list.

9. Gamify Your Sign-up Process

Brevo allows you to incorporate interactive elements like spin-the-wheel games, offering potential rewards and engaging visitors in a fun, interactive way to encourage sign-ups.

10. Promote Your Newsletter Across Channels

Exploit Brevo’s integration capabilities to promote your email newsletter on various platforms like social media or within email signatures, expanding your reach.

11. Craft Multiple Landing Pages

Using Brevo’s landing page builder, create multiple pages targeted towards various audience segments, enhancing your ability to address diverse customer needs and boost sign-ups.

Elevate Your Email Marketing with Brevo

Brevo stands out in the CRM and email marketing landscape by offering a plethora of features tailored to facilitate efficient list building and email marketing. Here’s a look at how Brevo amplifies your email marketing endeavors:

Unlimited Growth: Store unlimited contacts and send up to 300 emails/day with the free plan.

Easy Creation & Management: Utilize drag-and-drop builders for creating signup forms and landing pages. Manage subscribers effectively while adhering to GDPR compliance.

Multilist Subscriptions: Enable subscribers to choose from various communication channels including email, SMS, and WhatsApp.

Advanced Email Marketing: Once your list is ready, leverage Brevo’s diverse features like lead scoring, website activity tracking, and email personalization to optimize your email campaigns.

Affordable Scaling: With Brevo, your costs don’t increase with your contact list size, allowing you to grow your audience without financial hurdles. Upgrades are available for additional features starting at just £25/month.

Brevo offers an ensemble of tools designed to aid in expanding and engaging your email list, propelling your small business towards immense growth. Utilise the strategies and the potent capabilities of Brevo to forge strong, lasting connections with your audience.

Building a high-quality email list requires a blend of strategy, user understanding, and the right tools. The investment, both in time and resources, can yield significant returns as it allows businesses to engage, nurture, and convert potential customers in a more personalised manner.