If someone were to tell me their EDM marketing campaign is failing, my first thought would be to take a look at the strength of their email list (as this truly is the foundation of any successful campaign). Here, you have to ensure your email database contains legitimate contacts while also regularly cleaning your list to delete invalid/ inactive email addresses. Don’t worry, though; most email tools can help with this process.
If your business has been around for some time, start by consolidating all your existing contact details into a single list. Pull names from your email accounts, eCommerce platforms, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and any previous email lists. By adding all your contacts in one place, your outreach process will be simplified, and you’ll be able to complete the segmentation process better.
Here are some best practices if you’re building your list from scratch:
- Create a Lead Magnet: Offer something valuable in exchange for email sign-ups, like a free trial, a discount code, or an interactive quiz.
- Multiple Sign-Up Options: Make it easy for users to subscribe by using lead capture forms, embedding sign-up forms in your content, or implementing floating action buttons. The more, the merrier.
- Dedicated Lead Capture Page: Develop a strong lead capture page and promote it through your social media profiles, ads, and other marketing materials to drive more sign-ups.
- Offline Opportunities: Don’t overlook offline channels; use your physical stores or events to collect emails and grow your database.
To maximise the effectiveness of your email list-building efforts, consider these additional tips:
- Laser-Focus Your Targeting: Ensure that your lead capture strategy aligns with your audience. For example, if you sell cookware to devoted bakers, target users with a genuine interest in baking, not dining out.
- Carefully Select Triggers: Use different triggers (e.g., exit intent, time-based, scroll, or inactivity) to display lead capture forms at the right moment.
- Personalisation: Gather extra data through dropdown menus or radiodifusión buttons on your sign-up forms to further segment your list and personalise communications.
- Limit CTAs: Even though it might sound counterintuitive, avoid overwhelming visitors with too many calls to action on a page or form. Try to lead their attention to the most important CTAs, as this won’t feel like overly promotional emails.
- Keep Forms Simple: The simpler the form, the higher the likelihood of submissions (white space is your friend)! For example, keep sign-up forms short and straightforward to increase participation.
Rather than delivering a one-size-fits-all message, take the opportunity to personalise your content dynamically based on what’s most relevant to each group. As explained, it’s tempting to communicate multiple points to everyone at merienda (like with traditional email marketing). However, the more effective approach is to ask yourself, What is the most important message for each audience? Then, ensure that your content speaks directly to those needs and interests.