Email marketing can be a frustrating process. Even if you have amazing, shareable content, you are at the mercy of oft-shifting contact lists, overflowing inboxes, and subscribers who never even click “open”. How do you collect viable email leads? How do you cull out old ones? What are tried and true ways to generate sharing of emails? We are answering these questions today, so keep reading!

Gather contacts by offering something in return for their email: An offer or product can be an attractive way to generate leads and gather current emails. Some examples of helpful items you can offer digitally include:  how-to guides, checklists, and tutorials. HubSpot also suggests using pins on Pinterest to generate leads by offering the free product or offer with an engaging graphic.

Make sure you have an opt-in or newsletter sign up button: There are two places where a button or form will serve you well: on your Facebook and other social media pages, and on every page of your website or through a pop-up.  If you’re wondering how to add this button on Facebook, there is an easy tutorial right HERE that will walk you through the process. This button only works on business pages. Another way to add an opt-in feature is through a header bar like Hello Bar, which alleges to generate up to 1,000 leads in thirty days (source). It is also good to have a “Forward to a Friend” button in every email you send.

Utilize Lead Nurturing: The practice of lead nurturing deals with building a lasting relationship with a client, rather than overwhelming them with standalone emails. Research shows that lead nurturing emails earn four to ten times the response that regular emails do, and that businesses who nurture leads make fifty percent more sales at a cost that is about a third less than ones that are left on their own (source). What does a nurtured lead email look like? It is a targeted, often automated set of emails that is directed at a consumer or prospect at different stages in the sales process.  It is also often called a drip email campaign, as you are sending multiple emails over a predetermined period of time, dripping them to your new prospect.

Actively follow up: Statistics show that companies are giving up after just one follow-up attempt! (source)  That’s not enough for personal outreach much less for the crowded digital landscape. We generally follow up with 5-7 warm up emails before moving someone to a client’s active newsletter list.  These emails are about helping the prospect to get to know the client better, with information, free solutions, and a couple of “easy to say yes to” asks.

Cull out old email addresses: It sounds counterintuitive to get rid of email addresses, but this practice is important for a reason: If you are sending lots of emails to people that don’t want the content or are never seeing it due to an old address or changed contact, your open rate and CT rates will be low. You are also less likely to have your content shared or forwarded, which you need to generate interest and awareness! HubSpot suggests sending an opt-in email to old lists where contacts may be outdated. This helps your audience opt in or out, and receive content tailored to their needs. The follow-ups or reactivations can also be made via phone if you are a smaller company or organization.

Get face-to-face: Building relationships the old fashioned way is a slow but steady way to build your email list. If you are attending a conference or trade show, be sure to get contacts from people you meet. These will add up slowly, but often provide a stronger a personal connection that can be utilized when you do finally contact them by email (“Great meeting you at the Summit conference, I thought you might be interested in our latest news and events, which we discussed there.”) Your personalized email is 15% more likely to be opened than a non-personalized one.

FrontGate Media has even more insights and ideas into how to grow your email list, and we have a long track record of helping non-profits and businesses build their contacts. Contact us today to get started!