Here’s why you should grow your email list: One of the best tools you can have in your marketing strategy toolbox is email marketing. It remains by far the most effective way to GET new customers AND effectively market to them – but in order for it to have the impact you need, you need to have a list of customers to send emails to.
Whether you are starting from zero, or already have a humming email list, you must prioritize growing your email list.
That means having a consistent strategy for bringing new, excited customers into your store experience. By implementing the tactics I share below, you will continue to add a steady stream of subscribers – and new customers – to your list, so let’s get started!
If You Don’t Track it You Can’t Improve it
Before we get to the tactics you’ll be adding to your marketing arsenal, we want to make sure you’re tracking your results properly. This is how you’ll know if you’re succeeding or not.
There isn’t a set number of subscribers that tells you you’ve “made it”. Rather, you’ll want to look at where you are now, and where you’d like to go – comparing you to you.
So make a note of your current number of subscribers, and considering the rate your list has been growing in the last few months – set a goal you’d like to reach by the end of the year. It should be realistic – but it should also stretch you a bit!
Then you can break that number down into quarterly and monthly goals that you can measure your results against.
“I can’t wait to sign up for your email list!” — Said No One Ever.
Next, you must accept the fact that most people are not looking to add another flow of emails to their inbox – so why would they willingly give you their email?
Because you’re not asking them to give you their email address, but to trade it.
What are they trading it for? A fabulous offer (also called a lead magnet) that will have them autofill that sign up form without hesitation!
And when I say fabulous, I mean it has to be really good!
The explosion of online marketing means the bar has been raised, and you simply can’t get away with a lead magnet that is anything less than EXCITING!
Check out my top 7 retail friendly lead magnets here!
How do I Collect Email Addresses?
In addition to your lead magnet, here are 5 popular and effective ways to collect customer emails:
Loyalty Programs
Use a loyalty program to reward your customers for spending more – and returning often. A perk definitely worthy of an email address! The benefits of the program are often convincing enough – but you can also include your lead magnet or create an exclusive one just for members.
Social Media Ads
One way to increase your return on ad spend on social media, is to make sure that your ads are driving customers to sign up for your email list – that way you’re transitioning them from the platform’s database – into yours.
You can accomplish this by linking the ad to a landing page on your website where they can sign up for your chosen offer (lead magnet).
A great campaign to use for this tactic is a Facebook Birthday Ad. Watch as Marketing Maven Clare sets one up in the video below:
Website Pop Up
Set up a Pop Up on your website. The pop up should have a compelling benefit (this is a great place to offer your lead magnet) to make it worth the effort to fill out their email address. Make sure you set the timing of the pop up to not be annoying. Give them a chance to get acquainted with you and your website. A good rule of thumb is to check the average time spent on your website, and set your pop up to appear after half that time.
A Giveaway or Contest
Everyone loves a giveaway! This tactic could be done in store or online. We LOVE Heather’s idea – She is giving away a PJ set AND a $100 gift card to spend in the store. I would definitely give my email for a chance to win that prize, wouldn’t you?!
A Challenge
If everyone loves a giveaway, they are obsessed with a challenge! Think of your ideal customer and consider what type of challenge they would love to take part in. Here are some ideas to get you started…
- A self care challenge, for example a skin-care challenge with a different tip every day on caring for your skin
- A maker-store could have a knit/sew/craft-along challenge
- Decluttering challenge
- Walk 10 miles in 10 days challenge
- Closet clean-out challenge
- Cookie baking challenge
- Create your personal style-board challenge
You could make it as simple as an email a day for X days, with a tip, prompt or recipe in each email. Or you could make it a bit more elaborate by creating a social media or in-person event, featuring live videos and exclusive group interactions for the set time.
Your Next Steps
Now I’m challenging YOU to:
- Decide on what type of lead magnet you’ll use to grow your email list – and then create it!
- Choose ONE of the 5 tactics I shared above to start implementing right away in addition to – or together with – your lead magnet
Set a date to evaluate your progress with your chosen tactic in 30 days. If it’s going great – keep doing it! And consider adding another tactic to build on your success.
If the results are underwhelming – see where you can tweak it. Maybe the lead magnet, tactic, challenge or gift you chose isn’t resonating with your ideal customers. Try a different one and don’t give up!
Collecting emails is a BIG step in creating an email marketing strategy, but it isn’t the end of the customer journey. Once your amazing offer has enticed your new customers to subscribe, you need to optimize your email marketing process so that you are cultivating and nurturing a relationship and building trust.
I’ll show you exactly how to do that here
And remember – Growing and marketing to your email list is only one part of running a successful retail store. If you’re not keeping enough of every sale, if you have too much, too little or the wrong inventory in stock or if you’re doing it all by yourself or have a low performing team, your marketing efforts will fall flat. I’ll show you how to get all areas of your store running smoothly and supporting each other in my free training “How to increase sales so you can consistently pay yourself & your staff” here!