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3 Tips to Create The Perfect List of Emails

How to Create The Perfect List of Emails

People spend an average of six hours a day in their email inboxes.

In case you don't feel like doing the math, that's a quarter of the day spent checking email. If you're not building an email list, your business is missing out.

The question is, how do you do it? How do you build a list of emails efficiently to reach clients and potential customers?

There are lots of ways, in fact, but we've got three that are sure to up your email list game:

• Load your website with sign-up forms

• Offer a freebie or expertise

• Send out regular discounts

How can these three methods boost your email lists to help you get a piece of that six-hour pie? Read on to find out!

Don't Forget to Ask for Email Addresses

Asking for email addresses is a bit like asking someone out on a date. At first, it can be nerve-wracking, but the more you do it, the easier it gets.

Plus, with email addresses, you have the added bonus of being able to ask on your website or blog, which means you don't have to look rejection in the eye.

The other great news is that you're going to offer valuable content so that your visitors will want to offer their email addresses.

You can't be afraid to ask for them, though, and you can't forget.

One sure-fire way to make sure you don't forget is to add sign-up forms to your website and blog. There are several different sign-up form styles you can use:

• Pop-up forms: The latest and greatest are those that pop up when someone mouses over to exit the page.

• Side-bar forms: A staple for any blog, a simple invitation to join an email list or follow a blog can go a long way.

• Calls-to-action: Asking readers in the content itself with a link or embedded form provides a convenient reminder that you want to keep the conversation going.

The most exciting aspect of implementing sign-up forms is that you don't have to pick just one style. Use them all!

Don't leave your visitors wondering if you want to keep in touch.

Go a Step Further

What can you offer visitors in exchange for their email addresses? Expertise. In addition to your website and blog, there's nothing like free information to sweeten the deal.

White Papers, Case Studies, & Ebooks

What do your readers want to know? What problems do they want to solve? How can your expertise fill the gap?

Your readers have problems, and they're hoping you have a solution. That's why they're visiting your website or blog. That's why they'll want to sign up for your email list.

Before they give you their email addresses, they might want to prove you know your stuff.

Providing exclusive content that solves a problem has never been easier.

How can you best present your expert solutions?

Brevity is the Soul of Wit

A wise playwright once said as much hundreds of years ago, and the same holds true today.

White papers are a great way to present specific solutions to specific problems without fluff.

Think of a white paper like an article in which you're going to tell your readers how to solve a particular problem.

When you need to get a bit more personal, consider a case study.

Lead by Example

Case studies are opportunities to show that the proof is in the pudding.

In other words, case studies are your opportunity to show how you helped an existing client. If your readers have a similar problem, then you can help them too!

When you want to get more in depth, consider an ebook.

The Way to a Prospect's Heart is Through an E-Reader

It doesn't matter what type of hardware or software someone uses. Readers devour ebook content.

That's because ebooks provide in-depth information that readers can't find in a single blog post, simply because of length constraints.

You can combine these content types to pack an even more powerful punch! You don't have to limit yourself; you can offer infographics, videos, and even e-courses.

The key is to offer value-driven content in exchange for readers' email addresses.

Go a Step Further

You've asked for email addresses. You've offered fantastic free content. What's next?

If you want to build your own list of emails even more, regular discounts might be just the thing.

Dangle the Discount Carrot

Check out this fact: In the US, over 80% of consumers provide their email address to get discounts.

People love saving money, so offering occasional or regular discounts can be a great way to entice readers to subscribe nd effectively grow your list of emails exponentially.

Think of it this way: if a friend of yours tells you about a great deal she or he got from a particular company or brand, how much more likely are you to shop with or hire that company?

Discounts not only excite consumers because they get to save some dough. Exclusive discounts available only through an email marketing campaign can make readers feel special.

We all love to feel special, don't we?

If you can ask your readers to sign up, offer them your expertise, and then a discount for your services or products, that's a great start to communication and connection (even if those readers don't become clients right away).

After all, that's what the email list is for. Some buyers' journeys are shorter or longer than others', and that's okay.

What matters is that, after collecting your readers' email addresses, you maintain consistent contact to remind them that you are a knowledgeable resource for them.

Bonus Tip

If you're just getting started with a list of emails, why not create specialty lists for niche readers? That way, you can deliver targeted messaging to the right people.

Email lists can boost your business by creating relationships with readers that go above and beyond your blog. Think of your website--and blog--like a doorway to the path that leads your readers to their own buyer's journey.