Trying to grow your email list? Read this first!

When I first wrote this article it was all about how to build an email list, tips and tricks to get those subscribers coming in but in the end I thought, those tips can be found anywhere, so why rehash old information? Why not look at list building from a different perspective? From the perspective of providing value and relevance to the customer. I wanted to move the discussion away from the typical how you grow a list, to the question of why would someone be encouraged to be a part of your list anyway?

Social media platform are changing rapidly and the ability to reach your existing and new customers can feel like a battle ground, with everyone competing for their piece of the proverbial pie.

Gimmicks abound and there’s lots of flag waving, fireworks and flash, all trying to dazzle and grab attention.  So how do you compete with all that?  My answer is you don’t, you grow your customer list, based on the service and the experience that you create, not the hype.

If you focus on making your customers feel special, feel like they matter, they will come and come again. Once they start coming,  you will want a way to keep in touch and that’s where your email list comes in and although list building can take time depending on the way your business is set up, it will grow, once you are committed to providing value and relevance. For example if you sell cakes, talking about the latest trends in make-up is of no use to your customers. It may be the current hot topic but it’s irrelevant to your current customer.

Focus on service, focus on the customer experience, give people a reason to want to stay in touch with you. Be  helpful, share ideas, then whoever joins your list, will not be just another name and email address but will be a person interested in hearing from you, knowing that when you make contact it’s something to look forward to. Make it worth their while to open your messages and to share it with others.

Having the ability to reach your current customers and prospects, gives you an opportunity to promote your business to a captive audience. The people who subscribe to your blog or newsletter or just sign up to be notified about your sales and specials have said, yes, I’m interested in what you have to say and the only challenge posed to you, is to  keep your subscribers/customers happy.

The importance of having a list of customers or prospects that you can market to independent of Social Media platforms cannot be understated. Platforms from Instagram to Twitter to Facebook, can change the way they do things in the blink of an eye and over these changes, you have no control but what you can control is your list, who you reach and what you say.

Remember it’s not about the quick fix. You may be tempted to use tactics that promise quick result but in the end it’s the quality and not the quantity of your subscriber that really matters.