Email is the cheapest way to contact customers and prospects, and new subscribers are generally the most active on email databases. So as an email marketer, your priority should be getting permission to email anyone who has expressed an interest in your product or brand.
So how and where should you ask them to subscribe?
• Place subscription links on your website
• Ensure maximum visibility
• Include a “more information” link
• Target online and offline purchasers
• Generate new subscribers in other ways
• Track the source of each subscription
• Place subscription links on your website
To convert site visitors to email subscribers, it’s essential to place subscription links on your website. For people to subscribe to your email marketing program, after all, they first need to know it’s available.
Visitors to your site may not come directly from the homepage, or may not be ready to subscribe when they first visit. So place a prominent link to your subscription process on every relevant page of your site, and within any appropriate copy, navigation bars and side rails.
Email marketing will provide a long-term revenue stream but your website should be designed to achieve the maximum return for all your website offerings. Whilst email subscribers and registration link placement are important, don’t forget the importance of immediate revenue generating activities, like purchases. Make sure these different activities are never fighting each other – and don’t forget always to get permission from your purchasers too.
Ensure maximum visibility
To make sure your subscription sign-up link is seen by as many potential subscribers as possible, consider:
• a link in the navigation bar
• text links within website copy
• a well executed pop-up window and/or animated gifs
• a “send to a friend” link on relevant pages with subscribing details included in the message sent
• limiting access to valuable content on your website to email subscribers only – ask them to log in or provide the information in a triggered email when users subscribeInclude a “more information” link
A “more information” link will give you enough space to outline the benefits of your emails and their frequency to potential subscribers. If you’re not sure what information to include here, see our article on Pre-subscription.
Target online and offline purchasers
Both online and offline purchases can generate email subscriptions. Include information about your email program on every touch point you and all employees have with customers and prospective customers.
This may include:
ª outgoing email
ª signatures
ª telesales
ª in store
ª blog posts
ª articles
ª presentations
Under UK Data Protection legislation you’re allowed to contact past customers without their express consent. However, we recommend giving people the option not to receive email communications from you when they buy.
Generate new subscribers in other waysCoupons, competitions and prize draws can have a viral effect and contribute to the growth of your subscriber database. Make sure that anything of value you offer to relevant prospects is designed to collect data and permission to email.
If you are using a competition to generate new subscribers, make sure you offer a prize that’s complementary to your product offering – this will mean the most appropriate subscribers will respond.
Track the source of each subscription
This will provide valuable data on the most successful approach and give you access to some information about each subscriber.
Last updated: Nov 05, 2014 admin
