Best Practices for Growing a Very Targeted Email List

Getting permission from your email subscribers is not an option. It is important that each person you send an email to has given you their explicit permission for you to do so. These days, your company's reputation can be damaged by sending unsolicited email. Regardless of how relevant you think your message is, purchasing a list exponentially increases your chances of being blocked, or your messages being flagged as spam.  Therefore, explicit primary permission is really the only way to build your subscriber list within the email channel.

Quality is more important than quantity. A common misconception amongst neophytes is that the law of large numbers applies to email marketing: thinking they will find success by sending to a large list. The opposite is true.  The smaller, more targeted the list is, the better the performance.  

Keep your messages as focused and relevant as possible with a prominant call to action. If you wish to grab your readers’ attention immediately, you should communicate to them swiftly and clearly. Subscribers who are pressed for time will not have much patience to read through lengthy messages. You need to convey your message within the first few paragraphs and have an attention grabbing call to action.

Setting the expectation in the signup process is important. As soon as your subscribers’ signup for your offers, you are beginning the first stage of a relationship. If you get this part right, your subscribers will be anticipating your email messages. But if you fail at this, they most likely will not open your messages. You need to start the process by communicating with your subscribers what they can expect from your messages. This might sound obvious, but too many marketers get this wrong. Not only should your opt-in form be clear on what you are sending, but how often as well. Also, after the signup process, subscribers should be greeted with a thank you page that tells them what is coming and what to expect in the future.

Email marketing, when implemented correctly, strengthens and builds the relationships you have with your subscribers.  Contact us  here at Gold Lasso for more advice on email best practices and to help you grow your list.