Ways To Get Email Subscribers For Your Businesses

To many business owners, a consumer’s email address is gold when it comes to online marketing.  Facebook & Twitter followers are great and provide a nice two-way communication channel with customers.  However, when a consumer subscribes to your email list, you now have a guaranteed way for these consumers to receive your message, which isn’t the case with Facebook or Twitter.  The problem with email marketing though is that it’s a challenge to get consumers to sign up (opt-in) for your email list.  Below we will evaluate the different methods available today.

Online Sign Up Form

One of the most common methods of enabling people to sign up for your email list is by placing a form somewhere on your business’s website.  Numerous email marketing services, including AWeber, provide online sign up forms.

When using this method, there are two main factors that are critical.  First and foremost is placement.  Although you don’t want to distract the viewer from the main content of the site, it’s important to place your sign up form in a visible area of a high traffic page.  The second aspect is the language used.  Entice people to sign up by implying the emails they will be receiving provide value.  The upside to this method is that once set up, it’s completely maintenance free.  However, many businesses face the challenge of first getting traffic to their website, and then once a consumer is there, getting them to opt-in.

Physical Pen & Paper Sign Up Form

Good old pen & paper.  Although time consuming, this method is usually effective for businesses with a physical location that see customers on a regular basis.  The major negative to this method is the fact that an employee of your business will need to decipher the handwriting of each sign up, and then manually type them into an email address database.

Email Sign Up Form On iPad

The newest method available, using an iPad as an electronic sign up form, has been proven to be effective and low maintenance.  Collecting email addresses on an iPad requires downloading an email collection app, such as OnSpot Social, and displaying it in a visible area within your business.  Email addresses collected are instantly uploaded to your email address database, eliminating the need for manual entry by employees.  Additionally, people are naturally drawn to iPads which typically increases the email sign up rate.

Purchasing Email List

Depending on your business model, purchasing an email list may make sense.  Basically, it’s a quick and easy way to obtain a large email list.  However, these lists are often expensive and it’s tough to judge the quality of the email addresses you are purchasing.  Has this same email list been purchased by many companies before yours?  Are the recipients already bombarded with emails from others and becoming irritated?  We’d suggest looking into this method if you are an online business.  Make sure to do thorough research on what company you are buying from before making a purchase.