Off the Beaten Path: 5 Uncommon Ways to Build an E-mail List

Posted on by Chief Marketer Staff

Every day, e-mail marketers are trying valiantly to build their house lists with valid addresses. We solicit Web registrations, fight battles with other departments, and basically do everything we can to build our list.

Or do we?

There are always the tried and true, conventional approaches to building an opt-in email database. If you haven’t done these yet, I’d suggest you start here:

  • On your Web site, feature a static e-mail registration box with a link to a registration form. And have a pop-up for your e-newsletter.
  • Ask for addresses at point-of-sale or through the call center
  • Do e-mail appending with a reputable vendor (making sure they provide opted-in, permission-messaged, guaranteed deliverable e-mail addresses only).
  • Make cautious and strategic list rentals (making sure any e-mails added to your housefile are those that actually opt in as a result of your campaign).

And remember to validate your e-mail registrations with:

  • A Web confirmation page,
  • Mandatory double entry,
  • An e-mail confirmation requirement, or
  • A real-time e-mail address validation service

Before we delve into additional ways of building an e-mail list, let’s remind ourselves of the cardinal rules of ” the ask:”

  • Make sure your customers give you their e-mail address voluntarily
  • Clearly state what’s in it for them – communicate the value of an e-mail relationship with you, and be upfront about what you will them send and how often.
  • Honor e-mail subscribers’ wishes – if they want to hear from you less frequently, send fewer e-mails to them. If they want to opt out, make it easy for them to do so, then suppress their email addresses

Now, on to the less common, yet effective methods of building an opt-in e-mail list. I’ve categorized these into three buckets: online strategies, personal appeals, and subliminal messaging:

Online Strategies

1. Smart Search Engine Marketing.

Many e-marketers are out there with Google ads or Yahoo! ads, hoping for high click-through and conversion rates. But in order to really maximize the potential of this medium, be strategic about it. By linking ads served up from specific search terms to customized landing pages, visitors are more likely to convert.

Take the Obama political campaign. During the 2008 election season, the Obama team capitalized on SEM, and created effective landing pages based on targeted keyword searches. For example, when a potential donor entered ” donate to candidate” (any candidate!) on Google.com, Obama’s ad appeared at the top of the list. And as if that weren’t enough, the ad linked to a specific landing page, the text on which directly related to the user’s inquiry.

Talk about making it easy!

2. Social media
Without question, social media is the new kid on the block, with unknown, untapped potential. E-marketers are out there testing the waters of Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, among others. Check out Marriott International on the social network. They seem to be hitting social media marketing on all cylinders, and no doubt reaping the benefits of brand awareness and word of mouth advertising.

Personal Appeals

3. Ask, Ask, Ask
Companies miss innumerable opportunities to ask for e-mail addresses. Think outside the box. Think outside your department.

If you’re a hotel, ask for a valid e-mail address at check-in or on a postcard in the guest’s room. If you’re a restaurant, insert a card asking for an email address with the check, or leave a card on the table to be filled out at the diner’s leisure. If you’re a retailer, ask for an e-mail address on a coupon, a rebate form, or a store receipt. If you’re a publisher or catalog marketer, ask for an e-mail address on an insert.

Make sure your salespeople are asking, your accounts receivable people are asking, your service delivery people are asking, and so on.

4. Bribe, Bribe, Bribe
Ok, so it’s maybe not the most politically-correct word, but it works! If you want an email address, decide what it’s worth to you and pay for it in kind. Offer free product or a sweepstakes for a grand prize. For example, Apple offers a free Macbook Air (valued at $3,399).

Too steep for your budget? Depending on your audience, information can be equally, if not more, valuable to your customers. Ever try to download a Hoovers report or a MarketingSherpa article? Email required…

5. ” Musak” Required

Do you pipe music into your elevators, telephone systems (while the caller is on hold), your store or waiting room, public toilets, etc.? Interrupt the Musak intermittently and remind your customers of the benefits of providing you an e-mail address. It’ll make the ” ask” that much easier.

Strategies for collecting e-mail addresses are limited only by your imagination. Once you’ve exhausted conventional means of building e-mail lists — Web registrations/confirmations, POS or call center asks, vigilant e-mail appending or list rental — think outside the box. Consider untapped online strategies, missed opportunities for personal appeals, compelling incentives, and subliminal messaging.

Above all, give your subscribers a reason to want to share their e-mail addresses with you and then always respect their wishes.

Be honest. Be open. And be responsive to their interests and needs.

Jodi Baier is marketing and communications manager for FreshAddress Inc.

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