Email Marketing - Mailing List

What is a Mailing List?

A Mailing list refers to a list of email addresses to which information is being sent. Magazine publishers usually have a list of addresses of subscribers to their magazines. For an electronic mailing list, a list of email addresses from people interested in hearing about or discussing a given topic is used.

It is also an effective way to reach and communicate with existing customers and also acquire new ones. Traditional direct response mailing lists are sent via postal mail, but more and more of these lists are being used as electronic mailing lists. The two most used mailing lists types are:

Announcement Lists

This is the most popular type of mailing list used today. It is used to send announcements to a group of people, much like a magazine publisher's mailing list is used to send out magazines.

Discussion List

This is used to allow a group of people to engage in topics of discussion amongst themselves when everyone sends a mail to the list it gets distributed to all in the group. It is an email only style of the mailing list, they're designed to allow communication amongst a wide variety of people in any location. The thread of messages could also be moderated to allow for selected posts to the group, or certain people are allowed to send messages to the group.

Collection of Emails

The very first task for email marketing is to collect email addresses of those who would like to listen to you or hear from you. Several ways exist in which data could be collected in detail, an overview of the various ways would be shared in this tutorial. 

The Formula for Growing Email List

Basically, everything begins with content. Amazing content is what first determines if your site would be found, and would also determine if the user would keep coming back. The type of amazing and tailored content is what determines the foundation for what is emailed to your subscribers, these content would also be the main reason for why these subscribers will choose to continue rather than unsubscribe.  Start asking for emails if you've got amazing content, and people interested in your content would definitely like to receive them as often as you create, and have them delivered straight to their inbox. A CTA (Call-to-Action) is the final instruction to the reader.

Strategies to Grow Email List

1. Multiple CTAs − Here your blog post, web site, and calls-to-action cannot be neglected by the visitor, make it difficult for visitors not to escape without a sign up on your page. There could be a Signup button in a popover on the web site, or signup at the top of a blog post, and another one at the bottom. Putting signup forms on targeted places on the web site for the user maximize the chances that a potential subscriber sees a signup form you’d best put sign up forms everywhere, this design uses the assumption that humans view things differently.

2. Give & Take − Attaching something valuable to your email signup form is a surefire way to create interest in readers’ minds. Giving something away for free in order to get an email address is a good bargain, this would ensure you get the addresses of subscribers who are less likely to unsubscribe in the future. Free E-books, Cheatsheets, Email series, Video, Private blog content, and Early access to new features can be given in order to get an email address.

3. Handy Opt-in Links − Visitors to your page can sign up to your email list without filling a form. Your link could be shared on multiple platforms, via email signatures, social media, blog posts, etc. The email software you use is likely to have a landing page devoted to acquiring email signups. Also, keep this link handy, a need might arise for it.

4. Email Filters and Validators - In order to make sure your growing list only contains valid and updated email addresses, you may consider using free softwares such as Free Email Separators, and Free Email Validators to validate your mailing list from time to time including Free Email Filter service also known as Free Email Extractors. The Top Paid Email Verifiiers and Validators also include MailChimp, Sendinblue, Email Checker, Emailable, Sendpulse, Million Verifier, Zero Bounce etc. 

Disclose Your Social Strength

Putting certain information out there such as the strength of your email list or social engagement is sure to get the attention of the reader, indirectly telling the reader that subscribers worth 80,000 other people already signed up is sure to pique his/her interest. This is the reason why many sites disclose their strength on the signup form.

Create Remarkable Email Content

In order to get people to stay subscribed to your email lists, your content needs to be amazing and updated. Doing this could potentially amass more subscribers through referrals by existing subscribers.

How Most Sites Gain Signups?

The following are effective tricks for gaining more email signups:

1. Reply to each mention on Twitter, often starting a conversation with folks who have shared your content, with the aim of dropping in a link to subscribe on the thread.

2. Include social sharing buttons, and "email to a friend" button in marketing emails. Also, include a subscribe call-to-action, this could be text-based or a button, so those receiving the email can opt-in.