An e-mail list is an important tool to use in your marketing and sales efforts. Once you have used the free website builder and set up your business related website, you need to focus on getting more subscribers to your e-mail list. Many website owners make the mistake of just focusing on drawing traffic to their websites, and this is important, without giving much thought to keeping visitors and converting them with e-mail campaigns. A strong e-mail subscriber list can help you through the lean times when visitors are sparse. Getting more subscribers isn’t rocket science, but it does take a bit of time and effort, work that will be rewarded with a strong list of loyal followers and customers that you can use to build a successful business.
Tap Into the Social Animal in All of Us
Humans are social beings and want to belong. You can tap into this need by creating a feeling of an exclusive group on your personal website. There is a psychological phenomenon known as social proof that occurs in groups of people. For instance, if a person is in trouble and there are several witnesses, the people around the person will look to one another to see if anyone is going to move to help. The longer they do not take action, the more likely it is that no one will come forward to help.
This herd mentality is hardwired into us and, when you are trying to get someone to give you their personal contact information, this mentality plays into their decision. They want to make sure that they’re not the only ones giving up their contact information. Like teenagers who want to be cool, people want to be assured that they are making a good decision by giving you their information.
You can give them this assurance by having testimonials on your business website. When people see that others have signed up and are happy, it helps them to get the social proof they need to trust you. Another way is to let your comments show on your blog. People enjoy interacting with each other and if they see that there is a large group active already they will be more likely to join in and give up their information.
Don’t Be Too Nice
Use an active voice and a call to action in your sales pitch. Note how the active verb ‘use‘ sounds more forceful than ’you should use’ – it tells you what to do and to do it now. Always use active voice and don’t be too nice. Quit hedging around telling people to sign up or to take advantage of your offer. You’ve got something good to give them and you want them to have it, so tell them to take it. Of course, don’t be obnoxious; rude doesn’t sell or talk anyone into anything but moving on. Strike a balance between telling them what to do and being polite about it.
Make the Sale
Getting an e-mail address is really just making a sale and making a sale is overcoming objections. The basic sales procedure is present the product, tell them the benefits of owning it and then ask them to buy it. The same process is used when collecting e-mail addresses. The product is your newsletter or e-mail updates, the benefit is to know what is going on and what specials you are offering on your web page, and then you ask them to sign up.
Objections to this process include distrust, fear that their e-mail address will be sold, and fear that you will fill up their inbox with junk they don’t want. Address these concerns in your sales pitch. Assure them that you are worthy of their trust with testimonials and assure them that their e-mail information is safe. Keep them by not spamming them and only pass along valuable information and interesting newsletters.
Know What Makes People Tick
There are several motivators that make or break the chance for you to collect subscribers for your e-mail list. Understanding what makes people tick and how you can use these motivators will give you a better chance of developing a large e-mail subscriber list. People want to know what is in it for them. If you can develop compelling sales copy and website content that tells them exactly how they will benefit from giving you their contact information, they will do it. Play into the basic motivators like envy, greed, lust, and pride. Advertisers and marketers have been doing this for years in print, radio, and television. You can do the same online and build up your contact base and your profits.
You can get more subscribers to your e-mail list when you understand the how to get people to give up their contact information. Appeal to their group mentality, gain their trust, and ask them to sign up. Use the free website builder to create a business related website that pulls people in and then keep them there by making them part of your group and giving you their e-mail information.
