SOCIAL MEDIA
5 magnetic ways to strengthen your email list
BY CATHERINE HEEG
IS YOUR EMAIL list a bit skinny ? Does it lack the strength to bring new leads ? Love it or hate it , email is part of our culture , and it ’ s a workhorse when it comes to marketing .
Did you know that 44 percent of email recipients made at least one purchase last year based on a promotional email ?*
Let ’ s think about this from a tourism perspective . Imagine a consumer opening an email from you about an upcoming tour . They not only see the trip info , but they ’ re also reminded of their wanderlust , and maybe they ’ ll recall fond memories of their last tour with you . They get excited and pass along your email to a friend . You ’ ve hit the mark with an emotional spark and inspired them to take some action . Email is a cost-effective way to : 1 . Build stronger relationships 2 . Rekindle fond memories and emotions 3 . Grow your brand awareness 4 . Inspire top-of-mind recognition 5 . Increase web traffic and SEO
Growing your list
Lengthening your email list doesn ’ t have to be a tug-of-war . Earning the right to email people can be simple with these
easy tactics — and a downloadable lead magnet ( a giveaway in exchange for an email address ). Here ’ s where to start :
No . 1 Call-to-action buttons Choosing the “ Sign Up ” or “ Learn More ” button enables you to direct people to your website or landing page so they can sign up for your newsletter or free lead magnet . Facebook provides you the opportunity to edit the call-to-action button on your business page and insert your own website URL .
No . 2 Social posts No matter where your social fans hang out , you can easily create a social post that drives people to your website sign-up form . Craft a graphic that tells people what they ’ ll get and has a call to action . Then write some text inviting them to sign up or download . Here ’ s an example of what I use :
No . 3 Your blog We all know the SEO value of writing a blog , but what about the opportunity to build stronger ties with your readers ? Give this a whirl : At the end of each blog post , insert a graphic ( maybe the same one you ’ ve used in your social posts ) inviting readers to sign up or download your lead magnet .
No . 4 Your website We ’ ve all seen pop-up boxes on websites inviting you to download a free e-book or to sign up for a newsletter . Do you have one on your website ? Your web design team can create this , or you can check out supsystic . com for suggestions . You can customize the pop-up box appearance , timing and location .
You may want to also have your email magnet live right on your home page . Here ’ s an example of how to place your sign-up box front and center :
No . 5 Paid ads Lead generation ads on Facebook are relatively easy to set up and can be a powerhouse in your email list growth strategy . The Facebook template walks through each step and even provides
sample questions . While you can have up to 21 questions ( yikes !), research shows that one to three questions lead to the highest conversion rates . Tip : You will need a privacy policy on your website to use this tool .
Lead magnet ideas
Armed with these strategies to grow your valuable email list with interested and intrigued potential clients , you ’ ll need to give away a valuable resource : content . Think about the kind of questions your clients ask and the types of visual content that can help you stay top-of-mind .
Your evergreen content might include :
• Top 10 lists
• Destination guides
• Dining guides
• Packing lists
• Travel tips
• Before-you-go checklists
These downloadable lead magnets may take the form of infographics , e-books or simply a checklist . Here are some tools to create these visual wonders : bit . ly / 1jCh8bU
Maximize your leads
Now that you ’ ve added all these potential new clients to your e-blast lists , you ’ ll need to keep in touch with them . Creating a Custom Audience for your Facebook ads is an easy step you can take to stay topof-mind and to build brand awareness .
When you ’ re ready to increase your market share and your bottom line , remember this : People who make purchases marketed through emails spend 138 percent more than people who do not receive emails .* Get ready for your sales to skyrocket .
* Source : convinceandconvert . com
Catherine Heeg , international speaker and trainer , focuses on social media marketing strategies for the tourism and hospitality industry . An NTA presenter since 2009 , she understands members and their businesses . Connect with her socially and at cmsspeaking . com .
12 January 2018