Make Your List BIG : Part 3 - Link to your subscribe form from everywhere

Make Your List BIG, Part 3 - September '09

In this issue:

• Make Your List BIG! Series - Part 3
• Win a marketing package worth R14,000 with TouchBasePro and the Business & Franchise Expo
• Starting From Scratch
• Linking people to your Website Subscriber Form
• Collecting opt-ins using your Printed Subscriber Forms

It's time to start thinking about and preparing for end of year "busy-ness". In order to promote your business effectively using email marketing you need to build up your opt-in mailing list.

In our last two newsletters we discussed how to set up both a printed and web version of your Subscriber form. In this month's article we will talk about how you can get more sign ups by linking people to your subscribe forms from as many places as possible.

This month, TouchBasePro is also taking part in the Small Business and Franchise Expo at Gallagher Estate, from the 11th to 13th September 2009. We are sponsoring all the bulk communication for the Expo, and we are also sponsoring part of the Pre-Registration prize which is valued at over R14,00.00. To enter the competition, click here to Pre-Register and attend.

Part 3: Link to your subscribe form from everywhere

Starting from scratch

If you just started your business, or if you just launched your website, you probably don't have an email list to send to. So what do you do?

Every person who has bought from you before or who has makes an enquiry about your business or products is a solid lead and a good source of new business. You want to make sure that all of these people sign up to your newsletter so that you can keep them informed of new offerings and ensure repeat sales. This will give you a starting database of recipients.

In order to grow your list you will need to encourage more and more people to fill in your Subscriber Sign-up Form. The only way to do this is to make sure you push people to your fill in your printed and website Subscriber Forms every chance you get.

Linking people to your Website Subscriber Form

Your sign up form is crucial. It should be eye-catching, prominently linked to from your homepage, and the process of signing up should be quick and require the least amount of information possible (in most cases a name and email address will do).

• You should link to your sign up form from every page on your website. You cannot predict which pages your visitors will view on your site or if and when they will sign up, but if your sign up form is always available then you can be sure that wherever they are, the opportunity to sign up will always be there.
• Consider placing a link to your sign up form in your email signatures. Think about how many business emails you send in a day. If everyone in your company does the same, then all the contacts of each individual department in your company become potential subscribers.
• If your business sends out statements, invoices or other official documents via email, make sure you put a link to your sign-up page on those emails. People read these documents very carefully so your Sign-up offer is bound to be noticed.
• If your website has a news or blog section, include links to your sign up format the end of blog posts. People are more likely to subscribe if they feel your company has more to offer them than a hard sell and promotions. If your prompts to opt-in are accompanied by valuable and relevant How To's or tutorials, then you are more likely to have success.
• If your company has recently merged, or if it has relaunched under a new name, it is best to send a reintroduction email to existing email mailing lists to refresh their memory and update them on the recent changes. Emailing them without an introduction first will only annoy them, and may even result in you being reported as spam.
• Using Confirmed Opt-in (or Double Opt-in) processes can ensure your email mailing lists contain truly interested prospects. This involves the subscriber confirming their subscription by activating a link sent in a confirmation email or replying to a confirmation email. Although your list will be smaller, at least you will be sure that all your subscribers are potential clients and not bad leads or fake email addresses.

Collecting opt-ins using your Printed Subscriber Form

Printed Subscriber Forms are an essential way of growing your list and collecting email addresses from people who do not visit your website. Your printed Subscriber Form should be displayed prominently at all places where your clients interact with your business:

• At your till or point of sale
• At the reception desk of your offices
• In the hands of the person who answers the phone, with orders to get each caller's email address
• In the hands of your sales representatives, with orders to get each prospect's email address
• On a stand near your most popular product

Set up a display: Consider making an attractive sign telling people why they should sign up and displaying this next to a pile of sign-up forms, with a box where they can drop completed forms. Capture these sign ups into an excel file on a weekly or monthly basis and upload it to one of your list on TouchBasePro.

Use your printed sign up forms in your marketing drives. Have printed sign up forms available at the shows and expos that you take part in. If you sell your product in stores or retails outlets you can negotiate having a display at their point of sale, or on the shelves (retailers are usually open to this if there is some benefit for their shoppers, like a competition)

In Conclusion

Busy-work for this month:

• Setup a display for your printed sign-up forms and use this as many places as possible.
• Setup links to your website subscriber form.
• Start pushing people to subscriber forms.

Coming in Next Months Issue: