E-mail Marketing: Three Effective List-building Techniques

“The possession of a large database of loyal customers and qualified prospects is the foundation upon which successful e-mail programs are built,” write the authors of e-mail marketer Silverpop’s recent “E-mail List Growth Survey.” And because e-mail list growth is so critical, Silverpop further revealed the three most successful list growth strategies according to survey respondents.

1. Search engine marketing: More than 50 percent of marketers say that search marketing is a moderately to highly successful method of building their e-mail lists, Silverpop officials reveal. These programs work best when paid search landing pages include an e-mail registration form with easy accessibility and visibility. Because organic search results can send customers to just about any page on your site, it’s important to include e-mail registration pages on every page, the whitepaper’s authors stress.

2. Offline advertising/direct marketing: Catalogs and other direct mail pieces keep your offer top-of-mind when your customers are making purchase decisions, but they can also drive customers to register for your e-mails, the authors write. All direct marketing efforts should carry your Web address and include an incentive to sign up for your e-mails.

3. Trade shows: “Gathering names at trade shows is also a tactic survey respondents indicated worked very well,” Silverpop notes. The authors suggest caution, however, when mailing e-mail addresses scanned from business cards. Simply collecting names and e-mail addresses doesn’t necessarily constitute permission-based e-mail.

To get a copy of Silverpop’s “2006 E-mail List Growth Survey,” visit http://www.silverpop.com.