Email List
As an email marketer, you know that it would be impossible to send any sort of email without contacts to actually send them to.
These contacts are your email list and they are just as important as the email you are sending.
This post will explain what the definition of an email list is as well as why it is truly the backbone of your entire email marketing journey.
What is an Email List
An email list is a collection of email addresses that you are able to send emails to.
These email addresses belong to people or customers who have shown interest in your product or service and have opted-in to receiving marketing communications from you on an ongoing basis.
The true value of an email list lies in its relevance and quality — not just in its overall size. An engaged email list is like a goldmine for email marketers, allowing you to reach an audience that is already interested in what you have to say.
Note: Loops is only for emailing contacts who have opted-in to receiving your communications (ex. no cold sales emails) so we will keep this post tailored to that.
What is included in an Email List
An email list is really pretty basic in principle. A typical email list will include:
Email Addresses: This is the primary component of an email list. These email addresses are typically collected through sign-up forms, subscriptions, or during purchases.
Subscriber Information: This typically includes things like subscriber names, preferences, demographic data, and other relevant details that might help in personalizing emails.
Subscriber Activity: This may include things like an individual subscriber’s open and click history.
Segmentation Data: This is information that will help in categorizing subscribers into different segments for more targeted email campaigns.
It’s important to remember that a good (aka valuable) email list is grown organically. Paying for email lists will result in much lower deliverability as well as spam reports.
Best practices for managing an Email List
There is nothing worse than growing an email list only to watch it decay over time. Luckily, that doesn’t always have to be the final outcome.
Here are some best practices you should follow when it comes to managing your email list to ensure that it is the most engaged it can be:
Opt-In: Always ensure that the people on your list have willingly opted in to receive emails from you. Do not pay for email lists.
Regular List Cleaning: It may be smart to periodically remove inactive or unengaged subscribers to keep your list fresh and responsive. This is especially important for email lists related to something like a newsletter vs a list of paying customers.
Segmentation: Organize your email list into different segments based on past behavior, preferences, or demographics to make your emails more relevant and engaging.
Privacy Compliance: Respect the privacy of your subscribers and comply with email regulations like GDPR and CAN-SPAM.
Following these best practices won’t 100% prevent email list churn but it will definitely help.
At the end of the day, keeping a clean and engaged email list will be much more valuable to you than simply the largest list possible.
How to build an Email List
It should be clear that building and maintaining an email list is critical to your email marketing efforts. But how should you go about building your own?
Here are some common and effective ways to start and grow your email list:
Opt-In Form: Use an opt-in form on your website. This will typically include pop-ups or embedded forms in blog posts or on your homepage.
Content Upgrades: Offer valuable content such as eBooks or an industry report in exchange for email addresses. This will be more effective when the content being offered is directly related to the blog post or page the visitor is viewing.
New Customers: When a new customer signs up for your product or service, allow them to opt-in to receive future product announcements or account updates.
Customer Purchases: Encourage customers to opt-in to your email list after making a one-off purchase on your website.
Lead Magnets: Create compelling lead magnets such as a free trial or webinars which require users to provide their email address to access.
Social Media: Use your social media platforms to promote your new email list. You can offer special content or discounts to your social media followers if they opt-in to receive future emails from you.
Contests and Giveaways: Host contests or giveaways where participants provide their email address to enter. This can be an effective way to gather many emails in a short period (note: these subscribers may be quick to churn and less engaged than your average subscriber).
Referral Programs: Implement a referral program where your current subscribers can refer friends in exchange for discounts or other incentives like branded swag.
Free Tools: Offer free tools on your website that are related to your main product offering. Users of the free tool may provide their email address to see the results or receive additional information.
There are an infinite number of creative ways that you can go about growing your own email list depending on your product or service.
Whether you plan to grow your email list through the creation of engaging content, social media giveaways, or free tools, the focus should be on providing real value to your audience.
A thoughtful and authentic strategy will grow your email list in a way that fosters strong connections and drives long-term engagement (win-win for your business).
Key takeaways
An email list is a collection of email addresses that you are able to send emails to.
An email marketing strategy that revolves around emailing contacts who have opted-in to receiving your emails will outperform those who buy lists for cold emails.
It is important to keep a clean email list and follow any and all legal requirements that may apply.
There are countless ways to grow your email list. Be creative!
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As an email marketer, you know that it would be impossible to send any sort of email without contacts to actually send them to.
These contacts are your email list and they are just as important as the email you are sending.
This post will explain what the definition of an email list is as well as why it is truly the backbone of your entire email marketing journey.
What is an Email List
An email list is a collection of email addresses that you are able to send emails to.
These email addresses belong to people or customers who have shown interest in your product or service and have opted-in to receiving marketing communications from you on an ongoing basis.
The true value of an email list lies in its relevance and quality — not just in its overall size. An engaged email list is like a goldmine for email marketers, allowing you to reach an audience that is already interested in what you have to say.
Note: Loops is only for emailing contacts who have opted-in to receiving your communications (ex. no cold sales emails) so we will keep this post tailored to that.
What is included in an Email List
An email list is really pretty basic in principle. A typical email list will include:
Email Addresses: This is the primary component of an email list. These email addresses are typically collected through sign-up forms, subscriptions, or during purchases.
Subscriber Information: This typically includes things like subscriber names, preferences, demographic data, and other relevant details that might help in personalizing emails.
Subscriber Activity: This may include things like an individual subscriber’s open and click history.
Segmentation Data: This is information that will help in categorizing subscribers into different segments for more targeted email campaigns.
It’s important to remember that a good (aka valuable) email list is grown organically. Paying for email lists will result in much lower deliverability as well as spam reports.
Best practices for managing an Email List
There is nothing worse than growing an email list only to watch it decay over time. Luckily, that doesn’t always have to be the final outcome.
Here are some best practices you should follow when it comes to managing your email list to ensure that it is the most engaged it can be:
Opt-In: Always ensure that the people on your list have willingly opted in to receive emails from you. Do not pay for email lists.
Regular List Cleaning: It may be smart to periodically remove inactive or unengaged subscribers to keep your list fresh and responsive. This is especially important for email lists related to something like a newsletter vs a list of paying customers.
Segmentation: Organize your email list into different segments based on past behavior, preferences, or demographics to make your emails more relevant and engaging.
Privacy Compliance: Respect the privacy of your subscribers and comply with email regulations like GDPR and CAN-SPAM.
Following these best practices won’t 100% prevent email list churn but it will definitely help.
At the end of the day, keeping a clean and engaged email list will be much more valuable to you than simply the largest list possible.
How to build an Email List
It should be clear that building and maintaining an email list is critical to your email marketing efforts. But how should you go about building your own?
Here are some common and effective ways to start and grow your email list:
Opt-In Form: Use an opt-in form on your website. This will typically include pop-ups or embedded forms in blog posts or on your homepage.
Content Upgrades: Offer valuable content such as eBooks or an industry report in exchange for email addresses. This will be more effective when the content being offered is directly related to the blog post or page the visitor is viewing.
New Customers: When a new customer signs up for your product or service, allow them to opt-in to receive future product announcements or account updates.
Customer Purchases: Encourage customers to opt-in to your email list after making a one-off purchase on your website.
Lead Magnets: Create compelling lead magnets such as a free trial or webinars which require users to provide their email address to access.
Social Media: Use your social media platforms to promote your new email list. You can offer special content or discounts to your social media followers if they opt-in to receive future emails from you.
Contests and Giveaways: Host contests or giveaways where participants provide their email address to enter. This can be an effective way to gather many emails in a short period (note: these subscribers may be quick to churn and less engaged than your average subscriber).
Referral Programs: Implement a referral program where your current subscribers can refer friends in exchange for discounts or other incentives like branded swag.
Free Tools: Offer free tools on your website that are related to your main product offering. Users of the free tool may provide their email address to see the results or receive additional information.
There are an infinite number of creative ways that you can go about growing your own email list depending on your product or service.
Whether you plan to grow your email list through the creation of engaging content, social media giveaways, or free tools, the focus should be on providing real value to your audience.
A thoughtful and authentic strategy will grow your email list in a way that fosters strong connections and drives long-term engagement (win-win for your business).
Key takeaways
An email list is a collection of email addresses that you are able to send emails to.
An email marketing strategy that revolves around emailing contacts who have opted-in to receiving your emails will outperform those who buy lists for cold emails.
It is important to keep a clean email list and follow any and all legal requirements that may apply.
There are countless ways to grow your email list. Be creative!