Delightfully Genius Email List Building Tactics for Small Businesses

You need to keep your limited liability company (LLC) or corporation moving forward, even in the face of an economic slowdown. And one of the best ways to expand your reach is already right at your fingertips.

According to Statista, consumers sent and received 293.6 billion daily emails in 2019. And email use is on track to build to over 347 billion daily emails by 2022. Now is a great time to brush up on email marketing tips for small businesses.

It’s essential to build your email list as soon as possible. But you need to hone your email list building skills to truly leverage the potential power in a small business email list. With a solid email growth strategy, you’ll be able to increase trust and engagement with your brand, even as you generate fresh leads.

Here are 17 email list building strategies to help you build your email list and strengthen the value you provide to your subscribers.

17 Email List Building Tactics Across Different Channels

Social Media Tactics

Ninety percent of millennials actively use social media, as do nearly half of baby boomers, according to eMarketer. So you can’t afford to neglect that group. Here are some ways to maximize your opportunity to gain email subscribers through your social media platforms.

1. Promote a strong lead-gen offer. Social media accounts such as Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook can generate qualified leads at a lower cost than most other major ad platforms. Execute an Instagram campaign to promote a service or product to your followers that requires an email address to redeem. Or, use your Facebook page to promote an offer that requires an email address to enter.
2. Add a call-to-action button on the top of your Facebook page. Page admins can select from a group of call-to-action buttons to display at the top of their page. Adding buttons can allow customers to easily contact you (via email, phone, website or Messenger), shop, start an order or book a service with a click.
3. Publish links to gated offers on your LinkedIn page. According to research, 80 percent of B2B leads come right from LinkedIn. Gated content on LinkedIn requires users to fill out a form and provide contact information to access some type of content or information. Entice users with more introductory material, such as an ebook. But also be sure to offer value in other ways, including active participation with your followers. Such engagement is the best way to leverage your connections.
4. Leverage paid search ads. Paid search in social channels or via Google Ads is a powerful way for your business to drive traffic to your website and capture potential leads. This way, your potential customers will see your ads only when searching for the products and services you offer.

55 Amazing #Instagram Ads Examples To Inspire You https://t.co/iBgeQvpBL2 via @AdEspresso #socialmedia pic.twitter.com/xr1RDcb9Uu

— Rebekah Radice (@RebekahRadice) October 22, 2017

Email Tactics

It may sound counterintuitive, but email is one of the most useful avenues for building a list, especially using these initiatives.

1. Encourage current subscribers to share your content by including sharing buttons in your email. Also include your “subscribe” call to action as a simple text-based link so those who see the email can easily opt-in.
2. Launch an online contest. When you offer giveaways, people are more likely to enter their email for a chance at winning.
3. Offer multiple email subscription types. Allow users some flexibility with their subscription. For example, offering an option to receive emails once a week or once a month instead of every day helps readers decide to stay subscribed.
4. Refresh a stale email list with an opt-in campaign. Opt-in campaigns — in which a user needs to make a selection to receive a lead-generating incentive offer — are an email marketing and deliverability best practice. They serve as a simple reminder of what your email program offers. Moreover, use an opt-in campaign as an opportunity to restate your value.
5. Add a link to your employees’ signatures. You can, and should, include one useful link in your company email signature — why shouldn’t it be an opt-in to your email campaigns? Phrase your “link” as a call to action in one or two lines. Use link tracking to see who’s clicking on it to help you test the effectiveness.

#ChartoftheDay The most effective #emailmarketing tactics by @emailgeekuk https://t.co/EpHyhps1jx pic.twitter.com/4Ntp9tCO7W

— SmartInsights (@SmartInsights) November 29, 2017

Content Marketing Tactics

Assuming your content is relevant, valuable and interesting to your ideal customers, you can achieve significant results with content marketing. Seventy percent of marketers are already taking this approach, HubSpot reveals, with 24 percent investing even more going forward.

1. Create a new lead-gen offer. What you offer your customer depends on what they value. Do they value tips and tricks for success from thought leaders? Help videos that are easily digestible? Maybe a step-by-step document that simplifies a complicated process? Creating value for your customers will help you receive valuable leads in return.
2. Create a free online tool or resource. Require an email address upon download of the tool or resource (known as gated content). Resources like ebooks or infographics can make your customers more successful. If your subscribers find your tools helpful, they will become loyal to your brand (increasing the chance they’ll share with their networks).
3. Create a blog. Launching your own blog is one of the best ways to grow your company’s reach and establish yourself as a thought leader. Many marketing experts even claim a blog should be the cornerstone of your content marketing initiative. It gives your audience the best chance to get to know you and your mission in your own words. So start here and build your content approach out from your blog.

#ContentMarketing list of formats you can apply for your strategy! pic.twitter.com/i624Opfe6o

— Digital Master Agency (@DigitalMasterSA) May 25, 2020

Partnership Tactics

There can be real value in partnership, especially for small businesses. You’re delivering all participants more visibility, credibility, market reach and sales success than you could achieve independently. Here’s how to leverage email growth in a partnership opportunity.

1. Host a co-marketing offer with a partner, such as a webinar. Ask your partner to promote the registration to their audience. After the webinar is over, swap leads.
2. Include a call to action to subscribe to your site’s blog or your email list when creating content for guest blogging opportunities.

Traditional Marketing Tactics

Get back to the basics!

1. Collect email addresses at offline events. Host your own offline, in-person event — maybe you offer a giveaway at a trade show. Require an email address for entry.
2. Encourage prospects to opt-in through a direct mail campaign or other traditional marketing methods. If you're directing prospects online, be sure to use shortened URLs (such as a vanity URL), and consider using UTM codes to track.
3. Traditional media advertising. Long before the internet changed everything, business owners like you relied on traditional media to get the word out. So don't forget to consider whether promoting your business in radio, television or published ads might prove beneficial.

Print marketing might be more powerful than you think. Check out these impressive stats! #PrintMarketing #Infographic pic.twitter.com/BNmAtKgdQa

— RRD (@rrdonnelley) July 2, 2018

Once you launch your small business, the work has only just begun. Thankfully, we can help keep your business running smoothly. At Bizee, we focus on a lot more than just getting your business started. Our business model can take your LLC deep into its lifecycle. We’ll assist with your business formation and growth needs, and provide proven tools to steer you to a brighter future. With just one platform, you can manage your whole business.