3 Things You Shouldn’t Do When Growing Your List

How you can’t grow your mailing list

Your email marketing list is important to help you grow your business but you need to be managing it the right way.

Did you know that the average unsubscribe rate for a mailing list is approximately 0.53% or one out of every 200 subscribers?

Losing subscribers is not always bad; especially if they no longer have an interest in your brand’s message. Losing old subscribers means you can spend more of your time and money focusing on those who could potentially be converted into customers.

In fact, every so often, you should be removing subscribers from your mailing list who aren’t interacting with campaigns. Go through your list at least once a month. Send a re-engagement email to accounts that have been inactive for six months, if they don’t respond to the re-engagement email within two weeks at most, remove them from your mailing list.

Despite your best efforts to re-engage disinterested subscribers, the bottom line is that you will lose some and without the right action, you might even end up with a diminishing list. What you need to do is grow your mailing list.

Not All Growth Is Equal

Most businesses with email marketing campaigns understand the need to grow their lists, for example with whitepapers, online seminars, trade shows etc.

However, there are some methods to grow a mailing list, known as black-hat techniques that you should avoid. While they may get some results, their true value and legality are often questionable.

So here are three things you should never do when you are growing your mailing list.

1. Buy A Mailing List

This is a quick way to gain loads of new contacts and start promoting your business, yet it is also a quick way to get your mail server blacklisted and your reputation ruined. Some of the other reasons why you shouldn’t buy a mailing list include:

• Poor results – a bought list has very low returns compared to an organically grown list.
• Loss of reputation – your company is seen as a spammer, and this can damage your long-term prospects.
• Fines – Most countries have laws stating that you must have permission from the receiver when sending an email. Without it, you could face a fine.

Don’t be caught out by sellers who state that their lists are clean, carefully selected for your business or any other promise. A bought list breaks laws and terms of service with most email marketing software providers.

While it takes longer to grow a mailing list without buying one, it is worth the effort.

2. Neglect To Fulfil On Promises

If you’ve promised all new subscribers get 20% off their first order with you, don’t go back on that promise. It’s unprofessional, and your audience will abandon you very quickly. They might also post negative reviews about your business practices on third party websites which can damage your long-term prospects.

If you want to offer a deal for those subscribing to your mailing list, then thoroughly consider what you can afford and are willing to offer. Don’t price yourself out of business, but it does still need to be enticing to the customer. One option might be free delivery or a free gift with their first purchase – something that adds value to the order rather than takes it away.

3. Don’t Be Too Generic With Your Targeting

You might think that numbers matter on a mailing list, but in truth, they don’t matter as much as you think. You could have thousands of contacts, but if none of them has the resources, need or authorization to buy your products then those contacts are useless.

Instead, look to attract valuable contacts who are more likely to convert. Everyone else is just a distraction.

Are You Growing Your Mailing List Right?

Your mailing list is valuable. It is part of your sales process, and it can earn you a fortune if you create the right campaign and attract the right contacts to your list. If you don’t, it can be a waste of time and money. Therefore, don’t fall into bad habits and ensure you have a priceless mailing list.

How do you grow your mailing list? Do you ever audit your approaches?

Let us know in the comments below.

Tagged in: add subscribers, list growth, new subscribers