Growing Business & Community - Email Lists

Is your business capturing customer information?  Specifically email addresses?  If not, consider starting to gather this data to build a new marketing tool for your business or organization.  When the customer gives you their contact information, they often expect to receive interaction with your business or organization and will most likely purchase again when communicated with the right messaging. 

According to Mailchimp (an email automated program), you will see the highest ROI when you build and maintain an engaged subscriber list, made up of people who want to receive your messages (and who opted in on purpose).

Building your email database can be as simple as placing a pen and paper sign up on your counter for customers to opt in to receive notifications.  Most point-of-sale software has the capability of entering the information at the time of purchase.  Online sales generally capture email information automatically.  Think about all of the ways customers currently interact with your business, then decide what strategies will work best.  

One of our members, Sara Morreale, owner of The Rose Hanger and Alpha Align Agency has experience building and working around an email list. She recently posted on social media a great reminder.  We don’t own our social media followers. If any of the social media platforms shut down tomorrow, followers go with it and any type of community you have built up in that platform as well.  Email lists can be curated, segmented and strategically marketed to.  You can control what you do with that list.  

Most of the Chamber of Commerce correspondence with our member businesses and organizations is through email. We send out a members only newsletter once a week with important information on meetings, business updates, workshops and programs. Over time we have also gathered email addresses from tourists looking to visit the region.  Targeted emails featuring events, attractions and dining opportunities are sent approximately four times throughout the year, with specific messaging geared towards tourism. 

Hubspot, a Customer Relationship Management System has some great ways to grow your email list. Here are a few:  1. Create unique email content (there are several email automation programs that contain drop in templates. 2. Create a new lead generation offer or create a free online tool or resource that requires sign-up.  3.  Add an opt-in link to your employees' e-signatures. 4.  Encourage subscribers to share and forward your emails. Include social sharing buttons and an “Email to a Friend” button on your marketing emails.

If you need assistance in starting up this new marketing endeavor for your business, contact the Chamber office and we would be happy to guide you!