By Toni R. Harris
Have you started to build your email marketing list? If not, why not? If you haven’t started building your email marketing list, you are missing out on creating a valuable asset for your business. Yes, a marketing list is now considered an asset to your business and if you don’t have one, you are devaluing your business.
So why should you build your email list?
Email marketing allows you to reach people where they are – in their Inbox. I know we hear a lot about social media and using Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to reach people; and yes, these are good places to reach people locally and globally. But what if these social media sites were gone tomorrow or they suddenly changed the way you connect with people? Then you would lose your network. Now what? Now is the time to work diligently to get those people in your social media over to your email list. That way, you can reach them where they are – in their Inbox.
So here are 3 easy ways to begin to build your email list:
- Text to join your list
For most of us (and our clients and prospects), our cell phones are never more than three feet away from us and text messaging has become a common way to communicate. With Constant Contact’s “text to join” feature, your audience can text to join your mailing list while they are browsing your store, listening to you speak, or checking you out on social media. Constant Contact even gives you a handy sign to post in your store, on social media, or include in your presentation. - Scan to join your list
Constant Contact’s “scan to join” feature creates a QR Code that allows people to join your list. QR Codes are scanable codes that take you to a website. In this case, the QR code takes you to a join page where your audience can join your list. You can then use the QR codes in your marketing such as fliers, business cards, signs, etc. You can even post your code on your social media. People are curious about where QR codes lead so it is a cool way to get people to scan to join your list. - Get those bags of business cards scanned NOW!
Many of us (including me) have a bag of business cards that we have collected over the years from networking events. We have touched these people personally but have fell out of touch. It’s time to get reconnected! How? Use a service such as Shoeboxed.com. Shoeboxed.com will scan your cards and put them into a database that can then be uploaded into your email marketing program such as Constant Contact. Once those emails have been loaded to your database, you are ready to reintroduce yourself and start sending your network the valuable information you have to offer.
Here’s the bottom line – If you are not building your email marketing list then you are CRAZY! Sorry to be so blunt but email marketing is an inexpensive way to reach the masses at the click of a button. If you are not staying connected where your audience is (in their Inbox), then you are truly missing an opportunity to grow and stay connected to your prospects, clients, and network. Get your free report, 60 Ways to Grow Your List today at www.toniharrisspeaks.com. You can also sign up for a 60 day free trial with Constant Contact and sign up for a free trial at Shoeboxed.com. Don’t wait, do it today, because we all need to grow our assets!
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Toni Harris (aka “The Turnaround Queen®”) is a Small Business Marketing Coach, Speaker/Trainer, Author, and Authorized Local Expert with Constant Contact. You can connect with Toni via her email at toni@toniharrisspeaks.com or visit her website at www.toniharrisspeaks.com.
