Growing "Qualified" Email Databases

June 26th, 2006 by Kelly Rusk

It’s amazing how often I hear the question: “How can we grow our email database?”
And as for answers to that question — there are many. I’ll share some in a second. But here’s my thing. Instead of asking how to grow your email database, you should really get smart and ask “How can I grow a more qualified database?” It’s quality not quantity that really matters.

One of the most common strategies includes contests. And yes they definitely work. But one must proceed with caution…and let me use this gardening analogy to explain why:

You can invest and care for a garden that grows beautiful flowers OR you can invest and care for a garden that risks being dominated by WEEDS! Weeds in the email sense, are emails that really don’t care about what you do - they just want to win!

All right then. Enough said. Here’s to growing qualified email databases! And it wouldn’t be fair to leave this post without sharing some list growing techniques that were presented last week at an event by the Email Experience Council.

* Our best strategy for building lists has been via a perpetual contest. We offer a private group [a pass] into our show once a quarter. In order to sign up, you provide your e-mail address with the direct understanding that doing so will mean you receive an e-mail from us about once a quarter. However, most of our database has been built from people walking into our physical street location, so I’m not sure what success it would have online.

* Our most successful strategy for our online wing has been a perpetual coupon that requires e-mail with the same understanding.

* We have seen the best way to get opt-ins is by adding an opt-in link and compelling call to action on service-based e-mails. The second best thing we have seen work is to make sure that every landing page has a prominent opt-in box.

* There are a couple of ways to think about optimizing your “organic” capture on the Web site. Consider that your home page might not be the primary front page, so be sure to optimize the newsletter offer on all search landing pages and all product pages. Customize the offer based on the content of the page.

* Test different benefit statements, too. See if “free stuff” generates more conversions than “monthly tips and ideas from the field.” Be sure to match the actual content with the offer.

* We have found that acquisition e-mail (paid list rental), affiliates, and online lead-generation forms (or co-reg) are great ways to grow your newsletter file. Your e-mail newsletter makes a great offer for these channels. Be sure to target well, and refine and test your offer strategy.

* Think about the frame of mind of a person reading e-mail offers. They may not know your company or your products very well, so inviting them to “buy now” is too high a bar for consideration. You’ll get poor results. However, an offer to sign up for a relevant e-mail file is a great way to capture them inexpensively and start to market to them via e-mail. It’s an easy commitment to make, and e-mail is great for building relationships over time.

Happy Emailing!

Posted in Email marketing |