Of the many promotional ideas for a small business, email marketing is generally underutilized by small businesses, even though it can yield an ROI of around 122%. This figure is four times more than what social media can offer. And by partnering with local agencies like marketing agencies in Atlanta or Pittsburgh, for example, you can boost those numbers.
In case you are not using email marketing for your local business, it is time to start using it to boost your business and drive sales. You can leverage its power to gain new customers and make sure they keep coming back. Before we share some simple and effective tips to improve your local email marketing, we will discuss the various methods that can be applied to build a local email list.
Methods to create a local email list
There are several ways to norway phone number library build a local email list for your business. These methods can be both online and offline. Read on to learn more:
Online Methods to Build an Email List
Use your website: In case you own a website, you can use it to build your email list so you can engage in local small business marketing. This can be done by placing signup forms in different sections of the website, such as the sidebar or at the end of a blog.
You can even use pop-up forms that usually appear in the center of the screen after a certain amount of time has passed. Other types of sign-up forms include:
Slide-out forms: These are boxes that appear in the bottom corner of the page as the customer scrolls down. They do not cover the content when displayed.
Signup Bars: These forms appear as bars at the top or bottom of the page. As the customer scrolls down, they can be static or dynamic.
Welcome screens: These appear when a customer accesses your site for the first time. They can even take up the entire screen.
Create landing pages: Use landing pages to target customers or visitors from a particular geographic area. This can be done by having a clear call to action on the landing page that can direct the user to sign up. The sign up process should be as simple as possible, along with as few fields as possible that need to be filled out.
Promote your landing pages: In case you are using landing pages, it is important to promote them on Facebook or Google with the help of paid ads. This is because both platforms help you target users based on a specific location.
Additionally, landing pages can also be promoted on social media by linking the landing page URL to your posts or profile. You can include social sharing buttons with every email sent to subscribers and further motivate them to share your newsletters.
Maintain a Lead Magnet: Having a Lead Magnet refers to giving your users different types of incentives to share their personal data with you. This can be in the form of a discount code, a free eBook, or a video course – basically, anything that can give them a reason to sign up or subscribe.
Cross-promotion: You can link or collaborate with other businesses to gain more subscribers. This is done by asking them to promote your products, services or events and in return, you can do the same for them.
Offline Methods to Build an Email List
Encourage customers to subscribe: Getting your store customers to subscribe to your email list is a great offline method to build your email list . In this method, it is advisable to ask customers to sign up on a tablet or phone rather than on a paper form. This is to ensure that you get the correct email ID as some customers’ handwriting may be illegible.
Use QR Codes and Short URLs – The URLs you create for your website should be easy to remember. Alternatively, creating logo QR Codes is a great way to attract customers to your landing page. This is because the customer simply needs to scan the QR code and they will be automatically redirected to the landing page. URLs and QR codes can also be printed on business cards, shopping bags, etc.
Visit local events to generate leads – It’s a great idea to visit local events that are taking place in your area so you can collect potential leads. By visiting local events, you can circulate your business cards and collect contact details of potential customers and subscribers. You can even have people sign up on their tablet or phone on the spot. Local events provide a great platform for building links with potential subscribers.
Tips to improve local email marketing
Here are some tips and tricks to improve email marketing for a small business:
Create an eye-catching subject line
The subject line plays an essential role in the number of visitors who arrive at your page through a link, also known as the click-through rate (CTR). A large portion of your current subscribers will open an email if the subject line is compelling enough. You can even use local references in the subject line so that it immediately captures your subscribers’ interest. A good way to make the subject line different is to personalize it with a place or person’s name.
Select a good time to send an email
A good time to send emails to your list is when subscribers are most likely to check their email and click through. This can be at the start of a workday, after dinner, or during the weekend. The time can vary for different businesses. In case you are not sure when to send emails, you can try sending them at different times of the day or week and then run an analysis when you get responses.
Offer relevant deals to your subscribers
Every customer is attracted by relevant promotions and offers. Many customers prefer emails that contain exclusive promotions from local businesses. However, it is important to verify whether the offer or discount offered by your local business is relevant to your subscribers or not.
Apply split testing
When it comes to email marketing for a small business, it’s a great idea to run split tests, regardless of whether you’re running a local PPC campaign or running a local Facebook ad. Split tests give you a snapshot of the efficiency of the entire email marketing process for a local business. They can increase your conversion rates.
However, you only need to test one aspect at a time to get accurate and guaranteed results. This can be done by splitting the email list into two parts and then sending the same email to both groups with only a minor modification. The most successful posts can then be used in future campaigns.
Optimize your email for mobile users
With the increasing number of mobile users worldwide, it is highly likely that most of your subscribers will open your emails on a mobile device. Therefore, it is important to optimize your emails as per mobile phones. In case you fail to do so, the entire purpose of local email marketing might fail as the emails you send may end up in the trash folder. They should be easy to read and eye-catching when reading them on smartphones and tablets.
Custom Landing Pages Form
In case your business has different branches or is located in multiple locations, it is not a good idea to send the same URL to all subscribers. In case you want to create hyperlocal deals with your subscribers, you should develop custom landing pages for different clients. This way, you will be able to ensure that your customers can find what they are looking for with just one click. It also makes subscribers feel like the email has been personalized for them.
