Acquire New Subscribers

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

• Describe methods that let subscribers opt in to email messages.
  
• Analyze the effectiveness of opt-in methods.
  

Grow Your Audience

How can you expand your email audience? How can you measure audience growth? In this unit we discuss multiple ways to increase your subscriber base.

Website Sign-Ups

Require users to give you an email address before they can create an account on your website. Or promote your online loyalty program by requiring an email address to register. Offer users an incentive for subscribing, use a pop-up form for website visitors that reads, “Subscribe to our mailing list and get 10% off!!”

Mobile Sign-Ups

Do you have a mobile app? Create an option to opt in to emails when users register for or use it.

Consider buying mobile app ads. If you play free games on your mobile device, you’ve probably noticed ads that pop up in the middle of the game. You can use these types of ads to encourage customers to subscribe to your emails. Use this tactic with caution—this can sometimes annoy and turn off customers.

Single Opt-In Versus Double Opt-In

Single opt-in requires a person to respond only once to opt-in for future sends. Double opt-in requires a person to respond affirmatively and then confirm that affirmative response in order to opt in for future sends. Double opt-in is a good way to ensure that an email address is entered correctly and validated. It catches those that have typos when their email is entered originally.

For example, you can run a mobile campaign that asks users to text a keyword to a specific short code in order to opt in to a campaign. This is an example of a single opt-in. If you ask users to send a keyword and their email address, and then to open their email and confirm their choice to opt in, that’s an example of a double opt-in.

Social Media

You can promote content via any type of social media that requires an email to access. This is the case for many common social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. All require an email address to sign up. Let’s talk through an example. Say Cloud Kicks decides to advertise via Facebook. Their ad shows up in your newsfeed, and you’re interested in the shoes that are being displayed. You click the post, and it goes to the Cloud Kick’s Facebook page. There, you see a link to subscribe to their monthly newsletter. This is a great way to acquire subscribers.

Learn more about how to capture leads using lead capture in the Trailhead module: Advertising Studio Implementation.

In-Store Promotions

Another great way to get customer email addresses is to have sales associates ask for them during the checkout process. For example, stores often offer to email their customers a receipt. Or they offer future deals or informative communications (such as sales) via email.

You also can set up an in-store sign to ask customers to text a code and receive a coupon. This method combines the in-store and mobile methods for opt-in. When they text that code, you can ask them to send their email address along with that code.

Sales and Customer Service Calls

Any call a customer makes to your company is a great opportunity to collect email addresses. When customers call to speak to someone about a recent order they placed or to seek help from a customer service representative, ask for their email address. This helps the service rep access the customer’s account.

Compare Your Options

Now that we’ve explored the various methods for expanding your email lists, let’s take a look at some comparisons of each method’s effectiveness.

Be creative in the ways you drive customers to opt in and to receive regular communication. Building this communication and brand awareness builds customer loyalty and, ultimately, profit!

You now have a steadily growing subscriber pool to send your effective and highly deliverable emails. What’s left to talk about? Our final unit helps you keep your customers happy and your relationship with them fruitful.

Resources

• Salesforce: Easy Ways to Grow Your Email Subscriber Base
  
• Trailhead: Advertising Studio Implementation