Home > Email Marketing Articles > Building an Email Marketing List

[ Building an Email Marketing List ] By Arthur Antigone

A well selected email marketing list will assure that your message is sent to a targeted audience of consumers. Targeted consumers are more likely to buy products and services from you than the general public. There are many different types of email marketing lists to select from. It is important that you select the list that works best for your business. Below you’ll find some tips for creating the best email marketing list.

Building a Good Email Marketing List

When first starting out you probably will have a small email list. Fortunately there are many steps you can take to build your list. Here are some examples of easy and cost-effective ways to build your email marketing lists:

• Networking - Networking is an easy way to build your marketing list. Your goal is to gather as many email addresses as possible to expand your customer base. You can network online and in person. One of the easiest ways to network with people is by exchanging business cards. Most people provide an email address and other contact information on their business card. If you do collect information this way, be sure to contact the individual personally first and tell them you plan to add them to your list. While many people are fine with this, others are not. You don’t want to waste time sending email to someone that is not interested or worse, may be upset if you email them.
  
  
• Seminars and Tradeshows - Off-line seminars and tradeshows provide perfect opportunities for gathering email. All you need to do is lay out a sheet of paper and ask people to sign up or opt in for your newsletter or other monthly mailings. You can also have people sign up for additional information while at the seminar or tradeshow. This is one of the easiest ways to get bulk listings of new client email addresses.
  
  
• Direct Mail - Direct mail is the safest and most traditional method of targeting customers. One way to do this is to simply send a postcard to recipients providing them with your site address. Offer them some incentive for visiting and signing up for your newsletter or other monthly mailings.

Keep in mind you can also buy lists or rent opt in lists to increase your customer base. This is a quick and easy way to access large numbers of people in a short amount of time. If you decide to do this, make sure the company you select will target the audience you need your message sent to.

Recommended Way to Build Your Lists

We use and recommend email marketing service FXstyle. FXstyle makes is very easy to build your permission-based lists and create, send, and track professional permission-based emails newsletters, surveys, and autoresponders.