Collecting Email Addresses

When people think of collecting email addresses they often think of websites and website forms.

However to collect email addresses you don't need a website, and you certainly shouldn't be limiting your email collection to just your website form.

Any business can collect email addresses to stay in touch, and because email is less intrusive than a phone call more people will willingly give their email address than their telephone number.

Tell Them Why You Want it

When collecting addresses always make clear to them why you want it and what you will do with it. This is especially true for email addresses that are collected offline as the subscribers may not be so internet savvy

Online Email Collection Methods

Visitors to your website require a reason to part with their email address so you need to offer something in exchange.  The most common methods of capturing email addresses are:

• Offer free download (ebook,report etc)
• Free Competition
• Free Newsletter
• Free Software /tool

Offline Email Collection Methods

• Ask for it when you talk to your customers on the phone. This strategy is particularly useful for consultants, restaurants, cinemas etc. In short any business that currently asks for a return phone number can ask for an email address.
• Ask for it when making a sale. Again especially useful for businesses that ask for an address (making deliveries).
• Use competitions and notify via winners email.
• Ask/encourage your existing subscribers to forward your email to a friend.

Using Email Effectively

When you send out an email to your list the recipient is always given an option to unsubscribe. You need therefore need to give them a good reason not to.

It is therefore important that you only send an email that contains genuinely useful information. It is also a good idea to offer your email subscribers ethical bribes to stay subscribed by including them in a special/inner circle.

This could mean that they receive special discounts, advance notifications etc.

• Email Marketing For Small Businesses
• Why Use An Autoresponder
• Autoresponder Guide
• Autoresponder Review