When it comes to marketing, email is still the most cost-effective way of reaching your audience and is vital for lead generation. So, if building your subscriber base isn’t yet on your priority list for 2023, it should be.
A subscriber list comprises the names and email addresses captured by your business, including existing clients, prospects, and people who just want to know what your organisation is up to. Being able to create targeted emails to send to your subscriber base is priceless. You get to control the information for your relevant audience and, unlike paid ads, you’re not battling with an algorithm for visibility. People can read the email when it suits them, and easily forward to anyone in their circle.
Email lists aren’t static and need to be updated constantly with new data to remain effective.
Why is this important? Because as with everything in the digital world, ongoing changes means it is harder than ever to capture good quality data. Updates implemented throughout 2022 by Google and iOS impacted search engine rankings across the board and affected the likelihood of your audience seeing your paid ads.
Here are the top three reasons you should build up your subscriber base in 2023.
1. Zero-party data = the key to success
Everyone is aware of data hacks and may have even been personally impacted by data leaks. Globally, laws and legislation are rapidly being updated, and regulators are demanding tougher penalties for organisations that flout data privacy rules.
Consumers are wising up and are taking steps to safeguard their data, which means zero-party data – the information customers willingly share with an organisation – is what every business should be chasing in 2023. You want your target audience to voluntarily provide this information as it benefits both parties: you receive data that helps refine your digital marketing strategies, and your customer receives a better, more personalised experience.
Customers and prospects provide this valuable zero-party data to organisations in a variety of ways, but usually they provide it in order to gain something meaningful. This could be entering online competitions, completing social media polls and filling out short surveys.
Making efforts to build up your subscriber base is going to provide ongoing, free access to this priceless data.
2. Traditional social media platforms are losing their shine
From long-held dominance as the number-one social media site to a company shedding staff and plagued by controversy Meta is causing businesses to rethink their strategies across Meta’s sites.
With the average engagement rate for a Facebook Page post being 0.07% it is easy to see why email marketing is a more effective way of targeting quality leads. An up-to-date, segmented subscriber base allows businesses to create engaging, targeted content that leads to sales.
Organic reach on Facebook has been steadily declining for years, a fact that Meta openly acknowledges. They say: “Of the 1,500+ stories a person might see whenever they log onto Facebook, News Feed displays approximately 300. To choose which stories to show, News Feed ranks each possible story (from more to less important) by looking at thousands of factors relative to each person.”
Compare this to the average email open rate that of up to 28 per cent, according to Campaign Monitor, and the value of email is evident. Having an up-to-date subscriber base will allow you to cut through the social media noise and into the inboxes of quality leads.
3. The future is Web3 – and it requires a subscriber base
The impacts felt by changes from the likes of Google and Apple making cannot be ignored. Web3 is the next iteration of the internet and it is already bringing significant, positive changes for users, businesses and customers.
Brave is the leading Web3 browser and is loved by users for its strong commitment to privacy including the fact that it doesn’t use third-party cookies. Brave allows users to block ads, which puts a huge dent in paid ads performance. While ad options are still limited in the web3 space, email presents an ideal way to share details about your latest Web3 project.
Web3 is all about community, and your email subscribers will form a vital part of your community, especially in the early days of your web3 transition. Your email subscriber list will become your cheerleaders, constructive critics and supporters, and are most likely to share news about your community and offers with others to build up your base.
How do I make people want to sign up for my emails?
That is the million-dollar question! Every organisation wants to get their hands on names and email addresses and send information they think people want. Think about the last time you visited a website: you were probably invited to sign up for some kind of offer, but what is it that made you decide it was worth handing over your email address for? Chances are you were offered something that was valuable to you, such as a free e-book, a discount code, a free resource, access to relevant information, or early access to a sale or release.
Now, think about your target audience: how could you solve a problem for them in exchange for an email sign-up? Is there a resource or offer you could you create just for subscribers? A competition?
Making the sign-up process easy is also important. Don’t overlook places like your YouTube channel, email signature and LinkedIn, and create sign up opportunities in all your digital communications.
And once you have those precious signs ups, don’t forget A/B testing to ensure your email is as enticing as possible, and make sure your email is mobile friendly.
Overwhelmed? The Bubble Co can help you create emails chock-full of personalisation, relevant calls to action and subject lines that increase open rates.
Email remains an important part of your digital marketing strategy, so let us help you get it right.
