The growth of our mailing lists is usually our biggest concern. Email marketing is only successful if we always have a fresh supply of new email addresses. The American Marketing Sherpa is constantly looking for the right strategies that our colleagues put into action.
In their research in December 2012, they learned that over fifty percent of surveyed email marketers noticed a spontaneous and positive trend in their email marketing lists. The number of registrations is again higher than the number of unsubscribes. Net that means growth. There was a time when that was different. Of course, one question emerges: ‘what tactics are being used to grow the lists?
Hurray for tradition
It may come as no surprise that more than 77% percent of respondents placed their eggs in traditional baskets. The classic form on the website remains number one. The second option, social media lags behind more than thirty percent. Maybe that’s logical. A registration form requires little effort and with the right ‘call to action’ it is still the best email address catcher.
Social media
Social media have meanwhile gained a second place in the ranking. Only here is it all a little more complicated. Where the various email platforms offer standard ’embedding’ of registration forms, you need to do things differently in social media. To achieve an opt-in through a social campaign, you are usually required to build an app. That’s why you’re dealing with a different budget and a different price tag per email address.
Definitely don’t buy
Because apparently, we don’t really like paying for an email address. Paid search, co-registration and other activities that collect email addresses based on purchases also score relatively low. It certainly supports the idea that an email address that comes in spontaneously is worth more than a paid email address. Whether they’re dealing with real euros or a gift makes no difference. The commitment of a spontaneous opt-in is still the greatest, the conversion will certainly follow.
Offline
And then there is still a nice conclusion coming from this survey. The offline events get a score of 47 percent. That is eight percent more than online events. People with pencil and paper collecting an email address still appear to work. It supports the philosophy that many trend watchers today still continue to preach. The quickest way to online could also be offline.
Conclusion
You can certainly conclude from this study that the registration form is still the main source for email addresses. At the same time it is clear that this channel perhaps is traditionally the strongest, but it is also a good idea to stimulate list growth in as many ways as possible.
