Should You Be Using an Email List – Top Reasons to Build an Email List

As a business owner, it’s up to you to be juggling many tasks and responsibilities at one time, making it hard to give one area your full attention. What this means is that issues can sometimes fall through the cracks, or you may miss out on opportunities that can help your business to grow and succeed.

One area that doesn’t always get as much attention as it deserves is a company’s marketing efforts. This can be even truer for small start-up companies that figure they don’t have the budget for a marketing plan.

Unfortunately, without a robust online and offline marketing plan, it can be pretty difficult to build a loyal customer following and really grow your company. The important thing to remember about marketing is that not every avenue needs to cost a fortune, as there are many cost-effective ways you can go about advertising and marketing.

This leads us to the use of email lists, which don’t always get the attention they deserve. Email list building can be an incredibly effective marketing tool when done and used correctly. Here, we’ll take a look at why you should be using an email list.

What is an Email List?

Firstly, let’s define what an email list is. An email list is also referred to as an email contact list. The information gathered for the list can then be used to send out promotional and marketing material.

There are four different types of email lists you can use. These are opt-out, which means the person is automatically signed up for the list until they opt-out; opt-in, which means the person must provide their email address and choose to opt-into the list; rented, which will have you renting a list of emails from a third-party (a list provider); and purchased, which means you have purchased a list of email addresses from a third-party.

Each type of email list has its own list of pros and cons, so it’s important to weigh your options before making any sort of decision. Be clear on what kind of results you are after and the audience you are targeting.

A great resource for learning more about the different types of lists is a blog on the SendinBlue website, which also discusses email list building in general. SendinBlue is an email marketing and marketing automation platform.

It allows users to manage contacts, design professional looking emails, send them out, and then track the results. Regardless of the type of email list, an automation platform such as the SendinBlue one will make the process smoother, faster and, of course, ensure it looks professional at all times.

Why Use an Email List?

So, why use an email list? There isn’t just one simple answer. Rather, there are many reasons that an email list can prove to be an excellent choice for you and your company.

One huge benefit is the fact it gives you the ability to reach out to customers and inform them about important things such as new product offerings, promotions, deals, and other valuable information. Customers aren’t necessarily checking your website on a regular daily basis, so this is a great way to keep them informed.

Another big benefit is the fact that customers who are on your email list tend to be the ones that purchase from you. People don’t appreciate all kinds of junk in their inbox, so if they have opted-into your list or haven’t canceled their subscription, then it shows they are interested in hearing from you.

Sending out a blast email is very cost-effective in terms of marketing efforts. You can build an entire email marketing campaign for relatively little money yet get very strong results from it.

You also have the freedom to send out as many or as few emails as you see fit. Now with that in mind, it’s a good idea to do a little research on what your customers/audience would prefer.

The email should always contain valuable information and content, so if you are just sending out blasts for the sake of sending something it’s time to re-examine your approach. Likely, it means you don’t need to be sending them out as frequently. The last thing you want to do is be marked as spam by your target audience.

If you don’t happen to be on any social networks, then an email can act as a great alternative. That’s not to say it replaces things such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, but it can help to fill the gap if your business isn’t active on those platforms.

It Could Be Exactly What Your Company Needs

So, as you look to grow your business and find efficient ways to market your products and services, email list building is most definitely something you will want to look into and figure out how you can use it to your advantage.