Effective lead capture is the backbone of effective email remarketing. Without a well developed email list, it doesn’t matter how good your messaging is, you won’t be reaching people. That being said, the average person receives around 88 emails a day – and most folks aren’t clamoring to increase that number.
Fortunately, there are several tried and true methods for expanding your list. They all boil down to one basic idea – reciprocity. If customers are going to give you their email address, they have to feel it’s worth it. If your list is looking a bit lean these days, here are 4 ways to make sure that you’re using effective lead capture strategies to grow your customer list.
1. Offer a Discount
One of the simplest ways to capture leads is to offer visitors an emailed coupon. This not only adds to your list, it increases the likelihood that the customer will complete their purchase. Incentives often come in the form of product discounts. However, research has shown repeatedly that customers respond best to free shipping offers. In fact, 90% of shoppers report appreciating free shipping more than a modest discount.
If you’re a B2B business, consider offering visitors an extended free trial of your service, or a discount on their first month. These sorts of offers can be hugely valuable to interested parties. Additionally, offering an extended trial helps ensure that the leads you’re gathering are actually interested in becoming your customers.
2. Offer Great Content
Another effective lead capture strategy is to offer content. The main caveat, of course, is that the content must be enticing. If your company is a B2B, consider offering an ebook or a guide that is likely to appeal to your target audience. Although, if you don’t have any such content, it’s worth working on. It often costs far less in the long run to gather leads via content than it does to gather them with discount incentives.
If you’re a B2C company, consider creating a digital publication of some variety, whether that’s a magazine, newsletter, or podcast. But if you’re not planning to offer an incentive with the subscription, the content needs to be insightful. If you’re just planning to throw together an infographic in 30 minutes, you may get leads, but you won’t keep them for long.
3. Long Forms = So Long, Leads
It’s happened to everyone. You’re filling out a form and every single box is a required field. And the required fields seem oddly specific. When forms ask for a personal phone number and home address, it’s an immediate turn off.
One form I was filling out asked for my supervisor’s name and email address; I immediately abandoned it. The truth is, there’s no reason that a company sending me an e-book should need that information. Sure, they can have my name and email. But no, I don’t want a rep calling my cell phone (or God forbid, my manager’s cell phone) to make a sales pitch.
If people are interested in the content you’re providing, they’ll come to you. Just ensure you’re using strong and well placed CTAs. All you’ll earn by asking for too much information is a bad reputation. Long story short- ask for the basic information you need, and nothing more.
4. Don’t Barrage People
Bombarding your contacts is a surefire way to shrink your list, fast.
Having lots of content is great, and it’s natural to want to share it with people. But sending too many emails can quickly erase the new leads you’ve gathered. Suddenly, one step forward becomes two steps back situation.
There’s no magic rule for how many emails is appropriate, but generally, 3 per week is a good middle ground. Your customers may like your content, but they probably don’t need to hear from you Every. Single. Day. Let me rephrase that. They don’t want to hear from you every single day. Unless they specifically signed up for daily emails, sending with such frequency is overkill in the first degree.
Not if you’re just sending them marketing content. Stick to a few times a week at most and you’ll be able to distribute your content while keeping your list healthy.
Breaking it Down
Effective lead capture has to engage your customers. Growing your list is a vital part of e-commerce success, but there are obstacles that must be overcome. The most important aspect of this is adding value. If you’re not sure what value your emails add, it’s time to take a serious look at your email strategy.
Looking for More Ways to Increase Your Conversions?
Check out UpSellit’s 27 Attributes of an Effective Email. This in-depth guide covers the ins-and-outs of crafting the perfect remarketing email. It’s a great resource and it’s totally free! Download it today and start writing awesome emails that convert.
