Email marketing ... How to build an email mailing list

How do I start an email mailing list?

This is a question I get asked quite a lot, so I've put together 5 ideas to help start building up your email mailing list.

1) Have mailing list sign up forms on your website

You can do this a number of ways, for example:

• Mailing list subscription pop-ups
  • This is the box that pops up and prompts the website visitor to input their name and email address to sign up to your mailing list. Then they will receive updates, your newsletter and latest items mailshots
     
• Mailing list sign up on contact forms
  • At the bottom of your contact forms, your websites visitors have the option to opt into your mailing list at the same time as sending you an enquiry
     
• Mailing list sign up order forms
  • As above you would have the option on an order form you may have on your website.
     
• Footer of your website
  • You can have a sign upto the mailing list form in the footer at the bottom of your website

Screenshot: The Old Dairy Antiques

2) Collect email addresses at fairs

When you are exhibiting at fairs and other events, you should collect email addresses from the people you meet and add them to your mailing list (with their express permission of course). The chances are they will want to hear from you if they are interested in your stock, so this is great way to get your website back in front of them again and hopefully gain some repeat business.

In the photo: Geoffrey Stead Antiques at Olympia fair

3) Collect the email addresses of anyone you sell anything to!

Whether you have a shop, or people call you to buy something, or you have a stall somewhere it's a good idea to collect email addresses of the people you sell stock to. A lot of people miss out on this opportunity but it's really good for beefing up your mailing list, getting good quality subscribers and repeat business.

In the photo: Mark Seabrook

4) Have a mailing list sign up sheet in your shop

Another way you could collect email addresses is to simply have a sheet in your shop where people can leave their email addresses and sign up for updates on your stock. You could place this by the counter, by the door or anywhere in your shop that it will be noticed. People generally want to be kept in the loop about what you're upto and what stock you have coming in so again, this is another great way to collect email addresses that you perhaps wouldn't have gotten otherwise.

5) Promote your mailing list on Social media

Get people signing up to your mailing list by promoting it on your Social media accounts. You can direct them to your websites contact page by posting links to your social accounts, so that they are the first to know when you have some fantastic new stock coming in!

Do remember to get permission though; don’t just add people randomly otherwise you might be breaking the law

In line with the recent GDPR legislations, you will need to make sure that you have had permission to send marketing from anyone you add onto your mailing list, as if you have randomly added them on without their say so, you would be breaking the law and of course no one wants to do that! So if you collect them manually, it's a good idea to ask them if it's okay for you to send them email marketing first.
 

Get in touch

Our websites have a fantastic built in email marketing facility, that allows you to easily send out your latest item email mailshots in two minutes flat and collect email addresses via contact form and the other methods above. Contact us today to find out how we can help you sell online easily.