Growing a Database Through Email Marketing

The database of most businesses deteriorates about 25 percent a year. In other words, if you aren’t creating content to re-engage your target audience, the ability to leverage your brand shrinks significantly. That’s why having a strong content strategy is so important.

One way to promote your content strategy that has been largely overlooked lately is email marketing. Many people believe that email marketing is no longer relevant, especially because of social media apps like Facebook messaging. However, such apps, while omnipresent, are woefully inadequate when it comes to collecting customer and prospect data. Email marketing, on the other hand, provides the opportunity to do much more than just send information to inboxes.

It’s human nature that people will subscribe to emails from brands in the hopes of learning about coupons, deals or sales. This is a boon for brands as they get something very valuable in return: customer data. Of course, you don’t want to have to keep throwing freebies at your email subscribers. This is why a long-term email strategy is so important.

Engaging content is the key to keeping subscribers engaged with their permission. After all, no one wants unsolicited emails but when you are granted permission to email customers and prospects, you don’t have to worry about alienating anyone.

So how do you know that your content will resonate with your intended audience? It is important to consider what problems they face and then offer solutions. And when you offer solutions that work, people will begin to trust you and a relationship is formed. The relationship between engaging content, email marketing and growing your database becomes clear at this point.

Of course, email subscribers aren’t going to remain that for long unless it is worth their while. Here’s how to make sure your emails are seen as valuable to subscribers and not just something to delete:

1. Develop a content calendar. You’ve heard this for years but it is as true today as ever. Organize your content and schedule when it will go out. And there is nothing wrong with a series of emails on a particular topic. In fact, this is preferable because it allows you to connect with readers on a deeper level.
2. Strike a balance. Don’t send too many emails but don’t go silent for long periods of time, either. Every three or four weeks is a good pace but over time you will be able to perfect the number of emails to send in a given month. Watching your unsubscribe rate will provide clues to striking the right balance.
3. Avoid salesy subject lines. Remember, people want value not a sales pitch. Make sure your subject lines let readers know that there is value in reading your emails.

Growing your database through email marketing is one of the best marketing decisions you will make. Just make sure that you are adding value beyond one-time offers to keep your target audience coming back for more.