Your email marketing copy is on point, you have several automated email workflows, and nothing is stopping you from turning recipients into paying clients. That is, except for your small subscriber base, which consists of yourself, a few friends, and your admiring parents (thanks, Mom and Dad!). You need new subscribers, stat. Good news—email marketing lead generation can help you reach your goals.
What is lead generation in email marketing? It’s the process of attracting new subscribers to your email list. The more subscribers you have, the easier it is to develop strong customer relationships, increase brand loyalty, and enhance sales. When you have an audience that looks forward to your emails, you’ll see the returns in higher click-throughs, open rates, and overall customer engagement.
Most businesses place email marketing in their top three most effective marketing channels. It’s also quite lucrative, with just $1 in marketing spend generating an average of $36 in revenues.
Best practices for email marketing lead generation
Before embarking on an email marketing lead generation strategy, it is essential to nail down a few campaign must-haves.
Identify your target audience
Not everyone will want the products or services you offer. Rather than waste your energy marketing to uninterested consumers or businesses, focus on your target customer base. Set up a few customer personas that represent the people who buy from you according to their demographics, buying behaviors, and interests. When you understand your target audience, it’s much easier to market to them.
Create a clear and effective email marketing for lead generation strategy
How do you plan to generate leads for your email marketing list? One of the most common methods is through an opt-in on your website, but you can try other strategies, too. For instance, you can ask clients who visit your brick-and-mortar location to sign up or advertise your email list through social media.
Whatever strategies you use, make the sign-up process easy. Few customers want to spend valuable time filling out a lengthy form. Ask for basic information only: the client’s email address and name. You can always ask for more details after they sign up.
Design emails that convert
Every email you send should have a goal. When you have a goal, it’s easier to avoid messages that bog down your campaign. You’ll also find it simpler to track campaign performance.
Structure your message content around your goal to improve conversions. For instance, if you want clients to buy something, you can include product pictures and testimonials, followed by a purchase link.
Craft compelling subject lines
Nearly half of email recipients decide whether to open an email based on its subject line. And an unopened email means no chance of conversion. To maximize your open rates, write subject lines that subscribers can’t skim over. Try these tips:
- Emphasize the value of the email’s contents, such as a discount or product preview.
- Personalize subject lines based on subscriber attributes.
- Create a sense of urgency.
- Keep subject lines to the point.
Remember, strong subject lines equal strong performance. If you need extra inspiration, download Constant Contact’s guide to subject lines that boost engagement.
Develop a strong call-to-action
All emails should include a call-to-action (CTA). The CTA tells subscribers what you want them to do. Your CTA can be sales-oriented or something else entirely, such as signing up for your next free webinar or leaving a customer testimonial. Place your CTA prominently within your email so subscribers won’t miss it.
Set up automated email campaigns
If you plan on manually conducting your email marketing efforts, you’re missing out on automation benefits. While there are use cases for manual email marketing, most brands use automation to save time and enhance results.
Try setting up marketing automation workflows for new subscriber welcome emails, purchase confirmations, and drip campaigns. Automation allows you to instantly send messages triggered by specific customer actions, such as signing up for your email list or browsing products.
Utilize social media for greater reach
Email marketing is powerful, but you can expand your efforts with social media. Make sure your social media followers understand the value of your email list. They won’t hesitate to share their contact info if they know they’re missing out on valuable content that is only available through email.
Offer content upgrades and gated content
If your email subscribers can find all your content through your website and social media accounts, they have little reason to sign up for your email list. Try making premium content available only to email subscribers. Then, customers have no choice but to sign up for your mailing list if they want access to your best content.
Segment your email list for targeted campaigns
Brands that serve a broad audience benefit from targeted email campaigns. Try setting up different workflows for your products and services based on audience pain points and buying motivations. The idea is to deliver timely and relevant messages based on subscriber traits rather than sending email blasts to everyone on your list.
Optimize emails for mobile devices
Many people read email on smartphones and tablets, not desktop computers. Optimize email content for small and large screens using responsive templates and clear-cut designs. If your emails contain lots of text, break it into skimmable paragraphs that are easy on the eyes.
Avoid using ‘No-Reply’ email addresses
A no-reply email address means customers can’t respond directly to your message. Instead, they must find another way to contact you. Remove any communication barriers so you can engage in easy back-and-forth messaging if your client wants to.
Regularly clean and update your email lists
Over time, you might see an increase in hard and soft bounces as subscribers stop using an email or reading your messages. Pay attention to bounces and remove subscribers when necessary to avoid degrading your sender’s reputation.
Advanced lead generation techniques
Once you feel confident in your basic email marketing lead generation strategy, you can move on to a few pro techniques to enhance results.
Leverage industry-specific webinars for lead capture
Webinars are an excellent tool for email marketing B2B lead generation. Schedule an upcoming webinar concerning topics related to your market and promote it among your target audience. When people ask to attend, ask for their email addresses to register for the event.
Personalization techniques to increase open rates
The more personal an email feels, the more likely a subscriber will act on it. Find ways to personalize your content beyond simply using the recipient’s name. Speak to their specific pain points or motivations to encourage readers to open your message.
Collaborate with partners for extended outreach
Some brands might be open to collaboration, where you promote each other’s mailing lists and products or services. Try approaching non-competitors for a potential advertising collaboration. For instance, you can partner with a local business that offers complementary products and ask them to promote your email list in their customer communications.
Leveraging email marketing software and tools
Take advantage of lead generation email marketing tools to increase sign-ups and automate some processes. You can integrate a list sign-up app into your website or use social media tools to capture email addresses from followers who opt into your mailing list.
Use referral bonuses and incentives to expand reach
Positive word of mouth about your business can do wonders for your customer base. Encourage your happiest clients to share their experience, and offer a small referral bonus or incentive to new customers who join your list based on a friend’s recommendation. You’ll accomplish two goals: rewarding clients for their loyalty while growing your customer base.
Implement lead scoring to prioritize prospects
Some new subscribers might be better leads than others. Set up a lead scoring system to evaluate new subscribers based on browsing behaviors and interest in your products. Then, prioritize prospects with the highest chances of converting based on lead scores.
Integrate with a CRM for efficient lead management
Over time, your subscriber list might become quite unwieldy. Get a handle on the problem early by investing in customer relationship management (CRM) software to manage client interactions. You can store key client data in your CRM software, such as traits, prior purchases, and recent communications with your business. Use the data to target customers in your email marketing efforts.
Technical aspects of email marketing
While most of the best email marketing for lead generation strategies revolve around collecting new subscribers and writing compelling copy, you should also consider technical aspects.
Choosing the right email marketing software
Your email marketing software can make or break your strategy. Look for software that aligns with your brand’s needs and offers helpful features to make your efforts successful. A few features you can benefit from include customizable email marketing templates, automation tools, and analytics to monitor campaign performance.
Hint, hint — Constant Contact offers all those features, plus many more. Pro tip: Use our Content Generator powered by AI to help you write email copy that aligns with your brand voice and goals.
A/B testing strategies and best practices
Try changing a small aspect of your email, such as your subject line, to see if it impacts your open rates or click-throughs. Test changes among a small sliver of subscribers and note any significant differences in your analytics. Use the winning combination of content with your customer base.
Set up effective email automation
Email automation workflows are a tremendous time-saver and can significantly enhance your campaign results. Design and test workflows around typical customer journeys. For instance, you might trigger an abandoned cart sequence when a client fails to finalize a purchase.
Key performance indicators for email marketing
Set a few metrics to evaluate your email campaign performance. Open rates and click-through metrics are pretty common, but you can test other key performance indicators relevant to your campaign, such as email shares or ROI. Set benchmarks to aim for, then compare results to your goals. If you fall short, try tweaking elements of your campaign.
Creative elements of email design
Try to go beyond heavy text-oriented emails in favor of concise messaging and relevant images. Here are a few creative elements to incorporate:
- Flexible template: A responsive template makes your email readable no matter what device your subscriber uses.
- Brand images: Including your company logo and other branding improves brand awareness and recognition among recipients.
- Mobile-friendly CTAs: If your email includes links, ensure mobile viewers can quickly take action on your landing page.
Common challenges in email lead generation
You might run into a few setbacks as you start a campaign, which is entirely normal. Here’s how to address them.
Email marketing misunderstandings
Did a client complain about your recent marketing email? Or ask you how they ended up on your list? Take the time to respond directly to customer complaints and inquiries. When customers see you care about your subscribers and aren’t looking to spam them, they’ll be more receptive to your marketing messages.
Low engagement rates
Over time, subscribers might show less interest in your email marketing messages. Turn things around with an effective win-back strategy. Encourage them to engage with your business by offering something of value, like an exclusive discount or access to a free product trial.
Tackling GDPR and other email compliance issues
The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) governs how companies handle the personal data of European Union residents. Failing to comply with GDPR can result in heavy fines and penalties. There might be privacy regulations in other countries you need to comply with, as well.
To avoid inadvertently breaking the law, talk to a knowledgeable attorney who can explain your responsibilities concerning email marketing. At a minimum, always get a customer’s written consent before sending email marketing messages.
Software and tools for enhancing email marketing
You can use several different platforms to augment your email marketing campaigns. A few of the most common include Constant Contact, Brevo, and Mailchimp.
- Constant Contact: Includes customizable templates, lead generation forms, AI content creation options, automated workflows, and a powerful analytics platform.
- Brevo: Provides essential customer personalization tools, content management system integration, and marketing automation tools.
- Mailchimp: Offers generative AI tools, pre-designed templates, segmentation options, and analytics.
Most email marketing software solutions offer a free trial so you can explore their features before committing to a plan.
Use email marketing lead generation to grow your business
Attracting new subscribers is often the most challenging part of email marketing. However, with the right strategies, you can build a sizable community of followers interested in your marketing messages. Start by crafting a well-honed email marketing strategy, then promote your email list through various channels, including your website and social media accounts. As your list grows, you can try new strategies, such as partner collaborations or offering referral bonuses.
