{"id":2173,"date":"2018-11-19T16:06:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T16:06:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=2173"},"modified":"2023-10-18T17:35:41","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T17:35:41","slug":"7-steps-better-email-marketing-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/ca\/blog\/7-steps-better-email-marketing-list\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Steps to Building a Better Email Marketing List"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Even the best email marketing content in the world doesn\u2019t matter very much if there\u2019s no one to whom you can send it. For some organizations, a robust email database can be the cornerstone for driving demand, nurturing leads and helping continue a strong customer experience after a sale is made.<\/p>\n

Then there are the organizations — let\u2019s just admit it\u2019s the majority — whose email list<\/a> may leave something to be desired.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just a matter of collecting a large number of email addresses. Over the past several years several laws have emerged which make it clear that any business communication can only be sent to those who have a clear and established relationship of some kind. The Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL)<\/a> rules, for instance, are designed to ensure business professionals aren\u2019t getting bombarded with unsolicited marketing from companies they\u2019ve never encountered before.<\/p>\n

While this might seem to make building a better email marketing list<\/a> more challenging, it actually helps ensure that the quality of your database becomes much more important than the quantity. By working harder to have customers and prospects opt in to hear more from you via email in the future, you stand a much better chance of achieving a healthier open rate and click-throughs back to your website.<\/p>\n

That also means marketing teams should bear in mind that building a better email list is not merely a matter of buying or renting names and addresses from someone else. It\u2019s about weaving the list-building process into day-to-day activities, along with some more tactical projects, to get the names and addresses you need over time. You don\u2019t always need a large list to get great results initially, but if your list keeps growing you\u2019ll be able to set even more ambitious marketing goals in 2019 and beyond.<\/p>\n

All of the following are helpful ideas, but the first one may be the most important step: <\/p>\n

1. Build the Highest Quality Invitation to Join Your Email List Possible <\/h2>\n

There are all kinds of businesses that will have a little box somewhere on their website that says something along the lines of, \u201cSign Up To Receive Updates!\u201d followed by a field for someone to put in their address. This often yields poor results, for a number of reasons. In the first place, many people might not be sure what kind of email content they\u2019ll be receiving, how often they\u2019ll receive it and how else their contact information might be used.<\/p>\n

Instead, develop a more thoughtful and enticing invitation to join your email database. This could include:<\/p>\n