The Importance of Building Your Opt-In Email Database

Building an opt-in database of potential and existing customers is an important part of your marketing and business growth strategy. The ability to communicate offers, changes, relevant information, and sales in a cost-effective manner can increase sales, result in a higher rate of conversion than other online marketing activities, and widen the awareness of your brand and business.

The Australian Spam Act 2003 covers all electronic communications – email, SMS, faxes – and outlines that businesses must ensure that any messages are:

Many businesses rely on social media to send out offers, promotions, and information; however, the truth is that one of the huge advantages of email marketing is that most businesses achieve about a 20% open rate on email and a .3% opt-out rate . Compare that to social media where your news is likely to be lost in the constant information being delivered – or worse, never actually appears in your followers feeds. Email marketing is almost more important than social media, but admittedly not as shiny and new.

To build an opt-in database you should ask for email addresses at every touchpoint possible – in person, on the phone, when making a sale, or simply making an enquiry. Use every opportunity on your website to build your opt-in database. Offer a free regular email update which includes promotions, news, information, etc. Create whitepapers and interesting reports that people need to give you their email address in order to access.

Make it a regular business practice to always ask for email addresses and if they would like to receive offers, news, and promotions while also collecting the contact information.