How can I collect subscribers at my place of business?

Contact Lists Updated on August 18, 2011

As the online world continues to grow in popularity, with as many as 91% of American adults claiming to use email (according to Pew Internet & American Life Project), it is important that your business is online as well. However, people do still visit stores from time to time and therefore it is crucial that you maximize the in person opportunities as much as possible.

Trying to figure out how to collect contacts face-to-face can feel a little more personal than we are used to, though. But having direct contact with your customers is an excellent way to start building a relationship with them.

Here are just a few ways you can get started:

• Print Your Web Address on everything you can to help direct people to your site. Think of all the physical items that are around you at any given time:
  • Signs
  • Bags for purchases
  • Receipts
  • Business cards
  • Stationary
  • Brochures
  • Packaging for products

  *Note: Make sure you have a clear and obvious signup form on your website. Directing people to your site is great, but giving them a place to sign up for newsletters and such is even better.

• Request the Email Addresses: Being direct and taking the time to ask your existing or prospective customers if they would like to sign up for your newsletter can go a long way. You could offer an incentive for signing up, such as 20% off their next online purchase.
  • When asking for the email addresses, you may want to either verbally request it (whether over the phone or during an in-store purchase) or you can provide a signup sheet or cards somewhere in your store that customers can fill out in their own time.

  *Note: It is not enough to simply ask for the email address. You have to make it clear that you are requesting the information for marketing purposes and receive their permission to send your newsletter to them.

• Promote Your Newsletter in Recorded Information: Instead of having hold music when customers call in, consider having recorded information about your newsletter and website. This will give the caller an opportunity to look up immediate information about you and provide access to your online signup form.

Now that you have a few more options to increase your contact list, you will want to keep it organized. If the email addresses were collected one by one, you will want to create a spreadsheet of the data to import it into your Benchmark Email account. You may also utilize our Copy & Paste feature or manually type in each contact as you collect them.

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