There are no doubts, that your company has an audience that it targets to reach and convert to be in their email list. It may seem too easy but social media is a great avenue to get to your target audience. See, most companies have a massive following on social media yet still struggle with getting people on their email list, why? They ignored their following!

Sure, it is good to have many followers on social media. However, unless you convert your followers to become your email list, not much work will get done. Social media has less engagement and conversion compared to emails. It is, therefore, essential that you focus on growing your email list through social media.

Some companies have tried getting people from social media to email lists but no avail, due to a lack of proper planning and management. Below are a few tips you can consider to ensure success in growing your email list with social media:

Use of different platforms

YouTube – how-to videos.

YouTube is the second largest search engine on the internet – second only to Google. The good thing is, Google owns YouTube. Having a video on YouTube and ranking it on YouTube, thus, makes you rank higher in Google. In doing so, you will be a step closer to gathering a more considerable following through those who the video might interest.

Tutorials help save dire situations in life. They also impart knowledge and aid in the process of learning new things and acquiring different skills. You first have to study your target audience- their problems and interests. Once you know the issues, interests, and pain points of your target audience, it is time to craft YouTube videos that solve them.

YouTube-video-tutorials

You might want to search for the keywords to see the suggested results. That way, you know what keywords you should use in the video description to make it easy for searchers to find you. A link to your website would come in handy in the description, with the offer of more detailed information or helpful tips. Once they arrive, get an email address for the additional information.

LinkedIn – form a group

LinkedIn is a network designed to connect employers with potential employees. It would be smart to leverage the network to bring would-be clients to your business, wouldn’t it? With the use of groups, you have the opportunity to market and speak directly to others who value your skills and build new professional networks as well.

To get email subscribers from LinkedIn groups, begin with optimizing your profile so that it aligns well with the target audience. Instead of trying to sell to everyone, show your expertise, and let it sell you. Then, set up your LinkedIn group and nurture it over time by posting your articles along with great ones from others. Encourage discussion among members.

All of the work is laying the groundwork for when the real efforts begin. You can look up the process of creating a LinkedIn group. Initially, your work input has to be a lot to start discussions. But once it builds, you can now offer them a chance to join your email list in exchange for a lead magnet.

Though it may be time-consuming, you will eventually be in conversations and discussions with those who value your product or service. Ultimately, you will develop relationships and exchange email addresses for further communication. Don’t forget to make one-on-one connections with your group members. The personal links are the best email leads and often make the most loyal clients.

Google Hangouts/ Messenger/ WhatsApp – Host webinars

The webinar is short for a “web-based seminar.” From the name, you can draw that it involves the education of people on something. Webinars on Google Hangouts/ WhatsApp/ Messenger are great since they are free. They are a fantastic chance to answer questions from your to-be customers about your products and services.

Promote your webinar throughout the social media sites, then collect the emails of those that sign up for it. Please make a trailer that showcases what to expect from the webinar. It can also help in promoting the webinar.

Once done with the promotion, you can now invite people through a link embedded in an email or your website. Feel free to utilize all the tools available, which give you the ability to send articles, websites, and online content to your audience.

Instagram run a contest/giveaway (IG stories)

A contest or a giveaway is a small price to pay for a quick but rather significant increase in your email list size. Social contests are engaging to followers and subscribers, and Instagram stories would be just the right place to make it happen.

To get the most out of the contest, you should consider running your promotion or giveaway with a viral contest tool. You can give away your services and products or amazing offers. So, when people sign up for the contest, they join the list. Doing so will significantly increase your email list, especially if they share.

Have multiple prizes of value. To enter, contestants must sign up and provide an email address. Promote your contest on all of your social media accounts. Encourage followers to share the contest with their tribes, and offer a small incentive for doing so. This way, you can network with influencers and entrepreneurs for future collaborations.

Facebook – add a signup CTA button to your profile

You have been busy working to grow your social media audience, why not also grow your email list in the process? On the bio of your Facebook page, you can add a call-to-action (CTA) to redirect traffic from your profile to your website. If you don’t make use of social media CTA’s, you are missing out on a huge opportunity to grab new subscribers.

Social-media-call-to-action-button

Your social media profile should briefly explain the services you offer, the products you sell, and include a call to action. Since it can be used to sign up, it is also another way to grow your email list. From here, one can click on the Signup button and enter the landing page URL or website URL where they get the opt-in form.

Twitter – host Twitter chats

Twitter is a platform to get the like-minded to talk about your product or services. And though you may think otherwise, a Twitter chat about your company’s products may bring several prospective customers. This is especially true in a question-answer forum and discussion about particular topics.

A Twitter chat helps in engaging interested parties in a conversation that can build your social clout. It is also a novel way to interact with new Twitter users, which naturally leads to a dedicated group of potential email leads.

Before you get to even hosting a Twitter chat, you might want to do some research on how it is done. Take part in a few chats in your industry to learn how they are done. We recommend that you create a free, relevant resource that you may give away during the chat. At appropriate times, tweet out the link using the chat hashtag. Users would sign up for your email list.

Pinterest – create and promote gated content using pins

The secret is to use Pinterest SEO to appear on most searches without much digging. If you would like to reach a larger audience, you can employ the use of PickWriters to reach people that speak different languages. After sharing stunning and relevant content on Pinterest for some time, your account will gather traction; you can then refer to gated content in blog posts.

Gated content is content that is hidden until the visitor supplies their email address. Ensure that you gate the best content. The math is simple: exchange your best material for their emails. Though it may seem less convincing, it is quite useful.

Popup-for-gated-content

Medium – write and share great content

Use your skills to come up with engaging and entertaining articles and blog posts that will promote your services and educate your prospective customers about your services. Use the chance to give insight into your company’s uniqueness and dedication to a customer.

Using the most thought-provoking perspectives, come up with compelling articles that will sway readers to gain interest in what you offer. If done with finesse and skill, the newest of readers may join your email list and eventually become loyal customers. Just be sure to add a CTA at the end of the article.

Some general tips

Use SlideShare lead generator

You may have heard of SlideShare and that it allows you to take existing PowerPoints and share them online with anyone who searches for them. But I bet you didn’t know that you can also turn that traffic into leads on SlideShare, did you? Yes! SlideShare has an inbuilt social media lead generation tool.

Slideshare

You first upload a slideshow that you’ve created or create a new one there. Then, customize the generated lead form to include any information you want to gather, your targeting, as well as lead form placement, and your budget for the project. You also decide which slide you want the lead form to appear after and if the completion of the lead form is mandatory or not. If you make completion necessary, then your old presentation becomes a new lead magnet.

Share great content on social media

To stay relevant and popular among fans and followers, and to get more followers, you should share unique and eye-catching content. Social media is full of people browsing every day for new things to explore, if they find amazing content from you, then they might join.

Inappropriate content may lead to your social media account being closed if reported. Worse still, it is done without prior information. It is, therefore, imperative that you post appropriate, engaging, and up-to-date content on your social media pages.

Be consistent on all platforms

Your audience wants to see your one-off promotion on one social platform only. You require consistency in your promotions and use multiple platforms to attract and engage your entire audience. It is easier for you to attract a new subscriber from any platform instead of just posting from one social media platform.

Always offer something in exchange

Though you may try much to decorate your signup request, if the user doesn’t see any reasonable offer, then they may not sign up. Start by making an offer they can’t resist; access to a secret video perhaps. The user needs a strong enough incentive to give up their email address anywhere. Is your offer enough?

Offer a whitepaper, an e-book, a discount, or any other thing that your audience will see as valuable. It is more like a bribe that one would care to admit. As long as the prize is satisfactory to the user, they shall make it in your email list without hesitation.

Cross-promotion

Cross-promotion is all about expanding the reach of your products. It can be done through marketing across different media or even collaborating with another company. Your newsletters should also get market from across all social media platforms.

If you choose to network with another company, choose a trustworthy firm that relates to what your business offers. Ensure that they are also credible, as their products will be linked to you. Do it right, and you will get the fans of the other company in your email list.

In a nutshell, people on social media follow the pros and amateurs alike. What separates them is the conversion of followers to the email list. The pros have mastered social media email conversions, hence better suited to prosper. Social media, when used appropriately, can propel your business to the next level of profitability.