How to effectively acquire quality email subscribers...and keep them

We learned in class that the highest quality email subscribers are the ones acquired organically, as opposed to co-registrations and purchased lists. Intuitively, it makes sense that those who make a decision to sign-up and take the time to do so will be more engaged than those who did not make that conscious decision.

Yet how do we acquire these high quality subscribers, particularly if your company is a start-up with low brand awareness (as is the case with the company we are working with for our project)? According to a recent report by ExactTarget, marketers tend to use tactics like general email sign-up forms on their website, sign-up requests specific to different section of their website and email capture via Facebook to grow their email lists. While these tactics are used most often, they are not always the most effective.

These less often used tactics are actually more effective, according to the marketers surveyed:

• Paid search advertisements that drive to landing pages with email opt-ins (50% effective)
• The option to opt into email when viewing mobile app content (59% effective)
• Requiring an email address in order to register a mobile app (55% effective)

The paid search option seems to be harvesting that purchase intent and mobile app users have taken the time to download the app and are using it, so they are already more engaged with the company.

So once you've acquired these highly engaged email subscribers, how do you keep them?

1. Use the data you have to understand your subscribers. You may even want to segment them by demographics, customer type (e.g. have they purchased your product in the past or are they a potential customer), or usage type (e.g. how are they / would they use your product or service, what problem / job is your product or service solving / doing for them). Inserting polls into the emails themselves can be a great way to collect additional data on your subscribers.
2. Once you understand your subscribers, send them relevant content that is sharable. Email is really a relationship management tool, not simply a selling tool. If you want to hold on to them, you need to entertain / educate / engage them, not just tell them about how great your products and services are and why they should want to buy them.
3. Offer different subscriber options when they click "unsubscribe". Allow them to choose what kinds of emails they will receive from you and how often, so they will feel empowered and be less likely to unsubscribe all together.