Email marketing is great, but it’s not very effective if you have a teeny tiny email list.
You can create the best email in the world, but if it’s not landing in front of the right people, it won’t have much of an impact.
While it’s true that there are several ways to grow email lists, there’s one that eCommerce businesses can always rely on — social media.
That’s right! Social media isn’t just an amazing place to promote your products and drive sales. It’s also a supercharged lead generation tool!
In this post, we’ll show you 7 ways to grow your email list using social media. You’ll also learn how Sendlane fits into your lead generation strategy with its various integrations and features!
Ready? Let’s get into it.
7 ways to grow your email list in Sendlane using social media
1. Add a Facebook action button
Did you know you can easily add a “Sign Up” button to your Facebook page?
Facebook’s action buttons work in the same way as the “Like” or “Follow” buttons, and are displayed under the cover photo of your business’s page; like this example from Allbirds.
You can follow these steps to add a sign-up button to your Facebook page.
Now, whenever a user clicks on this button, they’ll be taken to your website’s landing page to sign up for your email list!
Pro tip: Encourage your followers to sign up by offering something in return, such as a newsletter, freebie or redeemable loyalty points!
2. Host contests and giveaways
Everyone loves winning and/or getting free stuff, which is why contests and giveaways are a great way to grab some email addresses!
And what better place to host a contest than on social media?
Instagram, for example, is the go-to platform for eCommerce brands that want to host giveaways.
Post an attractive picture of a gift or bundle that you’re planning on giving away, and ask your followers to join your email list for an entry. Then, randomly pick one or more winners at a set date!
Here’s an example of a giveaway from Bones Coffee Company.
Bones Coffee Co. asks their followers to click on the link in their bio to register for the giveaway. When they click on the link, they’re taken to a landing page where they can sign up using their email address!
Get even more out of your contests and giveaways by asking followers to do more than just sign up. If the prize is worth it, they might even be willing to tag their friends in your post, share your post on their stories or follow other accounts you’re collaborating with.
Make the offer irresistible by offering multiple entries to followers who complete all the steps!
Sendlane integrates with tons of apps that help you run contests and giveaways so you can automatically sync new sign ups to your email list. Some of these apps are Outgrow, Fyrebox, Vyper, Gleam, ViralSweep, and Upviral.
3. Run paid social media ads
Running paid ads on social media can give you an edge over your competitors. It also helps you put your brand in front of a larger, more targeted audience!
One of the best platforms to run paid ads on is Facebook. It offers the highest click-through rate out of all other social media platforms — as much as 3.90%!
Instead of only creating ads about your products, run ads that encourage people to sign up. For example, you can offer incentives like exclusive deals, freebies, and downloads in return.
Sendlane’s Facebook Custom Audiences integration lets you retarget your existing subscribers on Facebook. If you’ve used this integration before, you can easily create Lookalike audiences and show your ads to people who match the characteristics of your existing subscribers. This can help you quickly fill your email list with the right contacts!
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4. Add links to your Stories
Did you know that 6 out of 10 users become more interested in a brand/product after seeing it in Stories?
Use this opportunity to create engaging stories that entice followers to join your email list. You can create Stories on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Twitter and even TikTok.
On Instagram, you can add links to your Stories by adding the link sticker! Your audience simply needs to tap on this sticker to open the link.
Here’s how Beis Travel is using Stories to build their email list leveraging new products launches and restock announcements:
5. Create freebie boards on Pinterest
Creating a freebie board on Pinterest is a tried-and-true way to grab emails in return for free stuff. People are usually looking for inspiration and resources on Pinterest, so it’s a good idea to offer things like buying guides, catalogs, recipe books, design inspo and trend collections.
Here’s an example of a Pinterest lead gen tactic from The Knot:
The link takes pinners to a sign-up page to take the quiz and shop for the wedding products that suit them:
Pinners will appreciate the value they’re getting out of these downloads, and they’ll be more than happy to drop their email addresses with you if you can help save their time searching for individual products!
6. Engage with customers on Twitter
Twitter is an amazing platform for creating a community and engaging with your target audience. The best part? You can grow your email list in the process.
Whether you’re using a Twitter chat bot or manually engaging with customers, you can reach out to them in their private inboxes from time to time to see if they’d like to join your email list.
We’re not saying be creepy and slide into random DMs — pay attention to the accounts that follow you, show interest and regularly engage with your brand.
Smart eCommerce brands also use this opportunity to offer exceptional customer support on Twitter; like this example from Rothys:
Customers often use Twitter to have direct conversations with brands, voice their concerns, ask questions and even vent their frustration. You can publicly or privately respond to queries and solve problems. Verb energy is another great example of the energy you should bring to Twitter!
At the end of it all, ask them if they’d like to subscribe to your email newsletter (they even hint at SMS signs up there). If they’re satisfied with your help, chances are they’ll be more than happy to sign up!
7. Announce new products or collections via email
One great way to gather emails is to share social media posts teasing upcoming products and collections.
In the post caption, ask your followers to sign up in return for an email notification that alerts them as soon as the new products launch!
Here’s an example from 12th tribe of how you can do this on Instagram:
You can also implement this strategy across other social media platforms, such as Facebook and TikTok.
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Use Sendlane + social media to get more sign ups
Social media is one of the best places to connect with your customers, build relationships and get them to join your email list!
With the help of Sendlane’s integrations, you can turbocharge your social media lead generation strategy! Automatically sync new sign ups, add them to automation funnels and delight them with personalized email campaigns they won’t get enough of!
Ready to grow your list and transform your email marketing? Sign up for Sendlane’s 60-day free trial and take it for a test drive!