By Petra Smith Founder and Managing Director of Squirrels& Bears

Email is still one of the top-performing marketing tactics for businesses of all sizes. In 2017, global email users amounted to 3.7 billion users. This figure is set to grow to 4.3 billion users in 2022 . That’s half of the world’s population. The average order value of an email is at 3 times higher than that of social media, 81% of small and medium businesses still rely on email as their primary customer acquisition channel, and 80% for retention.

Email is also the third most influential source of information for B2B audiences, behind colleague recommendations and industry thought leaders and generates around £29bn retail sales annually. 73% of marketers rate email as the number one digital channel for ROI 49% of consumers say that they would like to receive promotional emails from their favourite brands on a weekly basis.

But who do you email if your business is brand new and your mailing list is empty? With the recent GDPR regulations, EU businesses are no longer able to send out mass marketing emails to their database of contacts, unless they have their consent to do so. This means that many businesses have seen their email marketing lists significantly reduce in size. So, whether you are only starting a business with an empty mailing list or looking to increase the number of your email contacts, here are a few ideas to consider:

1. Order confirmations

If the nature of your business is transactional, collect contact details at checkout to build up your mailing list. If your website allows, offer the option to create a user profile, so that they can easily access all their orders and details in one place, and for you to better track their buying journey.

2. Blog alerts

Blogs are incredibly effective when it comes to driving traffic to your website and getting your readers’ interest. Include a useful and interesting blog on your website and offer your visitors the option to receive a notification when a new blog post goes live.

3. Newsletter subscription

Offer your visitors the option to subscribe to a regular newsletter. It’s a great way to collect email addresses and for you to regularly keep in touch with your website visitors. You can use it to communicate anything relevant you want to share – from special offers, through content to news announcements.

4. Downloadable assets

Give your visitors valuable insights – you can create an e-book, a detailed how-to guide or anything that provides in-depth knowledge that is interesting enough for your visitors to trade their email address in exchange for the download.

5. Event registrations

If you organise events as part of your marketing strategy, provide the option to sign up via your website and collect as much data as possible. Even if your events are invitation-only, it’s worth considering giving people the option to register their interest to build up your contact list and confirm their place once you reviewed their registration.

6. Surveys

Find out what your visitors think about topics close to your heart and to your business and offer something in return if they submit their email address. Not only can you use the data to improve your products and services, but you will be able to find out more about your visitors and build your email list at the same time.

7. Competitions

Use your social media presence to create a buzz with a competition offering a giveaway. Ask for others to share, so you reach as many people as possible. You can also encourage tagging a friend which will have a similar effect as sharing and will help to spread your message even wider.