Understand Email Marketing: Build the List, and They’ll Come

To fully capitalize on the power and importance of email marketing, you must have a current customer email list. Without it, even the best content will vanish into cyberspace.

David Peters, Jewelers of America’s resident education and management expert, offers the following tips to build your essential email list:

• Put a sign-up box on your web site and in your newsletter
• Ask for email addresses on entries for contest drawings and/or door prizes
• Have mailing list/email list sign-up cards and forms in your store
• Encourage employees to collect email addresses of customers and offer them incentives to do so
• Consider including all your contacts: your banker, local media, family and friends
• Use referrals to boost your list by allowing customers to “tell a friend” about your email offers