By now you’ve heard how important it is to collect email addresses and market to them.

And if you’ve been trying to follow that advice, you’ve noticed how hard it is to get someone to cough up an email address. Perhaps you’ve had the experience of trading your email address for something of value - a study, or a whitepaper. 

Well, you can do that too. Yes, even you—a jewelry retailer or supplier—has information of value to offer your client. Here’s a quick list of 11 ways you can entice a prospect to give you their email address:

• Create your own ebook. A branded ebook can give your prospects valuable information of interest to them, while putting your brand personality, products, and links front-and-center. What might you write an ebook about? Get imaginative! Don’t think you just have to write about jewelry. Think about what your target customer is interested in, and then write about topics that appeal to them. Here are a few ideas:
  • Step-by-Step Guide to . . . 
  • _______________ Demystified
  • XX Ways to get More Out of __________
  • How to __________
  • Lists (people LOVE lists)
  • XX Ways to Be More __________________
  • XX Things You Need to Know About __________________
  • The Ultimate ____________________
  • 10 Must Have ___________ for _______________
  • The Top 11 Hacks for ____________________
• Run a social media contest or create a social media offer that requires an email to opt in.
• Host an online event (online pop-ups and trade fairs will continue to  be hot long after the pandemic has passed).
• Offer a “book-a-free-15-minute-appointment-now” link.
• Put a chat-bot on your website.
• Ask website visitors for feedback.
• Offer a loyalty or reward program.
• Add a “subscribe” link to every employee’s email signature.
• Create bonus content on your site that requires an email to access.
• Add a call-to-action button at the top of your Facebook page.
• Offer easy opportunities to provide customer reviews (with an email, of course).

Finally, limit sign-up requirements. If you’re a supplier, then qualifying prospects is a very important part of your email collection process, so you need to collect names and company names to avoid wasting time. But if you’re a retailer, one sure way to increase email subscriptions is to limit the amount of information you request. Asking for only two things—email address and first name—are your best bet. Why first name? Because you want to be able to address subsequent communications to “Dear Nancy,” and not just “Dear Prospect!”

We’re not saying collecting email addresses will be easy after this, because it’s still a bit of a numbers game. But when you offer more opportunities and reasons to sign up, your email address numbers will definitely grow, and with them your marketing potential.