![\"how](\"https:\/\/assets.easyweddings.com\/files\/2022\/02\/23161100\/iStock_000052976078_Small.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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If the experts’ 2016 social media predictions\u00a0come true,\u00a0businesses should brace for a continuing trend in paying for traffic, with those\u00a0that aren’t\u00a0paying already hearing crickets on their\u00a0once thriving Business\u00a0Pages<\/a>.\u00a0This unfortunate (but clever)\u00a0monetisation of social media happened because businesses\u00a0don’t own<\/em>\u00a0these mediums, and unless you\u00a0pay for attention in 2016, your content will come off second best to businesses investing in\u00a0boosted posts<\/a>. But what you\u00a0can<\/em> control is your owned<\/em> media assets, including your\u00a0email marketing list.<\/p>\n Nobody can take your email list away from you (bar\u00a0the inevitable\u00a0unsubscribe here and there), nor can you be denied the incredible return on investment<\/a>\u00a0offered by email marketing. But if you don’t have an email marketing list with\u00a0qualified leads, then the place to start is building one. Here are five ideas to start growing your list today, for greater returns on your email marketing tomorrow.<\/p>\n Digital Marketer<\/a>\u00a0coined the definition of a lead magnet as “an irresistible bribe offering a specific chunk of value to a prospect in exchange for their contact information”. Be it a physical item like a book or magazine, a\u00a0digital PDF that can be sent via email or a personal in-store service, a lead magnet\u00a0encourages prospects to hand over their email address, giving you permission to appear in their inbox occasionally.<\/p>\n You\u00a0could offer\u00a0a 56-Step Wedding-Ready Checklist<\/em>, a Complimentary One-on-One \u00a0Bridal Styling Session<\/em>, or even free shipping on first-time orders. Promoting\u00a0a lead magnet to start building your database\u00a0is as simple as;<\/p>\n If you’re willing to invest some advertising dollars into promoting a giveaway across social media, or you are particularly thrifty with hashtags<\/a>\u00a0to attract the attention of hopeful winners, a social media giveaway can be a great list building exercise. Remember, the key is to retrieve contact details (most notably emails), so using a competition software like KingSumo<\/a>\u00a0for sweepstakes or\u00a0Strutta\u2019s contest builder\u00a0for photo contests will ensure you’re generating loads\u00a0of buzz for your brand AND getting the emails you need to grow your list.<\/p>\n Other options could include an in-store fish-bowl competition\u00a0where entrants are required to drop a business card or fill out a short form to be in the running to win.<\/p>\n You’ve probably seen little\u00a0boxes popup on YouTube<\/a>\u00a0videos and wondered how on earth they got there. Well, Hubspot<\/a> have made it really easy for businesses to take advantage of these sneaky\u00a0call to action popup boxes with step-by-step instructions<\/a>. These popups\u00a0are designed to encourage\u00a0viewers\u00a0to click on the links below the videos\u00a0and subscribe to newsletters or opt-in for tempting lead magnets.<\/p>\n Partnering up with complementary businesses to send exciting time-limited offers or giveaways to their\u00a0database (who likely have an interest in your business as well) can help populate\u00a0your database with fresh, qualified leads. In return, your business promotes the other brand’s giveaway or offer to your database\u00a0(one that\u00a0aligns with your company’s image and services), so it’s a win-win situation for all parties involved, including your customers.<\/p>\n As Formstack<\/a>\u00a0points out, quizzes are an age-old guilty pleasure\u00a0that ask for so little, and give so much in the way of light entertainment and seemingly customised responses\u00a0– making participants feel like quiz results\u00a0were crafted just<\/em> for them. With thanks to the digital age and online quiz creators like Formstack<\/a> or Viral Quiz Builder<\/a>, quizzes are also\u00a0a perfect strategy\u00a0for wedding businesses to grow their email databases. Who could resist a cheeky quiz like, “Are you at risk of becoming Bridezilla<\/a>?”<\/p>\n1. Lead magnets<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n2. Competitions<\/h2>\n
![\"list](\"https:\/\/assets.easyweddings.com\/files\/2022\/02\/23161109\/wedding.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>3. YouTube<\/h2>\n
![\"list](\"https:\/\/assets.easyweddings.com\/files\/2022\/02\/23161115\/youtube-notes.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>4. Partners<\/h2>\n
5. Quizzes<\/h2>\n
![\"list](\"https:\/\/assets.easyweddings.com\/files\/2022\/02\/23161120\/Screen-Shot-2016-01-27-at-12.24.04-am.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Over to you…<\/h2>\n