Two things are for certain: gaining the attention of consumers and convincing them to join your email list can have their difficulties. You’ve done both. Now, you’ve got your sights set on getting those email subscribers to become customers.
New customer acquisition plays a major role in the growth of your brand. The good news is that email subscribers recognize your brand’s value and appreciate it enough to keep up with your marketing content — the only thing left to do is show them how that value can grow once they become a customer.
We spoke with Ben Miller, founder of Focus on Digital, a web design and digital marketing agency based in the United Kingdom, to discuss how this sort of email conversion can occur. Miller says you must create strong relationships with your subscribers, understand consumer buyer behavior and leverage marketing psychology to help influence subscribers to become customers.
What does it take to convert a new email subscriber into a new customer?
Embarking on the mission of acquiring new customers requires you to go back to the basics. Here’s one fundamental rule worth considering: All conversions are achieved through strong customer relationships and brand value.
“To convert a new email subscriber into a new customer, the company must develop a relationship with that person over time through a series of interactions,” said Miller. “A key component to any marketing campaign is to have a robust and interactive product site so as customers navigate the site, they are served up with relevant content, deals and incentives for them to purchase from the company.”
When you’re providing your subscribers with an easy-to-understand platform complete with attractive offers and rewards, don’t forget to focus on their needs.
“A new email subscriber is converted into a new customer through the customer's desire to fulfill their wants and needs. A large amount of research has been done to analyze how consumers make decisions on what they want to buy, with these findings proving that consumers take into account their past experiences with the company, what others have told them about the company and whether or not the company seems trustworthy,” said Miller.
How can marketers create excitement to encourage conversions?
Part of your ability to motivate subscribers to become customers is your ability to invoke anticipation around your brand. Consumer anticipation is no small concept, and it certainly shouldn’t be overlooked, especially when there are so many brands out there who would love the chance to have your subscribers as customers. Fortunately, you can use marketing psychology tactics to keep your subscribers engaged and focused on you.
Creating excitement starts in-house. How can your subscribers feel excited about your brand if you don’t show them what there is to be interested in? Miller says that’s the first step.
“Marketers need to show their brand as being exciting and fun, as well as different from other brands. This can be done by emphasizing the uniqueness of the product or service being offered, and by displaying a sense of pride in having this product or service,” said Miller.
Ever heard a story that made you excited to learn more about a brand? Miller says powerful storytelling can also encourage your subscribers to make consistent purchases.
“Marketers can create anticipation or excitement around their brand enough to encourage subscription by incorporating storytelling, which is a technique that helps consumers understand the company story and produces trust. This technique is discussed in depth in Joseph Campbell’s (2009) book, "The Power of Myth (The First Storytellers)." The author suggests that marketers should store information such as store history and company values within stories,” said Miller.
Creating the perfect transition from subscriber to customer is a top priority for many marketers and we can understand why. Having a strong understanding of your target audience and their minds can help you achieve your goal.
(Learn more about how to turn email subscribers into customers here.)
