As an email marketer, there is nothing that matches the feeling of growing your email list.

You can tweet and snap, post and pin, and set up AdWords or Facebook Ads campaigns until the cows come home, but to have that coveted, highly-regarded email address should be your ultimate goal.

Email is alive and kicking, and with new forms of automation and custom audience targeting, the value and ROI of your email campaigns continues to climb. (Translation: Email Marketing will boost your sales!)

Of course, there are those tried and true methods of growing your list including:

• A sign-up sheet at POS (point of sale)
• Collecting email address on a bill or invoice
• Sharing your subscription link through social media
• Asking customers for referrals

Those are extremely effective ways to grow your list, but some of the best marketing is automated.

All of the methods above require time on your part. Unfortunately, time is a limited commodity for all of us, so we need a way to “interact” with prospects and customers without spending the time.

This is where I let you in on a time-saving secret tool we’ve been using for quite a while: Privy.

Privy is like the Swiss Army knife of email collection. From website widgets like popups, banners, and email bars to mobile-friendly subscription forms, Privy provides you with the toolbox you need to grow your email list.

Whether you run an e-commerce site, a local brick and mortar business, or a blog or news site, you need to offer interactive ways for visitors to join your list.

The Time-Saving Secret In Action

At BJC Branding, we’ve introduced the vast majority of our clients to Privy and integrated it with their Constant Contact accounts. They’ve experienced outstanding email list growth as a result.

For instance, Gumby’s Pizza in San Marcos, TX, grew its email list by 1,003 subscribers in just two months.

As a small business, can you imagine adding 1,003 subscribers to your list without spending time?

That’s not 1,003 leads or 1,003 referrals; that’s 1,003 people who have opted in to receive your marketing campaigns! According to the Direct Marketing Association, when it comes to purchases made as a result of receiving a marketing message, email has the highest conversion rate (66 percent), when compared to social, direct mail, and more.

So, to extrapolate, Gumby’s now has an above-average chance of converting 660 new email subscribers into pizza customers. That’s a lot of dough!

For more client success stories using Privy, please check out our latest SlideShare.

How To Get Started

Here are some simple steps to get started saving time and growing your email list:

1. Create a Constant Contact account if you don’t already have one.

2. Sign up for Privy

You can find a free version in the Constant Contact Marketplace, but if you want more customization and branding capabilities, get a discounted offer on the paid version here.

3. Consider your call to action

• Sign-up Campaign: simple “join our list” popup
• Offer Campaign: send a promo code or content in exchange for joining
• Enter To Win Campaign: a “sweepstakes” type of giveaway with random winner

4. Add Privy to your website

• If you’re comfortable with code, then this is an easy addition to your site
• If you need help, you can always contact BJC Branding

Take our secret to the bank and get going growing your email list. Once set up, you can continually grow your email address with less effort than ever before.

Looking for more list growth tips?

Register for a free Virtual Workshop for Retailers: Grow Your Email List, Grow Your Retail Business on Thursday, May 26 at 2pm ET. If you can’t attend live, register anyway to receive a recorded version.

About the author: Bryan Caplan of BJC Branding is a Master Certified Authorized Local Expert for Constant Contact. BJC Branding, based out of the Greater Boston area, provides educational workshops and marketing consulting services to a wide range of businesses.

The post The Time-Saving Secret to Grow Your Email List appeared first on Constant Contact Blogs.