Today there are so many ways to build an email list it almost seems like the opportunities are endless.
But what are the most effective strategies?
With this article, we are going to look at using Facebook ads to build your email list.
So, how can we get Facebook to become our marketing partner and leverage their hyper-targeted ad platform along with all of Facebook’s data to grow an email list?
First, let’s look at the traditional direct marketing customer ascension path – Suspect-Prospect-Customer- Multi-Buyer Customer- Loyal Customer- Advocate.
For this article, being we are focusing on building an email list, it will concentrate on taking people from suspects, people who you think are interested in your products and services to prospects, people who raise their hands and say they are interested.
The primary way to get people to acknowledge that they are interested is to offer something of value in exchange for their name and email address.
Offering something of value can be a pdf to download, a video, or a mini-course that is delivered via an email autoresponder.
It can be to view a webinar, attend a workshop, or to register for an offline event.
It can be to enter a contest or giveaway.
All are relevant offers that can build your email list.
Here Are 4 Specific Strategies To Leverage Facebook Ads To Grow Your Email List.
1. Write and Promote an Article
With this strategy, write an article on a particular topic that is informative and solves a problem.
Post the article on your website or blog. Within the article include a text link, a banner ad, or a Johnson box with a call to action that takes people to an opt-in page, where the reader can enter their name and email address in exchange for the something of value, commonly known as a lead magnet.
When creating the lead magnet, you want it to be the next step in the process.
So, if the article is about bass fishing, the lead magnet could be about the 4 types of bait to use when bass fishing.
The type of Facebook ad to run for this is a Click To Website Ad. You want the targeted audience clicking over to the article on your website.
Facebook allows you to create custom audiences based on specific pages of your website.
Inside of Facebook’s Ad Manager create a custom audience for the website page with the article.
Then place the custom audience pixel on the article’s page of your site.
By putting the Facebook pixel on each article, it allows you to retarget people that have read the article, or at least visited the page of the article.
Retarget this audience with an ad sending them to the landing page to download the lead magnet.
2. Facebook Live Video Ads
When doing Facebook Live videos for an ad, try to keep the video between 2 and 5 minutes long. In reality, there is no ideal length for a Facebook Live Video. The videos can be longer, depending on how long it takes you to explain one particular topic.
Facebook is pushing live video, so this will bring new people to your Facebook page.
Follow the same strategy as outlined above. Make your video topic specific with the lead magnet being the next step in the process.
Facebook automatically records the video and places it on your Facebook page as a post.
Moreover, once the video is on your Facebook page, then add compelling copy to encourage people to watch the video.
You can include a call to action at the end of the video to download the lead magnet. Plus, in the copy of the post, you can include a call to action with a link to the opt-in page for the lead magnet.
Now promote that video post as a Facebook video ad.
The beautiful thing about Facebook video ads is that Facebook allows you to retarget people based on how long they have watched the video. So, anyone who watches more than 50% of the video, may be interested in taking the next step and downloading the lead magnet.
Setup either a Click-To-Website ad or a Conversion Ad retargeting people based on who has watched at least 50% of the video and then send them to the opt-in page to download the lead magnet.
3. Ads Going To Landing Page
These Facebook ads are simple. Target specific audiences and create either a click-to-website ad or a conversion ad and send them straight to the landing page asking them to opt-in.
Furthermore, you can place custom audience pixels on the landing page and the page after the person opts-in to download the lead magnet.
As more and more people land on these two pages and the pixels start to mature, then you can run a click to website ad retargeting the people who landed on the landing page and did not land on the second page.
Also, create a custom conversion in Facebook ad manager for the thank you page. Facebook will start tracking who is opting in and who is not opting in. Over time the ads become even more relevant and efficient because Facebook starts showing the ads to more people who are most likely going to opt-in.
4. Ads Going To A Webinar Registration Page
Webinar Registration ads are very similar to ads sending people straight to a landing page. You are providing content that is valuable in the form of a webinar in exchange for people opting into your email list. On the webinar, deliver relevant content, and then at the end make an offer to sell a product or service.
As you start implementing each of these strategies, start tracking how many leads you to get from each method. Track how many leads you are getting from each article, from each video, from ads straight to a landing page for an optin, etc. This is to compare the effectiveness of each ad campaign and to track the cost per lead each day.
To calculate the cost per lead, divide the cost of each ad by the number of leads it generated. Each ad will vary in the cost of acquiring a lead. As your business develops and you understand the lifetime value of a customer to your business, then you can start gauging what ads are the most profitable.
The nice thing about Facebook ads and using the Facebook pixels is you are building an audience by getting people to consume your content, and growing your email list. As the Facebook pixels on your website matures, the pixel becomes a valuable asset to your business, by being able to target ads to people that are familiar with you and your site.