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How to Grow Your Email List with Twitter
FLOW LAUNCH | HEATH WEAVER • NOVEMBER 4, 2023 • 13 MINUTE READ
Have you ever considered Twitter as a channel to help you grow your email list?
43% of people learn about products and services via Twitter, and 41% provide their opinions. According to Convince and Convert survey, Twitter is almost universally on the radar of Americans. 87% of the people who responded had heard of Twitter, compared to 88% who had heard of Facebook.
One third of marketers use Twitter as a leading generation tool – making this platform perfect for promoting your content, email list, and business.
In this part of our blog posts series “How to Grow Your Email List Using Social Media” we will unfold the necessary steps for growing your subscriber list with your Twitter account.
Create a Lead Magnet
Before we jump to different opportunities that you can take advantage of with Twitter, as always, the first thing you need to do is to create an irresistible lead magnet.
A lead magnet is a piece of content that evokes interest, attention, and admiration of the target audience.
We spoke much about the importance of a lead magnet in our previous blog posts on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. Content such as an eBook, webinars, or free video tutorials is the best attraction for people to opt into your email list. Make sure you will be adding value to people’s business and lives.
Here are 6 steps you can take to optimize your Twitter account and get the most out of your efforts.
1. Link Your Twitter Bio to an Opt-In Page
Adding your website link to Twitter may not be the most innovative idea, but linking to a landing page, with a clear call-to-action, will definitely convert much better than just linking to your home page.
Another advantage to having the link listed in your bio rather than below it (next to your location) is that the links in your bio show up all around Twitter and related sites. When browsing Twitter, the bio is the only thing that shows up, and only links or @Mentions are clickable.
Your Twitter bio will get more exposure than you think, and having a clickable link to an opt-in page is a great way to create more signups, all with one simple action!
2. Use Twitter Tools to Offer a Freebie
You may be surprised, but there are tools that allow you to give away something free for the “price” of a tweet. After the user shares the provided link, they get access to free content.
Most people ask for these shares within their posts, but a more powerful way of using these tools is to ask for a tweet AFTER they’ve already opted into your mailing list.
In order to achieve this, you should redirect new signups to a page where they can “pay with a tweet” to get even more content.
The 3-step process looks like this:
- A new subscriber will sign up to your newsletter from a newsletter signup page.
- After they confirm their email address, use your email marketing service (like MailChimp) to redirect people to a “Pay with a Tweet” page that has additional content available for the price of a tweet. Use a tool to make sure that the link they tweet sends people to your newsletter page.
- After they confirm their email address, use your email marketing service (like MailChimp) to redirect people to a “Pay with a Tweet” page that has additional content available for the price of a tweet. Use a tool to make sure that the link they tweet sends people to your newsletter page.
3. Optimize Your Content for Twitter Shares
Including “Click to Tweet” option on your web page is a great way to get people to interact with your content. Additionally, it allows your content to reach new audiences. Besides your audience being able to share your content, you can include a form for them to sign up.
This works very well for gated content where the visitor needs to leave their email address before they can access it. Additionally, you can include a “Click to Tweet” on the “Thank You” page after someone signs up.
This way, when they share it with their networks, others will need to subscribe to your email list too, to sign up for the course.
On this “Thank you” pop-up or page, add a call-to-action button. Make it a simple line of copy with the Twitter logo next to it. When a user clicks on it, a new window will open that will allow the content to be shared as well.
This allows your followers to help you promote your list and help you boost the overall engagement with your landing pages and lead magnets.
Extra Tip: Consider liking or retweeting these posts from your users. It’s a great way to say thank you!
4. Make Your Posts Noticeable with Twitter Cards
Twitter cards are like an extra special tweet. In addition to the standard 140 characters, Twitter cards include a multimedia element (image, video, content preview) and a link to a web page.
Another way to promote your blog posts is with a summary card. When using a summary card, your title is displayed, as well as the description, image, and the direct link to the content. This is a great way to show your content to your followers, and it gives a little bit more information on what you have to offer on your blog.
Once people land on your blog, you can use a signup form for users to join your email list.
While different free Twitter cards like the ones mentioned so far can be used for any number of campaigns, if you really want to grow the email list, you can check out Twitter’s paid lead generation cards.
With this type of Twitter card, you get the benefit of a larger Tweet (which includes an image), plus a stand-out CTA button.
With lead generation cards you have more space to make your post fun and align it with your brand. The readers are 100% sure what action they should take. The post stands out, as well as the clear call-to-action.
Extra Tip: Make your call-to-action as direct and engaging as possible. Your tweet should encourage your followers to sign up. And always let people know what they’re signing up for.
5. Pin Your Important Tweets
Twitter gives you the option to “pin” a tweet to the top of your feed. This way you ensure that all of your visitors will be able to see that first post when they visit your business page. This is a great opportunity to expose your email list or a lead magnet that requires an email address.
Pin your freebie or a Twitter card you’ve created. To keep your page fresh and up-to-date, change the tweet with a new one every once in a while. This doesn’t have to be a big deal. All you need to do is to make tiny changes inside your content or switch out the whole tweet for a new one.
Extra Tip: Just keep track of the changes you’ve made to see what converts better for your followers.
6. Optimize Your Landing Pages
Your goal is to direct your followers to a landing page that promotes your email list, so make sure they are optimized for conversions.
Considering the fact that 80% of Twitter users access it from their mobile devices, and almost 85% of the population in the USA are browsing the Internet through mobile devices, optimizing your landing page for mobile is essential.
Additionally, pay attention to your call-to-action. Actionable phrases like “Don’t miss out!” or “Let’s get started!” might significantly grow clicks and help you drive conversions from your followers. Keep the landing page clear and concise, so your followers know exactly what to do to move the process forward.
Make sure you always provide relevant content to your followers. Think about what they need and want, and if you are not sure – use Twitter’s analytics built-in tool to identify what content works best for your audience and get inspiration.
Read other posts on growing your email list with Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter and receive useful tips straight in your inbox.
Need professional email marketing advice on growing your email list? Get in touch with our Essence of Email experts.
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Heath Weaver
Managing Director, Principal
Heath Weaver has almost two decades of eCommerce digital marketing experience. He has run multiple agencies, headed up Search Engine Marketing for the consumer electronics division of Sony, and served as a Vice President at Trilogy Software. He enjoys working day-to-day with clients to level up their retention marketing game.
Xiaohui "X" Wang
Founder, Principal
Xiaohui "X" Wang is a veteran of the email marketing industry. In the last decade, he has led the strategic and tactic retention marketing efforts for over 300 ecommerce brands ranging from small mom & pops to IR500 retailers. He's passionate about all things eCommerce, email, and SMS.