“Grow an email list,” they said. “It will be easy,” they said.
Growing an email list isn’t rocket science, but it does take some work. Not just work, but strategy. And part of that strategy should include social media.
The number of active social media users in the United States is at an all-time high of 78 percent and that doesn’t include the billions of other users worldwide. Take a look at the data from We Are Social:
Admit it. Proclaiming your love for your business from the top of a mountain can only be heard so far. So how can you broadcast beyond that?
Promotions, polls, sweepstakes, contests and quizzes help you grow your email list by providing a personal experience and an interactive way to connect with users. If you’re part of the 78 percent already present in the social media world then you’ve already got a head start. Intertwining your email, content and social media helps make your presence known to the world. Where there’s value, there’s potential. It also helps generate effective leads!
When people enjoy creative content, they feel compelled to share it with their friends, prompting a lifecycle of sharing. It’s a rewarding feeling watching others like and share original content you worked so hard to create. That’s why we compiled a list of our favorite tools to launch your social media skills to the next level.
Your social media toolkit
Woobox
Woobox takes the data from anonymous social interactions and turns them into subscribers. This makes it easy to export your customer data and automatically integrates your new customers into your AWeber account.
To unlock all applications, it’s as low as $30 a month with more perks when paid annually. Woobox offers default as well as fully customizable templates so your skill level doesn’t interfere with your social game.
All versions gives you access to:
- HTML Fangate
- Tab for Twitter
- Instagram Tab
- Pinterest Tab
- Youtube Tab
- Pick a winner
- Instant win
If you choose a paid account and find (for some reason) it’s not for you, fear not. They offer a 30-day money back guarantee.
What’s the harm then, right?
How to integrate Woobox with AWeber
Heyo
Heyo is a social tool optimized for list specific sweepstakes, contests, and campaigns that are fully operational on Facebook, mobile and web. The best part about this is that it the design editor requires zero coding knowledge.
Plans start at $22 a month and include a free 7-day trial. Each option unlocks:
- Unlimited campaigns
- Publishing to multiple fan ages
- Mobile-friendly templates
- Built in social sharing
- Pick a winner
- Facebook brand page(s) and fans depending on the plan
The channel doesn’t require a credit card when you enroll in the free trial so what are you waiting for?
How to integrate Heyo with AWeber
ShortStack
ShortStack is a great way to create campaigns for social platforms, web, and mobile and collect user data through the applications. They make it easy to spread awareness with endless social sharing options.
Plans with email marketing integrations start at $29 a month but all options give you access to:
- Drag and drop templates
- 30+ themes to choose from
- 90+ campaign templates
- Enabled sharing to social platforms
- Content scheduling
- Country-specific settings
- Copy campaigns
- Data collection
- Integrates with Facebook, Youtube, Vimeo, Canva, and the list goes on.
Analytics, countless integrations and ease-of-use make it worth $29+ a month in my opinion. And if you’ve got embedding knowledge, this app may be for you. The average page view rates with embedding is 83 percent higher than without.
Still not convinced? See for yourself!
Learn how to integrate ShortStack with AWeber
ViralSweep
ViralSweep is a way of taking your sweepstake game to the next level by implementing into any website. If it sounds intimidating, it’s not. It’s designed for creative ideas that don’t require a lot of work to execute.
The starter pack that integrates with AWeber costs $49 a month but comes with:
- Unlimited sweepstakes and styles
- Mobile optimization
- Embedding on any site
- Award bonus entries
- Referrals
- Choose winners
- Rules generator
- Real-time analytics
The app is built to expand your social reach and takes just seconds to integrate with AWesome email. How could you not want entries automatically added to your AWeber contact list?
Learn how to integrate ViralSweep with AWeber
Rafflecopter
Rafflecopter helps you create online giveaways across numerous platforms all at the same time with prize incentives. It’s an easy way to run a giveaway online!
Plans start as low as $43 a month with a 7-day free trial and unlock access to:
- Unlimited entries and giveaways
- Instant winners
- Downloadable entry CSVs
- Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest optimization
- Internationalization
- At least one custom theme
- Full design options
- Poll/survey entry options
There are so many features that I can’t possibly list them all here. You just have to see if for yourself!
Learn how to integrate Rafflecopter with AWeber
Contest Domination
Contest Domination is a great tool for building your social following through contests. Contest Domination is currently offering a promotion of $40 per month unlimited plan when you pay annually.
This option lets you fully integrate with your AWeber contact list and provides:
- Unlimited viral campaigns, contest entries, Facebook fans and content length
- Custom CSS
- Export CSV anytime
- Fraud tools
The platform offers a 30-day money back guarantee outside of the 7-day free trial. So, why not?
Learn how to integrate Contest Domination with AWeber
Social campaign best practices
Social media serves as another route to your landing page.
No matter which promotion you launch, remember to include the URL link to your sign up form. The more readily available your content is, the more likely you are to get subscribers.
Be honest.
It’s essential to not only express the benefits of subscribing, but also clearly state what your audience is signing up for. Not disclosing this information is the fastest way to gain unsubscribers.
Maintain consistency across all of your content.
Steering from the norm may be confusing to readers.
Find where your audience thrives.
With all of the different social media channels out there, it’s important to find their preferred platforms to communicate. This ensures higher signups and shares.
Don’t overshare.
Subscribers want to feel appreciated and giving away all the goodies to the public takes away from the experience.
Drive engagement with incentives
In order to see results you need to design results that are worth reading and sharing. There’s nothing worse than investing your time in something only to find that it wasn’t worth it in the end. You want your readers to enjoy the experience, which is sometimes incentive enough. (Remember, fun always wins!)
Promote incentives that fans can’t refuse:
- Shout outs on social media, company page or newsletter
- Exclusive offers or content
- Elaborate quiz results
- Tangible incentives, like prizes
- Discounts or coupons
Which is your favorite?
How do you use social media to improve campaigns and expand your following? Share your ideas in the comments section below.
Want to send AWesome emails with AWeber? Sign up here for your AWeber Free today!