ideas for  e-mail marketing list building © Jeff Miles

As you know, free incentives are an excellent way to increase the size of your e-mail list. This works for both online and offline businesses. It's imperative, of course, that you tell your customers that their addresses will be added to your e-mail list so that they know that up front. You should also emphasize the benefit of signing up for your list by telling them that your e-mails and/or newsletters provide helpful information that helps their business.

Here are some incentive ideas:

1. Free Consultation. This is a great incentive because with a consultation, a customer actually comes in your door and meets with you in person. And if you can meet with a prospect in person, the chances of doing business with them increases greatly. If you are an accountant, dentist, hair stylist, interior decorator, nutritionist, chiropractor, massage therapist, etc. you should consider a free consultation as an incentive.

2. Drawing for a Free Dinner. Put up a fishbowl or box at your business (at the checkout counter is best) and put a stack of forms next to it. Ask people to fill out the form and drop it in the box. Do a weekly drawing to increase the odds that people will win. Mention the winner in you e-newsletter. If your business isn't a restaurant you can still use this incentive. Give away free dinners to area restaurants (use gift certificates). You can use a different restaurant each week to encourage sign ups.

3. Thank You Gifts.  Nowadays, customized things like pens, magnetic calendars, post-it notes, writing pads and calculators are inexpensive. Tell people that if they sign up for your list, they get a free gift. Make sure your logo, business name and website address are on the items.

If you go to trade shows, here's an idea for you. Get a laminator (around $150) and a box of 500 laminator pouches (around $25). Also buy some luggage tag loops (500 for $25 or so). When you ask someone to sign up for your mailing list, ask them for two of their business cards. You can laminate one of them for them along with your business card, back to back. For $200 you can collect 500 addresses this way.

4. Contest. Ask the customer to fill out a form on your website and they can enter to win:

* A $500 shopping spree on your website.
* A $150 Gift Card to a local store.
* Dinner for 4 at a popular local restaurant.
* A case of one of your popular products that is worth $200.
* An IPod or digital camera..

Calculate how many e-mail addresses you need in order for this to work for you. For example, if you're giving away a $500 gift certificate and you get 250 entrants, then the cost to you was $2.00 per entrant. If 50 of those entrants make at least a $10 purchase, then you've made your money back plus more, in the future.

Have you used incentives and giveaways? What has worked for you?