Why every paint retailer needs to build an email list…

I know, I know! You probably didn’t get into the paint business to wear your marketing hat every day. 

You love helping people transform rooms, and furniture, you’re creative and love helping other people tap into that part of themselves. 

However, communicating with your customers is a really important part of running a business. And building an email list is one way that you are able to achieve that. 

If you’ve ever received emails from a business, chances are you’ve been added to their mailing list (and hopefully you’ve consented to this).

Email lists are an excellent way for businesses to contact customers directly, build relationships and communities, make sales and inform them of any important information. 

So, in this blog, we’re going to explain what email lists are, how to create and maintain them, and why this is so important for paint retailers.

What exactly is an email list?

So, just as the name would suggest, it’s a list of email addresses that you as a business collect. 

Having these emails provides you with a highly effective, and targeted means of communication with potential and existing customers. 

Direct contact means that customers are more likely to follow links on emails compared to clicking through from a social media post. 

How do you build an email list?

Remember GDPR means that you have to ask people if they consent to you contacting them via email for marketing purposes. However, there are a few different ways that you can collect emails addresses.

1. Emails addresses from orders
2. Subscribe to newsletters
3. Lead magnets

One way to build up your email list is simply by saving all email addresses that have already made orders. This way you know that the customers have shown an interest in your products and/or services before and may be likely to use your business again. You can add a box at checkout for your customers to consent to being contacted post-sale. 

Another method is to include a ‘subscribe here’ or ‘enter your email here’ section on your website. Many businesses also attract people to this by offering incentives such as 10% off your first order when you subscribe to our mailing list.

And finally, lead magnets are a very effective way to gain email addresses, and build trust and ongoing relationship with potential customers. You create something of value (ie. a download) and give it to potential customers for FREE in exchange for their email address.

For example you could create a short download called: “How to prep your furniture for painting”.

This would take people step-by step through the process of preparing furniture, to allow them to get the best results for painting. This is a really valuable way to provide your customers with information they may need, and it’s a great way to lead into a sale.

Why is it important for paint retailers to build an email list?

So, we’ve established that email lists are a great idea for businesses. 

But what makes them so valuable to paint retailers?

As a paint retailer, you will be regularly updating stock, getting in new products and potentially discontinuing others, which you’ll need to keep customers informed about. An email list allows you to communicate these changes directly with customers and inspire them to buy new products. 

As mentioned above, businesses regularly offer incentives to those on their email lists which will be very appealing for a paint retailer whose clients may often need to order items in bulk. The email list could give exclusive discounts for email subscribers, or early access to new products, which are both very appealing options.

At Flip Runway, our email subscribers have access to exclusive deals, initiatives, product news, and events. The regular contact also helps to build a strong sense of community which strengthens trust and encourages email subscribers to come back and use our service time and time again.  

BUT the most important reason is that you own your email list.

Remember a few months ago when Facebook and Instagram crashed? Lots of businesses panicked, you might have been one of them. That was how they communicated with their customers, what would they do without it?

If you have an email list you don’t have this problem. One day social media could crash for good, your account could be deleted or the social media site could shut down (remember MySpace). Facebook might seem like a permanent fixture in out lives however it is likley that it will one day disappear. 

Email on the other hand – unlikely. 

That’s why the final aim should always be to drive traffic to your website and gather contact details. That way you can communicate what you need to directly to your customers, with or withough social media. 

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