If you’re looking to grow your email list, you might be wondering what is the difference between a retargeting pixel and a personal email sign-up. While both offer value, you need to consider the pros and cons before making a decision.
What is a Retargeting Pixel?
A retargeting pixel is a small snippet of code (typically delivered through an image tag) that is inserted into a website or blog to track users as they move around the web. When a user visits a website and either interacts with the product, or simply browses the site, their eye-tracking device (usually a small camera) will record the site’s URLs and serve them to the advertiser. In cases where a user takes the desired action (i.e., makes a purchase, fills out a contact form, etc.), they will be presented with one or more offers from the advertiser.
Retargeting pixels enable digital marketers to view and target users based on their browsing behavior—something that was previously limited to retargeting banners and ads on social media channels. The benefit of this is that since retargeting pixels are served based on what pages a visitor views or scrolls through, they can target users even when they’re not on your main site. This minimizes lost sales and increases the chances of a conversion.
Why You Should Avoid Giving Out Your Email Address
The risk of giving out your email address is that an advertiser or third party can gain access to your contact list and use it for their own means. One common example of this is when an e-commerce store offers a discount or gives out some type of promotional code for signing up for a newsletter. As the owner of the email list, you have little to no control over what the third party will do with your list once they have it. This brings about a whole host of unwanted email marketing risks including:
- spam
- phishing
- malvertising
- identity theft
- unsolicited commercial email (SPAM)
- confidentiality risks
- financial risks
When considering whether or not to provide your email address to an advertiser or third party, ask yourself, “Will this help me grow my email list?” If the answer is yes, then proceed with caution.
Why Should You Use a Personal Email Sign-Up?
A personal email sign-up allows you to collect a user’s email address from them directly within your email marketing message. While retargeting pixels may be used to target users based on their browsing behavior, a personal email sign-up gives you the ability to target users based on what you know about them. For example, you can use their first name, last name, email address, and phone number to create an email list that you can use to send out personalized emails with content that is relevant to each user’s needs. In addition, you have the option of incorporating something relevant to them into the subject line of your email. Take advantage of this and you’ll start to see an improvement in your open and click-through rates. In other words, it’s a great way to keep in touch with your audience and engage with them on a more personal level. This, in turn, will help you to build a stronger bond with your audience, and eventually, make them more inclined to buy your products or services.
The difference between a retargeting pixel and a personal email sign-up is that with the latter, you have the ability to collect more information about the user (i.e., first name, last name, email address, and phone number). This gives you the chance to develop a more personal connection with your audience and allow you to target them with more precision. In addition, if you’ve ever shopped at Nordstrom, you might have noticed that once you make a purchase, the staff will happily gift wrap and send your gift to you. This is something you cannot do with retargeting pixels since they don’t provide you with any additional information about the person you’re targeting. On the flip side, the personal email sign-up enables you to take advantage of this and provide your audience with a personalized experience. Imagine if you could create a magical universe inside your email with all the trimmings of a luxury store? With a little bit of imagination and effort, you can easily do that.
The Evolution of Email Marketing
Nowadays, it’s important to stay updated with the latest trends and technologies to be able to effectively market your products or services. One such technology that has gained a lot of popularity is email marketing. As a digital marketer, you will inevitably come across several different methods of sending out mass emails that will seem more or less effective depending on your situation.
Here’s a quick look at the evolution of email marketing as it relates to modern-day entrepreneurs and digital marketers.
Early Days of Email Marketing
Back in the day, if you wanted to create an email list, you simply had to enter a request for one at the end of your online order form. The good news was that if the person filling out the form knew what a list was and why they should have one, they were much more likely to enter their email address in the first place. The bad news was that once you had their email address, you had to hope that they would stay subscribed to your email newsletter or risk losing out on any special offers or discounts. Luckily, the days of having to get people to opt-in for your email list are over. Nowadays, we have automated email marketing software that makes it incredibly easy to create an email list, send out automated emails, track open rates, and engage with your audience via personalized emails—all from the convenience of your smartphone.
The Rise Of Infusion Advertising
In the last couple of years, we’ve seen the rise of influencer marketing and social media influencer campaigns. Marketers have recognized the value that content creators and social media personalities can bring to an organic or paid search campaign and have started to incorporate this strategy more heavily into their marketing mix. Essentially, this strategy utilizes content creators to help grow a company’s brand by promoting their products and services via social media channels. While this may seem like a simple strategy to some, it’s important to note that not all content creators are created equal. You want to work with individuals who have a proven track record of driving traffic to your site, whether it’s social media, YouTube, or another channel.
Personal Email Sign-Ups For Marketers
If you’re looking to create a strong bond with your audience, one way to do so is via email marketing. Just remember that not all email marketing is equal. There are plenty of methods that you can use to make your emails stand out from the crowd. Here are a few to consider.
- Subject lines that stand out
- Personalized email content
- Interactive elements on your website
- Consistent, targeted messaging
- Dynamic content
- Offers that are relevant to the person receiving the email
How to Use Email Marketing to Grow Your Business
Nowadays, it’s common knowledge that to be effective, digital marketing needs to be strategic, data-driven, and focused on ROI (return on investment). When it comes to email marketing, the first and most important rule is to track results. Once you do that, you can start to make adjustments and move towards building a more efficient marketing plan.
Final Takeaway
If you’re looking to grow your email list, retargeting pixels will help you do so. The problem is that since they don’t provide any value to you, or your audience, there’s no real reason for them to exist. On the other hand, a highly targeted email list is easy to build with a personal email sign-up, and doing so can help you to make a difference in someone’s life. In the end, it’s all about what’s relevant to you, what will make your email stand out, and what will help you to achieve your business goals.