7 Ways to Grow Your Email List

Building a great email list can be a challenge for any business. People are reluctant to give out their email address to just anyone, so businesses have to give them good reason to do so. Not to worry, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite tactics to grow your email list while still providing value to subscribers.

Why You Want an Email List

Before I get into how to grow your email list, let’s first talk about the opportunities having one will bring. Think of your email list as warm leads. These are people who have chosen to receive information from you because they have already found your brand to be of value. So when you have new products or specials or event announcements, you can tell a group of your fans all about it at no additional cost.

Another great perk of having an engaged email list is you can use it to create lookalike audiences. These are great for audience targeting with pay-per-click (PPC) ads. Many ad platforms can take a small percentage of your email list and develop a profile of your ideal customer. Then, they expand it by finding others that fit that profile. It’s pretty great!

Ok, now onto the list-building tactics :)

7 Ways to Grow Your Email List

Here are my favorite ways to grow my list. For most of these ideas you only need to spend a little time setting them up and then it’s automated from there. Dig in!

Add an Opt-in to the End of Your Blog Posts

A great time to ask someone to join your list is right after they have read one of your great blog posts. When a consumer learns or has an actionable tip that helps them, they are already beginning to trust you. Include your form at the end of each post.

Require an Email Address for Specific Content

Creating gated content - or content that requires information to access - is a great way to gain new subscribers. You can choose to use a really great piece, such as a webinar, mini course, ebook, etc., which gives users every reason to want to be on your list. You can also tease these pieces on social media and bring them to a landing page that grants them access upon completion.

Additionally, you can use content upgrades, too. This is when you give readers an added piece to standard content. For example, if you wrote a blog post about how to use a spreadsheet to calculate your advertising ROI, you might offer up a Microsoft Excel template that is ready to use, formulas and all. The post would be open to everyone but the template would require an email.

Host a Viral Giveaway

Creating online contests and giveaways is an effective and fast way to build a list. Choose a product that has a good perceived value and host a contest using King Sumo’s awesome platform. Users can gain entries with their email address and can get even more by taking certain actions, such as following your brand on social media. Oh, and it’s free!

In-store Business Card Raffle

For B2B brick-and-mortar locations, host a raffle and collect business cards in a visible container, like a fishbowl, so it sparks curiosity when customers come in. I’ve seen businesses offer free lunch, movie tickets, gift cards, etc.

Add a Website Popup

I’m sure you’ve seen these on other websites. It’s a window that pops up asking you to join their email list. This may not be your favorite idea, but the data doesn’t lie...it works! Many businesses are using this method to grow their email list. Just make sure that users can hide it and not be prompted again for at least a couple weeks.

Email Exclusive Specials

Create specific deals that only subscribers get to take advantage of. You can do flash sales, loyalty discounts/coupons or even sale previews. Make your subscribers feel special and they will not only stay on your list, but be very engaged with your campaigns.

Add Sign Ups on Your Social Media Pages

Invite your social followers to join your list. You can post a promo every couple weeks with new incentives that lead them right to your opt-in page. Plus, you can directly add in a signup button on your Facebook page. There are even some email management apps that integrate directly so your followers wouldn’t even have to leave the site to subscribe.

You are now equipped to get a new batch of email subscribers! One important thing to remember when setting up your opt-in forms is that the more fields you have, the less likely people will be to sign up. Some marketing pros are adamant that you should only collect email addresses for the best opt-in rate. I personally like to collect the user’s first name, too, so I can personalize the message and strive for higher delivery rates.

Additionally, keep in mind there are new requirements for European users for compliance with GDPR. Even if you only sell in the United States, these regulations still have to be met because you may have European followers. 

Despite what rumors you may have heard, email marketing is still very effective. In fact, “Three-quarters of companies agree that email offers "excellent" to "good" ROI.” (Source: HubSpot). So start growing your email list today!

Your friend in marketing,

Rebecca