Email marketing is a high ROI channel and you need a robust email list to make the most of email marketing. However, growing an email list isn't easy. You have to be both creative and strategic when trying to grow your email list. It's very easy to go off track and take the easy way out.
From the many tactics available today, you need to pick the ones suitable for your brand because no one size fits all. In this guide, we explore 20 strategies to help in your email list growth.
Table of contents
20 strategies to grow your email list
- 1. Provide unique content to your audience
- 2. Utilize popups
- 3. Create a targeted landing page
- 4. Share lead magnets
- 5. Organize giveaways
- 6. Add a CTA to your bio on social media
- 7. Promote gated visual content on Pinterest
- 8.Use QR Codes on printed media
- 9. Implement a preference center on the sign-up page
- 10. Host webinars
- 11. Link the signup form to your employee signatures
- 12. Publish guest blogs or newsletters
- 13. Include signup form in loyalty program emails
- 14. Offer a free online tool with signup
- 15. Share sneak peeks on social media
- 16. Request feedback
- 17. Include email sign-up in order summary emails
- 18. Utilize Slack communities or Facebook groups
- 19. Collect emails at in-person events
- 20. Use gamification
What is an email list?
An email list is a collection of email addresses gathered and maintained by an individual, business, or organization to send electronic messages for email campaigns. Large and small businesses often use email lists to send newsletters, promotional offers, or updates to their customers or members.
20 strategies to grow your email list
If you don't know the right ways, you might find it challenging to grow your email list. Moreover, the goal is to find not just more people for your email list but the right ones.
1. Provide unique content to your audience
Providing unique content is one of the best ways to retain existing subscribers and attract new ones. You can have your existing ones promote your business to their friends and relatives, who can then subscribe to your emails too.
Compelling and exclusive content can range from how-to guides or video tutorials to emails that spread the word about new product announcements or upcoming events to educational content.
This newsletter by Mailmodo gives you ideas for jaw-dropping Black Friday Cyber Monday(BFCM) campaigns. The ideas are shown with valuable examples that instantly let subscribers share them with their friends.
2. Utilize popups
Popups hold incredible potential when employed judiciously for capturing email subscribers. Since popups demand immediate attention by overlaying the blog or checkout page, visitors will likely notice and engage with the email subscription offer.
You can offer them an incentive or tell them how they'll benefit from providing you their email address. You can have different popups with different incentives on different website pages. For instance, you can have an exit-intent popup on your checkout page, offering them free shipping on their order and so on.
3. Create a targeted landing page
You can have a landing page dedicated to an upcoming product launch or event. You can also use this landing page by asking visitors to give their email addresses, in exchange for you sending them a reminder before the start of the event. You can also send them extra coupons, or grant them early access.
Unbounce's dedicated landing page for their educational email course on landing pages stands out as an example. It incorporates crucial elements, including concise yet impactful selling points, compelling social proof, a prominent red call-to-action button, and a crystal-clear heading that drives the message home. The signup form offers an ebook that would help you increase marketing conversions.
4. Share lead magnets
To entice a broader audience, consider employing a lead magnet—a valuable offering that attracts potential email subscribers. This approach proves highly effective in expanding your email list by providing value to your audience and encouraging sign-ups.
Understand your target audience’s preferences and needs to identify potential lead magnets, such as free eBooks, discounts, templates, cheat sheets, or educational videos. You can then create and promote your lead magnet across your website, social media and other channels, to maximize its reach.
Peak Freelance adeptly connects with its target audience to address a specific pain point. In exchange for an email address, they provide valuable insights in the form of a cheatsheet.
5. Organize giveaways
Running giveaways on social media and on your website can be a highly effective strategy for growing your email list. Choose attractive prizes that resonate with your target audience and set clear goals for your giveaway.
Select social media platforms where your target audience is the most active. Encourage participation by requiring entrants to subscribe to your email list. This ensures that participants opt-in to receive future communications.
6. Add a CTA to your bio on social media
Leverage the bio section of your social media profiles to connect with your audience. Add a CTA that takes your profile visitors to the signup form. This simplifies the process for your followers by placing the link directly in your bio, allowing them to click and sign up effortlessly in a pop-up window within the app. Streamlining this experience enhances user engagement and encourages seamless interaction.
Ahrefs effectively employs a Call-to-Action (CTA) that guides users towards signing up for their latest feature release, thanks to the clever use of emojis.
7. Promote gated visual content on Pinterest
On Pinterest, showcase enticing visuals that make people want more. Share your exclusive content, and when users crave more, invite them to sign up with their email for additional high-quality information. It's a straightforward way to engage and provide value.
Lead pages have used this blog entry as a pin for visitors to know about the 11 ways to generate leads.
8.Use QR Codes on printed media
With a QR code, you can add an enticing offer to print marketing materials such as pamphlets or product inserts. These codes, when scanned, will lead them to the signup form on your website, post which you can give them what you had offered them. This can be a discount on the next purchase, a cashback, etc.
9. Implement a preference center on the sign-up page
Implementing a preference center during the account sign-up process empowers users to tailor their email experience, leading to email list growth as they feel in control. The preference center allows users to specify their interests, enabling personalized content delivery. They can also choose their preferred frequency of receiving relevant emails. Offering choice reduces the likelihood of users unsubscribing altogether.
10. Host webinars
Webinars provide an excellent platform to discuss your industry trends while reaching an audience of influential thought leaders you may wish to collaborate with for the growth of your business. Webinar registrations typically require email sign-ups, granting you access to audience emails for further nurturing after registration.
11. Link the signup form to your employee signatures
Utilize hyperlinked email signatures to direct individuals to a dedicated landing page, allowing them to sign up for your mailing list easily. Moreover, when you're engaged in a natural email conversation with them, suggesting a subscription to receive more emails with offers and helpful content becomes a seamless and organic progression.
12. Publish guest blogs or newsletters
Tap into a broader audience by guest blogging on websites and publishers catering to your target audience. This approach allows you to grow your contact list through increased exposure to a new and relevant audience.
Encourage readers to subscribe to your website's blog or email newsletter when crafting guest blog content. Also, free tools like Lettergrowth help you cross-promote your newsletter in your niche, putting your newsletter among an interested yet unsubscribed audience.
13. Include signup form in loyalty program emails
Including a signup form in your loyalty program emails creates opportunities for increased customer interaction. Loyalty program emails can offer subscribers extra points or exclusive content to incentivize signups. This helps your existing loyalty program members sign up for your promotional emails if they haven't done so yet.
14. Offer a free online tool with signup
Providing a free online tool upon signup is a potent strategy to expedite the growth of your email list. A valuable tool offers an immediate incentive for visitors to share their email addresses. Those interested in the free tool likely constitute your target audience. By capturing their email addresses, you ensure your communications reach individuals genuinely interested in your offerings.
Mailmodo, for instance, offers a free AI email subject line generator. This is in line with the company's offering of email marketing services. It also ensures that the users of this tool are the target audience of the company.
15. Share sneak peeks on social media
Sharing sneak peeks of your valuable content on social media is an effective strategy. It intrigues and encourages social media followers to subscribe for the complete experience.
16. Request feedback
While not everyone may be inclined to provide feedback, those genuinely interested in your company often appreciate the opportunity. This serves dual purpose: you gain valuable insights for improvement and and it makes them feel valued. Additionally, you can request their email address to inform them about any developments happening based on their feedback.
17. Include email sign-up in order summary emails
Integrate a clear, concise call to action (CTA) that directs customers to subscribe to your email list when they receive their order summary. Employ persuasive language to underscore the advantages of signing up, such as being the first to receive updates. For instance, "Be the first to know about new products—subscribe to our email list now!
18. Utilize Slack communities or Facebook groups
Establish dedicated Slack and Facebook communities tailored to specific interests, providing a platform to connect with diverse audiences. In exchange for their email, users can access a like-minded community with a unique way to interact with your business.
Mailmodo hosts a marketing tribe community where founders, co-founders, and marketers can discuss growth and marketing strategies in real-time. Slack communities like Superpath, Top of the funnel, and other Facebook groups are great places to promote your brand's newsletters and have many people sign up.
19. Collect emails at in-person events
A handwritten signup sheet can come in handy as you can get attendees to write down their email addresses. While this may not sound ideal, it’s a quick option for capturing contact information. You can also set up digital signup forms at your event and ensure they are easily accessible and visible, encouraging attendees to input their email addresses on tablets or other devices.
20. Use gamification
Gamification proves to be a potent strategy for amplifying email marketing efforts and fostering the expansion of your email list. By capturing the audience's interest, it encourages active participation and engagement with your brand's content.
You can include gamified elements like a spin-the-wheel for your visitors to spin and unlock a discount. You can ask them to rovide their email address to unlock the wheel.
Takeaways
Growing an email list may seem daunting initially, but following the above strategies is a straightforward way to increase your subscribers. Asking people to follow you should be backed up with a good enough reason to sign up for the email list. You can make these strategies work by considering how your customers interact with your business. Then, you can tailor the above strategies by selecting or combining more than one to grow your email list.
