Looking for Ways to grow your email list? Welcome. Your website visitors aren’t automatically going to sign up for your list just because you have an opt-in box in your sidebar or the footer. People are smarter now. Here are 100 ways to to grow your email list subscribers.
100?!
Yes, 100. 100 totally cool, reliable and proven ways to grow your email list subscribers.
If you run any sort of business online, or even offline, you need to have an email lists. Email lists are even more important than any of your social media accounts, no matter how many followers you have. Facebook could crash anytime, but emails are always there.
2.6 billion people worldwide use email, while only 1.7 billion use Facebook, the largest social network. Email cannot be ignored. It is very important, especially if half your life – business is online.
100 Ways To Grow Your Email List Subscribers:
1. Use Great Lead Magnets.
Digital Marketer defines a lead magnet as “an irresistible bribe offering a specific chunk of value to a prospect in exchange for their contact information.” A lead magnet is essentially a piece of content that you offer for free. The catch is the prospect has to give you their email address in order to get it/download it/access it/etc. See this one below:
optinmonster leadmagnet
2. Make your signup/opt-in form look attractive enough.
If you don’t know CSS, then use a paid version of Optin Monster or MailChimp which offers beautiful forms for use on your site. This will help you grow your email list. If your form is ugly, it definitely wouldn’t encourage me to sign up.
3. Host a free webinar:
and make signing up a requirement for registration. Webinars allow you to grab a list of email addresses based on your headline value proposition alone. This means that, while you still have to deliver some good content, the pressure to WOW people into subscribing is not there.
4. Host a Giveaway.
Giveaways are one of the the most effective ways to grow your email list. Require participants to sign up with their email address, and give them additional entries when they share the giveaway on social media. You can use gleam.io to get started.
5. Sponsor a Giveaway on Another Site.
You can also increase your reach and grow your email list even more by sponsoring a giveaway on another website or with another business.
6. Offer a coupon
in exchange for an email address to a really good deal.
7. Offer a free tool
or a free software that requires an email address to sign up. Sumo does this on their site with Welcome Mat.
8. Add a sign up button to your Facebook Page.
9. Host a local meet-up, training, or something and collect email addresses for registration.
10. Use paid ads to drive qualified traffic to your landing page which has your optin form.
11. Leverage your YouTube videos
Do this by adding a link to your optin form. Just make sure what you’re offering potential subscribers have merit. (If you don’t have a YouTube account, you should.)
12. Offer an exclusive subscriber-only discount
and promote it on social media.
13. Ask your social media followers to subscribe.
When you ask, you receive. Lol. That’s why you are on social media.
14. Put forms all over your website.
Have you ever heard the Rule of 7? Well, it says that someone has to see something SEVEN times before noticing it and taking action. Add forms ALL over your website. This heightens the chances for you to grow your email list.
15. Use CTAs on EVERY Relevant Blog Post:
Never write a blog post without including a matching call-to-action. Even if you’re not linking to a lead magnet – see 1 above – (you can also link to a service page, for instance), it’s how you add ROI to your content.
16. Connect Your Lead Magnet and CTAs to a Specific Opt-In Landing Page:
Your lead magnet (and your lead magnet CTA) needs a corresponding landing page with a form. This is what the CTA points to. It sweeps readers away to where you collect their email addresses in exchange for the content. (Get good email marketing software for this. Mailchimp is good).
17. Optimize your website for opt-ins:
If a prospect visits your website, they’re already interested. Don’t miss the opportunity to add them to your email list. Include email registration forms on every main page of your site, as well as on the pages for popular products and services.
18. Engage through social media:
Use social media to encourage people to visit one of the channels where they can sign up for your email list.
19. Add optin forms to your emails.
Be sure every email you send has an opt-in form so that anyone who receives one of your emails via forward from someone else, can sign up directly to be on your list.
20. Email signature:
Include a link to your opt-in page in the signature of all your emails, personal and professional. It’s one of the fastest ways I know you can grow your email list and get readers.
21. Add a QR Code to your print materials
and use the code to allow people to opt-in to your email list simply by scanning the code. Learn how to here.
22. Business Cards.
When we first started I simply collected emails from the business cards in my collection. This was legal because they were already our clients. You gotta make sure of this though as you can get in a pickle for adding someone not interested.
23. Vice versa, you can also include a link on YOUR own business cards.
Let potential subscribers know about the benefits of signing up for your email list. Just include a link and some information on the back.
24. Say it when you are a guest speaker.
If you’re a guest speaker at an event, after rounding up your speech, you can say it at a given opportunity and tell the audience to go on your website and sign up. You gotta show tact though and not shamelessly self promote.
25. Add to your opt-in to your footer/bio when you guest post for another blog.
26. Create opt-in landing pages for social media referral traffic.
27. Provide social proof alongside your opt-in box:
When it comes to any form of conversion optimization, social proof is one of the more powerful ways to boost conversions. People like to join in things that are already popular and they are TERRIFIED of “missing out”.
28. Offer really cool discounts for new subscribers:
This is a common tactic used by online fashion retailers. Offer a % discount for new, first-time subscribers.
29. Be relatable:
Let potential subscribers know you’re a real person, not a nameless, faceless brand. This will instill trust and increase the likelihood they’ll hand over their email.
30. Make the sign-up as quick and simple as possible.
31. Every additional step you incorporate into the process is one more chance to lose your subscriber.
32. Mention the benefit of joining your list: Make it clear what’s ‘in it for them’.
33. Install an exit popup on every post and page on your website to convert abandoning visitors.
34. Display page-specific optin forms.
In other words, don’t just show the same optin on every page or blog post… use a lead magnet or content upgrade that is specific to the content the visitor is currently viewing.
35. Add an anti-spam policy
to increase conversions. For example, “Your email address is 100% secure and we will never spam.”
36. Include a call to action on a physical board outside your store that encourages shoppers to sign up for your email list.
37. Write dope content.
Then people will eagerly be looking for that subscribe button themselves!
38. Collect emails in your store:
If you have a brick-and-mortar presence where you interact with customers face-to-face, create an email campaign and grow your email list just for those walk-ins. This is a smart way to keep in touch with repeat customers.
39. Add a call to action to your local business listings, such as your Yelp page, with a link to your optin landing page.
40. Reward subscribers or employees for referring their friends.
41. Mobile Apps. Add an email signup to your mobile app, with an incentive to sign up.
42. Answer questions on websites like Quora related to your area of expertise – with a link to your optin landing page.
43. Pin your optin landing page on Pinterest.
Then, you can boost your pin with Pinterest ads to drive even more traffic.
44. Utilize Popups & Slide-Ins To Capture Visitors and grow your email list:
Popups and their slide-in counterparts work. Social Media Examiner attributes 70% of its 190,000 subscriptions to the site’s pop-up form. See Link.
45. Install Full-Page Takeovers For Higher Conversions as not all popups convert equally.
46. Cross promotion is similar to guest posting in that you are leveraging another site’s audience. For example, if your site has around 5,000 email subscribers, you might look to run a cross-promotion campaign with another site that has between 4,500 – 7,000 subscribers.
47. Amazing blog content + clear call to action = massive email list (source: BufferSocial)
48. Include a subscriber testimonial alongside your opt-in box.
49. Make your opt-in box a feature, not an add-on:
Don’t hide your opt-in box in your sidebar…put it in a prominent place so your visitors can’t miss it.
50. Add a lightbox form to your site.
51. Create more landing pages.
HubSpot conducted research and found companies see a 55% increase in leads when you increase the number of landing pages from 10 to 15.
It’s like a restaurant menu. The more you can offer to cater for specific demographics, the more customers you’ll bring in. Someone could be looking for the best gluten-free pizza, while someone else might just want some good sushi.
52. Conduct A/B testing to determine where you need to place your CTA.
Does it work best towards the bottom of a blog page, when it slides out to the right, or does it get higher conversions at the beginning of the page, sliding out from the left?
53. Add Opt-In Forms and CTAs Wherever You Can Get Away With It. Don’t stop short of being annoying about it.
54. Write good email marketing copy.
55. Use good tools, don’t just rely on one email marketing tool.
One of the 100 Ways To Grow Your Email List Subscribers, is a good email marketing software. See our 4 best email marketing services here.
56. Create regular content.
One of the BEST ways to grow your email list is by creating content on a regular basis. Not just any content. But viral content. When you create viral content, people share it. And when people share it, it gets your “email signup form” in front of more eyeballs. And more eyeballs means more potential email signups!
57. Set email list-building expectations up front.
People nowadays are careful with their contact information. They won’t opt in to receive marketing messages unless they perceive clear value.
A clear example of how to be upfront with signups.
58. Don’t interrupt the visitor’s experience with irrelevant offers.
You don’t want to interrupt or distract visitors when they land on your site. Instead, you want to serve up a fantastic experience that guides them to the action you want them to take.
59. Get a website.
This is a no-brainer though. You should be running your own website if you want to succeed in business — as this is one of the surefire Ways To Grow Your Email List Subscribers. Contact us for one.
60. Whatever you do, DON’T BUY email subscribers. It’s best to collect emails from people who really want to hear from you.
61. Facebook ads help you reach new audiences
—and find new customers—by targeting people who’re similar to your existing contacts. In fact, we’ve found that targeting an audience that’s similar to your Mailchimp list can lead to a 29% better ROI than interest targeting alone. – Mailchimp
62. Your home page.
That’s obviously your most visited page. If someone is on your home page, chances are they’ve heard of you and they’re (at the very least) curious about your brand. Build on that curiosity and authority by asking the visitor for their email address right away!
To encourage email signups, show the value of being an email subscriber on the homepage of your blog. The main focus should be on your opt-in box.
63. Use a top bar. This works especially if your site/blog is on WordPress. Peep the one we have on this site! Get it here.
64. If you know how long the average person stays on any of your pages, you can create a timed popup to capture their address.
65. Collect email addresses through your products.
If you have a physical product, give your customers this option to both make their lives a bit easier (paper receipts are a pain) and to build your email list.
66. The checkout process.
If you have an eCommerce store, you have a great opportunity to ask for email addresses and grow your email list from your customers in the checkout process.
67. Instagram
Instagram is still a great platform for driving followers to your email list, with a comparatively high level of engagement. You oughta try this.
68. Facebook Banner
Of the 100 Ways To Grow Your Email List Subscribers, Your Facebook page cover is an opportunity for a great call to a action to join your email list.
69. LinkedIn Contacts
Export your Linked in contacts. Sorta. Just make sure there’s a clear opt-out button just in case they don’t want to hear what you have to say.
70. Email your Linked in contacts.
After exporting them and collecting their email addresses, you can send a cold email asking them to subscribe to your form. According to Sumo, Something like this will work:
Hey [Name], Thanks for connecting on LinkedIn.
I’ve just started a newsletter for [your niche here].
People from [Company 1], [Company 2] and [Company 3] have already signed up.
I’d love to have you onboard and drop you a message every [day/week/month].
Want to opt it? Here’s a link. Excited to have you joining.
Cheers,
Zee
71. Podcasts
Podcasts reach a whole new audience – those who consume content via audio rather than written or visual. To grow your email list with a podcast, include a call to action in your intro and outro to join an email list, driving the traffic to a landing page.
72. Whew!!! We are on number 72 of the various Ways To Grow Your Email List Subscribers. Hope you’re taking notes. Well, for this one, I’d simply say create a dedicated video asking your followers to opt in.
73. WhatsApp Status
Use Whatsapp Status. Everyone I know has Whatsapp. So do you. Add the link to your landing page in your Whatsapp Status and watch those numbers grows.
74. Email Courses
Email courses are similar to offering a product, the difference being that you’re teaching something. Email courses have a high perceived value (as courses in general usually are) so people are usually willing to part with their email addresses to be part of them.
Sample Email Course
75. Look to your existing database.
Don’t overlook your existing database of contacts. Colleagues, friends, and family members can help kickstart your list growth.
76. If you have a membership business or organization such as a gym or a dance club, encourage members to opt in to your mailing list online by adding an additional field to your online sign-up forms.
77. Let the User Be In Control of What They Receive:
Allowing them more control over what goes into their inbox helps reinforce your stance as a trusted sender who only wants to send information that’s pertinent to the reader. Neil Patel
78. KISS.
Keep it simple, Stu. Just put the form, add the reward, place the button.
79. Use a Welcome Mat.
Welcome Mat turns any page into your highest-converting page by displaying a full-screen call to action that appears when visitors land on your site. Sumo Me (now just “Sumo”) offers the original and best Welcome Mat. You can try it out for free here.
80. Still curious about Ways To Grow Your Email List Subscribers? Then getting featured by other newsletters and mailing lists focused on your niche is another way to do it. Network on social media and find others in your niche and send out a cold pitch.
81. Case studies work like magic.
This is because they’re super actionable and they give readers the exact steps you used to attain results. Use case studies in your content and add a BIG CTA for potential subscribers.
82. Medium
I decided to write on Ways To Grow Your Email List Subscribers because I needed my own list to grow. And it did. It is growing, because I am using the methods listed on them. Not all, but one would definitely work. So for my 81st way, I’d recommend Use Medium. People write there daily, and if your content goes viral, that’s a lot of leads to your website….and well…your very well placed sign up form.
83. A powerful way to increase engagement, followers, and subscribers is to run social contests. These are promotions targeted at your social media audience.
84. A well-designed feature box exchanges your lead magnet for new email addresses is a good way to grow your email list. You typically place the feature box above the fold of your page so it’s immediately visible to users.
Backlinko Feature Box
85. Remove unnecessary distractions from your blog so they don’t see so many things at the same place with your optin form.
86. Add your newsletter page to your navigation menu and make it easy for your readers to get to it.
87. Add a subscribe tick box to your blog comments.
This yields high conversions. If you’re using WordPress, there are plugins that will allow you to place a tick box below your comments, giving the option for commenters to subscribe to your list.
88. Lock Your Content.
Gated content is content such as articles, white papers, videos, etc. that can only be accessed by site visitors that have filled out your WordPress form and provided an email address.
89. Add SumoMe apps to your website.
The SumoMe apps are some of the best apps used for building an email database.
90. A Content Upgrade is where you offer an ‘upsell’ piece of content within an article in exchange for an email address. Add one to your site and watch the list grow.
91. Write Very good content.
This post on Ways To Grow Your Email List Subscribers took me about 12 hours to write – I started around 7pm, and it’s 3am and I’m still not done. When you combine posts with good content with some of the great email marketing tools, you’ll see a big increase in your email subscribers.
92. A Content Cliffhanger is similar to a Content Upgrade… the main difference is that with a Content Cliffhanger you create a ‘list’ article with say ’25 ways to XXX’ but only deliver 10 of them in the article… the readers can then enter their email address to get the remaining 15 items. Don’t be surprised when users opt out though.
93. Choose an Email Marketing Service.
If you’ve already done this, it’s worth checking whether or not the service in question does everything you need it to (or will need it to).
94. Add Text-Based CTAs to Your Content.
These are CTAs that live within the body of the content itself. Instead of a pop-up or a banner, a text-based link is placed within the content, and leads through to what you’re trying to promote. HubSpot found that anchor text CTAs performed best and were responsible for the majority of their blog leads.
95. Use Viral Referral Loops.
A viral referral loop is a referral scheme in which the more successful referrals someone makes, the better the rewards they earn.
96. More on our 100 Ways To Grow Your Email List Subscribers. Free downloads can be great one-time incentives. But you can also attract new subscribers by offering freebies on a regular basis and publicizing them.
97. Mention and tag relevant brands or influencers when talking about your really nice written post. If you flatter their egos enough, they will definitely share, repost or retweet, which will drive users to your blog post. Just make sure there’s a dope CTA waiting for them when they come visiting.
98. 404 Pages
Use your 404 page to build your email list. When someone visits your blog and sees a page that doesn’t work, they will see a 404 page.
Most 404 pages include a message that lets the reader know something isn’t working right and usually some further information. Just add your form to that page but you’d need a good developer to do this though. Why not contact us?
99. Do more of What Works
In order to grow your email list (or improve your marketing in general) you need to find what works and do more of it. Find which of your traffic sources are delivering the highest conversion rates by using a tool like Google Analytics.
100. Twitter Bio
Add your subscribe link to your twitter bio. I can guarantee you it would get traction.
There you have it. 100 Ways To Grow Your Email List Subscribers. Whew! Thanks for making it this far!
Freebies/Lead Magnets you can offer to potential subscribers.
Make Sure they are relevant to the theme of the article, though.
- A PDF version of your article
- Guides
- Resources/Tutorials
- Ebooks
- An Email Course
- A checklist
- An instructional video
- A template
- A list of tools or resources
- An infographic
Useful Tools & Resources that Can Help
Conclusion
People subscribe to email lists for three main reasons: they want to receive promotions and discounts, they want access to exclusive content, or they want to show their continued support for an organization.
Getting subscribers is the easiest part of growing your list. It’s what you do with those subscribers afterward that really counts. Remember, though, that value is key. If you’re not providing value, you can’t expect people to hand over their contact information.
While having a large list can be an invaluable resource, focus on quality over quantity. A smaller list of engaged followers is better for your business than a larger list full of followers who don’t care about you.
Good luck!
Zee
Recommended Links
- 4 Best Email Marketing Services
- How to Run a Successful Email Marketing Campaign
- How to Promote my blog
