Wondering how to grow your email list in a way that doesn’t screw up your sender reputation?

Your email marketing list is one of the most important assets for your business. 

Gone are the days where companies would buy thousands of email addresses to add to their email lists – and thank God for that! 

Buying email addresses is pretty much the worst thing to do for your email marketing. Not only does it upset people who did not sign up for content, it can ruin your sender reputation when people mark your emails as spam. Plus, there’s no guarantee that those addresses are even valid – meaning your emails will have a high hard bounce rate, further sending a signal to your email service provide that your emails are poor and uncalled for.

So how can you get more subscribers, in a legitimate way, who actually want to get your emails? 

1. Turn your popular blog posts into lead magnets – not everyone has the time to churn out a 50-page e-book, design a mind-blowing infographic or create an amazing online course. What you can do however, is to convert your popular blog posts into lead magnets that people will want to download as long as they just provide their best email address. Remember, they’ll only do it if the headline is compelling and shows what benefit they’ll get out of it. All you have to do is create a PDF version of your blog, advertise the lead magnet on your website or socials and collect their email addresses in return for the content piece. 

2. (Paid) lead generation campaigns on social – social media users have a stronger purchase or consumption intent. By signing up via your lead generation ads, they prove themselves to be a highly interested potential customer. This could be in the form of a giveaway or a discount. 

3. Add a discount popup to your website – it’s no surprise that customer acquisition is expensive, so you really shouldn’t miss the chance to attract a potential customer when possible. By enabling a ‘Welcome Discount” popup, you immediately attract a potential customer. Once you have them in your list, it’s your content that can help push them through the funnel towards becoming a customer. We recommend giving these visitors a 10% or 15% off their first order – most online shoppers just can’t resist a discount like that!

4. Add an exit popup to your website – over 70% of your website visitors are likely to never return. By capturing their attention the moment they try to leave, you’re more likely to convert them into a lead. Enabling an exit popup with a tempting offer is a great way to turn those abandoners into interested customers, as long as you have a compelling reason for them to stay. 

5. Add an opt-in CTA at the end of your blog posts – if someone has made it right to the end of your blog, there’s a high chance that they found your content valuable. Why not strike while the iron is hot and ask them to join your mailing list for more valuable content? Remember to add a note about WHY they should sign up to your mailing list (tips, discounts, updates), and mention how frequently they can expect to hear from you (daily, weekly, monthly etc.)

6. Lock your content – if you’ve got lengthy blogs with valuable information, tips and tricks for your readers, why not turn it into a lead magnet? They’ve come so far to the bottom of the page, they’re likely to want to keep reading more. Simply ‘lock’ your content, and ask them for their email address to send them a copy of the full article. You can go a step further and design the content as an infographic or guide to make it even more valuable and user-friendly.

7. Referral campaigns – incentivise your existing customers with rewards or discounts for referring their friends and family. Make sure to tell them that they will receive the perk only after their referral signs up.

8. Collaborate with similar brands to tap into their audiences – hosting giveaways or events with similar brands or influencers can boost your email lists substantially. The best part, it’s a win-win for all parties involved!

9. Add an opt-in link to your email signature and social media profiles – increase all the ways your customers can subscribe to your emails. But only do this if you’re a regular newsletter sender, and can provide valuable content to your subscribers. 

10. Host a giveaway – who doesn’t like freebies? Simply host a quick giveaway on your website or app, with the only requirement being people have to sign up with their name and email address. Ensure that you have a confirm-opt-in tick box alongside the form, so that you have the reader’s permission to email them marketing content in the future.

While these tips can help you gain more email subscribers, here are some bonus tips:

• Switch on double opt-in – this ensures that any email addresses that may have been subscribed to your newsletter actually intended to do so. It’s also a great way to make sure that email addresses have been entered correctly, avoiding any human error.
  
• Reduce all distractions on the page – keep the design of your page simple with as little distractions as possible. You want to keep your reader focused on your CTA, which should be compelling enough for them to enter their details. 
• Keep the form simple – only request their first name and email address if possible – remember, the more form fields you provide, the less likely they are to fill it out. In some circumstances, it may be necessary to request for more information – but remember, you can always gather this data from the person in the future through targeted email campaigns, surveys, or quizzes.