How to Increase Your Email List

Co-authored by Kira Jan

Last Updated: November 3, 2021 References

Looking for a fast way to grow your business and email list? Email lists, sometimes called subscriber lists, allow you to contact potential customers with promotional material and updates. You can send new offers, advertise product launches, and build your brand with a newsletter. Here’s the hitch–email lists take a good amount of strategy to grow and maintain because you want to produce top quality content that people want to read! We’ve put together a straightforward guide to increasing your subscriber count and maintaining your valuable contacts.

Method 1

Method 1 of 16:
Create short, concise, high-quality content.

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The average person only spends 11 seconds reading an email. Grab your audience by quickly explaining what’s in it for them. For instance, front-load info about discounts, offers, new products, and exciting news.^{[1]
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- Use a call-to-action (a phrase encouraging the reader to “make a move” like buying a product).
- Instead of using boring words like “download” or “buy,” add a sense of fun and exclusivity like “Join the club!” or “Treat yourself!”
- Include high-definition images that are relevant to your brand.
- Add a bright pop of color in a heading or to highlight an offer. Just make sure the colors fit your brand.
- Ask short questions: “What’s the secret to great skin?”^{[2]
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Method 2

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Make your subject lines appealing.

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Get users to actually open your content. Email lists decay about 22% per year as people unsubscribe!^{[3]
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Research source} That’s why it’s essential to produce emails people actually will open and read by appealing to their self-interest and emotional interest. Here’s what that means in terms of subject line examples:^{[4]
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- “Self-interest” subject lines speak to what customers want:
  - “Your journey to a healthy gut starts here.”
  - “We think you’d look great in this sweater.”
  - “You looked! Now it’s time to buy.”
- “Emotional interest” subject lines connect with customers’ feelings:
  - “Get ready for summer! MUST HAVE swimsuits.”
  - “Feeling lonely? Bring your friends to Barney’s Happy Hour.”
  - “Treat your puppy with a toy they’ll LOVE!”

Method 3

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Send out newsletters with tips, new products, and rewards.

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Keep subscribers updated with your brand’s latest offerings. Make the newsletters valuable to subscribers by sprinkling in helpful advice and small incentives. For example, from time-to-time, give your email list customers exclusive offers in order to keep them interested in your products and emails.^{[5]
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Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
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Method 4

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Promote your email list on your social media accounts.

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Reach a broader audience by building engagement across platforms. Start by linking to your sign up page in your bio. Then, check out these easy social media strategies for fast ways to grow your list:^{[6]
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- Post stories that allow viewers to swipe up and be redirected to the email list sign-up page on your website.
- Host photo competitions and sweepstakes.
- Create a hashtag for your brand. Offer a small reward for people who are subscribed to your email list and use the hashtag in a post.
- Repost content and offers from your latest emails on social media. Tell your audience to subscribe to emails so they won’t miss out.

Method 5

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Engage subscribers with quizzes and polls.

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Figure out what your customers want so you can produce more of it. Ask subscribers what products they’re interested in, what they want to know about your brand, and the types of content they’re interested in. People love to participate and give their opinions, so this is a great way to boost engagement along the way.^{[7]
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- Ask what future content they’re interested in: “Do you want more tips for decluttering your PC?”
- Promote your new products: “What’s our best new product? Mason Boots vs. Sailor Sweater?
- Get feedback on events: “Scale of 1-10, what’d you think of the cybersecurity webinar?”

Method 6

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Encourage sign-ups through referral programs.

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Referrals help you retain existing subscribers and get new ones. Tell your subscribers that if their friends purchase your products, services, or sign up for your emails, both the subscriber and the person they refer will get a discount.^{[8]
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Research source} You don’t have to offer a huge discount—even offering free shipping can boost your revenue by as much as 10%.^{[9]
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- Send out an email saying: “Send this 15% off code to any friend. When they subscribe and buy a kit, you’ll get 15% off your next order!”

Method 7

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Host free webinars to spread brand awareness.

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Ask customers to sign up for your email list to register for the webinar. Webinars allow you to give a presentation to potential customers and position yourself as an industry expert. By sharing knowledge with other people, you build the trust that’s essential to a good customer-brand relationship.^{[10]
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Method 8

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Choose an email marketing software.

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Email marketing software can boost your efficiency. It lets you easily send mass emails, use templates to create great content, and track whether your emails get opened or not. If you run a very small business, you can keep track of emails in a simple spreadsheet. However, if you’re managing and sending a lot of emails, it’s better to purchase management software. Here are the top email marketing softwares available:^{[11]
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- Campaigner: A small-business friendly option with standard email marketing, automation, and analytics.
- HubSpot: A pricier, comprehensive solution that also offers integration with social media and customer relationship management software.
- Mailchimp: The dominant email marketing software that offers flexible tiers of pricing for multiple sizes of businesses.

Method 9

Method 9 of 16:
Collect email addresses through your website.

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Make it easy for users to give their contact info. Directly invite people to sign up for your list with a landing page or widget where customers can enter their email and name to sign up. For indirect ways to collect emails through your website, check out these suggestions:^{[12]
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Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
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- Allow people to opt-in to your emails when people checkout online.
- Use a sidebar or top bar on your website where people can enter their email.^{[13]
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- Start a waiting list for products (be clear that signing up for the waitlist means people also sign up for emails).
- Make special "gated content" on your site, meaning people can only access those pages if they subscribe.

Method 10

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Ask for email addresses in-person.

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Go old-school to maximize the number of emails you collect. Allow customers to sign up for special offers and deals when they make a purchase in store. Host special events like pop-up sales and product launches. Put out a clipboard with a sign-up sheet to collect email addresses.^{[14]
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- If you don’t have a physical business location, attend a trade show or industry event and bring a sign-up sheet.

Method 11

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Offer a free download to entice customers to sign up.

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Free information builds brand loyalty. Plus, it gives you an easy way to collect emails. Can you offer subscribers digital content like tutorials, guidebooks, or informational brochures?^{[15]
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Research source} Check out the examples below:
- For a service-based business, like a pool cleaning company, offer a checklist of steps homeowners need to take to properly maintain their pools on a daily, weekly, and annual basis.
- To promote your freelance work or consulting, offer a free download of your expert advice. For instance, if you’re an interior designer, create a guide to “10 Decorating Secrets to Update Your Home.”
- For your retail business, offer detailed tutorials on using or styling your products and PDFs demonstrating bonus features.

Method 12

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Use exit-intent popups to grab on-the-fence customers.

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Exit-intent popups can change the minds of people clicking off your site. These pop ups rely on mouse-tracking software. They anticipate when users are about to click off and show a message asking the users to stay. Try exit-intent popups to grab a potential customer’s attention and ask them to join your list.^{[16]
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Research source} Customize these examples when you write your own popups:
- “Wait! Before you go, here’s $10 towards your next purchase.”
- “You’re leaving without your new beanie! How about free shipping?”
- “We’ll miss seeing you around. Stay in touch with our newsletter and snag the best deals.”
- “Psst. Want to join our VIP Club for exclusive content?”

Method 13

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Partner with other businesses to broaden your audience.

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Gain more followers while gaining industry contacts. Find individuals and businesses who align with your brand’s values and offerings. Promote their content/services/products through your emails and encourage your subscribers to go check them out. In exchange, ask that the other business promote your brand.^{[17]
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Trustworthy Source
Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
Go to source}
- For instance, if you own a sporting goods store, write up an email newsletter with an interview with a local athlete. Ask the athlete to post about the interview on social media.
- If you’re an e-commerce consultant, promote another consultant’s paid webinar through your emails and ask them to give you a shoutout.

Method 14

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Optimize your emails with list segmentation.

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List segmentation lets you target specific audiences. Using your email marketing software, divide your email list by demographic info and engagement level. For instance, you might send special loyalty offers to customers who repeatedly open your emails or send “welcome” emails to newer subscribers.^{[18]
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- Reach out to unengaged subscribers with subject lines like “We miss you!” or “It’s been a while...” and include an enticing offer.^{[19]
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Method 15

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Personalize your emails to boost engagement.

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Personalized content is 6 times more effective at boosting transactions than non-personalized content. Use your email marketing software to add the recipient’s name to the email. If you’re able to pull data about what types of products or content the subscriber might be interested in, show them relevant content.^{[20]
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Method 16

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Send out content consistently.

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A regular content schedule means customers won’t forget your brand. Aim to send tips, updates, and offers at least 1-2 times per month.^{[21]
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Research source} Most customers don’t want daily emails. However, you do want customers to keep your business in mind and build loyalty.