In recent years, the digital marketing space has witnessed the development of several new tactics and strategies to boost sales.
However, no other method has withstood the test of time like email marketing. And with 59% of consumers saying it still influences their buying decisions, building your email list is a no-brainer.
Now, you may be wondering how you can actually go about gathering emails…
Not to worry! In this article, we’ll share 12 smart ways expert marketers have used to grow their email lists and how you can do the same. Sit tight and get ready!
TL;DR:
- Collecting email addresses is crucial in 2023 due to the high ROI of email marketing.
- It allows for direct communication with the target audience and provides better control over communication channels compared to social media platforms.
- To collect email addresses, businesses can use tactics like opt-in forms, newsletter subscription popups, lead magnets, gamified experiences, mystery discounts, seasonal offers, personalized messaging, influencer marketing, and testing different offers.
- Additionally, social media promotion, targeted advertising campaigns, and collecting email addresses in person at events are also effective strategies for building an email list on various channels.
Why is it important to collect email addresses in 2023?
A recent study shows that for every dollar spent on email marketing, the average return on investment is around $42.
That translates to an impressive 4200% ROI!
With social media remarketing becoming more challenging and ad costs rising, it’s crucial to create and maintain a robust email list. By collecting email addresses through landing pages, opt-in forms, and blog posts, you can establish a direct line of communication with your target audience.
Unlike social media platforms, email is owned media. This means you have complete control over communication with your subscribers.
Retention marketing is where email truly shines. By sending regular newsletters, exclusive content, and personalized offers, you can keep your email subscribers engaged and interested in your brand. The result? Higher customer lifetime value and increased brand loyalty.
If you haven’t already, it’s time to start building your email list.
The benefits are clear:
- higher ROI,
- better control over your communication channels,
- and a powerful tool for retention marketing.
9 proven ways to collect email addresses from your website visitors
Having a reliable system to collect email addresses is a goldmine, and thankfully, it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Here are nine proven ways you can start collecting tons of email addresses starting today:
1. Add an opt-in form on your blog, landing page, or homepage
When collecting email addresses, having an opt-in form readily available is a great tactic to increase your email subscribers.
Although a simple form like this may not have a massive conversion rate, some potential customers will actively go looking for it. That’s why it’s essential to place the opt-in form in a prominent location on your website.
Keep the form simple and easy to fill out, since requiring too much information can deter potential subscribers. Just use a few fields, like name and email address.
Personalizing the copy based on the page or article the visitor is browsing can also help increase the likelihood that they’ll subscribe to your email list. Use persuasive language to highlight the benefits of joining, such as exclusive content, special offers, and early access to new products or services.
Train Right uses this strategy on its blog:
Here’s another example from Dollar Shave Club which promotes an opt-in form on its homepage:
2. Use a simple newsletter subscription popup
A simple newsletter subscription popup on your website can be an effective way to grow your email list if you don’t want to offer a discount.
Just emphasizing the benefits of joining your email list can entice people to sign up.
For example, you can mention that subscribers get exclusive deals, early access to new products, and insider information about your company.
To avoid being too aggressive with your popup, consider setting it to appear on exit intent or after a visitor has been on your site for a certain amount of time. This way, you can capture emails without being overly intrusive.
Here’s a great example from Brand Growth Experts where they collect subscribers without a discount, just by highlighting the advantages of being a subscriber:
3. Make your email popup more compelling with a lead magnet
Lead magnets are another potent tool for growing your email list. They offer visitors something valuable in exchange for their email addresses.
This could be anything from a free guide or ebook to a discount code.
Or even a free product sample, like in the example below.
By offering something of value, you increase the likelihood that visitors will opt in to your email list.
But why are lead magnets so effective?
- For one, they make your popup more compelling. Instead of simply asking visitors to subscribe to your list, you offer them something in return. This makes the value exchange more equitable and incentivizes visitors to take action.
- Additionally, lead magnets are more effective because they provide immediate gratification. Visitors can download or access the lead magnet immediately after subscribing. This creates a sense of satisfaction and reinforces the value of subscribing to your email list.
4. Gamify the user experience
Gamification can help grow your email list by engaging visitors with fun, interactive popups.
These gamified popups can include lucky wheels, scratch-off cards, quizzes, puzzles, and challenges, all offering a chance to win prizes such as discounts and free products.
When creating gamified popups, it’s crucial to remember your target audience and your brand. The game or challenge should be relevant to your niche and something that visitors will find enjoyable.
The popup design should be user friendly and the reward should be worth the effort. Visitors are more likely to opt in if they perceive the reward as valuable.
One of the most popular gamified popups is the lucky wheel: visitors spin the wheel for a chance to win a prize, and in return, you collect their email addresses.
Scratch-off cards work similarly, offering visitors a chance to win prizes by scratching off a card on their screen. These gamified popups are easy to set up and provide visitors with an exciting, engaging experience.
Another popular gamified popup is the quiz. Quizzes can be a great way to engage visitors and collect email addresses. By asking questions related to your brand or niche, you can segment your email list and personalize your messaging.
For example, a clothing brand could create a quiz that helps visitors discover their style and then sends targeted emails based on the quiz results.
5. Offer a mystery discount
Do you love a good mystery? So do your potential email subscribers!
A mystery discount is a creative and effective way of encouraging visitors to sign up for your email list.
So, what’s a mystery discount, exactly? It’s a promotion where visitors provide their email addresses in exchange for some unnamed discount. It’s a bit like a grab bag—customers aren’t sure what they’re getting, but they know it’ll be worth it.
But why are mystery discounts so effective at building email lists?
They tap into people’s natural curiosity and desire for a good deal. People love the thrill of the unknown and the sense of anticipation that comes with it.
One thing to remember when offering a mystery discount is to ensure that the discount is significant enough to be enticing. Customers may feel disappointed or even cheated if the discount is too small. However, you don’t want to give away too much and hurt your profits. Striking the right balance is key.
To make the most of a mystery discount promotion, it’s crucial to create a sense of excitement and urgency.
Use phrases like “unlock your mystery discount” or “reveal your savings now.” You can also create a sense of urgency by setting a deadline for the promotion.
6. Create seasonal offers
Seasonal offers can be a powerful motivator for visitors to act quickly and sign up for your email list. These are special promotions or discounts that are only available for a limited time, and they’re related to seasonal events, holidays, or specific dates.
Check out this example that promotes a Halloween giveaway:
If you sell sporting goods, you might create a promotion around the start of the football season, offering a discount on football gear.
One of the reasons seasonal offers work so well is that they create a sense of urgency. When visitors see that a promotion is only available for a limited time, they’re more likely to act quickly before the opportunity passes them by.
To create a successful seasonal offer, start by identifying the key dates and events that are relevant to your target audience. Look for opportunities to tie your offer into the season or event.
Let’s say you sell health and wellness products. You might create a promotion around New Year’s resolutions, offering a discount on gym memberships or healthy meal plans.
Next, develop an offer that is compelling and relevant to your audience. The offer should be something that your target audience wants or needs and that will motivate them to sign up for your email list. For example, if you sell beauty products, you might offer a free makeup tutorial to new subscribers.
7. Personalize the messaging
When it comes to personalizing your campaigns for building a list, understanding your audience is where it all begins. Once you understand your audience, you can craft communication that directly addresses them.
Tailoring your messaging to the traffic source is one effective way of personalizing your messaging
Your list-building popup can also be segmented based on interest.
For example, Obvi customized their popup copy for customers who are interested in sleep products:
8. Leverage influencers
Influencer marketing has been around for some time now, but did you know that it can also be a great way to grow your email list?
Here are some smart ways to use influencer marketing to grow your email list.
When a visitor arrives on your website through an influencer campaign, greet them with a photo of their favorite influencer and use the same words they used when promoting your product. This kind of emotional connection drives engagement, loyalty, and sales.
You can also offer a unique discount to anyone who arrives at your website through the influencer’s unique link.
When working with influencers, it’s important to ensure they’re a good match for both your brand and your target audience. Partnering with an influencer whose audience is entirely different from your ideal customer may result in poor engagement and outcomes.
Another tip is to set clear goals and expectations for your influencer campaigns. Ensure you know your goal and communicate this to your influencer. Whether it’s driving traffic to your website, growing your email list, or increasing sales, having a clear goal in mind will help you measure the success of your campaign.
9. Test different offers to find the best one
Despite trying different list-building tactics, you might still see little growth. And that can be frustrating!
The key to success may lie in testing different offers to find the one that resonates most with your audience.
One popular type of offer to test is discounts. Discounts can come in different forms, such as:
- a percentage off,
- a dollar amount off,
- free shipping,
- a buy-one-get-one (BOGO) offer,
- or even a mystery discount.
By testing these different offers, you can discover which ones are most effective at driving conversions and growing your email list.
You might also want to test your lead magnets.
This could include things like e-books, webinars, or other exclusive content. By testing your lead magnets, you’ll be able to learn which types your audience is most interested in, helping you get more email sign-ups.
It’s important to note that testing is an ongoing process. What works today may not work tomorrow, and what works for one audience may not work for another.
That’s why it’s crucial to continually test and optimize your offers to ensure that you’re always getting the best possible results.
3 extra tips to build your email list
We’ve already looked at different ways to grow your email list using your website visitors. Now here are three extra tips to build your email list on other channels, too:
10. Use social media to promote your email list
Social media has become a powerful tool in today’s digital age, and it can be an effective way to promote your email list and attract new subscribers.
All you need to do is to ensure your social media profiles include a link to your email sign-up page.
This way, anyone who comes across your profiles can easily subscribe to your email list. Be sure to include the sign-up link in the bio/about sections of your Facebook page and other platforms.
Hosting giveaways and contests is another effective way off encouraging people to join your email list. To enter, require people to provide their email addresses and offer a prize that’s relevant to your business.
This practice can expand your email list quickly and attract individuals who are truly interested in what you’ve got to offer.
11. Run targeted advertising campaigns
You can target your ideal audience and encourage them to sign up for your email list using platforms such as Facebook ads, Linkedin ads, and more.
Rather than casting a wide net blindly, you can concentrate on the users that are most likely to be interested in your product or service. As a result, you’re more likely to observe increased click-through rates and conversions.
How do you begin with targeted advertising campaigns?
Choosing the right platform is the initial step.
Because of its massive reach and powerful targeting options, Facebook is a popular choice for many businesses. Since they’re targeting professionals, many B2B businesses also find Linkedin ads to be ideal. Depending on your audience, other platforms such as Twitter Ads and Google Ads can also be effective.
Once you’ve selected your platform, it’s time to set up your campaign. Remember to use eye-catching ad copy and visuals that clearly convey the value of signing up for your email list.
12. Attend events and collect email addresses in person
Attending in-person events can be a highly effective way of achieving these goals. Whether it’s a, top step trader review, a conference, or your own event, you have the opportunity to engage with people who are interested in your products or services and incentivize them to join your email list.
Trade shows and conferences are great venues to exhibit your business and attract new subscribers. For example, you might decide to offer an exclusive promotion to individuals who subscribe to your email list at the event.
In fact, a survey by Endless Events found that 31% of marketers believe that events are the most effective marketing channel, beating digital advertising, email marketing, and content marketing!
If you decide to host an event, such as a product launch or a meet and greet, make sure to provide a sign-up sheet for attendees to provide their email addresses. This can be an effective way to grow your email list with people who are already interested in your business.
During the event, you could provide exclusive content or a special promotion to those who sign up for your list, further incentivizing them to join.
Events also provide an opportunity to create a personal connection with your potential subscribers. By engaging with them in person, you can build a relationship and create a lasting impression. This can help to establish trust, loyalty, and even advocacy for your brand.
Wrapping up
In today’s digital age, any business that wants to grow and succeed simply must build an email list. You can attract new subscribers, engage with them, and build lasting relationships that drive sales and revenue by implementing these 12 smart ways to grow your email list fast.
Numerous strategies are available to expand your email list, such as optimizing your website, creating lead magnets, leveraging social media, and offering seasonal promotions.
Experimenting with different tactics may be necessary to find what works best for your audience and business, since there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
Now that you know how to get emails, start implementing these tips today and see how your email list grows and your business thrives!
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