Building An Email List From Scratch: Top 10 Effective Strategies

Creating an email list is an essential initial step towards establishing an effective email marketing strategy. Having an email list allows you to reach out to prospects and customers in order to drive sales and build relationships. For many businesses, the task of building an email list can be challenging due to the abundance of tactics available, which can be confusing and yield inconsistent results.

That is why it’s important to have a comprehensive understanding of the best practices when it comes to building an email list. This guide provides a great overview of 10 effective tactics for increasing the size of your email list while ensuring that it reaches the right people who will be specifically interested in your message. From offering exclusive incentives such as discounts or freebies for signing up, or utilizing referrals programs that reward existing customers who refer new contacts – these tactics are sure-fire ways for growing a quality subscribers list quickly. With these strategies in place, you are on track to set yourself up for success with your overall email marketing campaigns!

What are the characteristics of a high-quality email list?

High-quality email lists are the bedrock of any successful email campaign. Before beginning list building tactics, it’s important to understand what makes a quality list and what traits all successful lists should possess.

Proper subscription

First all email subscribers should provide their consent before receiving emails from you. This includes double opt-in signup processes which require users to confirm their subscriptions via an additional link in the confirmation email or by entering a code sent via text message.Taking this extra precautionary step will ensure your sender reputation remains intact and that all data privacy regulations – such as GDPR and CAN-SPAM – are complied with in full.

Intended for target audience

It’s essential to be mindful of your audience when signing up new subscribers to your email list. You don’t want to waste time and resources on individuals who have no genuine interest in what you’re offering. Whether it is products, services, or content, your emails should reach the intended target audience likely to respond and stay engaged.

Valid addresses

An accurate and current email address is essential for effective communication. By having up-to-date contact information, you can ensure that your messages reach their intended recipients. It’s important to take the necessary measures to make sure that an individual’s email address is correct and up to date. This can be done by periodically removing invalid or bounced email addresses to maintain the list of contacts used in marketing campaigns or other communications.

Engaging subscribers

Engaging email subscribers is an essential part of any successful email lists. Subscribers who are actively engaging and interacting with a sender’s messages, such as by consistently opening, clicking, and responding to emails, will be some of the most valuable to have on a list. These engaged users are more likely to convert into paying customers, reward the sender with positive reviews or share content online with their network.

Easy to segment

Segmenting your email list is an important step in any successful email marketing strategy, as it allows you to target specific groups of people who share similar characteristics. By breaking down the list into segments, you will be able to tailor your messaging for better engagement and response rates. Segments can be created using a variety of factors such as demographics, interests, past purchases, and engagement levels.

Growing email list

Growing your email list should be a top priority in any successful online marketing strategy. Having a strong email subscriber base allows you to reach out to customers and potential customers with information about your product or service. It also builds credibility, ensures ongoing loyalty and boosts overall ROI.

To grow your email list, offer valuable content in exchange for sign-ups. Use social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram to promote yourself. Try sponsored posts, competitions, videos, or collaborations. Be consistent and track what works best for your goals.

Build an Email List From Scratch

Now that you understand the key traits of a successful email list, it’s time to get started building your own. The following are 10 exceptionally effective strategies for getting started with building an email list from scratch:

1. Incorporating pop-up CTA (call-to-action) to website pages.

Adding pop-up CTAs to your website pages is a good way to start building an email list. A pop-up CTA allows visitors to easily learn more and provide their email addresses if they’re interested. When users visit a website, they may come across pop-ups that can grab their attention and offer relevant information based on the content of the page. This email list can include potential customers who may be interested in your products or services. This type of CTA can be triggered based on the visitor’s activity, such as when they’re about to leave the page or when they scroll down a certain percentage.

Personalized calls-to-action specific to various landing pages are a great way to convert more blog and landing page visitors into email subscribers. According to HubSpot, personalized CTAs have a 42% higher view-to-submission rate than generic calls-to-action. It’s important to tailor your CTA to the specific needs of the people visiting your site. By creating high-quality content that is personalized to the individuals visiting your site, you can avoid sounding overly promotional and increase the likelihood of people engaging with it.

2. Offering a compelling incentive

The key to successful list-building is creating a compelling incentive. After all, if you don’t offer something your customers find desirable, they won’t be interested in signing up for your list.

The incentive should be valuable to your potential customer and related to what you’re selling. For example, if you’re selling software tools, consider creating a template or guide that shows people how to use the tool. Maybe you could offer a snazzy checklist of tips and tricks to help them save time when using it. If you’re more of an educative brand, give away free ebooks or case studies explaining specific topics related to your product and what it offers. Or try offering new subscribers a physical giveaway like branded products as an extra token of appreciation for signing up. Whatever incentives you choose should surprise and delight recipients so they feel appreciated as a loyal customer.

3. Adding opt-in form in your site’s navigation or footer

One of the best strategies for growing a comprehensive subscriber list is to add opt-in forms to strategic locations on your website. By adding a form in the navigation, margins, or footer of every page on your site, you can give visitors additional chances to join your mailing list. While placed in subtle areas that may not get as much attention, these opt-in forms contribute incrementally over time to gathering potential customers and supporters.

To get more signups on your website, write a clear CTA that highlights the benefits of signing up. Offer things like coupons or exclusive content, or keep people informed with news and updates. Also, make sure to include a link to your privacy policy to ease any concerns about sharing contact information.

4. Create multiple landing pages

Creating landing pages that convert can be an incredibly effective method of growing your email list. Landing pages are meant to create an ideal entry point for users looking for a specific product or service who land on the page from an advertisement, email campaign, or search engine optimization (SEO). 

Having effective landing pages sets your business apart from competitors and makes it easier for potential customers to sign up for your mailing list.

A great example of a successful newsletter signup landing page is the one put together by Backlinko. This page offers interactive tools to entice people further into converting along with quality content about their story and their expertise in the industry. All of these pieces come together to help potential customers feel comfortable enough to trust your brand through providing their information in exchange for something valuable from you.

5. Using Referral Program

A referral program is a useful method to utilize word-of-mouth marketing and increase your email list. By offering incentives to current subscribers to share your campaigns with their contacts, you can efficiently broaden your audience and obtain valuable leads.

To make this strategy more effective, offer an exclusive reward for successful referrals. This can be discounts, free trials, or another incentive. Onnit, for example, offers customers $20 for each referral and doubles the reward after ten successful referrals. With a compelling offer like this, you can generate valuable word-of-mouth marketing.

6. Adding CTA button to social media

Adding a signup button to your social media accounts can be an effective way to engage followers and keep them informed about new products and services. Social media platforms like Facebook provide the option to include a call-to-action button on your business page, allowing followers to easily sign up for your email list. Other social media platforms may have different options, such as using Linktree in Instagram’s bio section to direct visitors to various links, including a sign-up form.

7. Adding newsletter signup option at checkout

Building relationships with your customers does not need to end upon purchase. In fact, encouraging them to sign up for your newsletter while they’re at checkout can establish a lifelong connection and deepen your customer loyalty. Integrating a newsletter sign-up option onto the checkout page can be done simply – just include another checkbox that promotes the value buyers will receive if they opt-in, whether it’s exclusive discounts or updates about new products.

8. Engage Your Audience with Exciting Social Media Contests and Giveaways

Organizing contests and giveaways on social media is an effective way for businesses to grow their customer base. Contests are especially effective in the early days when you don’t have much traffic to leverage yet. To make the offer even more valuable, try partnering up with other ecommerce brands that cater to a similar audience or look for influencers who are already connected with your ideal customers. Aim to create a dedicated landing page for your giveaway using tools like ShortStack or ConvertFlow so there is one main destination and it’s easier to track traffic. Offering a compelling prize is key to driving engagement – it doesn’t need to expensive but it should carry some value that potential subscribers find attractive.

9. Using Chatbots for interactive signups

Chatbots are becoming increasingly popular among businesses as a way to engage with website prospects. Adding a chatbot to your website can make the signup process more interactive and engaging. Plus, it can also help you to capture more email subscribers. A chatbot can capture a subscriber’s email address and other information through conversation flows that are designed for the purpose of lead generation. This makes the signup process much more entertaining than simply filling out an online form; it also allows potential leads to establish connections with your company in a unique way.

There are tools available for setting up these conversation flows effortlessly. Brevo is an excellent tool for integrating chat into your website in order to facilitate email signups. It comes with customizable widgets that allow you to tailor the chat functionality according to your exact needs and preferences.

10. Using Email list builders

Email list builders are the perfect solution for quickly growing your email list. These tools provide quick and easy solutions that save time and energy while still ensuring best practices with regards to data collection. These tools also let you personalize the message sent during opt-in requests and capture important information about each subscriber such as job title, which is becoming increasingly important with GDPR regulations. As these services store your subscriber profile and history, you won’t have to worry that old contact information gets thrown out; allowing you to easily follow up with them if need be. Some providers have free plans while others offer targeted services like data opt-ins or segmentation functionality for a fee. To know more on the best email marketing tools please refer to our article –

 Conclusion

Building an email list from scratch requires a strategic approach. Creating valuable content, leveraging social media platforms, and using lead magnets and opt-in forms are key. Attract and retain subscribers who are genuinely interested in what you offer. Remember, a robust email list isn’t just about numbers, but about nurturing an engaged and loyal community. Implement these tactics consistently to grow your email list and strengthen your relationship with your audience.

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