Getting Started With Email Marketing Part 4: Capturing Email Addresses

Growing your email marketing list is just as important as the email marketing platform that you're using. Since email marketing platforms are cracking down on anti-spam laws and people are sick of receiving spam, it's important that you have an opt-in list. Opt-in lists are not something that appear out of thin air, you will have to grow it over time.

Here are a few simple ways to start growing your lists:

1. Tell People to Subscribe

Seems obvious, but you should tell people to subscribe to receive your content. You can do this by having people subscribe directly to your blog (to receive your posts via email), or sign-up for your updates via a subscription form on your website (stay tuned for a detailed post on the design options to consider for your subscription forms!) The platform that you choose should have a way for you to create subscription forms that you can place on your website to encourage people to sign-up.

2. Encourage Your Existing Subscribers to Share Your Content

Include social share links and a "forward to a friend" button in your emails. That way you'll have access to more people who may be interested in signing up for your list. Make sure to include a subscribe form at the bottom of your emails as well so that people receiving the forwarded emails can easily opt-in, too.

3. Add a Subscription Link to Your Email Signature

You and your staff should all have a link in your email signature that leads people to a landing page where they can sign up for your mailing list.

4. Utilize Social Media

Every so often, you should create images to post to your business's social media accounts encouraging your followers to subscribe to your emails. Facebook offers a way to create a "sign up" call to action on your page so you should set that up as well.

5. Offer Something to Incentivize Subscriptions

Give something away like a free how-to guide, a free ebook, an inforgraphic, etc. Make it easy, have people simply sign up for your emails to receive their free gift.

6. Collect Email Addresses at Events

Collect email addresses at webinars or offline events like trade shows or job fairs and import them into your email marketing list. Be sure to send these types of contacts a welcome email that confirms their opt-in to your list.