While current marketing trends seem to be hyper-focused on social media, research shows that good old-fashioned email is still considerably more effective at capturing online leads than popular platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

Compared to other channels, email marketing has one of the highest returns on investment out there with an average of $42 for every $1 spent.

So if you’re serious about expanding your business, building a robust, healthy email list needs to be a top priority. When used wisely, it can have an immeasurable impact on your marketing campaigns, as well as your traffic and sales.

To help set your business up for long-term success, I’ve put together a few handy list-building tactics so you can grow your email list in no time.

What we’ll cover:
• Why grow your email list?

• Creating targeted email lists

• Converting important content into gated content

• Personalizing for optimal results

• Making your opt-in form prominent

• Offering an incentive

Let’s get started!

Why Grow Your Email List?

Before we delve into the specifics of how to grow your email list, let’s cover some of the basics first.

An email list consists of a group of subscribers, either site visitors or customers. This list allows an organization to share its content with people who have opted to receive information, updates, announcements, discounts and other details about the business directly through their email inbox.

Without an email list, you could miss out on reaching potential customers. In fact, it’s one of the best ways to connect with leads, as you’re 40 times more likely to acquire new customers through email than through Facebook or Twitter.

Plus, your email list is entirely in your hands. You control how much you communicate with your target audience — no social algorithms to compete with.

And last but not least, sending emails is a key way to build trust between you and your customers. When people read an email, it’s done in the privacy of their inbox. Because your message is not displayed publically on an ad or social media timeline, recipients are more comfortable engaging with you and more likely to become a paying customer.

Tip #1 — Create Targeted Email Lists

Growing your email subscriber list involves getting to know more about the subscribers you already have.

Who are they? Where do they live? What are their interests? What are their pain points?

Once you’ve gathered this information, you can start segmenting your audience into buckets. That way, your readers won’t all receive the same messages — only what’s most relevant to them.

For example, some fashion retailers offer subscribers the opportunity to choose which email lists they’re most interested in. And they have the option to choose as many or as few as they want.

Tip #2 — Convert Important Content Into Gated Content

From white papers to ebooks, chances are you have plenty of high-quality content that you’re giving away for free.

If you really want to grow your email list and skyrocket engagement, try restricting your best content so that it can’t be accessed unless a user enters their name and email address.

Gated content needs to be both well-written and informative in order to give the reader the expected payoff. Remember, you’re exchanging value for value.

A strong example of gated content is Klood's ebook “The Beginner’s Guide to WordPress." Users only get permission to view it when they sign up.

Tip #3 — Personalize For Optimal Results

It's been shown that personalized emails have transaction rates six times higher than those for non-personalized emails.

Instinctually, any hint of personalization makes us feel special, with more than 70% of consumers saying that a personalized experience is more likely to influence their decision to open and read brand emails.

And email personalization doesn’t just mean just including the recipient’s name in the subject line.

One way OpenTable encourages engagement is by sending emails with personalized subject lines asking how the customers’ most recent meal was that they booked through the platform.

Tip #4 — Make Your Opt-In Form Prominent

When it comes to how to grow your email list, opt-in forms are critical for boosting conversion rates.

Studies show that 55% of visitors spend only 15 seconds or less on your website, which means you need to capture their attention right from the get-go.

While the copy should be concise and the design should be visually appealing, the primary goal is to make your form stand out from the rest of the elements on your page.

Whether you’re using an exit-intent form, a slide-in form or a notification bar, the pop-up needs to be prominent.

Tip #5 — Offer An Incentive

If you want visitors to subscribe to your email list, you need to offer them something in exchange. In other words, give them a reason to want to hear from you.

Incentives can often be the extra push that helps persuade visitors who would otherwise leave your site to take action and sign up.

Common incentives include limited-time offers, free shipping and access to exclusive content. Discounts, in particular, encourage 67% of consumers to make a purchase they weren’t originally planning to make, according to a recent survey from RetailMeNot.

Wrapping Up

Whether you’re planning to implement all five of these hacks or even just a few, just remember growing your email subscriber list is an ongoing practice. As consumer interests and needs continue to evolve, your email list should accurately reflect those changes.

It’s critical that you make an effort to routinely analyze your contact list and leverage your findings to refine your campaigns and build a positive online reputation.

So, if you’re ready to see an increase in communication, loyalty, brand awareness, revenue and customer retention, start leveraging these tips and you’ll grow your email list like wildfire.