Originally published on 05/10/2021. Last updated on 03/05/2024.
You’re putting out your email newsletter on a regular basis and putting a lot of thought and care into the content. Everything is edited and well-written, your images are aesthetic, intriguing, and represent your brand. Plus, you place a strong emphasis on adding value to your readers.
There’s just one problem: you aren’t happy with the number of people receiving, opening, and reading your emails each time you send them out. This can be a frustrating situation to be in, particularly because you’re putting in so much work, but not seeing the returns that you want.
Let’s explore some ways to grow your email list so that you can get more subscribers who will actually open your emails and enjoy reading them.
Why You Need an Email Newsletter
Think of an email newsletter as your own channel to connect with customers. Unlike social media, where posts can get lost in the shuffle, your email newsletter lands directly in the inboxes of people who actively want to hear from you. This means you can nurture those relationships over time, offering helpful content, exciting updates, and the occasional insider perk.
A newsletter is also your ticket to more website traffic. Share a sneak peek of your latest blog post, tease an upcoming product launch, or announce a special offer – your newsletter subscribers will be the first to know. With each beautifully branded email they open, your business stays front and center in their minds. This kind of top-of-mind awareness is invaluable for a growing business.
And here’s the best part: email newsletters won’t strain your marketing budget. Compared to some other channels, they deliver a fantastic return on investment, helping you connect with your audience without emptying your wallet.
7 Ways to Grow Your Email List
1. Create a Dedicated Sign-Up Page
You want to start by having a landing page dedicated solely to encouraging people to sign up. Give them a place to provide their information in order to subscribe.
This page should have a URL that’s easy to associate with your brand and also use your business’s colors, graphics, fonts, and language.
The sign-up process should be simple in that people only need to provide their email addresses and possibly their names. Requesting any extra information will make people not want to fill out the form (because it’s too long) or raise suspicions about what the other information is going to be used for.
Once the page is complete, you can easily share it and start increasing your sign-up numbers.
2. Promote on Social Media
If you’ve got an email newsletter that you want people to know about, a great place to start is on your business’s social media platforms.
Create a pinned post that will live at the top of your profile telling anyone who visits all about your newsletter’s offerings and how it will add value to your audience. You might also consider sending out a post each time a new edition is about to go out with sneak previews of what’s to come and why customers don’t want to miss out.
3. Consider an Email Signature
If you spend a lot of your time writing emails, you might consider adding a link to sign up for your newsletter in your email signature. The people you correspond with will take notice and possibly go sign up if they like what you have to say.
You definitely want to be careful if you decide to go this route. Sometimes, having links in your signature will get your email moved to someone’s spam folder. As long as you keep your text straightforward and don’t send hundreds of thousands of emails out each day as a way of gaining interest, you should be fine.
4. Use Calls to Action
Chances are, there are several people currently reading your email newsletter and really enjoying it. You can remind them to share it by adding a simple call to action at the bottom of your newsletter.
Additionally, you might also consider adding an option to sign up at the bottom of the email. If people are forwarding it around to their colleagues, the people receiving it may want the option to sign up, as well. Solve their problem for them by creating a link to a sign-up page.
5. Keep a Consistent Schedule
You should be able to tell subscribers exactly when they can expect to receive your email newsletter. Therefore, it will take some careful planning ahead of time to decide how often you’ll be able to put one together.
This is often dependent on a number of factors, such as how many people will be working on the newsletter, how much content you want to share (ie: the length), and what that content will entail (for example, will it take lots of research, or can you reuse previously-existing content?).
While there isn’t necessarily a right or wrong answer for how often your newsletter should be published, Campaign Monitor recommends at least once per month, but no more than twice per week.
6. Run a Contest
A fun way to potentially increase sign-ups is by having an online giveaway or contest. Offer your audience a prize on social media (such as an object with your branding on it or a $10 donation to the charity of their choice) and have them sign up for the newsletter in order to enter.
You may even consider allowing people to have multiple entries every time they share the link to your sign-up page.
Again, this is an area where you’ll want to tread lightly. Know what your audience would want in terms of a prize and use the right language to get them to act. You don’t want to risk getting a bunch of sign-ups while the contest is running, only for everyone to unsubscribe when they don’t win.
7. Offer Valuable Lead Magnets
Not sure what to offer in exchange for email addresses? Lead magnets are fantastic tools to incentivize signups. These are valuable, downloadable resources (like ebooks, checklists, or templates) tailored to your target audience’s needs.
The key is to create something truly helpful and relevant to their pain points. This establishes you as an authority and demonstrates the value you can provide. Once they download your lead magnet, you’ll have their email address, opening the door to nurture them as potential customers through your email newsletter.
Think of it as a win-win. You offer valuable content, and they get a solution to their problem while joining your subscriber list. It’s a fantastic strategy to jumpstart your email list growth.
Start Growing Your Email List Today
Your email newsletter is a high-quality piece of work that needs to be shared with the world. These tactics are a surefire way to boost your numbers and keep them up with quality subscribers. Remember, consistency is key. Focus on delivering valuable content in each newsletter and don’t be afraid to experiment with different approaches to see what resonates best with your audience. With dedication, you’ll cultivate a loyal subscriber base genuinely interested in what your business has to offer.
Need help getting started or looking to refine your email strategy? Vervology helps small businesses make the most of their digital strategies and grow their business. Contact Vervology today to get started.