Foolproof Ways to Grow Your Email List in 2024

Even after decades of digital marketing, email lists still have some of the highest ROIs for online businesses. Want to grow your email list in 2024?

Here are a few things you should be doing this year to kick your email marketing into high gear.

Offer an Opt-in They Can’t Refuse

The quickest way to grow your email list subscribers is to start asking. If you don’t already have regular prompts asking people to join your email list, it’s time to ramp it up.

A good email list signup prompt should:

1. Present the value upfront: If your value statement to the reader isn’t given out within the first 2 lines, you’re not going to retain people’s attention long enough to sell your CTA. Let your readers know what’s in it for them right away.
2. Keep it simple: No one will read a huge paragraph that’s not part of the main page content. Get to the point and don’t waste the few seconds of attention your reader is giving out.
3. Be bold: Make the ask. You’re not doing anyone any favors by beating around the bush. Keep your wording focused on what you’re asking the reader to do.

Remember that opt-ins for email lists are an exchange. You are asking someone if you can add their email to a list you maintain. What are you giving them in exchange for that privilege? You’ll have a higher conversion rate if you’re giving a compelling offer and presenting it to them on a silver platter.

Catch Visitors at the Right Moment

Beyond the content of the opt-in request itself, be smart about when and where you put a prompt. While signup prompts inside your content are good, you can make some other more timely prompts and get even better results.

One of the most effective prompts is the exit pop-up prompt. You can use this as a way to say “Wait! Before you leave, have you seen…?”. These prompts get people’s attention and present the offer in a way that feels like they’re getting a great deal signing up. It can be a very effective way to beef up your email list, and it’s as easy as adding an exit pop-up!

If you’re using a WordPress website, you can use a theme that makes it excessively simple. Find a nice theme from a marketplace like Envato and you can set up an exit pop-up prompt in your custom settings. Get it set up in a matter of minutes and watch your email list steadily start to grow.

Always Personalize

Email list signup prompts are less effective when they ask you to sign up without offering a specific, relevant reason. Treat your email list marketing just like your other marketing: prioritize personalization!

Use different CTAs for different landing pages, on social media, and on the main website pages themselves. If you’ve got blog content and you want to put email list signups within that content, write CTAs that match the content itself. Use specific language whenever possible, engaging button text, and a personable header to catch people’s attention.

Utilize Many Platforms

You don’t have to ask for email list signups only on your website. Use every platform you’re on to encourage email list signups, including social media, Pinterest, WhatsApp, Reddit, and more. You can even use ads if you’ve got a strong enough pull to your mailing list. Your audience may not be the same on all platforms, so make sure you’re giving signup opportunities to everyone equally.

Tailor your signup messages to the platform you’re on. Address that audience’s needs and preferences to make your email list as attractive and relevant to them as possible. By spreading your net as wide as possible, you’re more likely to capture a larger portion of your total audience without them having to engage with a specific platform first.

Host a Giveaway

Who doesn’t love a good giveaway? Giveaways can offer people a chance to win something of value when they sign up for your email list. Put something unique up for grabs to a lucky winner, with the entry requirement being a free email list signup. Utilize digital products for giveaways if you want to reduce the amount of work involved in following through with the product delivery.

Before you host a giveaway, make sure you’re getting enough new traffic to your social media pages or website. Giveaways work best for new people who are not yet fully engaged with you or your brand, bringing them into the fold.

You should also only do this strategy if you’ve got an ongoing email marketing program or a solid strategy in place for how you’re going to do email marketing.

Note: There are different laws governing giveaways in different US states and other countries around the world. Make sure your giveaway follows all local sweepstakes regulations.

Set Up an Informative Quiz/Survey

Interactive elements like quizzes, surveys, or questionnaires can be a fun, engaging way of bringing people into your email list. You can either present the email list prompt before the quiz starts or as a way to see other results. For surveys and polls, email list signup can used as a way to reveal the stats about other people’s answers.

Quizzes and surveys that are related to your business have a better chance of getting signups. For example, an appliance store can create a quiz that helps people determine what kind of washing machine they should get. Or, an interior design company can survey website visitors about their design preferences.

Wall Off Data Analysis

Walled gardens aren’t the best strategy for everyone, but it can be useful to wall off specific data and reserve it only for those willing to sign up for your email list. Make sure you’re reserving specific, high-value content for this, such as results from primary research, interpretations of secondary data, or research compilations.

This strategy can be really helpful to pull in new leads. Because data and research analysis are highly linkable, you may be able to attract new people to your website from backlinks to the synopsis, and then have them join your email list for free access to the full report. Reports like these do well in data-heavy industries like real estate, marketing, or other business-focused niches.

Provide Access to Exclusives Communities

Groups, chats, seminars, digital content, tools, and other exclusive-access communities make a great incentive for new sign-ups. By joining your email list, people can gain access to exclusive communities of like-minded individuals with similar goals, interests, or priorities.

An exclusive community can be a great draw for people. It’s especially helpful if you’re working in an informative niche where networking and unique insights can make a huge impact. This is a perk that many people in your target audience would be willing to give their email address for, as long as your community is providing enough value.

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Start seeing better returns from your email marketing by taking it up a notch in 2024. Show your audience what they’re missing out on, give them a chance to opt in, and then use your list as the marketing powerhouse it is to grow your business this year.