10 ways to organically grow your email marketing list

Email marketing continues to be a valued asset in the digital marketer’s portfolio. It has one of the highest returns on investment (ROI) across online marketing channels. Research by MarketingProfs indicates a 40:1 ROI on email marketing, compared to just 2:1 on banner ads and 17:1 on keyword ads. And, as we blogged last year, email marketing was one of the big successes of lockdown, with numbers of emails sent, conversions and open rates all increasing significantly. 

Why you need to grow your email list

So, given the strengths of email marketing, it may seem obvious to say that investing time (and money) in growing your email list is worthwhile. However, there is more to this story than the simple follow-through that having more subscribers equals more opened emails and more conversions. Email marketing lists degrade, and at an alarming rate. So, unless you’re actively growing your list, year-on-year your list will shrink in size.

Email marketing list degradation – why it happens.

Email marketing databases degrade at a rate of around 22.5% every year. That’s a phenomenal shrinkage, and there are a number of reasons for this – 

• People change jobs, meaning work email addresses become redundant;

• Subscribers change email providers and don’t update their subscriptions; and

• Users choose to unsubscribe from your mailing list.

To combat this natural shrinkage, you will need to work to actively grow your mailing list.

How to organically grow your mailing list

Here’s our list of 10 ways to organically grow your email marketing list.

1. Make your email sign-up prominent on your website

Many websites prioritise social sign-ups on their website, giving premium space to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram follow buttons. However, you should consider giving your email sign-up equal or even greater prominence on your website. 

Making email opt-in an un-missable part of your website experience is a simple and free way to grow your mailing list.

2. Blog regularly in your area of expertise

Writing and curating a quality blog has many benefits, including helping your SEO and providing great content to share on social media. However, a blog can also be a great lead-in to growing your email marketing list. 

If you write authoritatively and engagingly in your field then it’s a simple crossover to convert loyal blog readers to email subscribers. These are people that are already interested in what you have to say, so they will be more open to opting-in to your mailing list.

3. Make use of ‘gated offers’ to leverage new sign-ups

A gated offer can take a number of forms, such as; a free download, a webinar, exclusive blog posts or content, videos, a template or an e-book. Essentially, it is something of value to your target audience that may involve expert knowledge or take time to create. You offer your resource to people at no financial cost, but require something from them in return – in this case an email sign-up. 

People are used to this form of exchange and many will be happy to volunteer their email address in return for something they want.

4. Target new subscribers through PPC and paid social campaigns

PPC advertising, paid search and paid social ads are a great option for a business to grow its reach and email marketing list. One of the big advantages of paid digital marketing is that you have a high level of control; over who you target in ads and how much you spend. You can put your brand in front of the kinds of people you want as customers and direct them to your mailing list sign-up.

5. Include calls-to-actions across your digital marketing portfolio

You probably have a call-to-action (CTA) to sign-up to your email marketing list on your website. However, if that’s the only place you’re targeting new subscribers, you’re missing out. 

Include CTAs across your digital marketing portfolio, including on your social media, your blog posts and in your email signature. In fact, wherever you connect with customers and have a digital presence!

6. Give a preview of your newsletter to show people what they’re missing out on

Including a preview of your emails on your website is a great way to entice people. Your aim should be to highlight what people are missing out on by not subscribing. This could be exclusive content, offers and discounts, industry expertise, or simply something fun and engaging that they want to be a part of.

7. Encourage existing subscribers to share your emails

Turn your existing subscribers into brand ambassadors and get them to do the hard work of growing your mailing list. Include ‘email to a friend’ or ‘share with a friend’ buttons in your marketing emails to make sharing easier and more appealing. And make sure to include a subscribe button on your newsletter. It may seem counter-intuitive given that you’re emailing people who are already on your list. But their friends may not be and you need an easy way for them to opt-in.

8. Put yourself out there by taking on guest appearances and gigs

Pursuing virtual and in-person appearances is a great way to reach new people. This could be writing a guest blog post, speaking at a conference or guesting on a podcast. Include your email sign up as a way for people to continue to hear from you after the occasion.

9. Run a competition or giveaway

This works on a similar premise to the gated offer, except that the offer (or prize) is much greater. Contests, giveaways, and sweepstakes have a great engagement rate – up to 5.8%, plus conversion rates of almost 34% according to CampaignMonitor. 

You’ll need to offer a good incentive for the higher engage rates, but people will happily sign up to a newsletter if it gives them a chance to win something they really want. Competitions also have strong referral rates, almost 95% of people will share a giveaway they enter and over 60% will share with a friend in order to get extra entries. 

Competitions work well online, but also in physical spaces like trade shows, conferences, events and premises or shops.

10. Offer a membership or loyalty scheme

Another enticement for customers is the promise of a discount or loyalty scheme. Email sign up is a common part of the process to obtain a loyalty or discount card. In the charity, arts or heritage sectors, a ‘friends of’ type membership model is also widely used.

And our bonus tip…email responsibly!

It may not help you to grow your mailing list, but it can help to slow the rate of unsubscribes if you always email responsibly. By that, we mean following practices like; not spamming your mailing list with low-grade content, keeping emails targeted and relevant and not bombarding your subscribers with too many emails.

Email marketing – help with strategies and campaigns

Curating and growing a quality mailing list is an important component of a successful email marketing strategy. But, remember it’s a regulated area and you will need to ensure you’re complying with relevant legislation.

Growing a mailing list, planning campaigns and writing engaging newsletters and emails takes time and expertise. If you’re struggling to incorporate email marketing in to your businesses communications or feel like you’re not getting the best from your email efforts, then contact us to see how QuayClick could help.

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