While the rest of the web has moved at light speed to revolutionize various ways in which we market ourselves and distribute content, email remains quite stable in its original format. Perhaps the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies, as email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective strategies for brands and businesses to market themselves to subscribers. Email lists naturally ebb and flow in size over time, but a solid email marketing campaign combined with conversion efforts should consistently grow in size. The rate of growth depends on a lot of things; we’ll discuss below how you can best accelerate the growth of your email list and reach as many people as possible.

Make Sign-up Easy

Perhaps the most straightforward way in which to convince users to sign up for your mailing list is to make the process easy and readily available. On every page of your website, there should be a simple sign-up form that asks for a name and an email address – some opt to request more information, but this could lower your overall conversion rate. In addition, pinging your website‘s users with the occasional pop-up email sign-up form may prove to increase overall subscriptions, but be careful with using this option too liberally. You can also integrate email sign-up forms into other outlets of your brand, such as social media, for a well-rounded and thorough effect.

Offer Promotions

In general, people will only provide you with their email address voluntarily if there is something of value to be gained from doing so. While some people will value what you have to say or offer in general terms, many other subscribers are out there who want to obtain something more tangible in return. Many brands utilize promotions and similar offerings as a way to entice individuals into signing up. The giveaway of a free item – whether electronic or tangible in nature – can go a long way toward convincing others to join your mailing list. Even discount offers are sometimes enough to pique the interests of a reader, converting them into a subscriber for life.

Create Exclusivity

People naturally have a tendency of wanting to feel special, and this tendency doesn’t suddenly change when being on the internet. Brands that successfully create a climate of exclusivity surrounding their mailing lists can dramatically boost sign-ups in the long-term, thanks to human nature. Perhaps your email subscribers will receive access to late-breaking content before everyone else, or maybe they have access to content that others never receive. By providing tangible reasons as to why being on your mailing list is an exclusive endeavour, the natural desire of people to be included will fuel their desire to sign up.

Conclusion

While pinging your website’s content to the world through search and social media are definite prerequisites for success these days, you also need a reliable email marketing list through which similar strategies can be pursued. By providing as many opportunities as possible to sign up, adding incentive to the sign-up process and fostering a culture of exclusivity among readers, your email list will begin to grow in ways that previously seemed unimaginable.