8 strategies to build your email marketing lists 

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to connect with your target audience and drive conversions. With more than 4 billion daily email users worldwide (a number that’s projected to reach 4.6 billion by 2025, according to Statista), there’s never been a better time to grow your email marketing lists. 

In this blog post, we’ll explore the power of email marketing lists and share eight proven strategies to help you grow and expand your list effectively.

What is an email marketing list?

An email marketing list is a curated collection of email addresses belonging to individuals who have expressed interest in your brand. These subscribers voluntarily provide their contact information, often in exchange for exclusive offers, news, valuable content, or other incentives.

Advantages of building an email list

Building your email list is a game-changer for businesses of all sizes. Here’s why it’s a marketing essential: 

• Direct communication: With email, you can reach your audience directly in their inbox without worrying about social media or SEO algorithm changes.
• Cost-effectiveness: Email marketing is relatively inexpensive and offers a higher return on investment than other marketing channels.
• Personalization: You can segment your audience and deliver personalized content using email lists.
• Ownership: Unlike social media followers, your email list is owned by you, giving you more control over your marketing efforts.
• Measurable results: Email marketing provides detailed metrics for tracking open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.
• Relationship building: Regular, valuable emails help build trust and loyalty with your audience over time.
• Scalability: As your list grows, so does your potential reach and impact, without necessarily increasing costs proportionally.

Three email email list best practices

Here are some best practices to keep in mind when building your email list:

1. Get a reliable email service provider (ESP)

Choosing the right ESP is important for successful email marketing. An ESP, like Dotdigital, is a platform that enables businesses to manage and execute their email marketing campaigns effectively. Dotdigital offers a comprehensive set of features that a good ESP should provide:

• User-friendly interface for creating and sending emails, with drag-and-drop editors and customizable templates.
• Advanced segmentation and personalization capabilities to target your audience more effectively.
• Robust analytics and reporting features, including real-time tracking and performance metrics.
• Compliance with anti-spam laws and data privacy regulations ensures your campaigns meet global standards.
• Integration with your other marketing tools and platforms for a seamless workflow.
• Scalability to accommodate your growing list and evolving marketing needs.
• Automation tools to streamline your email marketing processes and improve efficiency.
• Deliverability services to ensure your emails reach the intended inboxes.
• Cross-channel marketing capabilities, allow you to extend your reach beyond email.

2. Keep your email list healthy

Maintaining a healthy email list is important for the success of your email marketing 

campaigns. Here are some best practices to keep your list in top shape:

Regular cleaning

Remove inactive subscribers, bounced emails, and unsubscribes promptly. This housekeeping improves your deliverability rates and ensures your awesome messages reach people who actually want to hear from you.

Re-engagement campaigns

Before you hit that delete button on inactive subscribers, why not try to rekindle the flame? Launch targeted campaigns with special promotions or ask for feedback to rekindle their interest.

Double opt-in

Want to ensure only the most interested subscribers join your list? Implement a double opt-in process. It reduces spam complaints and boosts your overall list quality.

Segment your list

One size doesn’t fit all in email marketing. Divide your subscribers into smaller groups based on demographics, behavior, or preferences. This allows you to send more targeted, relevant content. The result? Higher engagement rates.

Monitor engagement metrics

Keep an eye on open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. These metrics can help you identify areas for improvement in your email marketing strategy.

Update subscriber information

People change, and so do their preferences. Encourage your subscribers to update their info and preferences regularly. This way, you’re always sending the right content to the right people.

Handle unsubscribes promptly

Make it easy for subscribers to opt-out if they want to. Process unsubscribe requests immediately. It might seem counterintuitive, but this actually helps maintain a positive brand image and keeps you on the right side of anti-spam regulations.

3. Never buy an email list

Never buy email lists. Focus on organic list-building strategies that attract genuinely interested subscribers. This approach may take more time, but it will result in a higher-quality email list and better long-term results for your email marketing efforts.

You’ll get poor quality leads

Those bought lists? They’re often filled with outdated or inaccurate information. You’ll end up with high bounce rates and low engagement. Not exactly what you’re aiming for, right?

You’ll lack consent

Think about it – the people on these lists haven’t given you permission to contact them. Sending them unsolicited emails can damage your brand reputation and lead to spam complaints.

You could face legal issues

Many countries have strict anti-spam laws like GDPR and the CAN-SPAM Act. Violating these by sending unsolicited emails can result in hefty fines. That’s definitely not in your marketing budget.

Your deliverability will suffer

Internet service providers (ISPs) and email service providers (ESPs) are smart. They’ll likely flag your emails as spam if you’re using purchased lists, harming your sender reputation. You want your emails in inboxes, not spam folders, right?

You’ll waste resources

Sending emails to uninterested recipients is like shouting into the void. It wastes your time, money, and effort – resources you could be using on organic list-building strategies instead.

Your targeting will be ineffective

Purchased lists lack the crucial segmentation and personalization data you need for effective email marketing campaigns. Without this, you’re essentially shooting in the dark.

You risk exposing yourself to malware

Some purchased lists contain email addresses used as spam traps. Using these lists could potentially expose your systems to security risks. That’s definitely not worth the risk.

Instead of buying email lists, focus on organic list-building strategies that attract genuinely interested subscribers. Yes, it might take more time, but the payoff is worth it. You’ll build a high-quality email list that delivers better long-term results for your email marketing efforts.

Eight email list building strategies

Now that we’ve covered the basics of email marketing lists and best practices, let’s dive into the heart of the matter: how to organically build and grow your email list.

1. Optimize your website with a signup form

It’s important to think of your website as your digital storefront, as it’s the perfect place to start collecting email addresses and growing your marketing lists. To capture the attention of your target audience, you can integrate a data capture popover to high-traffic areas such as your homepage, blog posts, or even within the checkout phase. You can use these smartly timed overlays to invite new visitors to sign up for your marketing emails.

When adding forms to your website, consider including attractive signup incentives such as a discount code or exclusive member access for email subscribers. This way, you not only gain their email address but they also get something in return. It’s a win-win situation.

2. Create gated content

Gated content refers to resources such as ebooks, whitepapers, or exclusive webinars that are only accessible to users who provide their email address, fill out a form, or complete a survey. By requiring users to provide their contact information, gated content can help expand your contact lists, which can be a valuable asset for future marketing campaigns and sales efforts.

Dotdigital’s pages and forms are powerful tools that can be integrated into your website to create custom landing pages that capture essential customer data and insights. This data can be used to personalize your marketing campaigns and improve your overall customer experience, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates. 

Creating gated content can help marketers generate leads, build brand awareness, and position themselves as experts and thought leaders in their industry. By providing valuable resources that are only accessible to a select group of users, you can establish trust and authority with your target audience, which can lead to increased loyalty and advocacy over time.

3. Leverage social media

If you want to increase your email list subscribers, leveraging social media is a great way to do it. You can promote your email lists for marketing through your various social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

One way to do this is by pinning a tweet or creating a Facebook post that highlights the benefits of subscribing to your marketing list. Make sure to include a call-to-action (CTA) and a link to your signup form in the post. This will make it easy for people to sign up and become part of your email community.

Facebook lead ads can also help you attract new subscribers. You can directly sync contacts from your Facebook lead ads into your Dotdigital account. Facebook lead ads are connected to an ‘instant form’ that collects customer information, such as email, phone number, and custom preferences. Once customers click on your ad and fill in this form your data is seamlessly synced. From there, you can add these contacts to a nurture campaign to engage your new audience.

4. Offer a customer loyalty program

Another effective way to encourage people to subscribe to your email marketing list is by offering them a customer loyalty program. By providing limited-time offers or special deals that are reserved for subscribers, you create an enticing incentive for potential customers to sign up and be part of your email marketing list.

This strategy not only helps increase the perceived value of your product offering but also helps build strong relationships with your existing customers by rewarding their loyalty. When your subscribers feel like they are getting something special that others are not, they are more likely to remain engaged with your brand and continue to open and interact with your emails.

To make the most of this strategy, it’s important to ensure that the discounts and promotions you offer are relevant and valuable to your target audience. Consider what types of offers would be most appealing to your subscribers and align with your brand’s values and messaging. Additionally, be sure to communicate the terms and conditions of the offer, including any expiration dates or limitations, to avoid any confusion or disappointment.

5. Host online events and webinars

Hosting online events and webinars is a great way to engage with your audience and provide them with valuable information. By offering live Q&A sessions and other interactive features, you can create a sense of community and build trust with your audience. Additionally, hosting online events provides an opportunity to collect email addresses, which can be used for future marketing efforts.

To ensure maximum attendance, it’s important to promote your events across various digital channels, such as social media and blog posts. You can also use Dotdigital tools to manage registration and send reminder emails to those who have signed up. When promoting your event, make sure to choose a compelling topic that piques their interest and curiosity, and communicate the benefits of attending.

6. Encourage referrals from existing subscribers

One effective way to grow your email marketing list is by encouraging referrals from your existing subscribers. Word-of-mouth marketing can be a powerful tool, and by incentivizing your current subscribers to refer their friends, family, or colleagues, you can tap into this potential. 

Consider developing a referral program that rewards both the referrer and the new subscriber with exclusive discounts, bonus content, or access to members-only events. This not only helps expand your email marketing lists but also fosters a sense of community among your subscribers. 

To make your referral program even more effective, you can also provide your subscribers with pre-written messages or social media posts that they can easily share with their network. This can help ensure that the referral process is as seamless as possible and increase the likelihood of new subscribers signing up. 

7. Optimize your email sign up process for mobile devices

Mobile devices have become an integral part of our lives. With more and more people accessing the internet through their smartphones and tablets, it’s important to optimize your email sign up for mobile devices.

To ensure that your sign up popovers are mobile-friendly, you need to make sure that they are responsive, functional, and fit mobile screens. You should also ensure that your signup forms are adaptive and easy to fill out on a mobile device.

By optimizing your email sign up process for mobile devices, you can ensure that your marketing lists grow with new subscribers. This will help you reach a wider audience and increase your chances of converting them into loyal customers. 

8. Strengthen your email lists with marketing automation

Email marketing automation is a powerful tool that allows you to communicate with your audience through personalized and targeted emails. This helps to strengthen the relationship between your subscribers and your brand. With the right approach, you can use automation to retain your existing subscribers and attract new ones, ultimately strengthening your email marketing list.

Here are three ways you can use email marketing automation to strengthen and nurture your email list:

Automated welcome emails

Make a great first impression with new subscribers by sending a personalized welcome email. This initial touchpoint allows you to thank subscribers for joining, highlight the value they can expect from your future communications, and prompt them to whitelist your email address. Welcome emails generally have high open and click-through rates, making them an essential component of your email marketing strategy.

Behavior-triggered emails

Dotdigital’s email marketing automation platform allows you to send behavior-triggered emails based on a subscriber’s specific actions, such as browsing history, previous purchases, or form submissions. By delivering personalized messages tailored to each subscriber’s needs and interests, you provide value, which in turn enhances engagement and helps retain your existing subscribers while adding new ones.

Re-engagement campaigns

Keep your email list active by initiating re-engagement campaigns targeted towards inactive subscribers. You can even use Dotdigital’s remail feature to automatically resend a campaign with a new subject line to anyone who hasn’t engaged with it after a set number of days. This can help you rekindle a subscriber’s interest and prevent your email list from stagnating.

Remember to monitor and analyze performance

To achieve long-term growth, it’s essential to regularly monitor and analyze the performance of your marketing list-building strategies. This involves analyzing the results of your campaigns to determine how engaged your list is and how well your tactics are delivering high-quality leads. By doing so, you can gain valuable insights into what is working and what is not, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your marketing efforts.

It’s also important to experiment with new ideas and techniques to ensure that your email lists for marketing continue to grow and generate the desired results. This can involve A/B split testing different email copy and subject lines, or exploring new channels for list-building. By continually testing and refining your approach, you can stay ahead of the curve and ensure that your marketing efforts are always effective and up-to-date.

It’s time to grow your email marketing lists

Growing your email marketing lists is important for all marketing teams. By implementing these eight powerful strategies, you can increase your list size and improve the quality of your leads. Focus on customer needs, maintain a consistent content strategy, and keep your subscribers engaged. With the right approach, your marketing lists will become one of your most valuable assets in driving growth.