This document provides 50 tips for growing an email list through relationship marketing. Some key tips include leveraging business cards, trade shows, and hosted events to collect email addresses in exchange for offers or incentives. It also recommends optimizing websites for search engine optimization, giving away promotional items by mail and asking for email addresses, and partnering with related businesses to advertise in each other's newsletters. The overall goal is to build long-term, mutually-beneficial relationships with customers and prospects through regular communication using email.

1.
50
Relationship
Marketing
Tips
to
Grow
Your
Email
List
Communication
is
key
in
any
business
however
in
today’s
fast
paced
world
you
need
to
make
sure
you’re
not
just
communicating
but
‘connecting’
with
your
customers
and
potential
clients
in
an
authentic
way
so
that
they
can
begin
to
feel
comfortable
doing
business
with
you.
It’s
a
value-­‐for-­‐value
exchange
that
will
help
you
to
build
long-­‐term
and
profitable
business
relationships.
One
of
the
most
inexpensive,
timely
and
effective
ways
to
connect
with
your
customers
is
through
the
use
of
email
marketing.
But,
you
first
need
to
have
a
list
of
emails
to
get
started.
The
following
‘quick
start’
list
building
strategies
will
help
you
get
going
so
you
can
communicate
and
connect
with
influence
and
inspire
action!
B2C
(Business
to
Consumer)
1. Business
Cards
Put
an
offer
on
the
back
of
your
business
cards
to
get
people
to
sign
up
for
your
email.
Remember
not
to
be
‘in
your
face’
about
it,
just
a
subtle
offer
that
peaks
interest.
Example:
Sign
Up
for
our
E-­‐newsletter
to
get
10%
off
your
next
purchase
www.companyname.com
2. Tradeshows
Bring
a
clipboard
or
sign
up
book
with
you
to
tradeshows
and
ask
for
permission
to
send
emails
to
those
who
sign
up
so
you
can
keep
them
informed
and
up-­‐to-­‐date
about
the
latest
products
in
your
field.

2. 3. Host
Your
Own
Event
Art
galleries,
software
companies,
retail
shops
and
consultants
can
all
host
an
event
and
request
attendees
to
sign
up
for
a
special
offer
or
incentive.
I
love
this
one.
It
allows
people
to
experience
your
business
on
a
much
more
personal
level
and
is
the
perfect
way
to
demonstrate
your
knowledge,
position
yourself
as
the
expert
and
serve
rather
than
pitch!
4. Special
Clubs
Create
a
birthday
or
anniversary
club
where
you
give
something
special
to
people
that
join
your
list
and
give
permission
to
contact
them.
This
is
a
great
way
to
connect
outside
of
your
traditional
business
approach.
Don’t
clutter
up
the
message
with
a
lot
of
business
talk
–
send
well
wishes
with
a
special
offer
and
even
a
personal
note
if
you
can.
It’s
a
great
way
to
stand
out
from
the
crowd.
5. Incentivize
Your
Employees
Your
employees
are
often
times
your
direct
line
to
customers.
Make
sure
they
know
how
much
you
value
them
and
add
a
little
incentive
to
the
mix
every
now
and
then.
Offer
incentives
such
as
$1
for
every
valid
email
collected
during
a
certain
time
frame.
6. Use
Groupon
If
you’re
in
retail
or
in
a
local
service
business
give
a
Groupon
discount.
The
way
it
works
is
that
you
give
your
discount
ONLY
if
a
certain
number
of
people
take
you
up
on
it
in
a
given
amount
of
time.
Then
make
sure
you
ask
for
their
email
address
in
exchange
for
their
discount.
It’s
a
win-­‐win
exchange
between
you
and
your
valued
customer.
7. Referrals
Ask
your
customers
to
share
their
experience
or
satisfaction
with
their
colleagues
or
friends
after
working
or
shopping
with
you,
and
give
them
a
‘thank
you’
discount
in
exchange.
8. Bounce
Backs
Get
them
back!
Send
a
postcard
or
call
for
an
updated
email
address
for
any
emails
that
may
not
have
gone
through.
9. Newsletter
Space
Trade
newsletter
space
with
a
neighboring
business
or
one
whos
client
base
might
be
interested
and
served
by
your
product
or
service
and
trade
opt-­‐in
link
space
in
each
others
e-­‐newsletters.
It’s
a
great
way
to
increase
visibility
and
grow
your
list!

3. 10. SEO
Make
sure
you
optimize
your
site
with
keywords
related
to
your
business
or
service.
Think
of
what
people
will
be
searching
for
when
they
Google
your
business
‘type.’
You
need
to
be
at
the
top
of
the
organic
search
when
people
are
looking
for
your
products
or
services
and
SEO
is
the
way
to
get
there!
11. Giveaways
Send
people
something
in
the
mail
and
ask
for
their
email
address
in
return.
Make
it
easy
and
enticing.
12. Direct
Mail
Do
you
have
a
postal
list
without
emails?
Send
them
a
direct
mail
offer
they
can
only
get
if
they
sign
up
to
your
email
list
13. Opt-­‐in
Forms
on
Your
Website
Include
opt-­‐in
forms
on
every
page
of
your
site,
preferably
above
the
scroll
so
they
don’t
miss
it
and
offer
a
special
incentive
for
signing
up
–
FREE
Report
or
Educational
Information
that
would
serve
your
clients
or
customers.
Go
beyond
special
offers
and
really
serve
your
visitors
with
useful
information.
14. Popup
Windows
When
someone
is
leaving
your
site,
pop
up
a
window
and
ask
for
their
email
address
so
you
can
keep
in
touch
or
send
special
discount
offers.
15. Forward
to
a
Friend
Include
a
forward-­‐to-­‐a-­‐friend
link
in
your
emails
and
invite
the
recipient
to
forward
your
content
to
someone
they
think
will
find
it
interesting
and
helpful.
16. Archive
Newsletter
Use
the
archive
link
from
your
sent
emails
to
save
your
newsletter
on
your
website
to
boost
interest
in
signing
up
17. Offer
a
Community
Use
NING
as
your
easy-­‐to-­‐set-­‐up
community
and
have
your
visitors
interact
and
sign
up
for
your
newsletter
18. Email
Only
Special
Offer
email
only
specials
and
don’t
use
those
offers
anywhere
but
email.
Make
it
exclusive
and
extra
special.
19. Telemarketing
If
you’ve
got
people
on
the
phone,
don’t
hang
up
until
you
ask
if
you
can
add
them
to
your
newsletter
but
remember
to
tell
them
it’s
truly
in
the
spirit
of
serving.
Stay
away
from
pitching
or
you’ll
be
sure
to
push
people
away
rather
than
drawing
them
near.

4.
20. FishBowl
Put
a
fishbowl
on
your
counter
and
hold
a
weekly
prize
giveaway
–
than
announce
it
in
your
newsletter.
Add
everyone
who
put
their
card
into
your
newsletter
list.
Just
make
sure
you
have
a
sign
that
tells
them
they
will
be
added
to
your
email
list.
21. Opt-­‐in
Form
in
your
email
Include
a
link
to
an
opt-­‐in
form
inside
your
emails
for
those
people
who
get
your
email
forwarded
to
them
22. Tradeshows
Collect
business
cards
and
scan
them
into
a
spreadsheet.
Make
sure
you
ask
permission
to
send
emails
to
them
and
then
wow
them
with
your
spirit
of
service!
23. Sandwich
Board
If
you’ve
got
a
retail
location
why
not
use
that
valuable
sidewalk
to
advertise
your
newsletter?
Create
an
offer
to
get
customers
in
the
store
to
join
your
list
and
let
them
experience
first
hand
your
commitment
to
service.
24. Receipts
While
someone
is
signing
their
credit
card
receipt,
simply
ask
them
to
include
their
email
address
on
the
receipt
or
even
better,
if
you
can
customize
your
receipts
add
the
request
to
the
bottom
of
your
receipts.
At
the
end
of
the
day,
enter
them
into
your
contact
management
account
with
an
automated
message
that
thanks
them
for
their
purchase
and
welcomes
them
to
your
list
25. Street
Fairs
If
you
participate
in
a
local
street
fair,
collect
email
addresses
right
at
the
fair.
You
can
sweeten
the
deal
by
offering
a
discount
or
special
offer
on
the
first
or
next
purchase.
26. Video
Contest
Host
a
contest
where
you
have
customers
create
a
one-­‐minute
video
about
why
they
like
your
non-­‐profit,
your
company
or
products.
Ask
your
customers
to
send
you
the
videos
and
post
them
on
your
Facebook
page.
Then
have
your
visitors
vote
on
which
should
win
cash
or
prizes
that
you
offer.
Suggest
contestants
email
their
lists,
post
on
Twitter
and
Facebook
and
ask
their
friends
to
vote
for
them.
You’ll
get
great
exposure
with
fun
engagement
with
your
customers.
Be
sure
to
use
a
Facebook
Contest
App
and
follow
guidelines
to
count
up
the
“likes”
or
“comments”
to
determine
the
winner.
Make
sure
you
include
you
email
opt-­‐in
form
on
your
Facebook
Fan
Page
to
capture
any
email
addresses
and
have
fun
with
it!!

5. 27. Handheld
Devices
If
you’re
at
a
tradeshow,
at
your
store,
spa,
salon
or
restaurant,
you
can
use
handheld
devices
with
an
app
that
allows
you
to
instantly
swap
contact
information.
It’s
called
Bump
Technologies
and
it’s
FREE.
28. Retail
Packages
If
you’re
shipping
products,
your
box
is
valuable
real
estate!
Include
an
inbox
request
on
a
piece
of
paper
and
tout
that
you’ve
got
“email
only”
offers.
Direct
them
to
your
website
opt-­‐in
form
and
after
they
join
your
list,
direct
them
to
a
page
with
a
special
promotion
offer.
29. Non-­‐Profits
Include
an
email
address
line
in
ALL
donation
envelopes.
Add
them
to
your
email
communication
system
with
a
special
and
sincere
thank
you
for
their
contribution.
30.
Use
what
you’ve
got
Export
your
list
of
personal
friends
and
business
colleagues
who
know
you
from
your
Outlook,
Gmail,
AOL
and
Yahoo!
accounts
and
send
everyone
an
email
from
you
personally
asking
them
to
join
your
list.
Include
a
link
to
your
opt-­‐in
form
and
be
sure
to
extend
great
value
and
appreciation
for
their
interest.
31. iPad
Offer
a
newsletter
sign
up
at
your
location
or
event
using
your
opt-­‐in
form
that
they
can
access
right
then
and
there
on
your
in-­‐store
iPad.
You’ll
appear
super
cool
and
progressive
J
32. Signature
Include
a
newsletter
sign-­‐up
link
in
the
signature
of
all
your
personal
emails
33. Chamber
Members
Join
your
local
Chamber
of
Commerce
and
network
with
local
businesses
asking
them
if
you
can
add
them
to
your
email
list
for
up-­‐to-­‐date
information,
tips
and
tools.
34. Downloads
Offer
something
of
great
value
to
those
visiting
your
website
like
an
information
packed
video
series,
podcast
or
PDF
and
have
visitors
opt-­‐in
to
download
the
information.
35. Speaking
Engagements
During
your
presentation
weave
into
your
talk
that
people
can
always
get
more
information
about
your
product
or
service
by
visiting
your
website.
You
can
also
circulate
a
sign-­‐up
form
after
your
presentation
with
an
incentive
to
be
added
to
your
list
like
a
special
drawing
or
exclusive
offer.

6.
36. Networking
Join
a
club,
organization
or
committee
for
the
purpose
of
sharing
your
knowledge
and
serving
others
to
establish
strong
relationships.
37. Give
Aways
Each
month
give
away
a
valuable
and
fun
item
that
may
or
may
not
relate
to
your
business
but
would
be
appreciated
by
those
who
are
part
of
your
audience.
Must
sign-­‐up
to
be
entered
into
the
drawing!
38. Special
Access
Give
special
access
to
those
who
go
the
extra
mile
and
raise
their
hand
to
say
they
are
interested
in
what
you
have
to
offer.
Create
a
subscriber
only
list
and
provide
extra
special,
exclusive
offers
or
trainings.
39. Surveys
Include
an
email
sign
up
form
on
all
survey
outreach
that
you
do
to
get
an
inside
view
of
what
your
customers
are
interested
in
so
that
you
can
serve
them
better.
40. Invoices
Include
an
option
to
sign
up
for
email
communications
on
all
your
invoices
41. Twitter
/
Facebook
Include
the
link
to
your
opt-­‐in
form
within
your
social
media
outreach
42. Facebook
Include
an
opt-­‐in
from
on
your
Facebook
Fan
Page
-­‐
not
in
the
timeline….big
no,
no
but
you
can
include
it
in
the
boxes
below
the
timeline.
43. Social
Icons
Include
links
to
share
your
email
or
articles
on
Twitter
or
Facebook.
Your
recipients
will
be
able
to
share
your
emails
with
their
network,
just
remember
to
include
an
opt-­‐in
form
link
in
your
email.
44. WordPress
Bloggers
You
can
easily
include
an
opt-­‐in
form
on
your
WordPress
blog
by
downloading
Plug-­‐ins
that
allow
you
to
quickly
and
easily
start
collecting
email
addresses
right
from
your
blog.
45. Use
Foursquare
Give
a
discount
each
time
a
customer
buys
something
from
you
and
shows
you
that
they
mentioned
your
business
on
foursquare
on
their
phone.
This
means
that
they’re
telling
everyone
in
their
network
that
they’ve
just
visited
you
and
talked
about
you.
Virtual
Word
of
Mouth
Advertising.
It’s
Good!

7. 46. Comment
on
Blogs
and
Forums
Offer
insightful
comments
on
blogs
or
forums
that
your
prospects
or
customers
are
likely
to
visit.
Include
a
link
to
your
site
where
your
opt-­‐in
is
front
and
center.
47. Email
your
Facebook
Followers
Each
month
send
an
email
through
Facebook
to
your
new
followers
and
friends
asking
them
to
join
your
list.
48. On
occasion
Tweet
your
new
followers
with
an
offer
to
join
your
list
in
exchange
for
something
valuable
49. Attend
conferences
in
your
field
and
network
with
a
message
of
service
that
helps
others.
Collect
business
cards
from
those
you
may
be
able
to
collaborate
with
and
then
send
a
personalized
message
including
an
invitation
to
check
out
your
website
/
blog
/
video
series
or
whatever
value
offer
you
can
exchange
and
ask
if
you
can
add
them
to
your
communication
list.
50. Just
Ask!
Be
authentic,
provide
value
and
sincerely
work
to
serve
others
with
your
product,
information
or
knowledge
and
simply
ask
people
that
you
interact
with
day
in
and
day
out
if
you
could
add
them
to
your
email
list.
There
you
have
it!
Lots
of
ideas
to
grow
your
list
so
you
can
communicate
and
connect
with
influence.
Remember
NOT
to
make
the
pitch
about
your
business
rather
draw
people
in
by
demonstrating
your
knowledge
and
letting
them
experience
and
decide
if
you
have
something
they
would
like
and
value.
Your
email
list
is
your
greatest
business
asset
so
be
sure
to
treat
each
and
every
contact
with
great
respect.
Wishing
you
great
relationship
marketing
success!
cindy@cindymaymarketing.com
www.cindymaymarketing.com