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50 Ways to Grow Your Email List
page: 1
50 WAYS
to grow your email list

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Who Should Read This?
Beginner
Beginner content is intended for marketers just
starting out or for those who just need
a refresher.
Intermediate
Intermediate content is intended for marketers
with some experience in the subject matter
including strategies and tactics.
Advanced
Advanced content is for marketers who have
an advanced level of understanding of email
marketing and are looking for advanced
strategies and tactics.
Casey is currently a Response
Consultant for Professional
Services at Return Path. Casey’s
agency experience has involved
strategic consulting with high
visibility brands including Disney,
Mars and Adecco to develop,
implement and refine email,
mobile and social programs that balance a high ROI with
a positive, meaningful brand experience for consumers.
Her approach unifies the goals of her clients with the
wants and needs of the end user, ensuring that both have
more rewarding and positive interactions.
50 Ways to Grow Your
Email List
Written By Casey Swanton
This e-book:

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5: Introduction
6: The Basics
Build a Foundation for Positive Subscriber Experiences
11: Bread & Butter
The Website Opt-in
15: Beyond Digital
Getting the Brick and Mortar Involved
17: Out Of The Box
Making Print and Outdoor Media Work Harder
18: Client Services Capture
Making the Most of Each Touch Point
19: Get Social
Tying Email to Social Media
22: There’s An App For That?
Collecting Email in Mobile
23: Searching For Subscribers
SEM and SEO
24 : Mixing It Up
Cross-brand Strategies
Contents:

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Return Path Products
Professional Services
Customized consulting solutions from
email intelligence experts that drives email
performance, produces measurable results,
and improves your program ROI.
Q Insight.EQ Certification.EQ Protect.EQ
Insight.EQ
Make your email program best in class by
seeing how subscribers engage with your
brand, how content renders, and side by side
benchmarks on key metrics.
Placement.EQ Insight.EQ Certification.EQ Protect.EQ
Placement.EQ
Maximize inbox placement with superior
accuracy and visibility into active subscriber
data, seed lists and sending reputation.
Placement.EQ Insight.EQ Certification.EQ Protect.EQ
Protect.EQ
Protect your users and your brand by gaining
full visibility into known, unknown and
potentially fraudulent email traffic.
Certification.EQ Protect.EQ
Certification.EQ
Boost inbox impact by increasing delivery
speeds and bypassing email filters with the
most respected whitelist in the industry.
Secure.EQ
Secure trust in your brand by monitoring and
blocking phishing and integrating the latest
email threat intelligence into your security
program.

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Increasing both the size and quality of a
subscriber email list is usually a top priority
for marketers, and with good reason.
Not only does the email channel typically show a high ROI when compared to other
direct marketing channels, it offers marketers a means to further engage and inform their
subscribers. Additionally, email can be integrated with other channels to augment outreach
efforts and enhance overall campaign performance.
The following recommendations can help increase the number of successful email sign-ups
by increasing exposure for the email program and making it easy for email prospects to find
and complete the opt-in process.

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Regardless of which methods you employ to
grow your list, make sure that your approach is
subscriber-centric and user-friendly.
A primary goal of building an email list should
be to create a rewarding and satisfying
subscriber experience from the initial opt-in to
the re-engagement email and beyond.
THE BASICS: Build a Foundation for Positive
Subscriber Experiences
1

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Include clear permissioning and a link to the
privacy policy on all opt-in pages and forms.
Setting expectations with new subscribers is
essential for growing an engaged and happy
subscriber base.
By ensuring that subscribers understand what
types of emails they’ll be receiving from the very
start, they’ll also be less likely to mark future
messages as spam!
2
Leveraging a splash page that focuses on the
email opt-in is a great way to grow a subscriber
base for major launches, new brand awareness
strategies, upcoming key events and any
other promotion that depends on building
anticipation as well as an email list.
3

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Give prospects an easy way out of the
subscription process and back into your website
content if they chose not to opt in. This sounds
counterintuitive, but prospects who have a
positive brand experience are more likely to opt-
in down the line.
Additionally, these same site visitors may choose
to opt-in on another page once they have
had more time to explore your content. See
number 12 to ensure that you close the loop for
prospective subscribers!
Create a simplified, mobile-friendly landing page
that includes an overview of email program
benefits, an opt-in, and basic navigation back to
the main website. This ensures that a greater
audience will be easily able to opt-in.
4 5

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Make it easy to opt in by including a limited
number of required fields that are clearly
identified as such.
If your brand strategy requires a high level
of data, consider adding a secondary page
or section where users are able to volunteer
additional information or adjust preferences.
6
Keep your opt-in form design simple and
intuitive and you’ll see a lower
abandonment rate.
7
Clearly spell out how your email program can
benefit your subscribers and customers and set
expectations on what kind of messaging
they’ll receive.
8

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Offer email-exclusive deals, information and
opportunities to increase the value of your email
program for subscribers.
Have an optimized triggered welcome email in
place to confirm the opt-in and welcome new
subscribers to your program. While this won’t
help grow your list, it’s an important step to
start things off on the right foot and stave off list
attrition!
9 10

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BREAD
& BUTTER:
The Website Opt-in
Make the email opt-in on your home page
noticeable and easy to find! The longer that
site visitors have to search for it, the fewer will
successfully complete the process.
Put an email opt-in call-out on your content
pages or within website headers or sidebars that
are consistent across all pages of your website.
The example below from Ford allows subscribers
to sign up for email once they’ve already had
a chance to explore areas of the site that are
relevant to them.
11 12

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Include an email opt-in on shopping cart
checkout pages, but try not to pre-check the
sign-up box.
Ensuring that the opt-in is voluntary and
intentional can help reduce the chance of spam
complaints and opt-outs down the line.
13
For sweepstakes and contests, include a benefit
statement, clear permissioning and a checkbox
to opt-in to receive promotional emails.
14
For any sign-up forms for webinars, demos or
other online events, call-out your email program
and provide a way to opt-in.
15

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Make sure that your website footer includes an
email program call-out and/or link to your opt-in
page.
Include a clear, motivating call-out within the
email creative that encourages and/or allows
your subscribers to forward an email to their
friends.
16
Make sure that your content is worth sharing!
If you have great offers, tips, information, images
or content, your subscribers will be more likely
to spread the word.
17
18
If possible, for all emails that are forwarded
through calls to action within the content, add a
banner or call-out to the template that includes
motivating copy and a link for the friend to sign
up to receive emails.
19

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Include an opt-in link in the footer or content of
all commercial emails so friends are able to
opt-in even if the email was forwarded through
the forwarder’s email client.
Feature a prominent forward-to-a-friend link
within your welcome email series to capitalize
on new and engaged subscribers.
21
20
Consider sending an email that highlights
sharable content and/or the multi-channel share
features that are available for subscribers to
spread the word about your brand, products or
offers. For true Refer-A-Friend programs, create
motivating, user-friendly landing pages.
22
Include a call-out to join your email program on
transactional emails for customers who are not
subscribed to your email program.
23

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Turn in-store customers into email subscribers
by informing shoppers of the benefits of the
email program and offering them an option to
opt-in at the point of sale.
Take some of the pressure off of your in-store
employees to spread the word by including
signage and point of purchase call-outs that
briefly highlight the benefits of your
email program.
24 25
BEYOND DIGITAL:
Getting the Brick and Mortar Involved

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If you’re already sending email receipts, modify
the template to include a call-out for your email
program and a link to the opt-in form.
26
Include an email program plug and benefit
statement on printed sales receipts.
27
If you have a loyalty program in place, ensure
that it is tied into your email program.
Allow members to opt-in to receive standard
sales emails in addition to loyalty program
communications.
29
Leverage QR codes as a quick way for savvy
in-store customers to jump right to your mobile
friendly opt-in page.
28

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On print advertising pieces in magazines and
newspapers, call-out the benefits of the email
program and include both the website address
and/or a QR code
30
Promote your email program to customers and
prospects on your physical mailing list. On
direct mail pieces, call out the specific benefits
of an email subscription or online membership
and provide simple, clear instructions on how to
opt in.
31
Plug your email program on printed collateral
and brochures.
32
Highlight the benefits of the email program
on advertisements displayed in spaces with a
captive audience, like public transportation ads.
Provide a link or QR code that directs visitors to
the mobile site or mobile opt-in page.
33
OUT OF THE BOX:
Making Print and Outdoor Media Work Harder

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Provide your call center with scripts that briefly
highlight the email program and allow callers to
opt-in to receive promotional messaging.
34
Add a descriptive link about the email program
in the email signatures for client/prospect facing
representatives. This strategy works great for
B2B or for brands that leverage one-to-one
lifecycle or customer service email programs.
35
CLIENT SERVICES
CAPTURE:
Making the Most of Each Touch Point

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GET SOCIAL:
Tying Email to Social Media
If you have a presence on Facebook, create an
email opt-in tab that calls out the benefits of the
program and allows visitors to join your list.
36
Do not require Facebook visitors to like your
brand before opting in to receive emails. Across
all age groups, email still has a commanding
lead on how people would like to receive
promotional based messages. Requiring a“like”
and an email address may contribute to page
abandonment and the loss of an opportunity to
contact the visitor across both channels.
37

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For Facebook, customize the text, image and
links that are published to the site when a
subscriber shares email content and offers.
Ensure that the messaging that is displayed is
engaging and actionable for friends.
38
Within your social profiles, ensure that website
links direct users back to a relevant landing page
that contains a benefit statement and opt-in for
the email program. This can be accomplished
by updating the footer, header or side bar to
contain an email program call-out and opt in
form.
39
What to do
What not to do

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Promote the benefits of your email program on
the social sites that you have presence on and
provide a link to the opt-in page.
40
If your brand is very active on Pinterest or your
website sees frequent traffic from the site,
ensure that the sidebar, header or footer on all
of your content pages contain an easy to locate
email opt-in.
Make opting in easy for interested visitors
as pinned images can often link to deep site
content.
42
Call out specific email exclusive offers on social
sites and provide links back to the opt-in page.
Ensure that these pages offer navigation back to
main content pages to allow visitors to further
explore your brand and your site.
41
On all Pinterest-friendly content, ensure that
when the pinned image is clicked, users are
linked back to a content page that contains an
email program opt-in.
Pinterest Image links to
relevant web page with email
opt-in
43

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If you have a mobile app, add an email opt-in
option within your app settings, intro screens or
content pages.
Already linking to an email account and
sending transactional messages? Include a
permissioning statement and checkbox to
opt-in to receive promotional emails and extend
the opportunity by including an opt-in link
within the email content.
44 45
THERE’S AN
APP FOR THAT?
Collecting Email in Mobile

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SEARCHING FOR
SUBSCRIBERS:
SEM and SEO
Call-out your email program on SEM ads,
especially if you have an offer for new
subscribers. Not only will you get more email
addresses, you may capture more sales from
prospects who are shopping around for savings.
If your brand leverages search ads, include a link
to your email program opt-in.
46 47

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MIXING IT UP:
Cross-brand Strategies
If your brand is involved with, or contributes to
altruistic causes and your logo is featured on
their site, request that the logo be a live link
that directs traffic back to a relevant site page
that contains an option to opt-in to the email
program.
If your brand is included in another company’s
promotional email, ensure that the landing page
includes an opportunity to opt-in to the
email program.
48
If your brand is cross-promoted on another
brand’s preference center or opt-in form, make
sure that permissioning is very clear or use a
double opt-in process.
This can help increase subscriber trust and
reduce the chances of spam complaints and opt-
outs down the line.
49
50

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returnpath.com
About
Return Path
Return Path is the worldwide leader in email
intelligence. We analyze more data about
email than anyone else in the world and use
that data to power products that ensure that
only emails people want and expect reach the
inbox. Our industry-leading email intelligence
solutions utilize the world’s most comprehensive
set of data to maximize the performance and
accountability of email, build trust across the
entire email ecosystem and protect users from
spam and other abuse. We help businesses
build better relationships with their customers
and improve their email ROI; and we help ISPs
and other mailbox providers enhance network
performance and drive customer retention.
Information about Return Path can be found at:
USA (Corporate
Headquarters)
rpinfo@returnpath.com
Australia
rpinfo-australia@returnpath.com
Brazil
rpinfo-brazil@returnpath.com
Canada
rpinfo-canada@returnpath.com
France
rpinfo-france@returnpath.com
Germany
rpinfo-germany@returnpath.com
United Kingdom
rpinfo-uk@returnpath.com

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