However, it’s essential to grow your email list with only the types of people who will need the content you publish in your newsletters. 

If you have several target customer groups that you focus on, today’s email programs allow you to segment your emails so each group gets news and advice about topics they care about.

Providing your subscribers with content that helps them solve the challenges they face builds trust – while trust builds revenue in the long term.

Email Newsletters Build Connections with Your Target Audience

Not only do your emails leverage the trust factor with helpful information, but they also build an emotional connection.

With regular communication via email – so long as it’s not so frequent that they see your business as pesky (think political contribution requests during campaigns) – you build your relationship with your subscribers over time.

When you respond to your subscribers’ questions via email, that connection becomes a two-way street.

Just like conversations in a person-to-person relationship, conversations between your business and your customers grow connections.

Often, your customers will come to see you as a trusted friend.

How to Build Your Email List: Best Tips

When you build your list the right way, you’ll have grateful subscribers that will look forward to receiving your newsletters.

Here are eight effective tips that can help you grow your email list right from the start.

#1. Never Pay for Email Addresses

First of all, never pay for a list of names. Most likely, it’s a scam. Emailing random people will only cause you to end up with a reputation as a spammer – nothing any business wants these days.

Furthermore, even if you have thousands – even millions – of email addresses, they’ll do you no good unless they’re in your target customer segment.

A better idea is first to identify who your target audience is and choose list-building tips that will help you attract likely readers.

#2. Use Varied, Quality Content to Attract and Keep Subscribers

Once you’ve identified your target audience, create blog content that will address their needs.

Resist, resist, resist the temptation to write promotional content.

Make it useful – and always put a subscription box at the end of your blog post. 

Then, publish quality content on your newsletter that your subscribers won’t get on your blog.

Whether it’s checklists, infographics, or simply well-written, informative articles, make sure that they get something worth reading every time they open one of your emails.

Top-quality images and clean design can go a long way toward building awareness of your business among new subscribers.

Even more importantly, these details can build your reputation among existing subscribers.

Again, if you have the time, create separate content for each of your customer segments, provided their interests differ.

That kind of personalization will pay off big dividends in loyalty and potential revenue in the long run.

#3. Encourage Existing Subscribers to Share Your Content

When you take the time to create newsletter content that is so useful to your subscribers, they’ll want to share it with their friends and colleagues, particularly if those friends share their interests.

Share buttons will make it even easier for people to share your newsletter articles.

#4. Offer a “Lead Magnet” to People for Becoming Subscribers

Whether it’s an exclusive how-to video, a template, an e-book, a white paper — or a valuable piece of merchandise – people love free stuff – but only if it’s top-quality material.

On both your website and your social media posts, give your readers and your social media followers a short form to sign up for the free gift.

#5. Use Prize Giveaways to Attract Subscribers

This strategy has stood the test of time, attracting customers to share their contact information even before email was a thing.

For years, brick-and-mortar businesses placed a fishbowl or box on top of their counter, along with a short form for customers to leave their contact information for a chance to win a prize.

It’s still popular today in brick-and-mortar businesses. Only the contact information has changed from customers’ addresses and phone numbers to email addresses.

Digital businesses, too, can do the same thing with a virtual “fishbowl.”

In an email or social media post, insert a form on which potential customers can submit their email addresses in exchange for a chance to win a prize.

Publish the winners’ names and photos for even better results.

Be sure that the social media platform you publish the offer on allows contests.

#6. Use Webinars to Educate, Demonstrate, and Hook Them In

One of the most popular online formats, webinars are live events where you teach potential customers how to do something, how to do something better, or inform them about ways to live better lives.

Since you’re giving away your expertise (make sure that your webinar isn’t self-promotional), people will be happy to furnish their email address for a chance to learn.

Webinars, like most content marketing, work best when you fine-tune your audience.

Use Google Analytics to dig into your site’s data to see which audience segments convert best.

Aim your boosted social media posts toward those segments, and you’ll get an audience who really appreciates what you’re offering.

#7. Use Vouchers to Familiarize Potential Customers with What You Sell

Many potential customers can transform into paying ones when you offer them a financial incentive to do so.

Using vouchers work in two ways: 1) customers get to try out your goods or services without much financial risk and 2) you will get their email address so you can nurture your business relationship even more.

If your products and services live up to the hype, they’ll likely love what you offer.

This strategy, like all other email marketing strategies, works best when you identify your target market and aim your message at them.

#8. Encourage Trade Show Attendees to Submit their Email Addresses

There’s no better place to find new customers than at a trade show, where attendees are almost always interested in products and services like your own.

Offer something in return to those attendees who provide their email addresses. Whether it’s a piece of trade show swag (make sure your promotional gear is of high quality!) or a 15-minute free consultation, it’s well worth your time and effort to get these people on your subscribers’ list.

Keep Your Subscribers Engaged

Once you have a subscriber list, keep them engaged with world-class content. Use images and videos to keep them reading your newsletters to the end.

Studies show that visual elements, along with lists, are a great way to retain your readers’ attention, whether in a blog post or a newsletter.

Finally, Monetize Your Email Newsletters from the Get-Go with Dynamic Native Ads

Before email monetization came along, an email newsletter was a long-term way to bring customers to your doors.

It’s still the most efficient way to do long-term content marketing. Done right, email marketing returns an average of $44 for every dollar you invest.

However, with the advent of email monetization, you can start monetizing your newsletter from the very first day of publication.

The secret? Dynamic native ads, chosen by AI, that advertise products chosen especially for your newsletter recipients.

These ads look like links to articles – and in fact, they are. When your recipients click on the link, they’ll land on a page that provides information about products that can help them solve problems or live a better life.

And the best part? It’s totally free for newsletter publishers to use when you partner with inboxAds.

Once one of your email subscribers clicks on one of these ads, the money will flow into your linked account immediately.

It only takes minutes to monetize newsletters – and it can get money flowing into your hands as you wait for your long-term strategy to work its magic.