14 Things To Never Do When Building Your Email List

This is an informative article about how to build your email list.

You will learn how to do it the right way, so you don’t end up getting banned from Facebook or Twitter by mistake.

If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, keep reading!

Takeaways
1. Avoid purchasing email lists for better list quality.
2. Don’t neglect the importance of permission-based opt-ins.
3. Steer clear of sending unsolicited emails to recipients.
4. Focus on providing valuable content to engage subscribers.
5. Avoid overwhelming subscribers with too many emails.
6. Don’t disregard mobile optimization for your email content.
7. Avoid using misleading subject lines to improve open rates.
8. Never ignore the importance of clear and concise content.
9. Avoid sending emails without a clear call-to-action.
10. Don’t forget to regularly clean and maintain your email list.

Don’t Buy An Email List

Buying an email list is the most common mistake I see. It’s illegal, it’s spamming, and it’s ineffective. If you don’t believe me, just look at everyone else who has tried this approach:

They’re not getting much out of it because they’re buying people who aren’t interested in their products or services.

They’re losing money by paying for these emails that are never opened or clicked on by the owner of a said email address (who doesn’t care about your product or service).

When it comes to email list building, avoiding common pitfalls is essential. Discover the 14 things you should never do during the process. Learn more about effective strategies in our guide on building a high-quality email list and ensure your email marketing success.

Don’t Build Your List Through Spamming

This is probably the most obvious thing to avoid. Spamming is illegal, and it’s also annoying. It can get you into serious trouble with the law, and it will make your list look bad. If you’re not getting subscribers through organic means, you may be tempted to send out a bunch of emails that are sent directly from your blog or website. 

That’s fine as long as people want to receive them (and they don’t contain any unsolicited sales pitches).

But if someone doesn’t want to subscribe? They won’t choose those options on their own they’ll just delete the email without reading it. And by opening up these options in an email client like Gmail or Outlook after clicking “unsubscribe,” they’ll also block future messages from coming through!

Don’t Offer Inadequate Incentives To Sign Up

Offer something of value to your list subscribers so they feel compelled to join your email list. The incentive should be related to the product or service you offer, relevant to the target audience, and exclusive to your list. 

For example, if you’re launching a new book about how women can get fit without going broke (and you don’t think that’s bananas), then give away a free copy of the book as an incentive when someone signs up for your email list. Or maybe offer 10% off any order placed through your website using one of those fancy discount codes.

Don’t Make It Difficult To Join Or Leave

Make it easy to join.

Make sure people can sign up on any device.

Keep the signup form short and simple.

If possible, make an offline version of your signup form so you can distribute it in person or put it online in a place where people who aren’t tech-savvy will see it (like in your newsletter).

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Don’t Send Out Too Many Emails 

Try to keep them under 100 per month if possible. The fewer emails you send, the more likely people are going to read them and not unsubscribe because they’re tired of getting them!

Don’t Go Overboard On Asking For Information

Be careful about asking for too much information.

Email marketing is all about engaging with your customers, and the more you know about them, the better you can tailor your message to their needs. But it’s important not to be too pushy. If they feel that you’re trying too hard to get their data, they’ll be less likely to give in and may even unsubscribe from your list in protest. 

So, ask yourself: What do I need? What is essential? Do I need their location or phone number (especially if those aren’t things that would help me contact them)? Is there another way besides email that I could get ahold of them if something comes up?

Don’t Forget To Thank Them

Want to make a great first impression? A simple “thank you” in your first email can go a long way. After all, people are signing up for your list because they want what you have on offer. Expressing gratitude for their trust and commitment will show that you care about them as individuals and help build trust in the relationship.

Let’s look at an example:

After selecting “Subscribe,” [the subscriber] will receive an email from me welcoming them to my list.  They’ll also get tips on how many times per week we’ll be sending out new content, so they know exactly when it’s coming their way! At the end of this email is an invitation for feedback on how we could improve future emails…

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Don’t Forget To Put Your Subscription Form On Every Page Of Your Website

You cannot have a successful email list without having an opt-in form on all of your web pages.

If you have a blog and you want people to subscribe, then the opt-in form should be on every page of your blog.

If you are posting social media updates or images on Instagram or Twitter, then make sure there is an opt-in button somewhere next to it.

Even if you have content on YouTube, don’t forget to put a call to action at the end of each video that asks viewers to subscribe.

Don’t Forget To Subscribe Them To The Right Sequence

If you want people to take action, you need to be giving them the information and resources they need. 

The best way for your subscribers to do that is through an email sequence.

For example, if someone comes in from a webinar, they should go through the webinar sequence before being offered any other options (like downloads or ebooks). 

If someone signs up from your blog or website, they should go through the blog/website sequences first so they can get more value out of what they signed up for!

Don’t Ask Them Again And Again How They’d Like To Hear From You

If someone submits their email address to your newsletter subscription form, they’ve already made their intention clear. It’s not necessary to send a follow-up email asking how they’d prefer to receive future communications from you. 

This is especially important if the user has opted out of marketing emails from your company in the past or signed up for a service that doesn’t include promotional messages (like an online store). Additionally, there are quite a few subscribers who might be interested in hearing about your product but don’t want to be bothered with emails on a daily or weekly basis.

so, it’s best practice not to contact them without their permission completely. Don’t send a landing page or sign-up form when asking for an email address. 

If someone is looking at buying something from your site and sees an offer for free shipping or another incentive that requires filling out some kind of form before proceeding with checkout that person may not complete the process just because he doesn’t want more junk mail cluttering up his inbox! Don’t ask them to fill out a form.

A landing page could mean anything from a lead generation toolkit (like Unbounce) being displayed on another website’s landing page when clicked through social media adverts targeting specific audiences based on age ranges etcetera so including links within these contents could potentially lead users onto other sites where there could be plenty.

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Don’t sign them up automatically for anything other than what they asked for when they signed up

This is a big one, and it’s one that many people get wrong. The best way to explain this is by using an example:

Let’s say you sell a book about how to cook quick and easy meals on your own (which I don’t recommend doing unless you know how to do it well). You send an email out with a link inviting people to sign up for your email list so that you can send them updates about the book as it comes along.

This is great! When someone signs up, they will get emails from you about the book as it comes along. If they want more info or if there are any changes in what’s happening with the book, then those emails will come through as well.

However…

What if someone signs up for the email list but decides later on down the line that they don’t need those updates anymore? Unfortunately, these kinds of things happen all too often.

People forget why they signed up in the first place or decide later on down the line that they no longer need updates regarding said topic because their life has changed since then (either through personal growth/transitioning into another phase of life). This leads us back around again. 

What happens when someone signs up but doesn’t want any further communication from us? In this case,e we would likely assume that everything’s going fine until suddenly…BAM! They’re gone forever without explanation (unless something bad happened somewhere along our journey together).

Don’t Ignore Feedback From People Who Unsubscribe

When someone unsubscribes from your email list, ask them why.

If they don’t want to be on your email list anymore, ask if you can unsubscribe them from specific messages in addition to the whole list (or even just one specific message).

If they don’t want to be on any of your lists, ask if there is any other type of communication (e.g., SMS) that they would like removed as well,l and make sure that happens!

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Don’t Be Dishonest About What You’re Offering Or Pretending To Offer 

When you’re building your email list, it’s important, to be honest about what you’re offering. Don’t lie to your customers or give them false promises they’ll only come back to haunt you later. You can’t use sneaky tactics like the bait and switch either, which is when a seller advertises one product at a low price but then tries to sell an inferior product or service instead of the one advertised.

Being dishonest will only hurt your business in the long run. You should always try to be straightforward and upfront with people about what they’re signing up for so there are no surprises down the road.

Establish trust with your audience by respecting their privacy. You want to build trust with your audience, so never sell or trade their contact information! Respect their time and attention. Your subscribers are very busy people, and they don’t have time for spammy emails. 

Don’t send them emails that are irrelevant to them or the business you’re in (even if it’s from a competitor). If an email is not relevant then unsubscribe with no hard feelings; otherwise, someone might report the offending content as spam which could compromise news about future campaigns or even lead to account suspension.

Be transparent about what you do behind closed doors especially if it concerns something that might upset some of your subscribers (such as being bought out by another company)

Further Reading

Here are some additional resources to further explore the topic of email list building and common mistakes to avoid:

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Building Your Email List Short Description: Learn about the most common pitfalls that can hinder your email list building efforts and find out how to steer clear of these mistakes.

Top Email Marketing Mistakes to Avoid Short Description: Discover the top email marketing mistakes that businesses often make and gain insights on how to optimize your email campaigns for success.

Avoid These Email List Building Mistakes Short Description: Dive into a comprehensive guide on the email list building process and gain practical tips on avoiding critical mistakes that can impact your email marketing results.

Frequently Asked Questions

When it comes to building your email list, there are many things that you shouldn’t do.

Here are some of the biggest no-nos:

Don’t try to grow your email list by buying fake or purchased email addresses from a third-party company. This isn’t just unethical; it’s bad for your business and can land you in hot water with Google (or whoever owns the search engine at the time).

Don’t ask people for their emails if they don’t want them that’s just rude. If someone asks not to receive your emails, honor their request! If they say no once but then agree later on down the line, then make sure they know that they’re now subscribed so they can unsubscribe if they change their minds again.

Never get locked into an awkward situation where someone else has access over who gets added onto your database or gets removed from it that way lies madness (and maybe even legal action).

People also ask:

How Do You Build An Email List? 

Start with a free tool like MailChimp, and then upgrade when your list gets big enough to justify the cost.

How Can I Build My Email List For Free? 

Drop your newsletter in an online forum or wiki page that allows people to subscribe via email. You can also use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

How Can I Get Emails For Free? 

There are many options here depending on what industry you’re in as well as what resources you have at hand (social media accounts, blog posts, etc.). Your goal is simply to drive traffic towards the signup form using creative ways which lead people through this process step-by-step without any confusion or frustration along the way!

Should You Buy An Email List?

If you are going to buy an email list, make sure to check out this article on the best provider for your needs.

What Is The Best Email List Provider?

There are many good providers out there with different features and prices, so it’s important to understand what you need before deciding which one to go with. Read more about them in our guide here.

How Do I Grow My Email List Fast? 

There’s no magic secret here you need to build relationships! It takes time, but if you focus on building relationships and providing value in exchange for contact information instead of just asking for it right away (because that never works), then chances are your growth rate will increase over time as well. 

In addition, don’t forget about automation! Whether you use a tool like MailChimp or Aweber or some other system altogether like Sendy (which uses Zapier), automating certain actions can save tons of time when building up an audience AND it can reduce the overall cost by removing the need for someone like yourself who has limited resources such as time or money, etc…