How To Build An Email List From Scratch

Building an email list is a great way to build your business. Not only does it help you keep in touch with customers, but it also gives you an easy way to send them coupons, promotions and other offers that they might be interested in. 

The best part is that it’s free, all you have to do is build an appealing opt-in offer and then promote it across social media and other channels. Here are 12 ways how you can start building your list:

Takeaways
1. Define your target audience to tailor your content.
2. Create valuable lead magnets to entice sign-ups.
3. Use a reputable email service provider.
4. Craft relevant subject lines to avoid spam filters.
5. Segment your list for personalized email content.
6. Provide a clear opt-out option for subscribers.

1. Write For People, Not Numbers

You’re going to hear this a lot: write for people, not numbers. That means you need to make sure your emails are clear and simple. You want your readers to understand exactly what you offer and why they should sign up for it.

This also means that your emails need to be written in plain English (or whatever language you speak) so that anyone who reads them can understand what’s going on without having to do any research or ask questions before getting started with whatever it is you are offering them.

Crafting effective cold emails requires finesse and strategy. Learn how I leverage the power of cold email to yield real results in my article on getting real fruit in the basket.

2. Create An Enticing Opt-In Offer

Next, you want to create an enticing opt-in offer that is relevant to your audience. When people are provided with valuable information, they will be more likely to take action. This is why your content must be well-researched and thoughtful. 

You don’t want to make a promise you can’t keep or give away something of little value in exchange for potential new subscribers’ emails.

The most successful opt-in offers are those that offer benefits to the reader while being easy for them to take advantage of and easy for them to remember! 

There are tons of ways you can do this: ebooks, webinars/live events, video courses/tutorials (like our free Facebook Ads course), checklists/templates the list goes on! 

Whatever type of content you decide on creating, make sure it’s something your target audience would find valuable enough that they’d sign up for your email list so they could get access!

3. Use Welcoming Language On Your Opt-In Form

Here are some things to consider when creating your opt-in form:

Use welcoming language: Words like “sign up,” “join,” or “subscribe” may make more sense for you. Try out different phrases to see what works best for your audience.

Use a call to action: Your call to action is the button that tells visitors what they should do next it should indicate that clicking will lead them somewhere (like submitting the form). 

Consider using words like “Submit” or “Get Started.” If you don’t have a dedicated CTA button, try removing any distractions from above and below your form so visitors can focus on filling it out as quickly as possible. 

And remember: don’t use too many words! You want people who come across your page in search of information.

On how to build an email list from scratch without being distracted by long paragraphs that sound like they’re written by someone who doesn’t know how else they could be helpful in their life other than sharing this information with everyone around them; 

Otherwise, people might get turned off by all those extra details even though none of them were necessary because everyone knows how important it is now after reading all these paragraphs about why having an email list matters so much when trying new products online…

A successful email marketing strategy can greatly impact your business. Discover my approach and techniques in my guide on email marketing strategy that can help you engage your audience and drive growth.

4. Boost Your Opt-In Rate With A Landing Page

The next step in collecting leads is to create a landing page. A landing page should be focused on one thing: getting your visitor to opt in and join your email list so they can get regular updates from you.

This is the best way to build your email list from scratch because it allows you to target people who are interested in what you have to say, as opposed to simply sending out an email blast to everyone who has ever visited any of your pages or content.

For example, if I’m selling training courses for dog owners and trainers.

Then I want someone who visits my website looking for information about how dogs learn best or how much exercise do puppies need? Or maybe someone was searching for tips on how their puppy’s behavior might be improved? 

These are people who care about dogs and are ready for learning new things about them! And these people may not even realize yet that they need training advice themselves! 

So instead of just sending out an automated marketing message (which could go either way), send out something targeted at those specific interests that catch their interest right away like a good landing page with some valuable content will do just fine here 🙂

5. Add An Exit-Intent Pop-Up To Your Site

Exit intent pop-ups are one of the best ways to capture emails. They’ll appear when a visitor is about to leave your website, either due to a mouse click or by typing in something else on their browser. 

The goal of an exit-intent pop-up is to get people who are interested enough in your site that they want to leave it but haven’t made an actual decision yet (and therefore don’t want any other pop-ups).

To create an exit intent pop-up, you’ll need two things: a piece of code that tracks which visitors are about to leave your site and JavaScript which shows the pop-up when needed. 

There are plenty of services that provide both pieces for free or very low cost we recommend SumoMe and Popup Domination for this purpose. 

Once installed on your site, these services will automatically show an exit intent popup whenever someone moves their mouse cursor over the “back” button or closes their browser window without doing any other action first.

Both telltale signs that someone was about the ready to move on from what they were reading/watching but hadn’t taken real action yet (like clicking through another page).

Sending the perfect cold email is an art that can open doors for your business. Explore my insights on crafting compelling cold emails for any business or brand in my post about crafting the perfect cold email.

6. Improve Visibility With A Sidebar Widget

The next step is to improve your visibility by using a sidebar widget. This is a great way to promote your email list and get people signed up, or it can be used to promote other things such as a blog post, product or service, special offer, etc.

If you have already set up an autoresponder series for your email list subscribers then this is the perfect place for it! It will automatically update every time someone joins so everyone will see it in their inboxes automatically from now on.

7. Add A “Join My Mailing List” Box To Each Blog Post

• Include a “Join my mailing list” box on each blog post and landing page.
• Make sure it’s easy to find and use by making it stand out from the rest of your content and colors, as well as placing it at the top of your site or blog posts.
• Provide an option for people to unsubscribe from your emails with just one click, without having to navigate away from their inboxes or wait for an email response from you (this will prevent them from forgetting about you).
• Ensure that your unsubscribe process is simple and fast because most people won’t stay subscribed if they have difficulty managing their subscriptions.
• Keep track of when subscribers first signed up, when they last opened an email campaign sent by you, and what links in those emails they clicked on most often (so that you can tailor future campaigns even more closely).

8. Try A Hello Bar™ At The Top Of Your Website

A Hello Bar™ is a website overlay that appears when a visitor scrolls to the bottom of a page. It’s a great way to increase your email signups, and you don’t need any coding knowledge for it.

Here’s how to set one up:

• Go to HelloBar.com and create an account with your email address. Once you’ve logged in, click “Build Your First Hello Bar™” at the top left of your screen.
• Select where on your website users will see the Hello Bar™ (it can appear above or below content) and how much space it takes up on their screen using this tool:
• Copy-paste code into the box provided by Google Tag Manager (you’ll need this code later.) You’ll also want to put some text in there describing what people will see when they scroll down past that point our landing page copy reads “Scroll down!”

9. Give Away Free Incentives To Encourage Signups

• Give away a free ebook, video, or online course.
• Offer a free trial of your paid product.
• Do an online consultation with people who sign up for your list. This can be done as part of the opt-in process, or afterward if they don’t want to buy right away (like in my case).
• Create a checklist that they can download and use immediately after signing up for the list (which is great if you have multiple products). 

If you decide to go this route, make sure there are no extra steps required before they receive their gift – just click on an email link or button and it should automatically send them their gift! 

That way they don’t forget about it and move on with their day like so many other subscribers do…

10. Promote Your List On Social Media

Now that you have a list of email addresses, it’s time to get them out there and start building your reputation. One of the best ways to do this is by promoting your email list on social media.

Share it with friends and followers: If you’re not already doing so, share your brand new list with friends on Facebook and Twitter. Let people know that they can sign up for updates via email if they want to hear more from you in the future!

Promote in other places: Don’t forget about other platforms where people might be interested in what you have to say like Instagram or even Snapchat! 

This step could be especially useful if you’re trying to reach younger audiences who are more likely to use Snapchat than Facebook or Twitter (although many millennials do both).

Planning a strategic cold email marketing campaign can boost your outreach efforts. Uncover essential tips in my comprehensive guide on creating a strategic cold email marketing campaign to maximize your impact and conversions.

11. Host A Contest Or Giveaway That Requires An Email Entry

To build your list, you need to get people to enter their email addresses. You can do this by giving away something (this is called a contest), or asking for their name and email address to receive something for free (this is called a giveaway).

Giveaway prizes: What’s the prize? Is it something valuable that you don’t want? Is it something you purchased on eBay, like a mug or t-shirt? 

Or did you create the prize yourself based on what would be most helpful in your business? Make sure the prize fits with your business and brand image, and then choose one that will make people excited enough to sign up for your mailing list.

> Giveaway rules: Remember when I said earlier that people don’t want rules when they’re signing up for things online? Well, here we go again with them! 

People should know exactly how many times they can win by entering multiple times per day/week/month/year; if there are any limitations on who can enter; whether shipping costs are included in the price listed; etcetera. 

Your contest/giveaway should have as few restrictions as possible so that anyone can participate without feeling cheated out of their hard-earned money.

Giveaway entry: Be clear about how entrants should sign up for your mailing list by clicking an icon on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest; by texting their information into an automated response system (if applicable); 

Or whatever other methods are available depending on where you’re running this campaign from.

And make sure all necessary details have been provided beforehand so contestants know what’s expected of them before committing themselves fully without knowing anything else first hand until after entering into a contract via submission form filled out below.”

12. Include Social Sharing Buttons In Emails So Subscribers Can Forward Them To Friends

A share button is a great way to encourage people to forward your email to their friends. This can be a great way to get more subscribers on your list, as they’ll be more likely to open an email if they see it come from someone they know.

The share button can be placed anywhere within the email and is usually text, but sometimes it’s an image instead. It must be easy for people to find and click on so you don’t lose any potential subscribers!

You also need to make sure that you have relevant sharing buttons so that people aren’t put off by them being irrelevant (or just plain weird).

Cold emailing can be a valuable asset for your business growth. Discover the reasons why in my article highlighting the value of cold emailing and how it can contribute to your success.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this update on how to build an email list from scratch. The most important thing for us is that you have fun with it and if you don’t, then we’ve failed! 

But if you do, then we think we can help make your mission of growing your audience and community easier by providing all these resources at once.

Further Reading

Here are some additional resources to further explore the topic of email list building:

HubSpot’s Guide to List Building Short Description: HubSpot provides insights and strategies for effective list building, helping you engage with your audience and grow your email list.

Brevo’s Blog on Email List Building Short Description: Brevo’s blog delves into the essentials of email list building, offering actionable tips to optimize your email marketing efforts.

Yieldify’s Free Guide: Email List Building Strategies Short Description: Yieldify offers a comprehensive guide with strategies for building and growing your email list, enhancing your customer relationships.

FAQs

How do I start building an email list from scratch?

Starting from scratch requires a clear strategy. Identify your target audience, create valuable content, and leverage lead magnets to encourage sign-ups.

What are lead magnets, and why are they important for list building?

Lead magnets are incentives offered to potential subscribers in exchange for their contact information. Ebooks, webinars, and discounts are examples that provide value and encourage sign-ups.

How often should I send emails to my list?

The frequency of emails depends on your audience and content. Aim for consistency without overwhelming your subscribers, focusing on providing value with each communication.

How can I ensure my emails don’t end up in spam folders?

To avoid spam filters, use a reputable email service provider, craft relevant subject lines, avoid excessive use of promotional language, and provide a clear option for subscribers to opt out.

What’s the importance of segmentation in email marketing?

Segmenting your email list helps tailor content to specific subscriber interests, increasing engagement and conversion rates by delivering content that resonates with each group.