How to Increase Subscribers for Your Mailing List
by Alyssa Rice
So you’ve started a mailing list. Now what? You probably need subscribers. So, how do you get them?
This list will have some basic and complex strategies to increase your subscribers. No matter where you’re at with gaining subscribers, this list will have many ideas for you.
1) Have a website
This seems pretty basic, but it’s true. Having a website or some type of landing page will give your business a footing to land on. Subscribers will likely visit your website to subscribe or before subscribing.
2) Formulate a Strong Website Call-to-Action
Most websites have a simple CTA on their home page asking for a name and email. Make yours stand out, and maybe even offer something free! Check out these CTA examples for inspiration.
3) Write an Industry-Specific Blog
Make sure what you’re writing about is valuable and useful. Your industry matters to people. If you’re in the marketing industry, marketing professionals will be following you and wanting marketing content. People will subscribe and engage if what you’re talking about matters to them.
4) Add a Link to Your Main Menu
Create a tab called “Newsletter” or “Subscribe” to give customers another location to sign up. The more locations the merrier!
5) Add a Link to Your Social Media Bios
Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, oh my! These sites all have perfect places to place clickable links. Add your Newsletter Subscription link to any social media bios that you have.
6) Deploy a Facebook Call-to-Action
Add a tempting “Sign Up Now” or “Join Us” that will pop. It is super easy and simple to add this on Facebook. Here’s How to Add a CTA Button on Facebook.
7) Attend a Trade Show, Physical or Virtual
By participating in a trade show, you have the ability to collect mailing addresses and sign-ups during the show at opportune times.
8) Use QR Codes
Quick response codes are an easy and effective way to encourage people to complete actions. All the customer has to do is open their camera app, scan the code, and it will take them to a link. You can put QR codes on a sticker, sign, or a flyer and they will do their magic. Use this QR code generator with your mailing list signup link.
9) Offer Exclusivity
70% of email readers open emails from a brand or a company in search of a deal, discount, or coupon. Everyone wants a deal! Better yet, keep reminding subscribers that these benefits are subscriber-only. Give your customers offers that they can’t refuse!
10) Try Co-Registration
If you haven’t heard of this, it is a simple agreement between yourself and another newsletter publisher for cross promotion. Although it can cost a bit of money (or exchange), it can provide you with a steady stream of pre-qualified subscribers. Read our article on Growing Your Mailing List with Co-Registration for Net Atlantic’s strategies.
11) Offer an Educational Course
When you create the sign-up form for the course, ask for the participant’s email. BOOM! Instant subscriber.
12) Include the Subscription Link in Your Email Signature
Your email signature is valuable real estate that you need to take advantage of. Add an easy, clickable link at the bottom of your email.
13) Develop Buyer Personas
Decide who your buyer personas are, including their lifestyle, personal and professional life, and their pain points. This will give your company an in-depth view of your customer and their decision making.
Once you have these, you will can make an educated guess on how this buyer will want to subscribe to your newsletter. Knowing buyers’ habits will help you attract them. For example, say you’re in the toy industry. A mother is one of your buyer personas because they buy toys for their children. After developing this buyer persona, the toy company realizes that mothers enjoy receiving coupons and deals. The toy company could offer a deal or coupon at in-store or online checkout if the mother gives her email. Voila!
14) Create a Quiz
Add a fun quiz to your website and require an email for the results to be sent to the quiz taker. You will create a fun experience and receive more subscribers!
15) Use YouTube Call-to-Actions
Do you post videos on YouTube? End your video by posting a CTA to sign up for the newsletter. You can also add links within your video bio.
16) Remove Unnecessary Form Fields
Do you ask for random details in your form fields? This can be a major turn-off for potential subscribers. Narrow down exactly what you need from a subscriber. Most sign-ups only have name and email, which is not that much to ask for.
17) Post Your Newsletter Subscription Link on Your Feed
If a user is following you on social media, they will likely think your email content is valuable. Post your newsletter subscription link on the feed and remind people to subscribe, since they are already a fan of yours.
18) Add a "Subscribe" Check Box
Add this checkbox anywhere you can. When a customer is completing an online purchase or signing up for your services, you can include this little box.
19) Make Getting New Subscribers an All-Company Effort
Ask your employees to post about subscribing to the company’s newsletter. If they have networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, they can easily get all of their friends to sign up, especially if the industry is right for them.
20) Create Great Content
This is an obvious one, but definitely the most important. Include content in your newsletter that is useful and valuable. Bring content to the table that they cannot receive anywhere else.
All of these tips are a sure-fire way to increase your subscriber list.