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Email Marketing Basics · Lesson 5 of 14

Building an Email List

An email list is a valuable asset for any business and an effective way to increase conversion rates.

1 Learn the concept

An email list is a valuable asset for any business and an effective way to increase conversion rates. Unlike social media, you own the relationship and are not dependent on an algorithm. This lesson shows strategies for growing a list: signup forms, pop-ups, in-store sign-ups and content upgrades.

A bar chart showing sources of new email subscribers in a monthWHERE NEW SUBSCRIBERS CAME FROM (EXAMPLE)Website pop-up64 subscribersCheckout box41 subscribersIn-store sign-up sheet28 subscribersSocial media link12 subscribers
Track sources so you can do more of what works.

2 See it in action

  • Place signup forms in prominent, helpful places.
  • Offer an incentive and say what subscribers will receive.
  • Collect emails at every touchpoint, such as checkout and events.
  • Keep the list clean by removing inactive addresses.

Worked example

A list growth plan

Add: a signup form on the home page and a checkout box.

Add: a sheet at the till and a note on receipts.

Offer: a clear incentive on each.

Track: new subscribers by source each week.

Result to look for: a steady rise and a clear idea of which source works best.

3 Study an example

Example scenario

A shop adds a signup form to its website, a sign-up sheet at the till and a note on receipts. Its list grows steadily without paid ads.

4 Apply it and download

  1. List five places to collect emails.
  2. Plan one test.
  3. Track new subscribers weekly.

Worksheet List growth planOpen, print or save as PDF

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