Growing Your Email List the Right Way

It is tempting to judge an email list by its size. But a list of people who do not remember signing up, or never really agreed to hear from you, does more harm than good. It drags down engagement, triggers spam complaints and can damage the reputation of your domain so that even your best subscribers stop receiving your emails.

The better goal is a list of people who chose to join, know what to expect and are glad to see your name in their inbox. This article covers how to build exactly that.

Start with consent

In the UK and Europe, email marketing is shaped by data protection and privacy law, including the GDPR and, in the UK, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Other countries have their own rules. This article is not legal advice, and you should check the requirements that apply to your business and your audience. However, a consent-first approach is a good foundation wherever you operate.

In practice, that usually means:

• Clear opt-in. People actively choose to subscribe, for example by ticking an unticked box or submitting a sign-up form.
• Separate from other agreements. Agreeing to your terms of sale should not automatically sign someone up to marketing.
• Plain language. Tell people what they are signing up for, who it is from and roughly how often you will email.
• Easy exit. Every email includes a simple way to unsubscribe, and you act on it promptly.
• Records. Keep a note of when, where and how each person joined.

There are some specific rules, such as the “soft opt-in” for existing customers in the UK, which may allow certain marketing to people who have bought from you. If you plan to rely on anything like this, take proper advice first.

What not to do

Some shortcuts are common but consistently cause problems:

• Buying or renting lists. The people on them did not agree to hear from you, and these lists often contain old or trap addresses that damage deliverability.
• Scraping addresses from websites, directories or social profiles.
• Adding every contact from your inbox, CRM or event badge scans without asking.
• Pre-ticked boxes or wording designed to confuse.

Give people a reason to join

“Sign up to our newsletter” is not much of an offer. People subscribe when they can see a clear benefit. Think about what your audience genuinely values:

• Useful resources. A checklist, template, buying guide or short email course related to your service.
• Early access. First look at new products, event tickets or limited availability.
• Offers. A welcome discount can work well for retailers, but be aware it may attract people who only want the code.
• Regular expertise. A newsletter with a clear promise, such as “one practical marketing tip every fortnight”.

The best incentives are closely related to what you sell. A free guide to choosing the right boiler attracts people who may need a boiler. A prize draw for a tablet attracts people who want a tablet.

Put sign-up forms where people will see them

Placement matters as much as the offer. Good places to invite sign-ups include:

1. Your website footer, so the option is always there.
2. Blog posts and guides, especially at the end, when readers have just found your content useful.
3. Dedicated landing pages for a specific resource, which you can link to from social media, adverts or talks.
4. Checkout and enquiry forms, with a clear, optional opt-in box.
5. Pop-ups or slide-ins, used carefully. Time them so they do not interrupt people immediately, make them easy to close, and check they do not spoil the experience on mobile.

Offline opportunities count too. Events, shop counters and phone calls can all be chances to invite people, as long as you record consent properly.

Keep forms short

Every extra field is a reason not to finish. For most lists, an email address and a first name is plenty. If you want to segment subscribers, one optional question, such as “What are you most interested in?”, can be more valuable than a long form. You can always ask for more later, once people know and trust you.

Consider double opt-in

Double opt-in means new subscribers receive an email asking them to confirm before they are added. It may slightly reduce the number of sign-ups, but it keeps out typos, fake addresses and bots, and gives you clear evidence that the person wanted to join. For many businesses, especially those with forms that attract spam, it is well worth using.

Make a good first impression

Growing a list is only half the job. Send a welcome email straight away, deliver what you promised and remind people what they can expect. Then keep your promise about frequency and content. Subscribers who feel misled are the ones who mark emails as spam.

Keep the list healthy

• Remove hard bounces promptly.
• Run a re-engagement campaign for people who have not interacted for a long time, and remove those who still do not respond.
• Make it easy to update preferences, such as receiving fewer emails, rather than only offering unsubscribe.
• Check your sign-up forms regularly to make sure they still work and still say the right thing.

Key takeaways

• Quality and consent matter far more than list size.
• Never buy, rent or scrape email addresses.
• Offer a clear, relevant reason to subscribe and place forms where people will see them.
• Keep forms short, consider double opt-in and keep records.
• Look after the list once people have joined.

If you want to grow your list steadily with the right people, SEO Fleet’s email list building service can help you plan incentives, set up sign-up forms and landing pages, and keep your list clean so your emails continue to reach the inbox.