A Couple of Creative Ways to Expand Your Opt-In Email List

Populating an opt-in email list is one of those tasks that an email marketer will never be able to check off his or her to-do list. Like the old adage goes, the more email addresses captured, the merrier. In our previous posts, we’ve highlighted 7 Missed Opportunities for Growing Your Email Database, 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Email List and 5 More Ways to Grow Your Email List, but if you want to keep the momentum going, the best way to ensure growth is to constantly generate new and innovative ways to gain more opt-in email subscribers.

So here are two more creative ways to expand your opt-in email list.

Publicize

By now, you know one of the essential keys to gaining opt-in email subscribers is by offering your audience incentives. You can blog about your free eBooks or spread the word about a new case study throughout the Twittersphere, but why stop there? In addition to infiltrating your social networks, sending out a press release through a wire service like PR Newswire or Businesswire is a great way to help disseminate information.

Wire services distribute releases to thousands of media outlets, so if you want to cast a wide net and reach millions of viewers, this is a perfect solution bound to get at least a few bites. A URL to your signup page should be prominently displayed in the first graph of the release, if not in the first sentence. Keep in mind, just like any successful email marketing campaign, ensure your headline is eye-catching and chocked full of keywords.

Advertise

You’ve blasted your social networks, crafted rich content for your blog, placed email signup forms on every page of your website and keep a trusty paper signup form in your back pocket at every trade show you attend – but there are still a plethora of advertising opportunities you’ve yet to tap in to. If your budget will allow, try buying a banner ad on a website that reaches a similar audience. The ad can promote your free offerings, or just be so visually appealing, audiences can’t resist the urge to click – just make sure to link the ad directly to your email signup form.

If your pennies are pinched, there are still plenty of ways to spread the word, free of charge. Work on developing a community of complimentary or like-minded businesses and brand advocates. Whether they’re bloggers with similar missions or local businesses looking to expand their digital presence, creating these partnerships can provide you with countless opportunities to market your brand both now, and in the future. Make a quid pro quo arrangement where you agree to blog about another company’s new product, and in turn, they provide a link to your signup form in their monthly newsletter. Not only is it a win-win scenario, but it’s also an excellent networking opportunity, which could very well lead to more successful partnerships in the future.

Want even more ideas on how to grow your email list? Download our free guide, “20 Great Ways to Grow Your Email List,” today!

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