While social media is great in many ways, it’s not so great in one way: it isn’t yours. You don’t own Facebook or Instagram. You don’t control the algorithms. You do, however, own your website, and you control your email subscribers.

Building your subscriber list is most important because you control who gets what information right to their inbox. If Instagram disappeared tomorrow, how would you reach your customers?

We’ve researched and collected some of the best ways to grow your email lists to improve your marketing efforts.

1. Call-to-actions

This is super important. While you’re always focusing on a call-to-action within emails themselves, having one on your website (and throughout your website) encourages visitors to sign up. A call-to-action on your website can be a freebie in exchange of their email, a pop-up sign up box, and a sign up box on your contact us page.

2. Give them a reason

Why should they subscribe to your emails? Are you offering them a deal? First-dibs on information? Subscriber-only products? We are bombarded with emails these days, so one from you landing in their inbox needs to hold more importance.

3. Don’t forget your oldest contacts

Your oldest and most loyal customers will continue to receive your emails, but how can they help you? Adding “share to a friend” buttons and links to subscribing on your emails will offer your contact’s social circle to subscribe. Word of mouth is always a powerful tool.

4. Use your past clients’ reviews

See? Definitely worth it to use these loyal customers. Telling someone you offer a great product is important, but having them hear it from other happy customers is like gold. Create landing pages with customer reviews with–you guessed it–a call-to-action to subscribe.

5. Use in-person sign ups

If you have a brick-and-mortar store this is easy. Simply remind people at check out (or if your register allows you to ask for emails after paying, use it!) or display posters with QR codes. If you don’t have a storefront but attend events, use this same method. Having people subscribe in person means they are a bit more dedicated because they took the time to write it down or pull out their phones to scan a code.

6. Make it easy

Speaking of QR codes, making something like this easy and accessible urges more people to sign up because it’s quick. Same goes for your website: don’t make a potential subscriber have to search for your sign-up sheet.

7. Not too much info

When a person initially signs up, have fields for names and emails–that’s it! Don’t be overwhelming at first. Later, you can send out email prompts for birthdays (offering a special) or any other information you need to advertise better, but it’s best to keep it short and sweet at first.

8. Have members add their emails

If you offer memberships at your business, adding a place to add email addresses is an easy way to gain subscribers. This is another in-person way to gain people who actually want your emails.

9. Use events to your advantage

Do you host events where people have to sign up in advance? This is an ideal opportunity to collect emails for your list. When someone is already filling out information, an email address is just another box.

10. Add a subscribe button to your emails

If you tend to share your newsletters on social media, people may be viewing them, but not subscribing. Give them the chance to subscribe and get that information right to their inbox.

11. Facebook ads

Advertising to sign up for your subscriber list (for a very good reason) can be worth the small investment. Adding subscribers is adding potential customers right at your fingertips. If you’re willing and able, ads can pay for themselves and then some.

Overall, what you’re already doing is most of the work. Tweaking a couple things can go a long way to grow your subscriber list and improve your marketing techniques.

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