10 Ways to Increase Email Newsletter Subscribers

By Jason Poulos (@TheSaganaki)

In last week’s post, Making the Most of Email Marketing, I talked about some of the basics of email marketing and why it should be consideration for a brand. From that post, there are two main things to remember on why email marketing works.

• Email is Data driven: Knowing who opened your email, when they opened it and what they clicked on is all recorded. Data like this can allow for accurate targeting/retargeting and can further interactions between recipients and the brand.
• Email marketing has a strong ROI: The Direct Marketing Association puts email marketing’s ROI for 2011 at $40.56 for every $1 invested. Only organic SEO scored better.

If the need for an email marketing campaign has been identified,  it’s time to get people to subscribe to your email list. The core to any new or existing email campaign are your recipients. Continually getting people to subscribe, or “opt-in” to your email list is key. Here are a handful of ideas that can help increase opt-in/subscription rates for your email campaign.

1. Simplify the sign up form: Depending on what email distribution service is getting used, the opt-in process should be really simple. Most likely a name and email address, or just an email address is required. A form that asks for phone numbers, place of business, addresses and pet’s names will appear very daunting. Even if those fields aren’t required, the physical appearance of them will deter email sign ups.
2. Get the details later: If you do really want to know what your recipient’s pet’s names are, follow up with them later. Once they are signed up a survey can be sent out that gathers more demographics around your recipients. But don’t do this immediately after they sign up, give it some time.
3. Location: A email opt-in form should be on every page of your website, like this: http://searchenginewatch.com/ Not only on your website but email signatures and Facebook pages can contain the form or links to the sign up form.
4. Why sign up/ Incentivize the sign up: Be clear on what the recipient will be getting. Is it email only offers? Industry insights and information? Sign up for our email and receive?
5. Make sure the email has value to it: If the email doesn’t really offer anything or has poor content people will unsubscribe.
6. Frequency of emails: Daily, weekly, monthly? Recipients want to know how often they will be getting your email. Not knowing your delivery schedule a daily email can be viewed as spam if they weren’t aware of this when they signed up.
7. Stick to the schedule: Try to be as consistent as possible with your email delivery. A weekly email that goes to monthly then back to weekly will not be well received.
8. In the email: Make sure that the email sent out has an easy way to forward it. If the recipient of the forwarded message likes what they see, provide an easy way for them to opt-in to the list.
9. Tradeshows: Have a way for users sign up at a tradeshow, a personal interaction can lend itself to a sign up. I know when I was at SES New York last year, vendors could just scan your conference pass and you’d automatically be enrolled in their email list.
10. Opt-in by default: On any order form or contest entry form have the email opt-in box checked by default.

About Jason Poulos:

With a degree in communication design from VCU as well as experience in web development and digital marketing, Jason brings a unique blend of assets to CRT/tanaka. In 2012 Jason helped win 4 awards for his SEO work on PureCanadaMaple.com. Outside of his digital work, Jason enjoys brewing his own beer and restoring his1970 Chevrolet Nova. Jason is a new father and enjoys spending time with his family and his 150-pound English Mastiff.