The Dos and Don’ts of Building an Email List

An email list is the one marketing channel you own outright. Social media platforms change the rules whenever they like and search rankings move, but the people on your list chose to hear from you, and you can reach them any time.

That only holds if the list is built the right way. Here are the habits that grow a list worth having, and the shortcuts that quietly ruin one.

The Dos

Keep Sign Up Forms Simple

Ask for a first name and an email address and nothing else. Every extra field is one more reason to close the form. You can learn more about a subscriber later, once they trust you.

Give People a Reason to Join

“Sign up for our newsletter” is not a reason. A checklist, a seasonal discount, early notice of openings on your schedule, or a short guide that answers a question you hear every week will all do better. Tell people what they get and how often they will hear from you.

Send a Welcome Email Right Away

Someone who just signed up is paying more attention to you than they ever will again. Send a welcome email the moment they join: deliver what you promised, say who you are, and tell them what to expect next.

Segment Your List

A past customer and someone who downloaded a checklist last week do not need the same message. Even two or three simple groups, such as new subscribers, customers, and people interested in a particular service, make every email more relevant.

Use Automation for the Repeat Work

A short automated sequence can welcome new subscribers, follow up after a purchase, and check in with people who have gone quiet, all without you sending each one by hand. Set it up once and it keeps working.

The Don’ts

Don’t Go Overboard With Pop Ups

One well timed sign up form beats three that fire on every page. Match the offer to the page the visitor is reading, and make it easy to close. A pop up that blocks the content on a phone tends to send people back to the search results.

Don’t Buy Lists

People on a purchased list never asked to hear from you. They will not open your emails, many will mark them as spam, and most email platforms prohibit purchased lists outright. The result can be a suspended account and damage to whether your emails reach anyone’s inbox at all.

Don’t Add People Without Permission

Your phone contacts, business cards from a networking event, and followers on social media did not sign up for your marketing emails. Invite them to join instead of importing them. Permission is what makes a list worth anything.

Don’t Send Too Much, or Too Little

Too many emails in a short stretch drive unsubscribes. Going silent for six months does damage too, because people forget who you are and report the next email as spam. Pick a schedule you can keep, whether that is weekly or monthly, and stick to it.

Don’t Make It Hard to Leave

Every marketing email needs a clear unsubscribe link and your business mailing address, which the CAN-SPAM Act requires in the United States. Gmail and Yahoo also expect larger senders to offer one click unsubscribe. An easy way out keeps your list healthy, because the people who stay are the ones who want to hear from you.

Before the Holidays

Inboxes fill up fast between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, and every business is competing for the same attention. A list built on permission, with people who recognize your name, is the one that still gets opened. If you want holiday ideas to send to it, holiday marketing on a budget has seven that work for local businesses.

Where to Go Next

If you are starting from zero, six ways to grow your email list with social media will get the first subscribers in the door. If you already have a list that has gone quiet, how to revive a dead email list walks through bringing it back.

Your website is where most sign ups happen. If you want to know whether yours is set up to collect them, start with a free website audit. I will tell you what to fix first, in plain language, with no pitch attached.

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This post was previously published and has been updated for content and relevancy.