You are receiving spammy emails you don’t want to read and, now you are asking yourself: how can I build a mailing list? How can I make people sign up for my newsletters? How can I make sure my audience is not going to ignore my emails.

Surely you understand how useful it is to have an email marketing strategy, however where should you start to build your own email list? NEVER buy an email list because those listed there are going to see your emails as unsolicited. It can take some time but building your email list organically should be your focus.

Content is key: solve a specific problem for your niche

Content building (articles, posts, whitepapers, infographics, etc…) is important because all of us tend to look for specific information while not paying attention to unwanted stuff. For example:exclusive discounts, cart recovery, relevant tricks and tips, etc. It means that you have to communicate your content value quickly and persuasively. Always ask yourself “what are the benefits of receiving your emails?” then use the answer to design both your contents and call-to-action.

A new website visitor may not understand your business’ value so take your time and build unique contents that solve the particular needs of your audience.

Communicate easily

The more tasks (too much information is needed, go to another page, etc…)your audience will have to perform to share information with you, the less they are going to provide the needed information. Instead of sending them to another page when they click your sign up button, make it easier for them to enter their information on the same screen.

A great content strategy can draw people to your site, blogs, and social media profiles, help them to sign up for more. Be open minded and use your community building skills to bring your social media followers to your mailing list.

Which tools should you use?

We tend to use either Mailchimp since it is easier to integrate in most website builder tools. It also helps you manage forms and mailing list. When your form is ready, you can can have them appear in a variety of locations and at different times, and then test what works best.

Test and experiment what works best for you

The best location is probably your product pages, or as splash screen on your blog. Feel free to experiment by testing the most effective moments for your call-to-action. For example: make the form appear when someone finish reading a specific page. What marketing strategists do is called A/B testing; it really is the way they mix call-to-action, timing and contents combination to understand what works for you.