15 Expert Strategies to Build an Email List in 2025

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Email marketing is the most profitable method to monetize any business. With a return on investment of 3600% or higher, any business not doing email list building is leaving money on the table. 

Knowing how lucrative good email marketing campaigns can be means that the sooner you start collecting email addresses for your business, the better. 

It’s time to start getting those email sign-ups so you can make the most of your business. Here are some great email list-building strategies you will want to start adding to your business.

Expert Strategies to Build an Email List

​This list here includes some pretty common classics that do still work. While a few may be pretty basic, it’s important to still use them. However, there are several on this list that are highly effective, but will require a bit of work.

Make sure you check out the rest of this article as I go into much more depth about which methods are best, how to create lead magnets for free, and which are the best free and paid resources you can use to grow your list.

Related: Need recommendations? Check out my Resources, and Free Resources page

Some of these strategies are free, and other are paid. And, some require a paid software membership to maintain. Let’s check them out.

1. Strong Landing Pages (use for free lead magnets)
2. Embeddable Forms (embed directly on your website)
3. Use Pop-up Forms (may be annoying, but are far more affective)
4. Facebook Groups (collect when new members request to join)
5. Instagram DM Chatbot (automate offering opt-ins for those interested )
6. Pinterest Pins (great for building organic traffic)
7. ConvertKit’s Recommendation Program (Rebranding soon to be Kit)
8. YouTube Videos
9. Host a Podcast (highly effective)
10. Workshops (highly effective)
11. Webinars (highly effective)
12. Join a Niche Summit (extremely effective, especially if you offer is valuable and desired)
13. Referral Programs (pay other businesses to refer your opt-in)
14. Giveaways (for a paid, valuable, or limited access product)
15. Get Featured in Blog Posts and Podcasts (not as effective, but can boost your traffic and build your domain authority)

I also created a list of some ideas you can use to create your lead magnets. Using these strategies I just listed here, and the ideas from my list of suggested lead magnets, you’ll be able to start growing your list right away.

What is an Email List?

An email list, also called a subscriber list, is a collection of email addresses that a business, organization, or an individual gathers to send marketing or other messages to. You’ve probably seen this with large businesses advertising sales on their latest products (ex: Kohls, Walmart, your local grocer, and wherever you might shop at).

A business will need to request this contact information from a person first though, in order to do things legally.

There are about a dozen ways or more for a business to collect this information including directly asking, offering discounts or coupons, providing a freebie, and more.In most cases, every business or organization will have some type of email newsletter that is sent out to its email list on a regular basis.

This can be weekly, monthly, or more often if they choose. 

I have an email list that I often send out personal finance and business tips, advice, and freebies for to at least once a week. And, when I can, I try to market certain products to my list that I think may benefit them and help solve their problems. 

If you want to learn how I build my email list with a blog, make sure you join my Free 7-Day Blogging Course.

However, as required by law, and if you are an ethical email marketer, you will need to allow your email subscribers the opportunity to opt out of your list if they choose. I will sometimes mention this to my subscribers so they can opt out of specific marketing sequences so they don’t get bombarded with too many emails in their inboxes. 

Not sure if email marketing is for your business though? Keep reading.

Do all Businesses Need a Good Email List?

All businesses should strongly consider an email list. Businesses that aren’t utilizing a mailing list are leaving money on the table. Additionally, they aren’t serving their audience as much as they could be without one.

I often send out weekly tips, tricks, and other helpful content to my email subscribers. This keeps my business in the back of their mind, and also allows nurtures my list so they know that I want to help them with some of their problems. Often by offering the solution for free, or providing them with my best recommendation of a paid product or service.

Hint: This is where you can start making money with your list.

To build your email list organically, you will want to add in opt-in forms on your site, so your website visitors can sign up for your list. There are many other ways to build your list, but this is a good way to start.

Kind of like this one right here!

As you grow your business, or learn more about your ideal customer/client and what their struggles are, you can start crafting more relevant and specific offers to use for opt-ins. 

An email list is a powerful tool that all businesses need. Your list is something you own, and that no one can take away. And, it is not at the mercy of a picky, demanding algorithm you have no control over. 

So, if you haven’t already, you need to start building up that email list so you can take full advantage of the best marketing tool available. 

You can sign up for free with Convertkit (my personal favorite that I have used for years), or with MailerLite (another favorite among bloggers). Both of these services offer great features in their free version (no card required). And, when you are ready to upgrade to take full advantage of the pro features, you can start using more automation,  sequences and more to save you tons of time.

How to Use Marketing Emails in Your Business

Since all businesses are a little bit different, your email marketing will look a little different than everyone else’s. This is also partly due to every business having slightly different audiences.

My audience is obviously going to be different than yours, even if we wrote about the same exact topics. 

With this in mind, marketing efforts will also vary by niche.

Here’s a few ways to use marketing emails in your business:

• Show off new products (and get feedback if you want)
• Share a discount code to increase sales
• Include affiliate links (perfect if you don’t have very many products)
• Nurture your previous audience members
• Increase traffic to your website
• Run seasonal promotions (black Friday, new years, memorial day, etc.)

There are dozens more ways to use email marketing in your business, but for now, start small. Your potential customers are out there, you just need to give them a little time to find you. 

Consistent content production and marketing is key here.

Consistency shows reliability, trustworthiness, and it often causes positive triggers with social media algorithms, increasing your visibility.

Proven Expert Methods to Grow an Email List

There are dozens of ways to grow your email list. The most common methods include the use of a landing page or form that you can embed on your website.

At the beginning of your list-building journey, you will want to start with a simple lead magnet that you can widely use for your audience. 

As you build your email list, you will want to make sure that you are welcoming and nurturing to your new subscribers. This can be done simply with a short and sweet welcome sequence. And you can also take this time to start segmenting them in your list.

If you’re curious, segmenting you list means that you separate each subscriber into different categories for the kind of content they show interest in. You can do this directly with segments, or with the use of tags. 

Segmenting your list improves user experience so that your subscribers are more likely to stay on your list, regularly read your content, and eventually buy from you when you’re ready. You can also use these segments and tags to automate your list-building methods as well.

Here are a few examples of some simple lead magnets:

• A Guide to [insert a topic here]
• Checklist for [insert purpose of checklist]
• Ebook (keep it short and simple, don’t put too much work into it)
• Printable (journal pages, calendar, worksheet)
• Free course (by email, or with a course creator)
• Digital products (spreadsheets, ebook templates, Canva templates)

List of methods to generate leads:

• Forms, landing pages (classic method – always a good option)
• Social media marketing (Facebook Ads, and other social media ads)
• Facebook groups (you can request new member emails when they join your group)
• YouTube Channel
• Get featured on podcast episodes
• Webinars (more difficult to build, but highly effective)
• Quizzes (becoming more popular, and highly effective)
• Referral programs (current subscribers recommend new leads)
• Offer giveaway (a paid offer, or gift in exchange for emails)
• Coupons, discounts, or other special offers
• Convertkits recommendations program 

Creating Great Lead Magnets

No matter what list-building strategy you use, you will want to use a lead magnet that allows your audience to sign up and join your list.

Some lead magnets will be more effective than others, so it’s important to check your analytics to see what your audience prefers. Once you figure this out, you can start creating more of these types of lead magnets to improve your opt-in rate.

A great lead magnet is only effective if there is a compelling reason for your audience to sign up for it. 

Making sure you understand your audience’s pain points and biggest struggles, is critical when crafting great lead magnets.

Most opt-in forms are added to your website and are easily added in blog posts. I try to add at least one opt-in form to each of my blog posts so that I have a chance of getting a new subscriber every time someone reads one of my posts.

But, no matter what method you use, if your lead magnet doesn’t align with the needs of your audience, you just aren’t going to get very many subscribers. If you think that the lead magnet is not the problem, try testing it with different methods.

Try testing it with pop-up forms, landing pages, quizzes, or another method.

The average opt-in rate is between 1-5%. So, if you think your opt-in rate is poor, keep this in mind. Chances are, your conversion rates may be average. 

With consistency though, this conversion should improve over time as more of your ideal audience finds you.

A great place to share your lead magnets is Facebook groups. These can either be a Facebook group that you manage or groups you’ve joined. 

If you choose to share lead magnets to groups you’ve joined, just make sure that you follow the group rules, don’t spam too much content, and otherwise be a good member. Give more than you take. 

Best Types of Lead Magnets

The best types of lead magnets are the ones that work with your audience. Not all lead magnets work well for all niches or audiences. So, keep this in mind as you decide what lead magnets to start creating.

For example, if your audience is not tech-savvy, chances are they won’t sign up for a free spreadsheet. But, they may sign up for other free downloads like an ebook, printable, or discount codes. 

Also, when deciding what lead magnets to create, just keep it simple. If you can target a very specific pain point with a lead magnet, that is more likely to convert than a very broad and generic lead magnet.

• Guides 
• Checklists
• Ebooks
• Printables (journals, worksheets, etc.)
• Webinars or workshops (target a specific problem)
• Templates

If your conversion rate for a lead magnet is low, you can ask a Facebook support group if they can help do an audit for you. If you do this, make sure they can access it without having to sign up so they don’t feel spammed.

You can do this with landing pages, webinars, or the product itself.

If you can improve your opt-ins so that enough people give you a thumbs up, chances are your lead generation will go up. If it does not, it may just be that it is not getting enough traffic from the right people. Or, it isn’t a good fit for your audience. 

Choosing Lead Magnets for Your Audience

Before you start creating lead magnets for your audience, you need to make sure that you know what your audience actually wants and needs. As a beginner, this is often difficult to discern since your audience is likely too small to get much data from. 

However, even if your audience is on the small side, this doesn’t mean you can’t figure out what they want. This is where market research and competitor analysis come in.

Even if you don’t want to compete with anyone, you still have other business owners and entrepreneurs who you will likely share an audience with. If you want your business mission to align partially with a competitor, take a look at what it is they are offering to their audience.

If this feels like it could also align with your target audience, start creating lead magnets similar to your competitors. However, make sure that it is all original and unique. Compete, don’t copy. 

Choosing the Right Email Marketing Service

Not all email marketing services will be right for your business. That’s why it is a good idea to test out their free versions, or free trials to see if they work for you and your audience.

My top recommendation is Convertkit for many reasons, but I will get into those in just a moment. 

For now, make a list of what your email marketing needs are.

Are All Email Marketing Providers Equal?

No, not all email marketing platforms are equal. For the most part, they will all have very similar features, but the main differences you will find (other than pricing) are with automations.

In the free version of Convertkit you can schedule broadcasts, segment and tag your subscribers, sell digital products, run paid newsletters and subscriptions, join the recommendations community, and more. 

You also have no limit on how many emails you can send, or forms and landing pages you can create.

Few other email marketing providers offer this same level of service for their free version. So, I definitely recommend getting signed up for it today, it you don’t already have a provider. Or, if you are considering switching to another provider, I do strongly recommend Convertkit. 

Convertkit is a great email marketing option for small businesses and content creators. However, I will say that it might not be suitable for everyone, so sign up for the free version first and take a look around. If you are already turned off by the navigation and user interface within the first 10 minutes of using Convertkit, chances are it isn’t for you.

I will give you a list of other providers you may like better in the next section.

Most paid email marketing providers will start offering automations and sequences. You can use this to automate your workflow and save you tons of time. If you want to create a free email course, creating an automated sequence is a great way to do that.

Best Email Service Providers

I personally use, and both highly recommend Convertkit (Soon to be Kit). I have been using Convertkit since late 2022 when I first started my blog. 

I am both impressed and satisfied with how easy the platform is to use. The user interface is much more manageable for beginners, and there is no confusing navigation or confusion with email creation.

I highly recommend signing up for the free version of Convertkit first (if you have less than 10,000 subscribers). Decide whether or not you like working with it. Then when or if you’re ready to upgrade you can.

All the free tools and features that are included with the free version of ConvertKit are pretty valuable. You can have up to 10,000 subscribers in the free version, so as you build your list, you don’t have to worry about upgrading if you aren’t quite ready yet.

You can also schedule email broadcasts to send out later so you can automate your workflow. It’s a great way to save you tons of time and energy.

Most premium versions of email providers will include automated sequences that you can set up to auto-send to your subscribers. These can include a sequence of 2 or more emails sent out over almost any period of time. So, the use of sequences and automation is when you can really start earning a bit of that ROI.

However, with as great as the premium features are, I would suggest waiting until you have around at least 100 subscribers before you decide to upgrade. This allows you to better monitor your analytics to see what is and isn’t working. And, you also can get a sense of whether or not your open rates, and click-through rates are averaging at.

Go ahead and pick one of these providers to get started. Again, I highly recommend Convertkit as I am in love with it (plus they offer other ways to make money), but you choose one that aligns with you and your business.

1. ConvertKit (soon to be Kit)
2. MailerLite (a great 2nd-place alternative to Convertkit)
3. Constant Contact
4. ActiveCampaign
5. Klaviyo
6. Mailchimp (why I didn’t choose Mailchimp)
7. Aweber

Ways to Improve Your Email Marketing Strategy

So, you’ve built up an email list and you have hundreds, and maybe even thousands of subscribers. 

Now, what?

Well, as you build your email list, you will want to start nurturing those subscribers. Providing them with great valuable content that they find helpful, inspiring, encouraging, and helps them with their struggles. 

But, maybe you’ve been struggling with your open rates and click-throughs. Don’t worry if this is you. We all struggle with this in the beginning. 

Before you start thinking your rates are bad though, here’s a quick refresher of what the average rates are.

Average Open Rates = 15-25%

Average Click-Through Rates = 2.3%

Are your rates better than average, or below average?

These rates also vary by niche and industry. So keep in mind that your numbers may actually be pretty normal.

But, in any case, you will also want to try and improve these numbers. 

Here are a few tips to improve your email marketing strategies:

• Ask your subscribers to respond to your emails (you need feedback too, right?)
• A/B test your subject lines (this varies by audience)
• Remove cold subscribers from your list (keep a healthy list)
• Use personalization to grab your reader’s eye (i.e. your subscriber name)
• Use Emojis to make your subject line stand out visually
• Change the sender name to your personal name (From: Nicole at Let’s Make Life Great)
• Make use of white space in your content (spread out your paragraphs)
• Use colored or highlighted text for all links
• Use buttons for offers or links

Include a list of links to freebies that you already offer (to nurture that list, remember?)

Ways to Improve Your Email Marketing Strategy

So, you’ve built up an email list and you have hundreds, and maybe even thousands of subscribers. 

Now, what?

Well, as you build your email list, you will want to start nurturing those subscribers. Providing them with great valuable content that they find helpful, inspiring, encouraging, and helps them with their struggles. 

But, maybe you’ve been struggling with your open rates and click-throughs. Don’t worry if this is you. We all struggle with this in the beginning. 

Before you start thinking your rates are bad though, here’s a quick refresher of what the average rates are.

Average Open Rates = 15-25%

Average Click-Through Rates = 2.3%

Are your rates better than average, or below average?

These rates also vary by niche and industry. So keep in mind that your numbers may actually be pretty normal.

But, in any case, you will also want to try and improve these numbers. 

Here are a few tips to improve your email marketing strategies:

• A/B test your subject lines (this varies by audience)
• Remove cold subscribers from your list (keep a healthy list)
• Use personalization to grab your reader’s eye (i.e. your subscriber name)
• Use Emojis to make your subject line stand out visually
• Change the sender name to your personal name (From: Nicole at Let’s Make Life Great)
• Make use of white space in your content (spread out your paragraphs)
• Use colored or highlighted text for all links
• Use buttons for offers or links
• Include a list of links to freebies that you already offer (to nurture that list, remember?)
• Ask your subscribers to respond to your emails (you need feedback to improve, right?)

Final Thoughts on Expert Strategies to Build an Email List

Building an email list can be tricky if you don’t know who your ideal audience is, or if your messaging is off, and if you just aren’t getting the necessary traffic to convert readers into subscribers.

But, with the right strategies, once you nail down the basics, and once you can start getting more traffic to your lead magnets, your list will start growing organically.

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Expert Strategies to Build an Email List