super size your email listWe’ve talked about how to make a great newsletter but we haven’t discussed how to get more subscribers.  Here are seven proven tactics that will give you the best opportunity to earn new subscribers and keep your current audience happy.

1.  Advertise in the right places

Advertising your newsletter is usually an afterthought for most businesses.  The sign-up option is often hidden somewhere on your website and not properly publicized.  Big mistake.

Whether it’s your website, Etsy store or Facebook fan page, your call to action (sign-up for our email list!) should be front and center.  Don’t let the user’s attention wander, tell them exactly what you want them to do.

Another great place to ask for sign-ups is the end of a blog/Facebook post.  If they’ve read your article and found it useful, there is a good chance you can turn them in to a subscriber with a friendly reminder.

2.  Strong call to action

Your call to action should be clear and concise.  Don’t fill up the prime real estate of your website or Facebook page with 27 different suggestions.  Choose one goal and stick to it.

If you’re trying to add email subscribers, don’t pollute the area with a bunch of invitations to your social network profiles.  This spreads your support too thin and you end up with only a few fans for each network.  Consolidate your efforts and focus on one channel.

3. Find partners

Another great way to increase your subscriber list is to work with partners.  Find some non-competing businesses that market to a similar demographic.

If you have a flower business, it might make sense to reach out to a chocolate company and develop a deal that will both advertise.  This cross-pollinates your respective business audiences and opens up new opportunities.

4.  Give incentives to share 

Support from the ground up is always better than a top down approach.  New subscribers are much more likely to join your list if it’s been suggested to them by a friend.

One option is to establish a rewards program for your subscribers.  For every 5 or 10 friends they sign-up, they’ll receive some kind of perk.  Half off their next purchase, credit for a free song on iTunes; anything that will make it worth their while to reach out on your behalf.

5.  Make it as easy as possible to opt-in

The average attention span of a website user is not very long, you have a small window to convert them as  a subscriber.  Don’t make them jump through hoops to sign-up for your email list.  Put the form right on the front page and don’t redirect them to another page.

6.  Take advantage of social networks 

We’re not big fans of promoting a Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn profile on your website, email is a much better way to get your message out.

We do, however, encourage you to advertise your newsletter using the social channels.  If you have a fan page or company profile, make sure to include your email sign-up information.

Get active in industry-related groups and join the discussion.  Prove that you’re someone worth listening to and you’ll earn more subscribers.

7.  Quality content

One of the best ways to get more subscribers is to deliver content that is worth sharing.  People don’t want their inbox inundated with self-promoting emails that give them little value.

Find out what gets your audience excited and then give them content around that topic.  If they find it useful, they’ll usually pass it on.  You become a thought leader in your industry and you get free advertising for your business.

Adding an element of exclusivity also works well.  Giving special discounts or offering content  to exclusively to email subscribers gives people a reason to join.

Teach your audience something useful, like how to get a little extra help around the house:

Are there any other great ideas out there we missed?

To use FlashIssue for FREE, Click HERE!