7 Tips to Boost Email Subscribers and Grow Your List in 2020

Did you spend most of this year struggling to figure out how to grow your email list? If you did, don’t worry you’re not alone. Many small businesses and new bloggers can’t quite discover the secret sauce that many other websites use to grow their email list from nothing into hundreds of thousands of subscribers.

But fear not, there are some easy to implement tips and tricks that will help you build an email list full of loyal fans who will hang on your every word, become brand ambassadors for your business, and buy your products or services again and again.

Get ready to ring in the new year with a ton of new subscribers, check out these seven tips to boost email subscribers in 2020.

1. Offer a Content Upgrade

Everyone loves getting a free gift, so use that to your advantage when growing your email list. Offering a freebie or content upgrade to your website visitors in exchange for their email address is one of the easiest ways to get more subscribers in 2019. People won’t hesitate to join your email list when you’re offering extra content that’s relevant to your niche.

You can use a free tool like Canva to easily create PDF guides, checklists, worksheets, calendars, templates, and more. One great tip is to turn your most popular existing blog post into a content upgrade. It will be less work for you to put together because you’re not coming up with new ideas from scratch and you know it will perform well.

2. Add an Opt-In at End of Articles

When a visitor has just finished reading one of your useful blog posts they’re fully engaged and in the mood to subscribe, so give them the opportunity to do so by adding an opt-in at the end of your articles. You already know they’re loving your content because they’re reading it, which makes it the perfect moment to turn them from reader to subscriber.

Like in the example below, you can let readers know that if they enjoyed the article they just read, they can get more of the same great content by signing up for your email list.

You can easily create a sleek looking opt-in that will grab the attention of users and convince them to sign up.

3. Create an Exit-Intent Popup.

Another amazing way to catch the attention of website visitors and encourage them to become subscribers is to use an exit-intent popup. Many people will come across a great article on your website, read it, and never return again. In fact, over 70 percent of people who leave your website will never return. So in order to convert abandoning site visitors into subscribers, you need to add an exit-intent popup to your site.

You can build a stunning exit-intent popup in minutes using a tool like OptinMonster. An exit-intent message works like this: When a user is on your site, the exit-intent technology tracks when they’re about to leave and then displays a targeted message to them at exactly the right time. So before you’ve lost a visitor forever, you can turn them into a subscriber.

4. Promote Your List on Social Media

You can’t expect to grow your email list if you don’t promote it. That’s why it’s important to promote your email list not just on your own website but on social media too. There are a number of ways to promote your email list on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn etc., including:

• Sharing your blog posts on social media and include hashtags related to your niche
• Adding a link to your profile bio
• Pinning your email list opt-in to the top of your profile
• Join Facebook groups relating to your niche
• Make connections and interact with people in comment sections

Promoting your email list on social media will widen your reach; you’ll introduce your blog and your email list to online users who have never heard of or visited your website before.

5. Add a Contact Form to Your Site

If you’re a blogger you might think that having a contact form on your website isn’t necessary for you, but it is. Your website visitors need an easy way to contact you if they have any questions or if they just have something to say, plus you can use a contact form to grow your email list. You can create a contact form with a field for an email address that users are required to fill out before they can submit their message. So even visitors who ignored your email list opt-ins on your website will be able to be converted with a contact form.

Adding a contact form to your website isn’t difficult, it’s actually quite easy with a tool like WPForms. With their drag and drop builder you’ll be able to create a contact form in minutes that will capture all of the information you need. They also have some other cool features like a Form Abandonment Tool that will capture a users info even if they don’t submit the form. By adding a contact form to your site, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with your website visitors and turn them into email subscribers.

6. Display Testimonials

It’s natural for humans to want to be a part of something awesome. For instance, if you drive by a restaurant and see a line up down the street, you’ll want to eat there too. If that many people think it’s great, it probably is. You can create the same effect with your email list by displaying testimonials. Showing social proof is an effective way to grow your email list. People will take notice of all of the subscribers singing your praises and want to become a part of the club too.

So, ask some of your biggest fans to write a review or testimonial you can showcase on your website. You could also retweet users who are talking about you and sharing your content on social media. Seeing social proof helps users build trust with your brand and more trust means more email subscribers for you.

7. Redirect Commenters

The people who are commenting on your blog are the perfect people to encourage to become subscribers. If they’re commenting on your articles, you already know they’re interested in what you have to say and right after they’ve spent time sharing their thoughts with you is the most opportune time to convert them into email subscribers. So to get a boost in your email list, redirect users who are commenting on your blog.

A great tool for this is Yoast Comment Hacks. With this plugin, after a user has commented on your blog for the first time, they’ll be redirected to a “thank you” page that encourages them to sign up for your email list. An engaged user who’s commenting on your blog posts is one that will likely take you up on your offer and subscribe.

Over to You

With these actionable tips you’ll be able to take your email list from zero to hero in the new year. But don’t wait until 2019 to get the ball rolling. Start implementing these tips now so that by January 1st you won’t only be celebrating the New Year, but you’ll be celebrating the huge growth of your email list.