If you’re reading this article you probably already have an email marketing list, or are planning to start one. And chances are good that you have a website where people can register for your newsletter, which generates a small amount of leads each month, or a Facebook page where you promote your newsletter and other associated services.

But if you’re like most budding email marketers, you want more subscribers to your list; preferably quality recipients who are actually interested in what you have to say. The best way to achieve that is by enticing people with exciting offerings rather than standard, predictable and stale traditional marketing techniques. The following tactics are creative ways to grow your email list. Some may not be easy to implement, but they’re more likely to deliver results than the same old techniques that your competitors are already using (with dwindling success).

Partner with Other Companies in Exchange for Leads

If you already have a decent readership base but are looking for more leads, a great way to do that is to branch out of your direct niche. For example, if you have a couponing newsletter, you can partner with different online stores that don’t have their own email service, and are looking for more publicity. Offer a website a month or a week of free banners on your newsletter in exchange for a CTA on their site to sign up for your awesome couponing newsletter.

Another form of partnership would be to get an ad for your newsletter in someone else’s newsletter, by offering them a banner on your website, for example. There are dozens, if not hundreds of ways in which you can partner with other sites to gain more exposure for your newsletter. If the niches are complementary, you should be able to get not only exposure, but quality leads as well. Who knows – you may even be able to convince the partner to offer your readers a special deal, something that can further help your site stand out from the pack.

Promote it on Your Business Card

If you’re in a business where you do a lot of professional networking, you probably give out a lot of business cards. And you probably aren’t maximizing the space entirely…especially not on the back. Use your business card as an advertisement for your newsletter. The text will definitely stand out if you put it on the back, so a straightforward message may work. Still, if you want it to really get noticed, consider a less conventional message, like: Don’t get enough emails? Sign up for my newsletter to get great investing advice on a regular basis!” – and then list the signup URL. You can also use a strong, unconventional CTA such as: 1 financial analysis a week can change your portfolio – and then list the URL. This will tell potential registrants that they’re getting something worthwhile without the spam.

Offer an Innovative Incentive

Even though your newsletter itself probably offers something of value, you may need an additional hook in order to get people to submit their personal information. Think about what you can offer that is above and beyond what people expect, but something not too expensive. Can you offer a free ebook that people can read on their own time? An educational series about something related to your field that isn’t already found in your newsletter? What about a contest that you can run with a prize that is available only to subscribers of your newsletter? Or a monthly contest with regular winners? Think outside the box, and you never know what type of successful promotion you can run to get subscribers.

Use Videos

Most newsletter owners use content as a way to get attention, but videos are rapidly becoming a critical vehicle in the social media world, and there’s no reason not to use them for your newsletter promotion. Create a series of humorous videos or tutorials that people can share around, and include your signup information at the end of the video. Make sure to give enough time for people to copy the information. Even if they don’t, if the video is good enough and it spreads, your website will get the traffic you need to get a natural boost in newsletter registrations.

Stress the Non Spam Aspect

Many people don’t register for email newsletters because they’re afraid of getting spammed incessantly by the list. But if you don’t send daily emails, you can use this to your advantage by announcing in your marketing material or registration page that you don’t send emails regularly, and that potential registrants shouldn’t worry about being flooded with emails. Honesty is often an excellent hook when it comes to getting people to provide their personal information, and in this case, it may even be a selling point.

Sari Holtz is the content and marketing manager for DailyForex.com, a website that provides daily financial analysis, free Forex signals and comprehensive Forex broker reviews for traders around the world.

 

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