How to Collect Email Addresses

Collecting e-mail addresses for a newsletter or similar e-mail publication can be one of the most difficult aspects of maintaining that publication. There are many ways to request e-mail addresses, though, and plenty of ways to make the prospect seem appealing to your customers.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Collecting E-mail Addresses in Person

1
Create a sign-up sheet. If you have an actual storefront, place an e-mail sign-up sheet near the register. Point it out to each customer who makes a purchase.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Similarly, you can instruct your cashiers to ask each customer who approaches the register for an e-mail address. Make sure that your cashiers tell your customers that providing an e-mail address is only optional while explaining the benefits of doing so.
- Once you've collected the emails, add them a spreadsheet, create a CSV file, and upload it to your email service provider.^{[2]XExpert SourceAnna Colibri
  Digital Marketing SpecialistExpert Interview. 29 June 2021.}
2
Collect business cards. Place a basket, empty fishbowl, or similar container near the register or in another equally visible location. Place a label or sign on it so people will know to drop their business cards inside.
- Typically, these types of collections are encouraged by the use of special offers or contests. For instance, you might include a note saying that a random drawing will take place every week, and the winner will receive a certain percentage or dollar amount off his or her next purchase.
3
Attend or create an event. Look for events that would allow you to meet prospective customers for your business. Bring a clipboard sign-up sheet with you to collect e-mail addresses at these events.
- Participate in as many trade-shows and fairs as possible. These events attract potential customers, whereas conventions and conferences only tend to attract other business owners in your field.
- Depending on the nature of your business, you may also host your own event, like a luncheon, consultation, or show. You can even require attendees to sign up via e-mail for these events.
4
Include a packing insert. When you ship an order to someone, include a separate packing insert in the package that asks customers to sign up for your e-mail newsletter.
- Provide clear instructions on signing up. Include the URL to a specific sign-up page or the e-mail address customers can contact if they wish to be added to your subscribers.
- Similarly, you can make the request directly on the packing sheet itself. It may not stand out as much as a separate insert would, but it can be a good way to cut costs while still spreading the word.
5
Mention your request in any printed material produced. Any guide, printed newsletter, printed advertisement, or other printed material produced and/or distributed by your company should include a request for e-mail addresses within the overall content.
- The same principle also applies to digital material produced by your company, like videos and podcasts.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Collecting E-mail Addresses Online

1
Display a sign-up form on your website. The sign-up form should be very easy to find and located on each page of your website. Make the process as simple and brief as possible to encourage as many subscriptions as possible.^{[3]XResearch source}
- The sign-up form might be nothing more than a small, clearly identified box at the top of the website. On the other hand, you might include a link at the top of each page that directs potential subscribers to a separate sign-up page and form. This form should be fairly brief, requiring as little information as possible (name and e-mail address).
- If you also have a separate blog for your company, include the form or a link to the form on a highly visible spot of your blog, too.
- Ideally, you want people to volunteer their email on your website instead of creating your own list.^{[4]XExpert SourceAnna Colibri
  Digital Marketing SpecialistExpert Interview. 29 June 2021.}
2
Consider pop-up requests. Even though most people find pop-up ads annoying, it can actually be a good idea to include a pop-up ad encouraging visitors to sign-up for e-mail content. The key is to format this ad so that it pops up as visitors reach the bottom of the page or leave the website.
- Someone who was interested enough in your content to spend time reading it is more likely to provide an e-mail address than someone who just stumbled onto your website for the first time. As such, the pop-up should always come at the end of the visiting experience and never at the beginning.
3
Mention it at check-out. Customers who purchase from you online will usually need to provide an e-mail address. Ask for permission to add this e-mail address to your subscribers during the check-out process.
- This can usually be accomplished by including a check-box just above the “Submit Order” button. Beside this check-box, include a line like, “Check here to receive special promotions, offers, and news via e-mail.”
4
Send periodic requests through social media accounts. If you aren't already taking advantage of social media to connect to prospective and existing customers, you should start.^{[5]XExpert SourceAnna Colibri
Digital Marketing SpecialistExpert Interview. 29 June 2021.} Post requests for customer e-mail addresses on occasion through each of your social media accounts.
- Send text-based tweets on Twitter or post text-based and picture-based statues on Facebook.
- Post picture-based advertisements for your e-mail newsletter on Pinterest and Instagram.
5
Post a link in your e-mail signature. When creating a business signature to automatically paste at the bottom of each e-mail you send, provide instructions on how the receiver of your message can add his or her name to your list of subscribers.
- A link can be especially beneficial if you add it to the signature of your company's standard contact e-mail address. Doing so automatically informs anyone who contacts you with questions about your company to learn about your e-mail list.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Offering Benefits

1
Provide a sneak peek. Post a screenshot of your e-mail newsletter or similar piece of content somewhere your online visitors can see. This sneak peek should provide a glimpse at some of the content typically included in your newsletter.
- Another way to offer a sneak peek would be to archive old editions of past newsletters. This gives potential subscribers a way to look through multiple copies of your newsletter for a more thorough idea of what they will receive by signing up.
2
Accompany the request with a strong visual. Instead of using text-only advertisements to ask for e-mail addresses, accompany the text with a compelling image. Pictures tend to catch the eye more effectively than text does.
- Make sure that the image you use is related to your company in some way. For instance, if you sell garden supplies, the visual could be as simple as a photograph of a beautifully maintained garden.
3
Offer a free gift for signing up. Consider offering a free gift to customers who sign up for your e-mail newsletter. The gift should be fairly small yet still worthwhile enough to offer some incentive.
- For instance, you might offer a free informative PDF file about a topic that would interest your prospective customers.
- On the other hand, the gift could be something like 10 percent off the customer's next purchase, if that purchase is made within the next 30 days.
4
Start a birthday club. Tell customers who sign up for your e-mail newsletter that they will receive a special gift on or around their birthday. As with sign-up gifts, the offer must be affordable for you yet appealing to them.
- Free stuff is usually the gift of choice for a birthday club. If you have a storefront, you might e-mail customers a voucher on their birthday that can be traded in person for a small token. Another option is to offer a free gift with a minimal purchase or a significant discount.
5
Host a giveaway or contest. A good way to get a larger volume of new e-mail addresses at one time is to host a giveaway or contest for new subscribers. The winner of your contest should receive a prize, and that prize should be announced ahead of time.^{[6]XResearch source}
- Since fewer people will actually win these prizes, they should be worth considerably more than the gift you would give for a birthday club or at sign-up.
- You may also offer the chance to earn additional entries for old and new subscribers who advertise your contest via social media, blogs, or other public forums.
6
Feature "e-mail only" discounts. You can post most discounts and offers online for all of your customers to see, but you should also offer the occasional discount that is only available to your e-mail subscribers.
- Instruct subscribers to input a certain discount code during the check-out process. Do not post this discount code anywhere on your website, though.
7
Send frequent, worthwhile messages. Getting e-mail subscribers are one thing, but keeping them is another. You need to make sure that the e-mails you send out to your subscribers are worthwhile. Otherwise, they may choose to unsubscribe.
- This also means that the messages you do send must all be worthwhile. If you flood your subscribers with three to four e-mails each day, and those e-mails very rarely offer anything of substance, many of your subscribers will choose to delete your messages without reading them.
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Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Encouraging Others to Assist You

1
Encourage your employees to do the work. Offer incentives to your employees for gathering e-mail addresses.
- Offer a bonus or similar monetary incentive to employees who collect a certain number of valid e-mail addresses.
- To discourage cheating, make sure that your employees know that these e-mail addresses must be valid and will be verified before the reward is granted.
2
Ask for referrals. Provide incentives to any current customers or subscribers to encourage them to refer friends and family to your e-mail list.
- Customers who refer you to others should be made eligible for a special discount.
3
Make it easy to pass along. If your e-mail newsletter is strong enough to stand as its own incentive, your current subscribers may want to pass it along without any extra encouragement. Include a “forward to a friend” link at the bottom of each newsletter to simplify the process for them.^{[7]XResearch source}
- This link should redirect the subscriber to a web-based form. On that form, provide room for the subscriber to enter multiple e-mail addresses and include a short message.
- While not every person who receives your newsletter from an existing subscriber will want to subscribe themselves, a decent portion of them likely will, making this a great way to grow newsletter subscribers.
- You can also use this trick in conjunction with a customer referral program.
4
Trade space. Work together with other companies and businesses who share a similar clientele. Ask them to advertise your e-mail list, and in return, offer to do the same for them.
- You can trade spaces within your newsletters, on your blogs, or on your social media pages. If both businesses send print materials through the mail, you may also send each others' packing inserts.
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Expert Q&A

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Question
What's the easiest way to store the emails?
Anna Colibri
Digital Marketing Specialist
Anna Colibri is a Digital Marketing Specialist and the CEO of Colibri Digital Marketing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Anna specializes in branding, digital strategy, product and service development, team management, and leadership development with a focus on women and minority business owners and professionals. Anna holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from The University of California, Davis, and a Master's degree in Social Welfare from The University of California, Berkeley. Colibri Digital Marketing is San Francisco’s first B Corp certified digital marketing agency. They won the 2019 Better Business Bureau Torch Awards for Ethical Business, the 2009 Local Excellence Award, and one of the Best Digital Marketing Agencies in San Francisco in 2017.
Anna Colibri
Digital Marketing Specialist
Expert Answer
Create a spreadsheet, upload your emails, and create a CSV file. Then, upload it to your ESP (email service provider). That's probably the simplest way to keep track and use an email database.
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Question
Is it illegal to collect email addresses?
Anna Colibri
Digital Marketing Specialist
Anna Colibri is a Digital Marketing Specialist and the CEO of Colibri Digital Marketing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Anna specializes in branding, digital strategy, product and service development, team management, and leadership development with a focus on women and minority business owners and professionals. Anna holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from The University of California, Davis, and a Master's degree in Social Welfare from The University of California, Berkeley. Colibri Digital Marketing is San Francisco’s first B Corp certified digital marketing agency. They won the 2019 Better Business Bureau Torch Awards for Ethical Business, the 2009 Local Excellence Award, and one of the Best Digital Marketing Agencies in San Francisco in 2017.
Anna Colibri
Digital Marketing Specialist
Expert Answer
It depends on where you live and how you're collecting them. If you're harvesting user data without permission, then probably. You should always get your emails voluntarily from your users.
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If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn
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