How to create an email database: 10 effective methods

Do you think that email marketing is spam and that it has been long since it lost its effectiveness comparing to other communication channels? And what if the question of e-mails’ effectiveness depends on the email database you have collected? If you are interested in how to get email addresses for distribution, we recommend you to refrain from creating a list illegally and use organic methods of collecting subscribers.Why organic method? In such cases, users enter their emails on their own and agree to receive letters from the company.

How to create an email database with organic methods

1. Subscription form on the website

The easiest way to create an email database for distribution is to add a subscription form to your website. And in order to make this method effective, you should test different options: try different designs, placements and appeals. So you will find the most effective format.You can also collect emails from the website by integrating a call to subscription into the registration process. This method is suitable for all online stores, platforms and resources that foresee user’s personal account. Only in this case, do not forget that the email subscription must be variable. The user must retain the right to unsubscribe.

2. Free webinar or workshop

Online seminars are an easy way to increase audience’s loyalty, demonstrate your expertise and professionalism, and collect people’s emails while registering. In order to get really interested people on your contact list, think about the topic and organization of the webinar.

3. Promo code after subscription

The discount always attracts attention and encourages you to take advantage of a good offer. Therefore, the initiative to leave an email address in exchange for a promo code is effective and provides a good opportunity to increase the base of mailings’ recipients

4. Gathering contacts on the conferences

Does your company participate in conferences, festivals or other offline events? Fill in your email database right there. During live communication, people are more willing to leave their email, because they came to the conference for new useful acquaintances. To gather contacts for email database during the event, you can use the following methods:

• provide a small contest, to participate, in which you must specify an email address;
• offer a photo in the branded photo area or additional bonuses that you will send to the mail left by the person;
• promise to send useful materials by email.

5. Subscription form on Facebook page

Not using the opportunities of social networks is almost a sin. If you manage your brand’s Facebook and Instagram pages, be sure to add a subscription form to your profile headers. Subscribers on social networks are already a loyal to the brand audience. Accordingly, they will be more willing to provide information in order to receive useful content in return.

6. Reviews

Add a feedback form to the website and encourage visitors to share their impressions about your products and services. Encourage people to leave not only positive feedback, but also negative experiences that will allow your brand to grow, develop and improve. To motivate users, offer them a discount or bonus. And in order not to overload the feedback form, add a minimum of fields to fill. For example, name, email and respond place.

7. Lead magnet

Use lead magnet to obtain email addresses for sending. In this case, it is much easier for a person to leave their data, because in return they will get something useful for themselves. Lead magnet is valuable content, which can be:

• educational materials;
• video tutorials or workshops;
• e-books;
• checklists and life hacks;
• discounts on your services or goods.

But remember that the offered content must be unique and not freely available. In such case, the user could really feel the value and necessity of your offer.

8. Competitions

Everyone will gladly leave their mail in order to get a cool prize. Take advantage of this: choose a gift that will be interesting to your audience and start a contest. Don’t forget to report information about competition in advertisements, social networks and through the mailing lists of your partners.

9. Advertising through affiliate mailings

Another way to expand your email database is to agree on partnerships and advertising in other newsletters. You need to choose resources carefully and meticulously in order to highlight what your target audience is reading. Discuss the format of affiliate newsletter in advance: ad unit, promo code, or link to your article.

10. Educational content

Share your experiences and cases — pack free study materials in a chain of thematic letters. Make mailings regularly, so the recipients can wait for your emails. And if you publish educational materials in a blog or other resource, then you can ask to subscribe to the newsletter, where reminders about a new article or update will be published.The development of an effective email strategy begins long before the mailing itself is planned. And the key issue for the profitability of this communication channel is how many users will receive your emails and how many of them are your potential customers. That is why it is so important to choose a living, organic email database. Test the methods described above and find those that will work with your segment the most effectively.