28 Newsletter Sign-Up Strategies To Increase Subscribers

Updated February 3, 2023

Newsletters are an effective marketing technique to engage with customers by offering them information about a company's brand and its products or services. There are various ways you can promote a newsletter to encourage more people to subscribe to this content. Knowing some tips and strategies for boosting newsletter sign-ups can help you add more people to your subscriber list.

In this article, we provide 28 newsletter sign-up strategies to help you grow your audience and attract more subscribers.

What is a newsletter sign-up form?

A newsletter sign-up form is a process for encouraging people to subscribe to a newsletter. When a customer inputs their email address into the form, they receive updates about a business through emails. It's a common marketing strategy to build relationships with customers and grow a target audience. Newsletter sign-ups are important because customers can learn more about a company and its brand.

28 newsletter sign-up strategies

There are many strategies available to attract potential customers to sign up for your marketing newsletters. Here are 28 strategies for increasing your audience and mailing list:

1. Offer incentives

On your website, offer incentives for signing up to become a newsletter subscriber. For example, you may offer discounts on products or free trial subscriptions, depending on the business. Many customers are more likely to sign up if they know they're going to receive an offer, such as reduced prices or free shipping.

2. Keep the sign-up form simple

Make it simple for customers to sign up for your newsletter. For example, you may only ask customers to enter their names and email addresses. By limiting the information you request from customers, you may encourage them to fill out the form.

3. Have contests or giveaways

Contests and giveaways are a good way to recruit new subscribers for your mailing list. On the company's social media accounts or website, you can promote the contest or giveaway and include a link to sign up for the newsletter. You may also offer incentives for people to refer their friends or family members to enter the contest and subscribe to the newsletter.

4. Place the sign-up form in a visible spot

You can embed a sign-up form anywhere on your content pages. They're small and likely won't distract the reader from your content. Here are some common places you can offer customers the opportunity to sign up for your newsletter:

Pop-up screens: Pop-up screens can appear on the screen when customers view your content or during the checkout process for e-commerce businesses, offering the customer an incentive for subscribing.
Floating box: A floating box sign-up form can move with the page as the customer scrolls up and down a webpage.
Comment section: You can place a sign-up form in the comment section of a webpage so people who comment on your posts or products can sign up for the newsletter.

5. Try affiliate advertising

An affiliate website promotes the products of other companies. You can work with an affiliate website to advertise for the company. The affiliate can include a sign-up box for your newsletter on its page and link visitors to the company's website or blog posts so new subscribers can interact with the brand.

6. Provide some content for free

You can provide free content, such as blog posts, to attract newsletter subscribers. Below the content, leave an embedded box for customers to submit their email addresses to sign up for the newsletter, where they can receive additional content on topics of interest. For example, at the end of a product-related blog post, you can include a sign-up form and explain how the reader can view additional content through the newsletter.

7. Offer an email course

Encourage potential customers to sign up for your newsletter by offering them a free email course. For example, at the end of a social media post, you may offer a link to a free five-day course related to the company's brand. When customers click on the link, a pop-up box can appear, asking for their email address to enroll in the free course.

8. Provide a newsletter confirmation

Once a person has subscribed to your newsletter, provide a confirmation of their subscription. You may choose to send customers a pop-up message with a note of appreciation for subscribing. This type of instant communication can help promote positive customer experiences with the company's brand.

9. Send a welcome email

After customers have successfully subscribed, send them an automated welcome email. In the email, you can express gratitude for their subscription and share some additional information about the company and its products. You can also link to the company's website and social media accounts for further information. A welcome email can make subscribers feel valued and confident about their decision to subscribe.

10. Allow subscribers to control content

You can allow subscribers to choose how much content they want to receive from you. Upon signing up, you can provide the option for customers to choose the email frequency that works best for them, such as daily, weekly or monthly. Some enjoy getting emails and information frequently, while others may prefer to get emails once a month. Allowing subscribers to control how much content they receive may motivate them to continue receiving your newsletter.

11. Add sign-up options on social media

You can use the company's social media accounts to gain more subscribers. Many people who follow the brand on social media already enjoy your marketing content and use that platform to engage with the business. Add links to sign up for the newsletter to encourage those followers to view additional content in other ways.

12. Promote referrals

Referrals from existing subscribers are a great way to gain new ones. When people hear about a business from those they know and trust, they may be more likely to explore the brand and its products. You can offer your current subscribers rewards, such as a discount on their next purchase or a free travel-sized product, if they refer a friend to your newsletter.

13. Include a sign-up form in blog posts

If you write blog posts, you can include a newsletter sign-up form at the bottom of those posts. People reading blog posts have expressed an interest in content related to the company or its products. At the bottom of a post, provide a link and a message encouraging readers to subscribe. For example, you may write, "For more posts like this, sign up for the weekly newsletter."

14. Use the word "free"

While some people already know that a newsletter won't cost them anything, many people find the word "free" alluring. Using this word in connection with a newsletter sign-up form may encourage more customers to subscribe because they feel they're receiving a new product at no additional cost. In addition, you may offer free content, such as a product trial or email course, when a new user signs up, helping you appeal to more potential subscribers.

15. Demonstrate the value of your newsletter

Market the benefits of the newsletter so customers know why they may want to sign up for it. Customers may already receive multiple newsletters from other brands. You can distinguish your content from others by explaining the benefits of signing up, such as receiving bimonthly blog posts or hosting monthly live chats for subscribers.

16. Host a webinar

An effective way to collect email addresses is by hosting a webinar. When people sign up for the webinar, you can request their email addresses to sign up for the newsletter. Hosting a webinar that's relevant to the company's brand can also show subscribers the value of receiving similar content in the form of a newsletter.

17. Consider the customer

It's important to consider the customer so you can determine how to market the newsletter most effectively. For example, if you're a marketer for an e-commerce business, you may add a newsletter sign-up link as part of the checkout process. When customers pay for their product or service, you can highlight the coupons or discounts they can receive by signing up for the newsletter. Reflecting on customers' needs and preferences can help you decide the right strategies for attracting more subscribers.

18. Focus on content

When creating the newsletter, focus on the content you include to make sure it's relevant to subscribers. Aim to create informative, appealing newsletters that subscribers want to open and read. This type of content may encourage subscribers to refer the newsletter to others, helping you to expand its reach.

19. Keep newsletters short

People may spend a limited time reading emails, so keep your newsletters short to communicate key information quickly. Add links to blog posts, webpages or social media accounts where subscribers can receive more information about the company or its products. By keeping newsletters short, you may encourage more customers to sign up to receive them.

20. Use consistent branding

When customers subscribe to your newsletter, they may already be familiar with the company's brand. Use consistent branding so they recognize emails that come from the company. For example, you may display the company's logo in the header design or use the same colors as the company website. This branding can encourage customers who enjoy the company's products or services to sign up for the newsletter.

21. Encourage interaction

You can encourage interaction with subscribers to entice more people to sign up for the newsletter. For example, you may include a link in the newsletter allowing people to submit comments about a future product. This interaction allows people to feel involved with a company, which may make them more likely to sign up for your newsletter.

22. Test the sign-up form

It's helpful to perform tests, such as A/B testing, to determine the effectiveness of your newsletter sign-up form. For example, you may test different colors or wording to see if customers prefer one style over another. Continue to test the sign-up form periodically to ensure you're attracting as many subscribers as possible.

23. Have a clear call to action

When asking customers to sign up for a newsletter, have a clear call to action so they know what to do next. Try to create a unique call to action that highlights the benefits of subscribing to the newsletter. For example, a clothing retailer may include a call to action that says, "Make your inbox more stylish by subscribing to our weekly newsletter."

24. Segment newsletter content

You can create different types of newsletter content to make it more relevant to specific subscribers. For example, you may segment subscribers into groups based on their interests or purchasing habits. This way, you can create targeted content for various segments of your subscriber list. By sending subscribers useful, relevant content, you may attract more people to sign up for content that interests them.

25. Use newsletter previews

Create a short preview of a recent newsletter and share it on the company's website, blog or social media accounts. Make sure the preview clearly describes the type of content customers can expect to see if they subscribe to the newsletter. Sharing this preview on other channels with a link to the sign-up form can help you gain new subscribers.

26. Ask for feedback

It's helpful to ask for feedback from existing subscribers so you know what type of content people want to see in your newsletter. Use this feedback to identify areas where you can improve the newsletter to attract more subscribers. If you request permission from customers, you can also post their positive feedback on the company's website or social media platforms so others can learn about the newsletter's value.

27. Add a link in your email signature

You can add a link to the newsletter sign-up form in your email signature. Ask other employees to do the same so that whenever they send emails, their recipients have the opportunity to view the link and sign up for the newsletter. This strategy can be especially helpful if sales and customer service teams add links in their email signatures since they're likely to be emailing potential or current customers.

28. Create a QR code

A quick response (QR) code is a small, square image people can scan on their smartphones to go to a specific webpage. Search online for free tools you can use to create a QR code for your newsletter sign-up form. Then place this QR code in places where customers may interact with it, such as near a sign in a retail store. A QR code can help customers quickly sign up for your newsletter, even when they're not interacting with the brand online.