1. Don’t spam subscribers. Be sure to avoid violating anti-spam laws, by keeping email titles clear and honest, and always providing the unsubscribe option. The less there is to hide, the less likely subscribers are going to rush to leave.

2. Offer constant value. If everything sent to subscribers is a commercial message trying to sell or promote something, it will turn off a lot of readers, risking that they’ll unsubscribe. Provide articles, research, or other valuable information only available in newsletters to give subscribers a reason to keep reading, and looking forward to, those messages.

3. Emphasize exclusivity. If readers feel like being a subscriber to a newsletter puts them into some exclusive group or community, they’ll be more likely to stay. Offer exclusive sales or other deals, or special value-added content from articles to lists to reports and e-books to keep subscribers interested and feeling special.

4. Personalize email messages. Make subscribers feel like each email newsletter is talking specifically to them by adding at least their name to every message. Emails can also be more personalized on a different branding level by including personal messages from the sender, a photo of the person sending the email, or even a simple “thank you” message at the end.

Building an email list is an important step in email marketing. Keeping that email list alive and well, and not shrinking, is just as important. Don’t make the mistake of forgetting about current email list subscribers when building an email list.

1. Offline businesses can place a book or simple sheet of paper near their checkout area for buyers to add their name and email address for updates, news, or special offers. Bands and other entertainers often do this too, when selling their CDs or merchandise.

2. A line for an optional email address and simple check box to confirm email list subscriptions can be added to customer satisfaction surveys.

3. Postcards for easy email list subscriptions can be included in other direct mail campaigns to customers or a company’s target market.

4. Add a newsletter subscription option to bill or invoice tear-offs that are sent back to the company with payment.

5. Add a newsletter subscription notice to any letters or correspondence sent to customers, clients, or others in the industry.

6. Offer email list subscriptions when participating in presentations or seminars.

7. When selling products offline, include a mailing list signup card in the packaging, as an option on warranty cards, etc.

8. Simply ask customers if they would like to subscribe to an email marketing list when speaking to them on the phone, especially with sales or customer service calls. You can also use on-hold messages to mention subscriptions, encouraging the caller to leave an email address with a representative.

9. Add a signup option on forms or applications (such as forms customers fill out to get a grocery store discount card, store credit applications, job applications, etc.).

10. Offer offline contests, and make email list subscriptions an option for notification to winners or to simply receive results and other information. The contest can also entirely revolve around email list subscriptions, by having subscription options on the contest entry forms or as the entry forms themselves.

1. Email addresses for mailing lists cannot be harvested from websites.

2. The person or company running the email marketing campaign is legally liable if they hire a contractor who harvests email addresses on their behalf, even if they don’t personally participate in list building efforts.

3. Members of an email marketing list must have the option to opt-out of future mailings, or essentially remove themselves from the email marketing list.

4. Email marketers can’t simply say “I didn’t know,” if they purchase or rent a cheap email list, or join “safe lists,” that later prove to be a list of non-opt-in subscribers. Email marketers have the responsibility to know who they’re buying from, and understand standard rates of legal email lists to avoid “too good to be true” deals that are often illegal email collections.

Despite limitations on email list building under the CAN-SPAM Act, there are still ways to build an effective email marketing list, such as:

1. Opt-in subscription forms on a website.

2. Offline opt-in email subscriptions (such as through response cards in customer direct mail campaigns).

3. Including an opt-in email list subscription with a company’s ordering process, to save the customer time and increase the likelihood of an opt-in subscription.

4. Offering incentives such as free e-books, software, etc. to convince subscribers to sign up for an email marketing list.

In the end, while the CAN-SPAM Act puts more limitations on email marketers and their list building abilities, the result is better quality mailing lists with targeted subscribers having a genuine interest in a company’s message, products, or services, which increases potential conversions.

Improved Conversions / Response Rates – When readers of commercial email messages have independently signed up for an email list, they generally have a direct interest in the subject matter or offers. That makes it more likely that those subscribers will convert to buyers, will convert to ad clicks, or will respond to email campaigns needing a reader response (such as surveys).

Targeted Readers – Those improved conversions and response rates are a direct result of the fact that opt-in email lists allow marketers to reach a highly targeted market or reader base, including readers with an interest in the niche or industry all the way to a list so targeted that it only includes past customers or clients.

Price – It can be much less expensive to initiate opt-in list building efforts through online subscription forms or other methods, than it would be to directly purchase or rent less-targeted email lists.

Reputation / Goodwill – By limiting commercial email messages to opt-in list subscribers, a company can avoid (to a good degree) being labeled a spammer, which can damage a company’s reputation. At the same time, mixing unique, quality information with a commercial message can help to actually build goodwill with readers, because the emails are then providing something of value to them.

Fewer Legal Implications – Sticking to opt-in email lists can keep a company on the right side of the law, and protect them from hefty fines costing thousands of dollars for every unsolicited commercial email sent. Even if a few subscribers forget they opted into an email marketing list and report messages as SPAM, it’s beneficial for the company to be able to prove that their efforts were legal, opt-in, and good-intentioned.

E-books – If the email list builder is an expert in an industry or niche, it’s likely that people will want to learn from him or her. By offering a broad collection of basic information to readers in an e-book for free, subscriptions can be built easily.

Reports – Generally shorter than e-books, reports can also be effective email list building incentives. Reports can be anything from an abbreviated e-book to original research and results in an industry.

Memberships – Offering even a limited free membership to the list builder’s site, or a partnering site, that’s relevant to the targeted subscribers can increase both subscriptions and potential membership upgrades or sales.

Exclusive Sales or Offers – Give special discounts to mailing list subscribers only (especially if the mailing list is for a retailer or service provider and the messages are designed to lead to direct sales).

Software – Offering a free software program or tool can be an effective way to build an email marketing list, and software exists that would interest just about any target group.

It’s not necessary to always create completely new incentive products. They can be created by contractors, compiled by the site or company owner themselves, or they can be private label rights (PLR) products purchased inexpensively, such as PLR articles combined to form an e-book, full PLR e-books, PLR software, and more.