How to Build an Opt-in Email List? Step-by-step Guide (+Strategies & Examples)

Finding how to build an opt-in email list? 

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Any business’s first priority is its customers. If customer acquisition stops abruptly, the business could crumble at any moment. So, you need a firm grip on achieving customers here. In email marketing, an opt-in email list plays a key role in your business’s sustainability. An opt-in list is a permission list of reach-inbox recipients provided by customers. So, you can provide service-related personalized emails to them.

So, how to get emails opted in?

It’s fairly easy, and you need to follow CAN-SPAM and GDPR email compliance and implement email marketing strategies. 

Heads up and find out the comprehensive discussion on opt-in email list building, including examples.

table of contents

• What are opt-in email lists and their importance?
• How to build an opt-in email list? Step-by-step
• How to get email opt-ins: 10 strategies with examples
• FAQs
• Wrap up

What are opt-in email lists and their importance?

An opt-in email list is a group of users who give consent to receive emails to their inboxes. In general, opt-in email means to receive emails from the sender while subscribing to email services.

Opt in’ means a person has to take a specific positive step (e.g., tick a box, send an email, or click a button) to say they want marketing –

ico.org.uk

You can build an opt-in email list through lead magnets, offers, greeting emails, and opt-in forms (pop up forms and inline forms). Building opt-in email lists from casual product-related or welcome emails is tricky, as you need to prepare your marketing emails with more efficiency.

Comparatively, using pop-up and inline forms makes it easier to build an opt-in email list due to their direct sign-up convenience. Building opt-in email lists helps to increase email open rates and sender reputation. 

How to build an opt-in email list: Step-by-step

Building an opt-in email list doesn’t require a lot of tasks to handle. You just need the right step to implement it suitably. Take a look at the email opt-in marketing steps below.

Step 1: Choose an opt-in email marketing service

Choosing an email marketing service is tricky but manageable. Don’t inherently search and fix the opt-in newsletter sending service, rather query their opt-in services with

• Features and services
• Provided materials
• Managing subscribers service
• Forming opt-in email campaign 
• Options for sending an opt in email 
• Pricing and easy payment procedure

You can start with MailBluster to create and send opt-in emails. MailBluster includes opt-in forms and features that will significantly enhance your opt-in marketing strategy. So, don’t wait, try MailBluster today! 

Step 2: Deploy your account

Sign up for the chosen platform, set up your account, add your brand, and verify your business information and business domain. You can choose MailBluster to set up your account with multiple email SMTP providers, giving you instant access to an email sending service that is GDPR-compliant.

Step 3: CCC: Create compelling campaign

Creating a compelling opt-in email campaign requires several options to start with – 

• See if customizing the opt-in email template has enough options
• Sign up forms have the ability to collect valuable information

Also, give attention to this –

• Create email subject lines and preheaders that align with the product or service
• Create emails with an attention-grabbing heading & keep the email body precise and short 
• The email should contain an unsubscribe link

Step 4: Implement email double opt-in & maintain compliance

Implementing double opt-in is an essential part of opt-in email list building. Using double opt-in rather than single opt-in works much more effectively. Implementing double opt-in builds and sets up the email marketing tone and trust for the people who want to know about you. This also helps you maintain email compliance, stating that you should get consent from the email recipient.

MailBluster’s double opt-in feature makes it easy to send a confirmation email to subscribers. You can use the double opt-in feature of MailBluster to verify email addresses and subscribe to your brand. See the double opt-in feature and MailBluster’s options below –

Step 5: Start sending emails 

After everything is ready, you can send emails. Send welcome emails or offer emails with good email resources to let them know about your products and services. You can also A/B test the campaign with a different title and tag. 

MailBluster’s opt-in email templates, forms, and optimized options for sending an opt-in email are effective for sending emails to your email list and growing your list further.

How to get email opt-ins with examples: 10 strategies with examples

There are several ways to get an opt-in email list through-

• Lead magnets
• Offer emails
• Welcome emails
• Opt-in forms (Pop-up & Inline forms)
• Single or double opt-in
• Warm-up email
• Opt-in email template
• Referral programs
• Create events
• Cold email list

1Lead magnets

Lead magnets are freebies offered by marketers, meaning marketers offer free sign-up for an ebook or any additional freebies to customers. 

For example, an email service provider launches an offer campaign in which email sign-ups are free for one day. People who sign up on this day will be counted as the opt-in list.

2Offer emails

Send offer emails in the fall, summer, and spring to provide exclusive offers on special occasions. Encourage users to sign up in exchange for their email address. 

For example, during the fall season, send an offer with a discounted price and include a CTA to let them sign up. 

3Welcome emails

Welcome emails are the brand’s greeting and introduction of the product to new customers, which let them know more about the brand. Also, welcome emails are the opt-in emails that trigger when a user subscribes and let them know more about the brand, products, and the service they provide. 

Look at the welcome email opt-in example –

This welcome email comes from MailBluster. The email, as usual, starts with the brand name and welcome message. Also, it encourages the user to go to the next steps and try different services MailBluster provides. This eventually leads users to the prospective and potential buyers at the same time.

4Opt-in forms

Opt-in forms are simply an instant subscription form that gives users the opportunity to provide their email, name, or any other information to register or subscribe to a specific area or the entire website. Users willingly subscribe or sign up using opt-in forms to receive regular updates of blog or website services. MailBluster includes 2 types of opt-in forms you can use –

• Inline forms
• Pop-up forms

See the opt-in forms example – 

This is a pop-up form from MailBluster. Pop-up forms appear when you visit any website within 2-3 seconds. You can see the form contains a discount offer flashing on sale with a timer/ countdown on top.
Also, First name, Gender, and Email address, T&Cs checking fields are there with the Subscribe button at the end. All of these fields collect lead information and let you subscribe to the service or product. 

5Single vs. double opt-in 

Single opt-in is a simple email sign-up form without an opt-in option, meaning users directly sign up in this way. Whereas, double opt-in is a sign-up form that collects email, name, or any other information, including the user’s consent, with a confirmation link sent to the subscriber.

You can easily build an opt-in list with both methods. But double opt-in is the better option here, as it collects information with user consent. 

6Warm-up email 

Warm-up email refers to the increasing number of emails sent from a new email account, meaning starting from a low number of emails and gradually increasing numbers to improve the sender’s reputation.
You can start sending emails from your newly created email address to your lead list and gradually increase the volume to build trust with users. This also increases the chance of sending emails directly to the recipient’s inbox rather than the spam folder.

7Opt-in email template

Opt-in email template is a visual email subscription copy and contains the subject line, email message, and call-to-action or CTA button that drives users to their product or service. Opt-in email templates are generally the confirmation or verification emails that reach users’ inboxes. 

Take a look at this one –

This is a verification email that reaches the user’s inbox, stating that an existing account has tried to sign in and that AWS needs to verify the real user. Also, additional account creation and related resources are available to introduce users to more materials.

8Referral programs

Referral programs are offers from the brand that give users an incentive to invite others via a referral link, and both parties receive an incentive for the referral. Referral is a very effective way to get more users to sign up and grow your opt-in leads. 

Here is an example of an opt-in email referral program –

The above image shows how MailBluster’s affiliate referral link is shared with the affiliate user, and it also reminds them to share it. Bringing users through the referral link opens the opportunity to earn and grow your email list simultaneously. 

9Create events

Creating and organizing events, meetups, or conferences increases the likelihood of collecting email addresses from attendees. Keep records of attendees and collect email details with their consent to send product or service-related emails.

10Cold email list

Cold email list is a list of unsolicited emails that introduce the service or product to those who are not familiar with your brand. Introduce your brand, benefits, and explain what users achieve. Also, offer freebies, discounts, and personalize the email. Provide opt-in and opt-out choices for later communications. 

Wrap up

That’s all on how to build an opt-in email list. Opt-in email is a recommended option for email marketers. This blog’s purpose is to sharpen your ideas about the importance of opt-in emails and share some examples. While sending an email opt-in, remember to choose an appropriate email marketing service and always maintain GDPR and CAN-SPAM email compliance.

For more information about double opt-in 

Single vs Double opt in: Which One is Better to Follow

Double opt-in: What is it and how to set up?

FAQs