We have 12k+ on our email list. What is the most effective way to grow our list?
Topic summary
The original poster has 12,000+ email subscribers and seeks strategies to grow their list further.
Key growth tactics recommended:
- Clearly communicate subscriber value upfront (e.g., “10% off first order”)
- Use exit-intent and timed popups for conversions
- If sending valuable content (style tips, inspiration), treat the newsletter as a product—run paid ads and promote on social media
- Minimize signup friction by requesting only name and email
- Capture non-subscribers post-purchase with opt-in incentives
- Implement referral programs (“Invite a friend, both get 15% off”)
Core principle: Define a compelling reason to subscribe before deploying tactics. Without clear value, growth efforts will underperform.
A separate participant mentions struggling with a new store (14 subscribers, all friends/family) and poor search visibility, indicating broader SEO/discoverability challenges beyond email list growth.
Growing your list depends on why people should join it.
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What do they get?
If it’s just product promos and discounts - fine. But be blunt about it. “10% off your first order” works. So do exit-intent popups, timed popups, and email-only sale previews. Just make the value crystal clear. -
If it’s a real newsletter - treat it like a product.
If you send valuable content (style tips, ideas, inspiration), market the newsletter. Run paid ads to a signup landing page. Post about it regularly on social media, use something like meco.app -
Don’t ask for too much upfront.
Name + email = fine. Asking for full address and birth date? You’re killing conversions. -
Use post-purchase flows to grab non-subscribers.
Plenty of people buy but never subscribe. Add an opt-in offer post-checkout. “Want 10% off your next order? Join the list.” -
Incentivize sharing.
Referral popups: “Invite a friend, both get 15% off.”
But again - without a strong reason to join, all the tactics are noise. Define your email’s value, then promote the hell out of it.
This is helpful, thank you for your reply.
I have just started my store and only have 14 subscribers and they are my friends and family. My site is on the browsers but you have to plug in my exact name of the website to get it to come up. If you keyword my site never comes up. I am lost at this!