10+ Email Acquisition Strategies To Grow Email List

Email acquisition can feel painfully slow and frustrating when your list barely grows despite your best efforts.

But with the right email acquisition strategies, you can turn this around and unlock massive potential.

Once you know the tactics to attract quality leads, your email list can quickly become a reliable channel for engaging your audience and driving more sales. Let’s learn about them in this blog.

In this blog, we explain:

1. What is email acquisition?
2. Email acquisition cost
3. 10 best email acquisition strategies
4. Email acquisition best practices

What is email acquisition?

Email acquisition is the process of collecting email addresses from potential customers and obtaining their permission to send marketing communications.

The primary goal of email acquisition is to grow a quality email list to nurture relationships, promote relevant offers, and ultimately increase customer lifetime value (CLTV).

The email acquisition process involves attracting potential subscribers through email capture strategies and nurturing them to convert into a customer.

Formula for Email Acquisition Cost (EAC):

Email Acquisition Cost = Number of New Subscribers Acquired / Total Cost of Email Acquisition Campaign​

10 Best Email Acquisition Strategies

To drive your email acquisition efforts forward, here are 10 highly effective strategies that will help you build a quality email list of subscribers who are likely to engage with your emails.

1. Lead Magnets (Gated Content)

Lead magnets are a tried-and-tested method for acquiring emails.

People won’t hand over their emails for nothing. But they’ll happily trade it for something valuable.

A lead magnet is a piece of valuable content or resource that you offer for free – in exchange for their email address.

Here are some examples of lead magnets for email acquisition campaigns:

• Whitepapers
• Webinars
• Cheat Sheets
• Industry report or market analysis

How to implement this email acquisition strategy:

• Solve a specific problem clearly (e.g., “Free Facebook Ads template for small businesses”).
• Keep it short, actionable, and easy to consume quickly.
• Ensure it aligns with your main offering (you want relevant leads, not random emails).

HubSpot’s Free CRM Toolkit is the best email acquisition example of using lead magnets:

They offer free templates, spreadsheets, and checklists that solve common pain points for their target audience. You provide your email, they provide instant value. Win-win

2. Pop-up Forms and Exit-Intent Pop-ups

Pop-ups are effective in grabbing the attention of website visitors. Exit-intent pop-ups, which appear when a user is about to leave the website, are especially effective in capturing last-minute conversions.

How to implement this email acquisition strategy:

• Use an email list-building tool to trigger popups only when visitors intend to exit and spend more than 30 secs on the site.
• Use pop-ups that are directly relevant to the content the visitor is viewing.
• Use a sticky or persistent pop-up that remains on the screen until the visitor interacts with it.

Here are the different ways you can use email pop-ups for acquisition:

• Offer a discount or coupon in exchange for an email.
• Provide a free resource, like an eBook or guide, for email sign-up.
• Capture emails ]after a purchase or when adding items to the cart.
• Offer a content upgrade related to the current page or article.

Example:

An online retailer might trigger an exit-intent discount pop-up offering a 10% discount for first-time visitors who enter their email.

Here is an example of a sign-up form popup used for email capture:

3. Content Upgrades

A content upgrade is a highly targeted lead magnet designed to enhance an existing piece of content, like a blog post or an article. This strategy for email acquisition offers additional resources or more in-depth information, such as:

• Extended guides
• Additional templates
• Exclusive checklists

How to implement this email acquisition strategy:

• Tie your upgrade directly to your most popular content.
• Use simple inline forms within your blog posts.
• Clearly communicate what readers will get (e.g., “Download this checklist in 2 clicks”).

Example:

If a blog post discusses email marketing strategies, a content upgrade could be a downloadable email marketing checklist that requires an email to access.

Here is an email acquisition example of how Hubspot used its blog post about content marketing:

4. Social Media Sign-ups

Your social media followers are an easy audience to convert into email subscribers.

In this acquisition email marketing strategy, by promoting your lead magnets or exclusive offers on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, you can drive traffic to your email sign-up page.

Here is how to implement this email acquisition campaign strategy:

• Use links in your social bio directly to your landing pages.
• Use posts and stories to promote valuable gated content.
• Run targeted paid social ads to dedicated signup pages.

Here is an email acquisition example of how Justin Welsh promotes his newsletter in his LinkedIn bio.

5. Referral Programs

Referral programs as an acquisition email marketing strategy incentivize existing subscribers to invite their friends, family, or colleagues to join your email list.

By offering rewards or discounts in exchange for a successful referral, you tap into the network effect of your current audience.

Example:

A beauty brand might offer a $5 gift card for every friend referred who subscribes to the email list.

Here is an example of using referral programs for acquisition email marketing in Substack.

6. Add newsletter signup in the footer

Adding a newsletter signup in the footer of your website is a simple yet highly effective email acquisition tactic.

Unlike pop-ups or inline forms, footer signup is unobtrusive. It doesn’t disrupt the user’s browsing experience, allowing them to sign up for your newsletter on their own terms.

How to implement this best email acquisition strategy effectively

1. Keep it simple: Limit the fields in the signup form to just the essentials, typically an email address and maybe a first name (optional).\
2. Use Compelling CTA (Call to Action): Don’t just say “Subscribe.” Make it about the benefit, e.g., “Get Exclusive Offers” or “Receive Our Weekly Tips.”
3. Highlight the Value: Offer users a clear reason to sign up. This can be exclusive content or special offers only available to email subscribers.
4. Design for Visibility: Make sure the newsletter form is visually appealing without being overwhelming.
5. Test Placement: For example, try placing it just above the copyright section or near the links to your terms and privacy policy for easy access.

7. Contests and Giveaways

Everyone loves free stuff. Running a contest or giveaway is an excellent acquisition email marketing strategy to quickly build your email list. To enter the contest, customers simply need to enter their email addresses.

8. Webinars and Online Events

Webinars and online events provide value upfront. You can require users to provide an email to register for the event.

While implementing this acquisition email marketing tactic, make sure to follow up with exclusive content after the webinar to keep the engagement going and further nurture the relationship.

Here is an email acquisition example of using webinar by Userpilot:

9. Optimized Landing Pages

A well-designed landing page is essential for email acquisition. The page should be simple, focused, and have a clear call-to-action (CTA). Avoid clutter and make the sign-up process as smooth and frictionless as possible.

Example: A B2B company offering an ebook download would create a landing page with minimal distractions and a prominent email sign-up form.

While implementing this best email acquisition campaign, test different versions of landing pages (A/B testing) to optimize your conversion rates. The clearer and more straightforward the offer, the better.

10. Product Discounts for Sign-ups

Discounts aren’t sustainable long-term, but they’re excellent for initial email signups.

In this email acquisition tactic, a discount on the first purchase in exchange for an email address creates an immediate value exchange. Limit the duration of the discount or offer exclusive, time-sensitive deals to prompt immediate action from visitors.

Example: A skincare brand offers 10% off the customer’s first order when they sign up for the newsletter.

Here is an example of an email acquisition used in an e-commerce store.

11. Partnerships and Co-Branding

Teaming up with other companies that have similar customer demographics is an excellent way to acquire emails quickly. Co-branded promotions or cross-promotions can benefit both parties.

Example: A fitness equipment company might partner with a fitness influencer to offer a discount or a free workout guide in exchange for email sign-ups.

Acquisition Email Marketing Best Practices

1. Get Explicit Permission (GDPR Compliance)

The email acquisition best practice is to always get clear consent before sending emails.

Opt-in isn’t just a formality – it’s a legal requirement. GDPR means you need explicit permission to collect data, and pre-checked boxes don’t cut it.

Here is an example of an opt-in message in sign-up forms for email acquisition:

2. Double opt-in for building a quality email list

Make users confirm their email addresses through a second step by sending a double opt-in email. This verifies that the collected email address is valid and that the person wants to hear from you.

3. Only collect what you need

The acquisition email marketing best practice is to ask for only essential information – usually just the email address and maybe a first name. The more fields you add, the more friction you create.

Overcomplicating the sign-up form with too many fields causes friction and frustrates potential subscribers.

4. Ensure Easy Unsubscribing

Always include an easy and visible unsubscribe link. It’s a legal requirement in many places, and respecting your users’ preferences will build trust.

Here is an example of giving an easy way to unsubscribe in an email footer:

5. Leverage Segmentation Early

The acquisition email marketing best practice is to ask questions that help you segment subscribers based on their preferences or behaviors as soon as users sign up. This allows you to send more personalized emails.

6. Don’t Buy Email Lists

Build your email list organically. The people on your list should be genuinely interested in your content or offerings.

The email acquisition best practice is to avoid purchasing third-party email lists. Not only is it against email marketing best practices, but it can lead to low engagement and high spam reports.

Wrapping up!!

Mastering email acquisition is a game changer. With the right acquisiton email marketing strategies, you’ll stop watching your email list grow slowly and start seeing real momentum.

Build, nurture, and convert—turn your email list into your most powerful marketing asset. Now, it’s time to get started.

Also Read:

• 8 Best Email Capture Software Compared
• How to create a Shopify newsletter signup form?
• Shopify add-to-cart popup: Apps + How to create

Frequently Asked Questions