How to Collect Email Addresses: 22 Expert-Tested Methods for Rapid Growth

By Sean Tinney July 8, 2025

If you’re serious about growing your business, building an engaged email list is one of the smartest investments you can make. Unlike social media or paid ads that come and go, email gives you a direct line to your audience letting you build relationships, drive sales, and stay top-of-mind with potential customers.

But before you can tap into those benefits, you need people to send emails to. That’s why collecting the right email addresses is the first step in turning casual visitors into loyal fans.

In this guide, we dive into 22 of the best list-building tactics..

• Is it okay to purchase email lists for marketing?
• 3 ways to collect email addresses from your current network
• 6 ways to optimize your website for collecting email addresses
• 5 ways to use social media to collect email addresses
• 8 more ways to collect email addresses

How to get an email list for marketing?

At AWeber, we get one question a lot when talking to new email marketers: “Can I buy a list of emails?”

The answer: 👉 Don’t do it. 👈

The thought of building a brand-new email subscriber base may seem daunting, but the worst thing you can do is buy an email list. Here are the top reason why this is not a good idea:

• It’s illegal to sell email lists in many jurisdictions
• It hurts deliverability – purchased contacts didn’t consent and will mark emails as spam
• It damages sender reputation – ISPs track spam complaints and may block your emails
• It violates regulations – GDPR, CAN-SPAM, and other laws require explicit consent

Instead, focus on organic list building strategies that attract genuinely interested subscribers.

The good news is that we’ve got 22 proven ideas for building an email list from scratch. 

All of the tips below will help you reach a targeted audience so you can build a list of subscribers who are genuinely interested in opening and reading your emails! 

Collect email addresses from your current network

Your existing connections are the easiest place to start building your email list. Here’s how to leverage them effectively:

1. Ask friends, family, and colleagues 

One of the easiest list-building strategies to execute is to ask current connections to subscribe to your updates or newsletter. Leveraging your network is a great way to steadily increase your subscriber base, and is often the best place to gain traction in the beginning.

Best practices for reaching out:

• Message people you have genuine relationships with
• Use WIIFM (“What’s in it for me?”) – explain the value they’ll receive
• Be authentic and share your story
• Ask for referrals even if they’re not interested

Explain what your email list is about and why people should join

Even if your connections aren’t interested, they may know someone who is. Tell them you’re starting an email list or newsletter. Explain the benefits and ask them if they know someone who would be interested in your content.

2. Ask customers and prospects 

When existing and prospective customers interact with you:

• Set expectations about email frequency and content
• Ask them to join your email list during phone calls
• Explain the value they’ll receive
• Offer incentives like free ebooks or discounts

Pro tip: Making “the big ask” five times daily during work weeks can generate 25 new email addresses weekly – that’s 100 addresses per month.

3. Ask for referrals and shares

Reach out to your current email subscribers and encourage them to share your newsletter, updates, or promotions with people they know. 

• Including social sharing buttons in emails
• Adding forward-to-a-friend sections in newsletters
• Including clear CTAs that link to your signup page
• Leveraging word-of-mouth marketing (one of the most powerful forms of advertising)

People who are already on your list and getting value from your messages probably know others who would benefit from your content.

Optimize your website for collecting email addresses

Your website is often the first touchpoint with potential subscribers. Here’s how to maximize its list-building potential:

4. Add signup forms to every page

It’s best to have a signup form on just about every page of your website and blog so visitors can quickly and painlessly sign up for your emails. 

Why this works: Traffic from Google, social media, and other sources rarely lands on your homepage. Visitors typically arrive at specific articles or pages, so having email signup forms everywhere increases conversion opportunities.

Implementation tips:

• Include forms on blog posts, product pages, and service pages
• Place forms above the fold when possible
• Use consistent placement across all pages

5. Test email signup form placement

Test the effectiveness of signup forms on your website to find out which locations produce the best results.

Optimal locations for signup forms:

• Bottom of blog posts
• Website sidebars
• Halfway through long-form content
• Top or bottom navigation menu
• Header or footer sections

Put your form in an easy-to-find, consistent spot on every page of your site. In most cases, the signup form or link should be above the fold (the section of your site that is visible without scrolling).

6. Keep email signup forms short and simple

Research shows that form length directly impacts conversion rates. Longer forms create friction for people to signup.

Asking for too much detail from new subscribers can prevent them from subscribing to your email list. You can probably boost signups by simplifying the form. Collect more detailed data later on through email polls and gated content downloads.

Best practices:

• Ask only for essential information (first name and email)
• Include a brief list of subscriber benefits
• Avoid requesting phone numbers or detailed personal information
• Collect additional data later through email polls and gated content

7. Use strategic pop-up forms 

Pop-up forms are a simple yet effective way to collect more emails for marketing. 

However, before you incorporate popups on your site, it’s important to consider how they might affect your visitors. Annoying popups will quickly increase your bounce rates and decrease the time visitors spend on your site.

5 ways to avoid annoying visitors with pop-up forms

1. Use a “sticky” popup that unobtrusively remains on the bottom of the page as a user scrolls

2. Implement slide-in forms on the side of the screen

3. Set timing delays (appear after user spends time on page)

4. Trigger on specific actions (reaching bottom of page)

5. Use exit-intent technology to display only when users are leaving

8. Add post-purchase email opt-in incentives 

Add an automatic incentive or CTA on your thank you page to encourage people to subscribe to your email list. Not every customer will become a repeat customer. But you can work towards building customer loyalty by publishing valuable email content. 

Show people the benefits of sharing their email addresses by offering an immediate incentive to subscribe.

By leveraging the point of purchase to collect email addresses, you can bring customers closer to making repeat purchases.

9. Get more email addresses with web push notifications

Web push notifications are small pop-up messages that can

• Promote products or services
• Collect email addresses for marketing
• Re-engage website visitors
• Drive traffic back to your site

Be clear and upfront with visitors about what they will receive by subscribing to your web push notifications, including the frequency and type of notifications they can expect.

Use social media to collect email addresses

As a business owner, you probably already invest time in developing an engaged social media audience. Make the most of your social media marketing efforts by using platforms like YouTube, Instagram, X, and Facebook to grow your email marketing list.

By encouraging your social media followers to sign up for your email list, you tap into an audience that is already interested in what you have to say.

10. Collect email addresses on social media using link-in-bio page

Many social platforms only allow one clickable link in your bio or profile. That’s where link-in-bio landing pages come in handy.

Link-in-bio tools let you create mini-landing pages designed specifically for social media profiles and bios. Take advantage of these menu-style landing pages to boost your email conversions!

11. Add signup links on YouTube

Turn your YouTube viewers into email subscribers by sharing a link to your signup form or landing page. You can include a link to your form in your videos and across your channel in places such as:

• Video descriptions
• In your videos
• On your YouTube channel page
• During your video by personally encouraging viewers to subscribe

12. Encourage Facebook followers

Did you know that you can capture email addresses directly from Facebook? 

Integrate your email software with Facebook so that anyone visiting your page on the social networking site can easily share their email address to receive your updates, newsletter, or promotions.

Here’s the step-by-step Facebook integration instructions for AWeber users.

13. Use strategic pinned Tweets

Pinning a tweet to the top of your “X” profile feed that says “sign up for our newsletter” might have a small effect on boosting subscribers. 

Make pinned tweets more effective by:

• Sharing recent newsletter content as previews
• Including impactful quotes or unique data
• Adding compelling images, GIFs, or videos
• Using clear, simple copywriting

There are many ways to grow your email list with X (Twitter), and pinned tweets are one of the easiest strategies for gaining more subscribers.

14. Invest in social media advertising

Social media ads can rapidly grow your email list through:

• Retargeting website visitors
• Precise audience targeting
• A/B testing different ad formats
• Lead generation campaigns

Don’t be afraid to experiment with ads copy and formats to find what approach works best. You can even A/B test ads with different images, videos, GIFs, and copy. 

Additional email collection methods

Beyond your website and social media, there are even more ways to attract potential subscribers. 

These strategies range from in-person interactions to leveraging the power of live events and encouraging referrals in your business correspondence. 

15. Include signup links in email signature

How many people do you personally email every day? Your personal and business contacts might not be on your email marketing list yet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t encourage them to sign up!

Include a brief call-to-action and link to your signup form or landing page in your email sign offs or signatures.  This is a simple way to get your newsletter noticed, even if it doesn’t lead to a ton of new subscribers right away.

Don’t forget to update other email signatures, such as your customer service emails — and have your team members add a link to their signatures, too! 

16. Create lead generation content to collect more emails

You can significantly boost your email subscriber list by offering exclusive free content, such as an ebook or ultimate guide, as an incentive for people to sign up for your list.

This type of lead generation content, also called a “lead magnet,” is an excellent way to add more emails to your subscriber list. 

No matter what your newsletter is about, you are an expert in your field. 

Use your expertise to create valuable lead generation content that’s relevant to the content of your newsletter, product, or services, such as:

• Ultimate guides and ebooks
• Free templates and checklists
• Exclusive podcast downloads
• Industry reports and whitepapers
• Free courses or video series

Lead magnets like the ones mentioned above are a perfect incentive for prospects who might be on the fence about joining your list.

17. Create a landing page (“squeeze page”) to boost email subscriptions 

A landing page dedicated to enlisting new subscribers (sometimes called a “squeeze page”) helps promote your lists so you can collect more email addresses. 

On the landing page, offer something valuable (like lead gen content, a discount, or a free trial) in exchange for their email address, and watch your list grow.

Share your landing page link on social media and in your paid advertising to drive more subscriber signups.

18. Offer special discounts to new subscribers

Entice new signups with a welcome discount on your products or services. 

Everyone loves a good deal!

19. Run a contest

Contests are a perfect marketing strategy for drumming up excitement and attracting new subscribers. 

There are a number of tools available that can help you easily host a contest, such as Gleam.io or ViralSweep. 

For a successful contest, follow these 4 tips: 

1. Require email signup for entry to the contest.

2. Offer valuable prizes (gift certificates, cash, products)

3. Set short entry periods to create urgency

4. Promote your contest on your website and social media. 

20. Guest post on relevant blogs

Guest posting is a great way to reach potential subscribers that you otherwise might miss. 

By contributing to other sites, you not only reach new people but also often have the opportunity to share a link to your signup form or landing page. Some of your new readers might even become some of your best customers!

Benefits of guest posting:

• Reach new audiences
• Build authority and credibility
• Include links to signup forms
• Generate high-quality subscribers

21. Collect email addresses at in-person events

Trade shows, conferences, or even local meetups offer a prime opportunity to collect email addresses. 

Event strategies:

• Participate in local meetups
• Bring signup sheets or tablets
• Offer raffles or incentives
• Network at trade shows and conferences

22. Host a webinar or livestream subscriptions

Sharing your expertise through a live event not only provides value to your audience but also gives you a chance to promote your email list. 

Offer an exclusive resource or discount to people who sign up during the event.

Live event benefits:

• Demonstrate expertise
• Provide immediate value
• Promote email list during presentation

Why GDPR & CAN-SPAM compliance matter when collecting email addresses

Collecting email addresses isn’t just about finding new subscribers; it’s also about doing it the right way. 

Both the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the U.S. CAN-SPAM Act have rules about how you can collect and use email addresses. 

Following these rules not only protects you and your subscribers but also builds trust to help you collect more email addresses for your email marketing campaigns.

Key takeaways

Building an email list requires a multi-channel approach combining:

• Website optimization with strategic form placement
• Social media leverage to convert followers
• Content marketing through valuable lead magnets
• Networking both online and offline
• Legal compliance to build trust and protect your business

Remember: The goal isn’t just to collect email addresses—it’s to build a list of engaged subscribers who genuinely want to hear from you.

Start building your email list today

Ready to implement these strategies? Focus on 2-3 methods that align with your current marketing efforts and gradually expand your approach. Consistency and value delivery are key to long-term email marketing success.

Start growing your email list today! Get all the tools and resources you need to build your email list with AWeber. 

Get started right now with a free AWeber account!