How to Get More Subscribers for Your Newsletter
Every time you wonder how to get email subscribers, you inevitably come across a bunch of tactics. Honestly, how many times have you heard about lead magnets and pop-ups?
And yet…
You can use all the right strategies and still struggle to get new email signups if people don’t understand what’s so special about your newsletter.
That’s why this guide is split into two parts:
When the latter is neglected, even the best tactics don’t bring you the results you want.
So, if your goal is to get more email subscribers, build a high-quality email subscription list, and attract loyal followers, this is a read for you.
How can you make people interested in your newsletter? Well, there are at least 7 ways to do that. If you want to get better results, combine several of them.
If people don’t know you even have a newsletter, how do you expect them to sign up for it?
Probably, once you hear this very reasonable question, yours would be something like: “How the heck do I fix it?!”
The simplest and most effective way to do that is work on your content and turn it into a subscriber engine. Sounds great. But how do you get there?
Look, you most likely already have dozens of blog posts, guides, case studies, landing pages, and even old articles that still get traffic. All of that is doing the hard work of bringing people to your website. Now, your job is to connect the dots.
The first thing you need to improve is your newsletter CTAs.
A surprising number of sites rely on a tiny “Subscribe” link in the footer. Not only is it boring and skippable, but it is also out of context. And frankly, how often do you check footers on other websites?
So, this is how you can make your signup CTAs more effective:
For example, here is a subscription block in one of the Pitchfork articles. It’s a piece that reviews Courtney Marie Andrews’ album. And so, it’s only logical to add a CTA that invites readers to subscribe to a weekly review of one of the “albums of the past”.
Source: Pitchfork
It’s a simple tip, yes. But often, to get more email signups, you just have to put yourself out there more. For many businesses, even this tiny fix is enough to increase their newsletter followers’ count.
And if you don’t have any content yet, it’s just about time you start posting it and including your CTAs there.
Some content types are especially good at feeding your email subscription list:
Try to choose topics that really benefit from updates or additional insights. And then explicitly say that your newsletter gives those. This is one of those email marketing tips that will work for years to come.
If you want to get new email newsletter subscribers fast, there’s a way: borrow trust. One option to do that is through partnerships.
What does it really mean, though? We aren’t talking about massive influencer deals or expensive sponsorships. It usually looks much simpler, like:
All you need is audience overlap, that’s it. If both newsletters serve the same type of reader, even a small collaboration can help you.
Here is, for example, how Justin Mares wrote a guest post on Lenny’s Newsletter. He both received a backlink for SEO and introduced himself to a new audience.
Source: Lenny’s Newsletter
And guess what? Lenny’s Newsletter also got a backlink and an introduction from Justin Mares.
Source: Justin Mares
How can you get these partnerships?
You can use your network or simply outreach to other people with a similar following who you genuinely enjoy reading. If you want to take it one step further, you can also use a guest posting service for outsourced digital PR.
Social media is great for reaching new audiences and then moving them off platforms you don’t control into your mailing list. Your main goal is to treat socials like a transitional hub, not a final destination.
Post content regularly, connect with your followers, tease a deeper breakdown, and then point to a newsletter. You can also explain what your newsletter is and why it’s worth subscribing to.
For example, here is how Justin Welsh pitched his newsletter to his X’s audience. Needless to say, he does that repeatedly.
Source: X
Every time you promote your newsletter on social media, make sure to clearly explain the following:
This clarity, on its own, can increase your newsletter signups without changing anything else.
People often underestimate smaller communities, even though they could have a significant influence. Slack groups, Discord servers, private forums, subreddits, niche Facebook groups, all these places already have what you need. They have people who care about a very specific topic.
The mistake most make is joining communities just to drop links. Well, that’s rather misleading in our world of scams and suspicious websites.
The best way is to act rather genuinely. For example, you can:
While everything above takes time, the easiest way to start is by finding posts like this in your niche and dropping your name there. But again, don’t overdo it, especially on Reddit.
Source: Reddit
If you have an educational newsletter, you might be accused of one crime: not using events and webinars as a tactic to grow your email subscription list.
Typically, webinars are used as a lead magnet. They are essentially your first step in the ongoing conversation that continues in your newsletter. So, the most logical thing is to choose a topic in your niche and make your newsletter the natural follow-up when:
You don’t need huge attendance numbers. Even a small but relevant webinar can help you get new target subscribers.
Yes, we know, the reputation pop-ups have is…horrific. But it doesn’t mean you don’t have to use them. “Subscribe to our newsletter” pop-up doesn’t help anymore. Yet, if you use a smart and well-timed one, it can really boost your signup growth.
For example, here, Eddie Shleyner offers his lead magnet (6 “micro” courses) in a pop-up. This sounds like something valuable, something you might actually need, not just the typical “before you go” message.
Source: VeryGoodCopy
The main idea is not to treat pop-ups as a noisy reminder. Make it more like a “service,” and offer it in these cases:
Using ads makes sense only when everything else is working. But if your positioning, messaging, and funnel are still work in progress, don’t even think of jumping to paid channels.
Sure, you can do that. But you’ll likely just waste your budget. Why?
Let’s look at a real-life example. Here, for instance, we googled “finance newsletter.” Just check what brands popped up. We can all agree that beating The Wall Street Journal or The Economist will be tough. They have strong brands and probably good ad budgets.
Source: Google
But you can still win the readers if you:
So, first, work on making your newsletter solid, optimizing all the processes, understanding your niche, and getting people to love your content. And only after that should you consider using paid ads, buying backlinks, paying other bloggers for promotion, and adding other paid tactics.
You can have the best newsletter, but if the elements below are weak, it’ll be nearly impossible to get people to subscribe.
Too many newsletters position themselves very vaguely. You can often see something like “Weekly insights for writers,” “Curated wellness content,” etc. That’s not bad, but it doesn’t tell people why your newsletter matters.
Strong positioning is specific. It has to show who it’s for and what angle you take. For example:
Look at what Milk Road does. You see a clear positioning and “what you get” in just three sentences.
Source: Milk Road
There’s so much noise in any online space these days that showing the value you provide to your subscribers (or, rather, potential subscribers) is crucial. It doesn’t need to be extra witty. It just has to be clear. Let people know:
This is how Morning Brew does it.
Source: Morning Brew
Subscribing is a small commitment, but it’s still a commitment.
People want reassurance that others like them already read this. They want to know that the content is worth opening. That’s why you need to add proof.
Some of the things that work well here are:
Source: The Skimm
It does sound like you are trying to impress somebody, but you don’t. You are using social proof to remove doubts people might have about you.
Even a line like “Read by 5,000 founders and marketers” can significantly increase your signups, because it answers the unspoken question: “Is this really legit?”
A lead magnet is one of the best teasers you could get. If it helps someone solve a real problem quickly, it’s another proof that you are worth their time.
What can be an irresistible lead magnet? Think of it as your mini product, something you could actually sell for a small check:
Source: James Clear
Even though lead magnets seem like a bit of a cliché by now, they’re still one of the most effective ways to get more email subscribers, especially for cold visitors who don’t know you yet.
A strong newsletter funnel usually looks like this:
Of course, you can expand your funnel later on. But before you get into all the “extras,” work on the foundation. If a simple funnel is strong, the add-ons will only make it stronger. Yet, if it’s weak, all the extra layers will break it.
Unfortunately, many newsletters create complex funnels that confuse more than they help. Don’t do that, and aim for clarity and simplicity first.
Look, we get it: everyone wants to collect more data. But the issue is that the more fields and redirects you have, the fewer people will end up on your mailing list.
So, make sure that you have:
Source: Half Baked
Besides, work on your confirmation message. It has to be easy and short.
A welcoming first email should be a piece of art or at least aim at that. Your very first touch has to show your personality and set expectations. Make it clear to your new email newsletter subscribers that they made the right choice.
As you can see, getting more email subscribers doesn’t necessarily mean running crazy promotions or having huge marketing budgets. It could help, sure.
But before anything, you have to show people what value you can deliver and honestly tell them what you’re all about.