Opt‑in Email Marketing Strategies You Should Know

What is an opt-in email?

An opt-in email is an email that’s only sent to subscribers who willingly provided their email address to join your mailing list. Opt-in emails are a form of inbound email marketing, which means you aren’t reaching out to random customers to try to drum up interest in your brand or product.

Instead, you’re giving your customers the right to choose whether they want to receive marketing emails or not. If a customer opts to receive marketing emails, that means they’ve taken an interest in your company or its products or services.

Opt-out email marketing is the opposite of opt-in email. With opt-out marketing, you’re sending emails to a mailing list you’ve built without the consent of the people on your mailing list.

The idea is to get people interested by sending them effective marketing emails, but that doesn’t work very well if people aren’t interested in what you’re trying to sell. If people aren’t interested in your business, they’ll simply click the unsubscribe button at the bottom of the email and move on with their day.

Keep in mind that many businesses provide one-time discounts and other special benefits to people who voluntarily join a mailing list. Even offering something as simple as a 10% or 15% coupon code can give people the incentive they need to join your mailing list.

Once you’ve got a large list of subscribers built up, you can use newsletters and other marketing emails to keep them up-to-date on any new products and updates about your business.

Opt-in email marketing best practices

As is the case with any type of email marketing, there are a number of best practices you should follow when it comes to opt-in email marketing. The goal is to build a loyal mailing list without your subscribers feeling like they were tricked into joining.

Here are some of the opt-in email best practices you should keep in mind.

Tell people what to expect

Opt-in email marketing is a two-way street; the idea is to build a mailing list of subscribers that you can maintain.

When you’re inviting people to opt-in to your newsletter or mailing list, make sure you let them know what they can expect from you. What kind of marketing emails do you plan on sending? How often should members of your mailing list expect to receive an email from you? Setting these expectations early on is important.

When you ask customers to opt-in to your marketing emails, you should offer a brief description of what they’re opting into and what they can do if they no longer want to receive emails. You can also use this section to thank people who choose to join your mailing list.

Keep signups simple

At the end of the day, the internet makes a lot of things more difficult. When it comes to opt-in emails, try to keep the signup process as simple as possible to make it easier for people to subscribe.

All you really need to get somebody to join your mailing list is their email, so don’t make mailing list members create an account or provide a bunch of information you don’t need.

For many businesses, the easiest way to build a mailing list is to make a simple request through their website. You can use a pop-up or you can simply include a section on the homepage where visitors can sign up for marketing emails. The easier you make it to sign up for your mailing list, the more people are likely to subscribe.

Ask for feedback

If there’s one thing every business owner needs to know, it’s that things don’t always go perfectly the first time around. There’s nothing wrong with giving something your best shot and making changes based on the feedback you receive, especially when it comes to your email marketing campaign.

Marketing emails should be focused on providing value to the reader, so you want to design your emails around what the customers want. You should also listen to customer feedback about joining your mailing list, that way you can make everything as simple and customer-focused as possible.

When you send new subscribers a confirmation email thanking them for joining your mailing list, you can provide a link for feedback or encourage them to send any feedback to a particular email address. Giving people an easy way to provide feedback makes it easier to perfect your email marketing campaign.

Offer something of value

If you want to build a solid mailing list, you need to give people a reason to opt-in. Offering an incentive is a great way to grow your mailing list, and these incentives can even help drive sales.

You don’t have to offer anything crazy; even a simple coupon code is enough to give people a reason to join. Alternatively, you could offer a free sample of a product or a trial for a service you offer. Anything you can do to incentivize joining your mailing list is a step in the right direction.

Keep in mind that some people will sign up for your mailing list for the incentive, only to unsubscribe once they’ve used their coupon code. While it’s important to get people to sign up for your mailing list, it’s also important to focus on retaining those subscribers.

Let subscribers customize their subscription

In the digital age, internet users want as much control as possible. The more users can customize settings and preferences, the better products and services can be tailored to fit them.

One way to make your opt-in email process a little better is to let subscribers customize their subscription with opt-in settings. You can let people choose what information they share with you, what types of emails they receive, and more.

Giving consumers more power makes it easier for you to build your opt-in email list and deliver quality content to your readers.

Why opt-in emails build better customer relationships

Opt-in emails work better than other types of email marketing because people actually want to receive them.

When someone joins your email list, they're telling you they're interested in what you have to offer. This makes a huge difference in how they respond to your emails. People who want to hear from you are more likely to open your messages, click your links, and buy your products.

Build trust through transparency

When people visit your opt-in page and decide to subscribe, they know exactly what they're getting into. You tell them what emails you'll send and how often you'll send them. This honesty builds trust right from the start. People appreciate knowing what to expect instead of feeling tricked or surprised by your emails.

When you do what you promise, trust grows even stronger. If your landing page says you'll send weekly tips, and you actually do that, people start to trust your brand. This trust means they'll pay more attention to your emails and be more likely to buy from you. It's much better than annoying people with emails they never asked for.

Improve long-term engagement

Those who choose to join your email list are more interested in your content than people who get added without permission. They open more emails, click more links, and take more action because they actually want to hear from you. This makes your email campaigns much more successful and profitable.

Email providers like Gmail notice when people engage with your emails. When lots of people open and click your messages, these providers assume your emails are good and deliver them to more inboxes.

This happens because opt-in subscribers found your clear call to action interesting enough to subscribe, so they're ready to receive your messages.

Reduce unsubscribe and spam rates

When people choose to subscribe to your emails, they're much less likely to unsubscribe or mark your messages as spam. They signed up because they wanted your emails, so they're happy to keep getting them. This keeps your email list healthy and protects your ability to reach people's inboxes.

Lower spam rates also help your emails get delivered properly. When fewer people mark your emails as spam, email providers trust you more and put your messages in people's main inboxes instead of spam folders. This means more people actually see your emails, which leads to better results for your business.

Opt-in email setting in Mailchimp

With Mailchimp, you get more control over opt-in emails and your mailing list thanks to a wide variety of settings.

You can choose whether you want to use a single opt-in or double opt-in, and you can update these settings separately for a new audience, an existing audience, or for multiple audiences. Mailchimp even provides you with an opt-in form for each of your audiences, so you can put this form on your website to grow your mailing list.

Single vs double opt-in

So, what’s the difference between single opt-in and double opt-in? With a single opt-in email, subscribers only have to opt-in once to start receiving your marketing emails. With a double opt-in email, subscribers will need to opt-in twice to start receiving emails as part of your mailing list.

If you’re based in the EU, a double opt-in process is generally considered the best practice for email marketing. That being said, there’s no law that states that double opt-in emails are required in the EU. Ultimately, your focus should be on keeping your subscribers happy.

How to drive more opt-ins

Growing your email list doesn't have to feel like pulling teeth. The key is making it incredibly easy for people to say yes while giving them a compelling reason to do so.

Smart marketers know that the right combination of placement, timing, and incentives can dramatically boost their subscription rates. Let's explore some proven tactics that actually work in the real world.

Use pop-ups and embedded forms

Don't hit visitors with a pop-up the second they land on your site.

Instead, wait until they've spent at least 30 seconds browsing or have scrolled halfway down the page. This shows they're genuinely interested in your content, making them much more likely to subscribe. Strategic timing makes all the difference between an annoying interruption and a welcome invitation.

One of the most effective pop-up strategies triggers when someone's mouse moves toward the close button or back arrow. It's your last chance to capture their attention with a compelling offer before they leave your site for good. Exit-intent technology can rescue visitors who are about to bounce without subscribing.

Your email opt-in form shouldn't just live in your footer, where nobody sees it. Place sign-up forms strategically throughout your website, such as in your sidebar, at the end of blog posts, and on your About Us page. The more opportunities you give people to subscribe, the more subscribers you'll get. Just make sure each placement feels natural and adds value to the user experience.

Over half of your website traffic probably comes from mobile devices, so make sure your opt-in forms look great and work smoothly on smartphones. A clunky mobile experience will kill your conversion rates faster than anything else.

Promote sign-ups across channels

Don't rely solely on your website to build your email list. Instagram Stories, Facebook posts, and LinkedIn updates are all perfect places to remind people about your email list. Social media gives you a chance to show the value of your emails before people even subscribe.

Every blog is an opportunity to grow your subscriber base. Include a brief mention of your newsletter at the beginning or end of each article, explaining what readers will get if they sign up.

People who already enjoy your content are prime candidates for your email list. A well-placed sign-up prompt can turn casual readers into loyal subscribers.

Team up with other businesses or influencers in your industry for cross-promotional opportunities. You can mention each other's newsletters, do joint giveaways, or even guest post on each other's blogs with a subscription call-to-action included. Partnership marketing expands your reach to audiences who are already interested in your type of content.

Don't forget about real-world touchpoints, either. Include your newsletter sign-up information on business cards, at trade shows, in your email signature, and in any other location where potential subscribers might encounter your brand. Offline promotion can be surprisingly effective in our digital world.

A/B test your CTAs and offers

Small changes in your call-to-action button can make a huge difference in conversion rates. Test phrases like "Get my free guide" versus "Download now" or "Join our community" versus "Get exclusive tips." Sometimes, the winning variation will surprise you completely. What sounds appealing to you might not resonate with your audience.

Try different lead magnets to see what resonates most with your audience. A discount code might work better than a free ebook, or vice versa. You could also test the value of your discount. For example, does 15% off convert better than 10% off?

Experiment with how much information you ask for upfront. Sometimes, just asking for an email address works better than requesting a name and email.

Other times, asking for a name helps you personalize future emails and actually improves engagement. Find the sweet spot between gathering useful data and keeping friction low.

Test different pop-up timings and see how often you can promote your newsletter without annoying your audience. What works for one website might not work for another, so data is your friend here. Regular testing helps you optimize your approach over time.

Common opt-in mistakes to avoid

Even experienced marketers make mistakes that can seriously hurt their email list growth and subscriber satisfaction. These common pitfalls are easy to fall into but just as easy to avoid once you know what to look for.

Hiding the unsubscribe option

Making your unsubscribe link tiny, the same color as your background, or burying it in fine print isn't just annoying; it's often illegal. Email laws in most countries require a clear, easy way for people to opt out of your emails. Trying to make unsubscribing difficult will only hurt you in the long run.

Counterintuitively, making it easy to unsubscribe actually builds trust with your remaining subscribers. People appreciate knowing they can leave anytime, which makes them more comfortable staying on your list. Transparency breeds loyalty, while sneaky tactics breed resentment.

When you make unsubscribing difficult, frustrated subscribers will mark your emails as spam instead. This hurts your sender reputation and means fewer of your emails reach inboxes overall. It's much better to let disinterested people leave gracefully than to damage your deliverability rates.

Overloading your sign-up form

Asking for someone's life story on your sign-up form is a guaranteed way to scare people off. Stick to just an email address and maybe a first name. You can always gather more information later through surveys or preference centers. Every additional field you add reduces your conversion rate.

While you shouldn't ask for too much information upfront, do make sure you're using a confirmed opt-in email system. This extra step verifies that people actually want to be on your list and helps protect you from spam complaints. The confirmed opt-in process also ensures better email deliverability in the long run.

Long, complicated forms are especially painful on mobile devices. Keep your sign-up process short and sweet so people can subscribe quickly, even when they're on their phones.

Sending emails without value

Nobody wants another promotional email cluttering their inbox.

Focus on providing genuine value, whether that's helpful tips, exclusive insights, or entertaining content. Your subscribers should look forward to hearing from you, not dread seeing your name in their inbox. Value-first email marketing builds stronger, more profitable relationships.

Don't disappear for months and then suddenly bombard people with daily emails. Set expectations about how often you'll email and stick to that schedule. Consistent communication builds stronger relationships with your audience and keeps you top of mind without being overwhelming.

While addressing someone by their first name is nice, real personalization goes deeper. Send content that's actually relevant to their interests, purchase history, or where they are in your sales funnel. Generic mass emails feel impersonal and get deleted quickly, while personalized content drives engagement and sales.

Opt-in emails are always a good idea

Building a mailing list is a good way to market your company via email, but you don’t want to send unsolicited emails to people who don’t want to read them. With opt-in email marketing, you can build a mailing list of people who agreed to receive marketing emails from you, that way you don’t have to worry about sending unwanted spam.

When it comes to email marketing, Mailchimp is the simple solution. With Mailchimp, you get access to tons of tools and resources that make email marketing easier, including email automation tools. Try Mailchimp today and see how opt-in emails can give your mailing list a boost.

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Key Takeaways

• Use strategic pop-ups, embedded forms, and exit-intent technology to capture subscribers at the right moment
• Promote your email signups across social media, blog posts, and offline channels for maximum reach
• A/B test your call-to-action buttons, offers, and form fields to optimize conversion rates
• Avoid common mistakes like hiding unsubscribe options, overloading signup forms, and sending low-value emails

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