Unlock Your Email List Potential: 6 Proven Strategies from canadacreate

Many of our users frequently inquire about the marketing strategies we employ at CanadaCreate for channels such as email, social media, and SEO.

We consistently share the tools and techniques we utilize not only on CanadaCreate but also across our other portfolio companies.

However, the most common question we receive pertains to ‘growing an email list’ and the specific tools and techniques we recommend.

In this article, we will guide you through the effective and proven methods we currently implement at CanadaCreate to expand our email list. Additionally, we will reveal the tools we use and demonstrate how you can apply each tip to your own website.

1. Convert Abandoning Users into Subscribers with Exit Intent Popups

Whether you love them or dislike them, the truth is that popups are effective.

We implement several popups on CanadaCreate, aiming to enhance the user experience (UX) rather than detract from it. This approach has proven to resonate well with our audience.

Example: Exit Intent Popup

Rather than simply urging our visitors to enter their email addresses and join our mailing list, we present our newsletter as a valuable training resource for beginners. The significant worth of this free resource makes it a worthwhile exchange for our users.

In conclusion, we have discovered that the most effective strategy is to provide users with something valuable and beneficial in return for their contact details.

This is our unique value proposition, which we highlight in our email list registration popups.

No one enjoys being overwhelmed by intrusive popups while browsing a website. It is crucial to assist users in finding the information they need as quickly as possible to enhance their experience.

That’s why we display our popups just as a user is about to leave our site. These are known as exit intent popups, and they play a vital role in lowering the bounce rate of a website.

At CanadaCreate, we currently utilize a full-screen exit intent popup. Previously, we also implemented standard-sized exit intent popups, which were effective as well.

What Makes It Effective?

At CanadaCreate, our popups are highly effective for two primary reasons.

First, they provide value to our users, which they may overlook while simply scrolling through our website.

These popups appear seamlessly, just as visitors are about to leave the site, ensuring a non-intrusive experience for our readers.

Steps for Implementation

At CanadaCreate, we utilize OptinMonster to create effective popups. This is the leading WordPress popup plugin available, enabling you to easily design popups and target the right audience at the optimal moment.

For further details, check out our comprehensive review of OptinMonster.

Important Note:OptinMonster also offers a free version with limited features and campaigns. However, we highly recommend upgrading to a paid plan to access its full capabilities.

To get started, sign up for an OptinMonster plan. Then, install and activate the OptinMonster plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our guide on installing a WordPress plugin.

Once activated, the plugin will prompt you to connect your WordPress site to your OptinMonster account. Simply follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup process.

Next, navigate to theOptinMonster » Campaignssection and click the ‘Add New’ button.

You will then be prompted to select a template or Playbook.

Click on ‘Templates’ to proceed.

After that, you will need to choose the type of campaign you want to create.

Select the Popup campaign option and choose a template from the options below.

This will take you to OptinMonster’s campaign builder.

This drag-and-drop design tool allows you to see a live preview of your popup on the right, with customizable blocks available on the left. You can add these blocks to your popup or click anywhere to make edits.

Once you have completed your design, remember to save your changes and publish your popup.

For more information, check out our tutorial on how to create a fullscreen popup in WordPress.

2. Provide a Lead Magnet in Your Campaign

We also utilize lead magnets to expand the CanadaCreate email list.

A lead magnet, often referred to as an opt-in incentive, is a valuable offer you provide to users in exchange for their email address or other contact details.

Example: Our Ultimate WordPress Toolkit Offer

Located at the end of each article, our Ultimate WordPress Toolkit is a comprehensive resource featuring all the essential WordPress tools we recommend for every website.

It is displayed as a large rectangle with a description of the offer and a prominent Download button. When clicked, this button opens a popup requesting the user’s email address.

This offer is also featured in the sidebar and is visible throughout the CanadaCreate website.

Tip:You can easily create an effective lead magnet using a tool like Beacon, which is among the top lead magnet solutions available and offers a free plan.

Beacon provides a variety of pre-designed templates along with a user-friendly drag-and-drop builder for creating eBooks, checklists, workbooks, resource libraries, and more. For further information about this tool, check out our comprehensive Beacon review.

What Makes It Effective?

Its effectiveness largely stems from the significant value it provides to users. For beginners, having immediate access to a curated toolkit selected by experts is an enticing proposition.

Additionally, it doesn’t require users to enter their email address until they take action by clicking a button. This aligns with a psychological principle in user experience design, which suggests that users are more inclined to follow through with an interaction they initiated themselves, in this case, by clicking the button.

How to Set It Up on Your Website

We utilize OptinMonster’s MonsterLink feature for this lead magnet, which triggers a popup when a user clicks on a link.

Once you have installed and connected OptinMonster to your WordPress site, navigate to the OptinMonster » Campaigns page and click the ‘Add New’ button.

You will then be prompted to select a template or a playbook.

Choose ‘Templates’ and proceed.

Next, you’ll need to select the type of campaign you want to create.

Choose the Popup campaign option and select a template. All templates are customizable, allowing you to personalize them in the following steps.

You will be prompted to enter a name for your campaign.

Afterward, you’ll be taken to OptinMonster’s campaign builder, where you can design your campaign.

Easily drag and drop elements from the left sidebar onto your campaign. You can also click on any item in the preview area to edit it.

Once you are happy with the design, switch to the ‘Display Rules’ tab and click on ‘Add a New’ Rule.

OptinMonster offers robust display rules that allow you to set your campaigns to appear at the precise moments you choose.

In the conditions menu, select the ‘When (Triggers)’ option and then choose ‘MonsterLink (On Click)’.

Now, your campaign will be triggered when users click on a designated link.

You can click on ‘Copy MonsterLink Code’ to copy the link code, which can be added anywhere on your WordPress site.

For further instructions, check out our tutorial on how to trigger a WordPress popup by clicking a link or image.

3. Launch a Timely Viral Giveaway

Giveaways are a widely used strategy by businesses of all kinds across various platforms. They can be highly effective for increasing engagement, whether it’s for boosting a YouTube channel, attracting new Instagram followers, or expanding an email list.

However, it’s important not to overdo giveaways or offer overly extravagant prizes. You want to maintain a positive image and avoid coming across as desperate to your audience.

For example: CanadaCreate’s Annual Birthday Giveaway

We host a yearly giveaway on CanadaCreate’s birthday to enhance our email list and social media following.

Participants earn entries into the giveaway by following us on social media, subscribing to our email newsletter, and more.

Why is it effective?

Our giveaway is an annual event, which creates a sense of urgency and excitement around the opportunity to participate.

Additionally, the prizes are relevant to our niche, which is WordPress. Last year, we offered premium WordPress plugins and a one-on-one mentorship session with CanadaCreate’s CEO, Syed Balkhi.

Joining the giveaway requires minimal effort, and participants can enhance their chances of winning by engaging through multiple entry methods.

How to Execute This Strategy

At CanadaCreate, we utilize RafflePress to host giveaways. It is the top WordPress giveaway plugin that enables you to effortlessly create viral contests on your website.

RafflePress integrates with leading email marketing platforms and social media channels. It also allows participants to refer friends, making it easier for users to share your giveaway and enhance their chances of winning.

Additionally, it includes features for fraud protection, analytics, and retargeting.

For more information, check out our comprehensive RafflePress review.

Important Note:There is a free version of RafflePress available for you to try. However, we recommend upgrading to a premium plan to fully unlock the plugin’s capabilities.

First, install and activate the RafflePress plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin.

After activation, navigate to the RafflePress » Add New page to set up your first giveaway.

Here, you will need to enter a name for your campaign and select the template you wish to use. There’s even a pre-designed template specifically for growing your email list.

Next, you can specify your prize and set the start and end dates for the giveaway.

Next, navigate to the ‘Actions’ tab and select an action that users need to complete to enter the contest.

Here, you will find options to include an email opt-in form, along with various social media platforms and WordPress actions.

After adding an action, you can choose it and then click on the ‘Entry Options’ tab to customize the settings for that specific action.

For example, with the Email Newsletter action, you can integrate it with your email marketing or CRM software.

Once you have completed your giveaway campaign, you can embed it into your WordPress post or page.

Simply insert the RafflePress block into your post or page and select your giveaway campaign from the dropdown list.

For more information, check out our tutorial on how to run a giveaway or contest in WordPress.

4. Boost Engagement Through Quizzes

Similar to giveaways, utilizing quizzes is an effective way to engage and attract more email subscribers.

An online quiz can serve as a helpful questionnaire, an entertaining activity, or a serious survey. Ultimately, users receive a result in exchange for their email address, which could be a score based on their responses.

Buzzfeed is a well-known online entertainment and news platform recognized for its innovative use of viral quizzes to build a large and engaged audience.

Example: CanadaCreate Hosting Quiz

At CanadaCreate, we offer a quiz designed to assist users in selecting the ideal WordPress hosting plan for their website. This quiz is prominently featured on our homepage for easy access.

You can also find it in our comprehensive WordPress hosting guide.

In this guide, we evaluate the leading WordPress hosting companies based on performance, helping users identify the best hosting provider for their specific needs.

Once users have completed the quiz, they are prompted to enter their email address.

However, users have the option to skip this step and immediately view their results.

Why Does It Work?

Quizzes are highly effective when used strategically. In this instance, our quiz assists users in narrowing down their hosting choices based on their responses.

Another factor contributing to the effectiveness of online quizzes is user behavior psychology; individuals are more inclined to finish an action they have initiated.

Additionally, we allow users to opt out of providing their email addresses. While this may result in fewer sign-ups for our email list, we can still build trust by offering valuable information.

How Can You Implement This?

At CanadaCreate, we utilize Interact for our hosting recommendation quiz. However, this tool may be too costly for small businesses and individual bloggers.

A great alternative is Thrive Quizzes, which is one of the top online quiz builders that enables you to create engaging and interactive quizzes for your website.

It offers excellent flexibility and supports various quiz types, including those that display results as numbers, percentages, categories (like personality quizzes), true/false quizzes, and surveys without score results.

The platform features an interactive quiz builder that allows you to easily add your questions.

You can select from various question formats, including multiple choice with buttons, multiple choice with images, and open-ended questions.

Finally, you can incorporate an opt-in gate to present your email sign-up form at the conclusion of the quiz.

This will display your email form to users, giving them the option to skip it if they choose.

For further information, check out our tutorial on creating a quiz in WordPress, which provides detailed, step-by-step instructions.

Alternative Options:Formidable Forms, WPForms

5. Free Video Courses

A highly effective way to gather email subscribers is by providing exclusive members-only content in exchange for signing up.

This content can be a compilation of previously published materials or original content created specifically for subscribers.

Example:We implement this strategy through our free WordPress video courses.

CanadaCreate offers complimentary WordPress video training courses tailored for beginners, helping them quickly learn the platform.

Our most popular course is WordPress 101, featuring over 30 videos designed for newcomers. Additionally, users can explore courses on WooCommerce, blogging, SEO, and WordPress plugins.

Why Does It Work?

CanadaCreate’s WordPress video courses are a highly valuable free resource, especially considering that professional trainers on platforms like Udemy and LinkedIn charge hundreds of dollars for similar content.

Our courses offer a structured learning experience, enabling users to monitor their progress and seamlessly transition to the next topic, enhancing engagement and usefulness.

For further information, check out our article on how we utilize video memberships to expand our email list.

How to Implement This

We recommend using MemberPress for video courses. It is the top WordPress membership plugin that allows you to effortlessly create any type of membership website.

MemberPress simplifies the process of restricting access to members-only content. You can establish various subscription levels and membership plans, and easily accept online payments for those subscriptions.

Additionally, MemberPress offers a Courses addon for WordPress, which allows you to create and sell online courses or provide them for free.

You can also implement drip content, enabling users to progress to the next course only after completing the current one.

For further information, check out our tutorial on creating and selling online courses in WordPress.

6. Free Tools

You may have noticed many popular websites providing free online tools for various purposes, from file type conversion to speed testing and more.

Example: CanadaCreate Email Signature Tool

At CanadaCreate, we offer a variety of free online tools. Most do not require you to sign up for our newsletter or provide an email address, except for our Email Signature Tool.

The free email signature generator enables users to create a personalized email signature. They can select a template and enter their details to customize it.

Once they have completed their design, they can click ‘Continue’ to save their work.

Finally, users need to provide their email address to download their custom email signature.

What Makes This Effective?

This approach offers a free tool that simplifies a task that many beginners might find challenging, saving them time and effort.

This indicates that subscribing to our email list is a minimal requirement for obtaining a professional-quality email signature.

Steps to Implement This Strategy

Some online tools necessitate programming knowledge and server resources, which can deter beginners. For example, tools for image conversion often require additional storage and server capabilities.

Fortunately, there are user-friendly, no-code solutions like WPForms. It is the leading form builder available, allowing you to create custom forms without any coding skills.

For example, you could provide a free loan repayment calculator on your website. Users will need to enter their email addresses to receive the results generated by the tool.

The Pro plan of WPForms includes a Calculations addon, enabling you to execute both simple and complex calculations within your forms.

It also provides ready-to-use templates that allow for quick integration of these forms into your website.

Depending on your website’s focus, you can discover calculator templates suitable for lead generation, such as budgeting forms, mortgage calculators, and credit card repayment calculators.

WPForms integrates seamlessly with leading email marketing services and supports multi-step forms, making it easy to capture email leads at the conclusion of your forms.

For further information, check out our guide on creating a custom calculator in WordPress.

Alternative Option: Formidable Forms

Conclusion: Key Insights Gained from Expanding the CanadaCreate Email List

Throughout our journey of expanding the CanadaCreate email list, we have gathered valuable insights that now form an integral part of our email marketing strategy.

1. Provide Value in Exchange

CanadaCreate users are discerning and will not subscribe without assurance of receiving something beneficial in return. We believe this applies to all users.

We strive to provide valuable offerings to our users in exchange for their subscription to our email list.

2. Begin Today

One common mistake we made was underestimating the importance of building our email list from the start. The ideal time to launch your email list is now, and you can implement all the strategies mentioned above immediately.

3. Prioritize User Experience

While there are aggressive email capture techniques available for marketing, they often compromise user experience.

Frustrated users are significantly less likely to subscribe to an email list or make a purchase. On average, a user spends less than 3 seconds on a website before deciding whether to stay. Make those 3 seconds impactful.

4. Select the Right Email Marketing Platform

At CanadaCreate, we initially used Mailchimp, which was one of the top email marketing platforms available at the time.

However, as our website expanded, we required email marketing automation, enhanced customization, and greater flexibility. Mailchimp no longer met our needs, so we transitioned to Drip. Check out our case study detailing our reasons for switching from Mailchimp to Drip.

Some of our sister companies began with Drip and benefited from these features from the outset.

If you’re looking for an affordable email marketing solution that fits your requirements, consider using Constant Contact.

For further information, check out our selection of the top email marketing services to determine which one suits your needs best.

We hope this article has provided you with valuable insights into the strategies we implement at CanadaCreate to expand our email list. For additional advice, explore our guide on rapidly growing your email list and our expert recommendations for the best email capture tools.

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