If your email list isn’t growing (or isn’t growing fast enough!) this one’s for you. It’s also a great place to dive in if you’re just starting out with email and don’t even have a list yet.
Most small businesses are missing the most simple yet super effective email list building opportunities – and it’s costing them in missed lead gen 😱
FREE Checklist of Easy Lead Gen Wins to grow your email list
with Email Strategy expert Kay Peacey
This blog post shows you how to grow your email list fast using simple, free and quick to implement strategies that work on any platform – no over-complicated lead magnets, no fancy tech wizardy, no faff.
And we’ve even thrown in a FREE checklist of the 10 best easy lead gen wins so you can implement fast – and tick them off as you go ✅
I’m Kay Peacey, Certified ActiveCampaign Consultant and founder of Slick Business – and I’ve helped thousands of small business owners like you build better email and automation systems without crying, swearing or giving up.
Let’s dive in…
Follow these steps to get more optins to your email list
Watch how to grow your email list fast with expert Kay Peacey (15 mins)
We’re going for easy wins here – things you can do in a couple of hours, without spending a fortune or burning yourself out with over-complicated tactics.
Get these easy wins in place and the lead gen will roll – you can do the fancy things as well later on if you want to – but don’t skip these simple winning moves.
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Understand how (and why) real humans opt in for email lists
Most people don’t sign up for emails because of a fancy freebie or lead magnet (I know, shocking, right?!). They join because they like what they’ve seen so far and want a way to stay in your world.
It’s about human behaviour. They’re bookmarking you to come back to later on, by inviting you in to their inbox.
This is great news for you – because it means getting new subscribers is way easier than you think.
You just need to make it obvious and easy for people to say yes by opting in for your emails
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Use a simple frictionless form so your email list can grow faster
Don’t overcomplicate it. This email opt-in form should be:
- One field for first name
- One field for email
- One “Yes please” submit button
That’s it.
And yes – do collect the first name. It makes your emails more personal and human.
Oh, and remember to test your form – forms that don’t work are literally useless, and actively annoying – and you don’t want that!
Most email platforms have easy form builders you can use – and some websites do too.
If your current email tool or website tech can’t make a simple form like this, try a free two-week free trial of ActiveCampaign which I use and recommend.
We also have a free mini-course called Accelerated ActiveCampaign that shows you the exact steps to make a simple optin form using ActiveCampaign
Using ActiveCampaign already, or thinking about getting it?
Get our FREE Accelerated ActiveCampaign training now
Create an email opt-in page on your website so you can drop the link easily
Make one simple page on your site that has:
- A heading that says “Join our email list”
- The opt-in form embedded in the page
- A short note that you’ll be sending emails (and they can unsubscribe any time)
- Optional: more detail on what to expect in the way of regular emails from you
- Optional: a nice testimonial or two about your emails
This page doesn’t need to be perfect, or set in stone. So long as it’s done, and the form works, you’re good to go. You can always tweak the words later on.
Use a clean, easy-to-remember URL like this for your page:yourwebsite.com/emails
This is your email optin link – and you’re going to use it in some very cool places to grab optins just at the right moment…
Like this:
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Four surprising places to put your email opt-in on your Website
Most small (and a surprising lot of larger!) business websites completely miss these email optin grabbing places – and they’re some of the most effective spots for collecting email signups with zero effort on your part once they’re set up.
4 easily missed website opportunities for lead gen to grow your email list:
- Footer form – Embed the actual form with a quick call-to-action above it
- Footer menu – Add a link to your email page alongside other footer items
- Top navigation bar – Add “Join our email list” or “Get our newsletter” as a main nav item
- In blog posts – Use a reusable block that invites readers to join your list
Remember, most visitors are skimming – so make it easy and obvious.
The moment someone thinks “Oh, I like this person” is exactly when they’re ready to join your list.
And in case you’re thinking that right now, here’s my easy and obvious invitation to join our email list! Click through to get a look at the current version of our optin page…
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Six easy ways to use your email newsletter optin on Social Media
Now go put that link to your email optin page to work on your socials, in all the places
6 ways to share your email list optin on social media
- Add it to your profile bio link – make it your main CTA
- Share it frequently as a stand-alone post – not just once!
- Have one of those as a pinned post so it’s visible
- Drop the link in a comment on your own posts with saved text snippets
- Include it as a CTA at the end of your posts as a PS. style note
- Add it to your banner image – even just the URL in text
It’s free. It’s fast. And it puts your highest-ROI marketing channel (yup, usually that’s email!) front and centre.
We use a wonderful low cost tool called TextExpander to save longer text as a snippet. That means it’s super fast for me, or a team member, to drop a nice CTA to join our email list in as a comment on any of our own posts. Game changer! Now every social post is doing lead gen for you.
FREE Checklist of Easy Lead Gen Wins to grow your email list
with Email Strategy expert Kay Peacey
Build your email list by sharing your opt-in page everywhere
Don’t stop at your website and socials.
There are even more high-impact places to share your email sign-up link – and once you get into doing this it’s easy!
- In your own email footer – sneaky once that helps people re-subscribe or join if forwarded
- Business cards and printed materials – add a short URL or QR code
- Guest blog posts and podcast appearances – give this link for the show notes
- At live events or conferences – wear your opt-in like a badge
- Thank you pages and confirmations – remind people they can stay connected
Every time someone sees that link is a chance to grow your list.
I’ve got a glowing lanyard with my email optin QR code and url on it to wear at conferences – soooo good. And I stole that idea from someone who had earrings with their optin QR code on them – yes, really!! Conversation starter and effective lead gen – it’s genius.
Ready for some deep work? Check out our 1:1 Services here
Grab a FREE checklist – Ten Easy Wins for Lead Gen to build your email list
Get the full list of ideas from this blog, with checkboxes to help you track what you’ve done.
No fluff, no costly tech, no overwhelm – just solid, strategic actions that build your email list (and your business!)
FREE Checklist of Easy Lead Gen Wins to grow your email list
with Email Strategy expert Kay Peacey
FAQs on how to grow your email list quickly without spending a fortune
Do I really need a lead magnet to grow my email list?
Nope. I mean you can have lead magents, but you don’t have to have them. Most people join lists because they want to hear more from you – not because of a freebie. Just make the sign-up easy and visible.
How many places should I share my email optin link?
As many as you can! I see way too many businesses making it hard to find their email optin – so annoying! Think website footer, website top menu, social media, business cards, guest spots – it all adds up.
What should the optin page on my website include?
Keep it simple: short welcome text, the form, and maybe a testimonial. That’s all you need.
Can I do get leads onto my email list without spending money?
Yes – all 10 ideas in our Easy Lead Gen Wins checklist are doable for free. You might need to spend a couple of hours implementing them, but no paid tools or ads required.
Why is email list growth so important?
Because email marketing typically drives 30% of business revenue. Your list needs new people coming in all the time to keep that going. So don’t make it hard for people to find and join your email list.
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How to write emails when you think you have nothing to say
Once your email list is growing, you’ve got to actually send them emails (yes… yes you really do!)
But what if you don’t know what to say?
I have the exact thing for you…
Our blog post (with video) What to write in your email newsletter when you have nothing to say is packed with tips to help you send regular, effective emails that feel easy and human – and that your new subscribers will love.
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Fast effective Email & Automation training & support from Kay Peacey
Get more help with building your email list to grow your business
If you’re serious about email marketing, you’ll love our Academy – my membership that helps small businesses use email and automation tech with confidence and clarity.
You’ll get expert support, time-saving systems, and a community that’s got your back – whether you’re just getting started or levelling up.
Or book in for a 1:1 if you’d rather – find those services here
Learn more about our Slick Business Academy
Fast effective Email & Automation training & support from Kay Peacey