How to get people to actually subscribe to your newsletter

Quick answer

People subscribe to a newsletter when they can see exactly what they will get and why it is worth an email address. Give one specific reason, such as a useful freebie, early access or a monthly tip, ask at moments they already trust you, such as after a purchase, and keep the form to one field.

A sign-up box saying “Subscribe to our newsletter” is the online equivalent of a shop assistant saying “Can I help you?” Most people say no without thinking. Nobody wants more email in general; people want specific things they value. The businesses with healthy lists are not the ones with the most sign-up boxes. They are the ones that make a clear offer, in the right place, at the right moment. This guide walks through how to do that, step by step, online and offline.

Step 1: decide what subscribers get

Before touching the website, write one sentence that finishes “Subscribe and you will get…”. If the honest answer is “our news”, rethink. Strong answers are specific and useful:

• “One seasonal garden job to do each month, with a short how-to.”
• “First pick of new stock before it goes on the website.”
• “Our monthly round-up of changes that affect landlords, in plain English.”
• “A free printable checklist for planning a kitchen, then a tip a month.”

Add how often you will email. “Once a month, no spam” removes the biggest worry people have about signing up.

Step 2: choose an incentive that fits

If you make joining the newsletter a condition of getting the freebie, say so clearly on the form, so people know what they are agreeing to.

Step 3: put the sign-up where trust is highest

• At the end of your most useful pages and posts, with a line linking the offer to what they just read.
• On the order confirmation or checkout, as an unticked box with plain wording.
• In a slim bar or box on the homepage, not a pop-up that appears the moment someone arrives.
• On a dedicated sign-up page you can link from social profiles, emails and printed materials.
• On your contact page, for people who are interested but not ready to enquire.

If you use a pop-up, delay it until someone has scrolled or spent time on the page, make it easy to close, and never show it twice in one visit.

Step 4: capture sign-ups offline

For many local businesses, the best subscribers are met in person. A card on the counter with a QR code, a sign-up tablet at a market stall, a line on receipts and invoices, or a question at the end of a job (“Would you like our seasonal maintenance reminders?”) all work. Keep a record of how and when each person agreed, and add them to your list with the same consent wording as online.

Step 5: keep the form tiny

1. Ask for an email address. A first name is optional and helps personalise.
2. Write the button as the benefit: “Send me the checklist” rather than “Submit”.
3. Put one line under the button saying how often you email and linking your privacy notice.
4. Use double opt-in if your email tool offers it, so typos and fake addresses never reach your list.

Step 6: get consent right

In the UK, marketing emails to individuals generally need consent, freely given and clear, with a limited exception for existing customers known as the soft opt-in. The ICO’s guidance on consent explains what valid consent looks like, and its guidance on electronic mail marketing covers the soft opt-in. No pre-ticked boxes, no buying lists, and an unsubscribe link in every email.

Step 7: make the first email count

New subscribers are never more interested than in the minutes after they join, so the welcome email matters. Send it straight away, deliver what you promised, say what to expect next and invite a reply. A strong welcome keeps new subscribers on the list and teaches them to open the next one. Make sure it arrives in inboxes, not spam: authenticate your domain, and if your list grows large, follow Google’s email sender guidelines.

Step 8: let subscribers grow the list

Every issue should be worth forwarding. Add a short line such as “Know someone who would find this useful? Forward it on, and they can sign up here.” Share the best bits on social media with a link to the sign-up page. Over time, word of mouth adds subscribers who already trust you because a friend sent them.

Step 9: track where sign-ups come from

Most email tools let you tag subscribers by the form or page they joined from. Check monthly which sources bring the most sign-ups, and, more importantly, which bring subscribers who open, click and buy. A checkout box may bring fewer people than a freebie, but they may be far more valuable. Put more effort into the sources that bring engaged readers, and fix or remove the ones that bring addresses that never open an email.

Common reasons people do not subscribe

• No clear reason to join.
• A form asking for phone number, address and date of birth.
• A pop-up that covers the page before they have read anything.
• No idea how often emails will arrive.
• A sign-up box hidden in the footer.

Getting help

A focused sign-up page converts far better than a box in a sidebar; our landing page design is £199. Our email marketing and automation set-up is £149 for campaigns, welcome flows and segmentation. For what to send once people join, see our guides to email marketing for small businesses and content marketing, and for keeping them, our guide to customer retention. Every Luxbranding price is on our pricing page.