E-mail marketing is the most effective way to reach out to your clientele. It is most cost and time efficient, and it is a great way to expand your client base. But, it needs be to done in a manner that is effective and doesn’t hinder your company’s image and branding. Here are five top tips to manage your email lists and ensure that they keep growing

First tip: is to offer a give-away!  It might seem like the oldest trick in the book, but it is one sure fire way to get people to give you their contact information and stay on your list for an indefinite period of time, depending on the offers you continue to give them.  Give them products that are relevant to your company’s services and also of enough value to them that they would volunteer their time and personal information to get on your list.

Second tip: Make the process as easy as possible for the user to sign up for your list.  Don’t hide a sign-up link at the bottom of your email in an illegible font or color.  Make it prominent and easy to access.  Don’t make the sign-up a fifteen step process, in which you ask for a lot of extra details that will turn the user off. Simplicity and quickness are of the essence!  Get the basics that you need for your list, and build that relationship gradually so that they will eventually give you more information without being bombarded at the beginning.

Third tip: Give the user ease and liberty to get off the list in the same way that they can get on.  If you do not give importance to their choice to get off the list, they will instantly be guarded about signing up to begin with.  Nobody likes to sign-up for something where opting out is a complicated, hidden and messy process that may involve being on the phone with a customer service agent for hours.  Respect their options, and they will respect your list as well!

Fourth tip: Take the time to analyze the methods that work for your list growth and those that don’t.  Track the sources that allow you to acquire new users and feature those more.  Don’t stick to those that aren’t working!  If people are unsubscribing from a certain offer, then be sure to change that approach immediately.

Fifth Tip:  Be understanding of the fact that your users may not want to sign up for your list at this moment, but that they may change their mind with time.  Give them other means to be informed of your offers – perhaps on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter – they can follow you on these of their own volition and later on choose to get on your list after all!