How to Guide for Email List Building with WordPress plugins

One of my biggest regret would be that I did not start email list building from the scratch. I always thought that emails were not a viable source and might be annoying. But, I now know that email marketing is the key to success. In case you are starting to build your email list, this post will be your ultimate guide to email list building. It will show you the best email list building plugins, both free and premium ones, and will also guide you to successful email marketing.

What is email marketing?

Email marketing is said to be done when you collect the reader’s/audience emails (of course with their permission) and send them new stuff that you think will benefit them or as you have promised them during the opt-in. It is highly advisable not to build your fan base on something you don’t own. Facebook, Google plus might have been working for you but they are not your proprietary products. These platforms could bid adieu anytime thus ending your fan base. So, instead of building a mail list that waits for your messages is recommendable. For building an email list you need a service provider with which you will send emails, while there are free email services like Ininbox, mailchimp, sendinblue [They have premium offers as well], if you are serious about email list building I would suggest you to try premium services of them and also check out Aweber, getresponse or ontraport.

Why should you build en email list?

Email list building has gained much importance in recent days as it is a huge source of traffic, dedicated audience and loyal buyers from your affiliate links. Here is why you should build an email list.

1. It is the best source of blog post promotion. You might not expect to get over 100,000 consistent monthly visitors if you don’t have an email list.

2. Email subscribers will help you bring traffic to the blog even if Google ceases to do it for you. With the ongoing Google updates you never know when your site may get hit up with a penalty. So why keep all your eggs in one basket.

3. Whenever a visitor subscribes your blog he does because he wants to read your posts and follow your advice. What better chance can you get to monetize this audience with affiliate products?

[color-box]Recently Erik Emanuelli has done a guest post over here to describe rules to be followed while making an email marketing campaign. Read it here. [/color-box]

WordPress plugins for email list building:

Being on WordPress is a privilege when it comes to using plugins. There are so many plugins that can actually help you to grow your subscribers. Most WordPress email plugins are paid but there are few free email list building plugins that are just the best. Here is a list of most used and popular list building plugins of WordPress.

Paid email list building plugins for WordPress:

1. Hybrid connect:

Hybrid connect is one of the best WordPress email list building tools. It is very customizable and is easy to operate. This feature packed WordPress email plugin is very useful if you want to covert visitors into subscribers.

Here are some of the features of hybrid connect:

1. Has over 30 prebuild email optin form templates and supports further manual customization.

2. Has easy integration with Facebook. It can be used to sign up with Facebook login and also can be placed on a tab in Facebook pages to collect emails from Facebook fans.

3. It supports short codes and also allows video integration on pop up forms so that you can ask your readers to subscribe by saying something to them.

4. Has built-in statistics and split testing facility.

2. Optin Skin:

Like the cute email pop up on ace blogger Pat Flynn’s blog? The form he uses is optin skin. It is also a highly customizable form along with ready statistics records to show your opt-in statistics.

Here are some of the features of Optin skin:

1. Over 18 amazingly cute and non-aggressive email sign up forms to choose from.

2. Optin Skin supports customizations in order to build awesome looking email forms that match the color scheme of your blog.

3. You can place these forms anywhere, from the sidebars to inside the posts.

3. Plug Matter feature boxes:

Plug matter feature boxes are an incredible way to build lists and also not harm the user experience of existing subscribers. If you are looking for a plugin that simply can be hidden from existing subscribers then plug matter is your thing.

Features of plug matter:

1. Plug matter supports targeting returning users.

2. You can use plug matter to hide the subscription boxes from existing users so that they read your blog undisturbed.

3. Supports A/B Split testing.

4. Supports all major email providers

4. Optimise press:

Optimise press is a revolution in traditional list building templates. Optimise press is my favorite list building plugin for ease of use. The drag and drop features makes the customization of an email form just like a child’s play.

Features of optimize press:

1. Over 30 templates and nearly 40 different page elements to choose from.

2. It is 100% mobile responsive and has overlay system for customizing two-step opt-ins.

3. Create awesomely converting squeeze pages and launch pages to make collecting emails easier.

4. Comes with theme and plugins along with membership programs that could in a whole save you a sum of 100$-300$.

5. Magic Action box:

Magic action box, as the name goes are superb and robust email list building plugins that are just the ones you would want. They have strong call to action type effect to get your readers into action and subscribe your list.

Features of Magic Action Box:

1. You can use these forms for showing up at the end of your post. This will add you an option to select a different form directly from the post editor.

2. Make each form customized to suit the post content. It is highly converting and targeted.

3. You can set default plugin settings for regular posts.

4. Includes A/B split along with analytics.

FREE Email List building plugins:

6. Sumome:

This one is a killer. It’s a robust plugin with lots of features and that too for free. Although it has paid options too but its features that the free plugin offers is enough to give a push to many of the paid plugins.

Features of SumoMe:

1. SumoMe offers pop ups, sticky header like problogger has. It also offers scroll boxes for appearing after some part of the post is read.

2. Integrates with major email newsletter services and allows customizations too.

3. Offers social sharing and heat maps to know where exactly your readers click so that you can use those spots.

7. IceGram:

I have no clue why those people have a free version. Whatever they offer for free is also not offered by major paid plugins. Then I think there are good people who want to help others. They have so many options for free users.

Features of Icegram:

1. Icegram offers a large amount of customizable and good looking opt0in templates.

2. Supports Google analytics

3. Has other options like sticky header, message boxes and pop ups.

8. Hello Bar:

This is a freemium bar that allows free as well as paid services. It is a non-obtrusive form of email collection by placing a sticky header and no pop ups. If you don’t actually want to overload with a plugin you can generate a code for your blog and insert it. This is highly useful for users on blogger.com.

9. Manycontacts

Manycontacts is another free email plugin that has a strong call to action influence. It is used by small businesses and bloggers who are not ready to invest in a premium plugin yet and is the best email plugin with sticky header.

Over to you

There are a lot of WordPress plugins for email list building. I haven’t mentioned traditional services like feedburner because they hardly allow you to send custom emails. These plugins are by far the top email list building plugins. I personally have a crush on hybrid connect plugin because of its huge list of features.

I would love to know what email list building plugins you are using and how do you build your subscriber base. Please write the same in the comments below.