List building techniques play an important role in every business today. There are many different ways to build a list and here you can find the most important techniques:

1. E-books:
   Write an e-book and give it to your subscribers for free. People can sign up, leave their e-mail address and in exchange you can provide them with useful information through your e-book. The topic you write about has to be relevant to them. It’s also important to include a link to your specific product or service in the e-book.
   

   Unbounce.com offers a free ebook exchange for an email address

2. Newsletters:
   Sending newsletters or e-zines to your subscribers is a good way to communicate with them. People are “information hungry” but they don’t have time to find it. If you do it right you can provide them with useful and valuable information. If you do it right they will sign up to your newsletters.
   

   Newsletter and 20-part mini course. It’s a good reason to subcribe to this email list from copyblogger.com

3. E-courses:
   Organizing e-courses is a brilliant way to collect e-mail addresses. Try to make an e-course that contains relevant information but also delicately sells your product or service. Once they sign up to your e-course you deliver the different parts – at least seven – to their where you can subscribers sign up.
   

   In a market where people want to learn about something an E-course is a good way to get contacts.

4. Free Membership Site:
   You can also create membership site where you can subscribers sign up for free. Content is king so make sure that you offer them useful content but only for those who sign up. Membership sites can also help you to sell your product or service.
   

   Free Membership by EverydayFamily.com. Exclusive content only for members.

   
   

5. Articles:
   Writing articles and to add them to article directories can also help you to get people sign up to your newsletters. In the “good old days” of internet marketing there were hundreds of article directories that you could submit your article. However things have changed and now it advisable to only submit it to reliable and spam free directories. Make sure that you add your newsletter sign up in the resource box so people can join you and learn more about you.
6. Pop up:
   Pop up windows are and has been very popular for some time. They are still very powerful to persuade people to sign up. They can either pop up when a visitor enters your site or they appear and remind them to sign up for more information. If you use them wisely you can get many subscribers.
   

   Popup on backlinko.com. When a visitor wants to leave the site Brian gives a good reason for them to stay and leave their email address.

   
   

7. Squeeze Page:
   A squeeze page is basically a pre-sales letter what your visitors see before they read your sales letter. It can help you to get their email addresses or even other information and it’s still very efficient.
   

   The only action you can do on a squeeze page is to enter your email address..

8. Freebies:
   Who doesn’t love freebies? Some great free giveaways can persuade people to sign up to your newsletter. It can help you to build your list fast but please keep in mind that the freebie seekers may not be the most responsive subscribers of yours.
   

   Free stuff and coupons from mysavings.com

9. Sign up bonuses:
   Giving away sign up bonuses can help you to get email addresses from subscribers. Offer 10%, 20% or more discount on certain products or services. You can also offer them free e-books or reports that will apply to them.
   

   Zalando.co.uk offers a voucher to spend it in their online store when you sign up to their newsletter

10. Viral marketing:
    Viral marketing is a popular way to get people engaged in something that interests them. Something that they can share with their family members, friends or colleagues. It can be a video, a game, a book or anything, you name it. One thing is important; it has to contain your site’s address so people can find you and sign up to your newsletter.
11. Blog signup – multiple triggers:
    There are actually different places on your blog where you can persuade people to sign up to your newsletters and capture their personal information. Places like sign-up form in the sidebar,  sign-up box after every post, RSS footer plugin at the bottom of your RSS feed or author bio containing a link to a specific landing page where people can sign up.
    

    Multiple signup options on AnneHeaden.com

12. List swaps:
    Try to to list swaps with other marketers which means that you will promote their product and they will promote yours. It’s advisable to get in touch with the person who you are doing the list swap. Why? Because you need to know more about their readership and list. The best thing to do is to find a list that has the same size and credibility as yours.
13. Contests:
    Arrange contests for your subscribers because it can have a viral effect especially when you are giving away some cool stuff like iPad, coaching program or even a free pass to a conference.
    

    Running a contest can help you to grow your list. Lifehacker was giving away an Ipad for a lucky subscriber

14. Youtube:
    As you probably know Youtube is not only for bored teenagers but it’s a very effective search engine around the world. Millions of people look for information and videos in different topics every day. You can easily set up a channel and start making videos, slideshows but always remember to put a clickable link to your site in the description box where they can go and sign up.
15. Social media sites:
    Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter or Google+ can help you to find more subscribers. Each of them has a specific technique that captures subscribers. The good thing about these sites that you can start communicate with your followers and gently “convince” them to sign up to your site and collect their name and email address.
    

    Hallmark leads their Facebook visitors to their sign up form

16. Satellite sites:
    Hubpages, Tumblr and Squidoo are satellite sites that are filled with articles which are actually snippets of the articles found on your main site. They “filter” and direct people to your main site. They are free to set up and you can do it pretty easily.
17. Guest blogging:
    Guest blogging is a good way to get more subscribers. You write high quality content for another blogger who will publish your article on his/her blog. After every post you can add an author bio where you can link to your blog or to a squeeze page where people can sign up.
18. Podcasts:
    Creating a podcast isn’t that difficult as you may think. People just love podcasts because they prefer listen to other people than reading something. At the end of a successful podcast you can ask people to sign up to your site. Don’t feel bad about it because that’s why you created them at first place.
19. Slide shows:
    Slide show presentations can also help you to build your email list.  You can create a slide show re-using your old articles that you can turn into something different with ie. bullet points etc. Make sure you mention your site address as many times as possible and add a description plus link to your chosen web address.
20. Forum:
    Forum is a good way to get people in and get their contact details. It’s a good idea to create a premium forum with password so people want to join it and get premium information.
21. Offline campaign:
    Offline campaigns are still very popular and they are not old fashioned at all.  Give your business card to friends and family members or pass them on the streets and coffee shops, basically anywhere you go.

These 21 list building techniques will definitely help you to build a quality and good size email list.