Building an effective email marketing strategy is a necessity for businesses. We’re going to go through the process of creating an email list in WordPress, so that you can start collecting emails from your target audience.
An email list gives you a great opportunity to build relationships with your website visitors and convert them into customers. You can create your own email list with just a few clicks using a form plugin and an email marketing provider.
What is an email list?
An email list (or “mailing list” or “subscriber list”) is a collection of emails from users who have signed up for your email marketing channel. You can use them to send marketing emails and inform leads about new features, discounts, and more.
When users subscribing to your newsletter signup form provide their email addresses, they’re consenting to you sending emails directly to their inbox.
Why is email marketing important for sales?
Email marketing is still extremely popular for sales, as it allows you to track emails that you send. This is why building an email list is important, as you can then send targeted email campaigns to your mailing list knowing they have some level of intent (they must do if they signed up to your list!).
There’s a whole host of reasons why email marketing is important, like:
- Wide user base: 91% of consumers use email, making it an effective channel to announce discounts and product launches.
- Real-time communication: 61.9% of all emails are opened on mobile devices.
- Brand awareness: Regular emails keep your company in customers’ minds
- Audience segmentation: Personalized emails significantly increase open rates
Whilst with platforms like Facebook and TikTok you’re dependent on algorithms, you can send emails directly to your subscribers with no hinderance. helping you interact with your most engaged audience.
3 Great Ways to Build an Email list in WordPress
So, you’ve got people visiting your website and now you want to turn those visitors into email subscribers. There are a few ways that you can do this:
- Insert forms in your sidebar: The sidebar is highly visible to visitors browsing your website
- Create slide-in or pop-up forms: These can appear when users arrive at or leave your website
- Add signup forms after posts: Once visitors read your blog post, they may want to subscribe for more
There are various other strategies to collect emails on your WordPress site. One of the best is to create a dedicated landing page and drive traffic to it, via both organic traffic from search engines and paid traffic from social media – a landing page builder like Elementor or GenerateBlocks can help with this.
Exit intent popups offer another great way to capture emails. Plus, many WordPress plugins offer smart targeting rules that let you display your opt-in form or subscription form at the perfect moment to generate more traffic and conversions.
Creating an email list for WordPress
We know what an email list is, and we know how we can start creating one when we have visitors on our website. Now, we need a tool that can help us build the actual list. There’s a whole host of different email plugins you can use to let users submit their email, with Contact Form 7 probably being the simplest.
Step 1: Create a signup form with Contact Form 7
- Download, install and activate Contact Form 7 from the WordPress plugin directory
- Navigate to “Contact” > “Add New” in your WordPress dashboard
- Under the “Form” tab, add the type of information you want to collect
- Keep your form simple—just asking for email addresses is often best
- Embed your form on your website using the generated shortcode
Your WordPress dashboard makes it easy to manage all aspects of your newsletter plugin. Many form builder tools offer a visual editor with live preview functionality so you can perfect your sign up form before embedding it on your site.
You can place these registration forms in your widget area or throughout your website to maximize visibility. The free version of most form plugins gives you enough functionality to get started, though pro versions typically offer additional features to help view analytics and boost engagement.
Step 2: Connect Contact Form 7 with ActiveCampaign
- Use plugins like “Active Campaign & Contact Form 7” to connect the services
- Once activated, configure the ActiveCampaign settings in Contact Form 7
- Add your ActiveCampaign URL and API key
- Select the list where you want to save your contacts
There are numerous email providers to choose from besides ActiveCampaign. Mailchimp offers a free plan that’s perfect for beginners, while Constant Contact and Campaign Monitor provide robust features for more advanced users.
Whichever provider you choose, look for one that offers reliable email delivery, allows users to easily unsubscribe (as required by law), and provides a single dashboard to manage all your email subscribers. Many providers integrate seamlessly with other plugins in the WordPress ecosystem, allowing you to manage everything from a built-in interface on the next screen after setup.
Sending password-protected content to subscribers
If you want to provide exclusive content to subscribers, you can use the PPWP Pro plugin:
- Password protect content: Activate PPWP Pro and protect your desired content
- Configure ActiveCampaign integration: Add the ActiveCampaign API URL and key
- Set up the form: Have the plugin automatically generate passwords for subscribers
This approach using password protection serves as one of the most powerful lead magnets you can offer. By providing exclusive content through a Mailchimp account or other email service, you’re giving readers something valuable in exchange for their email address.
Conclusion
Building a subscriber list isn’t just about collecting email addresses – it’s about building relationships. When you offer password protected content, you create a value exchange that turns casual visitors into engaged subscribers. This reader supported model ensures your audience gets content they really want.
Remember your email list is more than a marketing channel – it’s a direct line to your most interested audience. Whether you have a WordPress blog or an e-commerce store, a well maintained email list can make a huge impact on your business growth and sustainability.
Great content creators know success comes from combining great content with strategic email marketing. It’s this winning formula that turns casual readers into loyal subscribers and ultimately into customers.
