Having a comprehensive e-mail list is one of the key challenges faced by many startup businesses. This list will help you promote your products or services in a very practical way and kick off your prospecting initiatives. Here are some basic tips you can apply without spending too much money:

Online Tactics

1. Include a sign-up form on every page of your website and place it where online visitors can easily see.

2. Use a call to action to motivate online visitors to sign up. Support it with freebies or coupons.
3. Add an “Email to Friends” option with every interesting article and press release you post on your website.
4. Make the subscription link a part of your email signature and ask all your employees, family members, and friends to add the link to their email signatures as well.
5. Submit articles and press releases to several online article and PR directories and include the subscription link at the footer.

Offline Tactics

6. Put a subscribe link in your invoices and receipts.

7. Gather email addresses during trade shows.
8. If you have the postal address of your existing customers, send a card or catalog and request to join the e-mail list to get more interesting information and big discounts.
9. If you are running tri-media ads (TV, radio, and print), prompt your customers to visit your website and subscribe.
10. If you have extra money, conduct a free enriching seminar and the only entrance fee is an email address.

According to MavenBlog, having a database is just one of the 7 fundamental must-do’s of a small business marketing strategy. Read the other 6 to complete your strategy.