Academy / Grow an email list from social
Lesson 3 of 5 · 5 min
A signup people trust
A signup form has one job: get a yes from the right person, with an address that works. Every extra field and every unclear line loses people you wanted.
What the form needs
- A heading that names the offer. "Get the 10 minute morning routine", not "Subscribe".
- One line on what comes after. "Plus one short email a week. Unsubscribe any time."
- An email field. A first name field too, if you will use it in the emails. Nothing else.
- A button that says what happens. "Send me the routine" beats "Submit".
- Who is asking. Your name or logo, so people know whose list they join.
Leave out the phone number, the birthday and the "how did you hear about us". You can ask later, once they know you.
Let people confirm
Good email tools send a short email after signup with a button to confirm the address. It is often called double opt-in. It costs you a few signups from people who never click, and it gives you three things:
- Addresses that work. A typo never makes it onto the list.
- Proof that the person agreed. In many countries you need clear permission to send marketing email, and a confirmation shows you have it.
- A better chance of reaching the inbox. Email services trust senders whose readers asked for the email.
Deliver the offer on the page they see after they confirm, and again in the first email. People who get what they came for right away open the next email too.
Where the form lives
Most email tools give you a signup form as a page with its own link, and as code to paste on your website. Put the link in your bio and behind your QR code. Put the form on the page of your site that gets the most visits, often the home page or the booking page.
Where Postfjord fits today
Postfjord's own email, with signup forms that ask people to confirm, is in testing and not open to every workspace yet. What works for everyone today:
- Addresses from DMs. An automation's Ask for their email in the DM step saves the address on the contact.
- Contacts. Filter by Has email to see everyone you collected, with any tags your automation added, and press Export CSV to take the list to your email tool.
- Mailchimp sync, if Mailchimp is your email tool. Under Settings, Apps, connect Mailchimp, turn on Keep your Mailchimp list updated, and leave New people confirm by email first ticked, so each new address gets a confirmation email before it joins your audience.
How you know it worked
Your form has one field, maybe two, a heading that names the offer and a button that says what happens. Every address you collect gets a confirmation email before your first real email.
Quick check · 3 questions
Check what stuck
Which fields does a signup form need?
Show the answer
Email, and a first name if you will use it. Every extra field loses people. Ask for more later, once they know you.
What does asking people to confirm their address give you?
Show the answer
Addresses that work, proof they agreed, and a better chance of reaching the inbox. It costs a few signups from people who never click, and the list is better for it.
Where do you see the email addresses your Postfjord automations collected?
Show the answer
In Contacts, with the Has email filter. Export them as CSV, or sync them to Mailchimp with a confirmation email first.
In this course
- 1An offer worth an email addressWhy "join our newsletter" gets few signups, what makes a free offer work, examples for studios, salons, shops and coaches, and how to test one before you make it. · 5 min
- 2Where to ask for the emailThe places on social and in real life where people say yes, and how to collect the address in an Instagram or Facebook DM with Postfjord. · 5 min
- 3A signup people trustWhat a signup form needs and what it can leave out, why people should confirm their address, and where the addresses you collect in Postfjord go next. · 5 min
- 4The welcome emailThe first email is the one most people open. What to put in it, a full example you can copy, and what to leave for later. · 6 min
- 5How often to send, and whatPick a rhythm you can keep, a simple shape for each email, what to do about unsubscribes, and the few numbers worth watching. · 5 min