Growing your email list is how you stay top of mind, engage your audience, and ultimately drive them to buy from you — or take whatever action matters most to your business. This free one-hour webinar covers the strategy behind list growth and walks you through every tool in Constant Contact you can use to start collecting subscribers today.
Sessions run Monday–Friday, multiple times daily from 4:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Can't make a live session? Register anyway — we'll send you a recording to watch at your convenience.
What You'll Learn
This session covers both the strategy and the hands-on tools for growing a permission-based email list:
Why permission-based list building matters — and how to stay compliant with email marketing laws and regulations
How to entice people to sign up — lead magnets, exclusive content, promotions, and setting expectations that reduce subscriber objections
Where to ask for sign-ups — in person, online, and in print materials
How to create a pop-up form — with timing controls, exit intent, and branding options for your website
How to build a sign-up landing page — a standalone branded page you can share on social media, in emails, and as a QR code
How to set up Text to Join — so contacts can subscribe via SMS text message
How to add sign-up forms to your website — fly-out, banner, and inline form options
How to run Facebook Lead Ads — to reach new audiences who aren't following you yet
How to set up an automated welcome email — so every new subscriber hears from you immediately
How to add an email opt-in to your event registration form — to build your list from event attendees automatically
3 Places to Ask for Sign-Ups
1. In Person Any time you're interacting with current or potential customers — at events, during purchases, accepting donations, or just in conversation. Options include paper sign-up sheets you enter manually, or the Constant Contact List Builder App (available on iPad and Android tablets) where contacts type in their email and it syncs to your account automatically.
2. Online The highest-volume channel for most businesses. Key opportunities include:
A pop-up form on your website to capture visitors before they leave
A sign-up landing page you can share as a link on social media, in your email signature, or anywhere your audience is
A QR code linked to your landing page for events, print materials, and signage
Your social media bio — Instagram and TikTok don't allow clickable links in captions, so the bio is your best placement
The checkout or donation process on your website — a simple opt-in checkbox at the point of transaction
Facebook Lead Ads — targeted sign-up forms that reach lookalike audiences beyond your existing followers
3. Print Business cards, flyers, brochures, direct mail, event signage, and any physical materials your audience touches. Add a QR code that links to your sign-up landing page, or promote your Text to Join number so people can subscribe on the spot from their phone.
6 Sign-Up Form Types in Constant Contact
Pop-up form — appears on top of your website after a set delay or on exit intent. Best for capturing visitors while they're actively browsing. Requires pasting a short HTML code snippet into your website's back end.
Sign-up landing page — a standalone branded webpage with its own URL. Share it anywhere: social media posts, your bio, email signature, QR codes, print materials. The most versatile form type. Includes a customizable thank-you page and optional QR code download.
Fly-out form — slides onto the screen from the top, bottom, or side of your website. Less intrusive than a pop-up. Added via HTML code like the pop-up.
Banner form — a static form pinned to the top or bottom of your website. Always visible without interrupting the browsing experience.
Inline form — embedded directly on a webpage (for example, a Contact Us page). Looks like the pop-up but stays in place rather than popping up.
Text to Join — available with Constant Contact's SMS marketing tool. Give contacts a phone number and the word "join" to text. They send their email address and are automatically added to your list — and their phone number is saved as an SMS contact too. Requires no design work; the messaging and compliance language are pre-written.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this webinar free? Yes, completely free for all Constant Contact users and anyone looking to grow their email list.
How long is the webinar? Approximately one hour, including a live Q&A window throughout the session.
What times are sessions available? Monday–Friday at 4:00 a.m., 7:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Register at the link above to pick the time that works best for you.
Will I get a recording if I can't attend live? Yes — register for any session and we'll send you the recording automatically, whether you attend live or not.
What is a permission-based email list? A permission-based list means every contact on it has given you some form of consent to receive emails from you — through a signup form, a checkbox at checkout, a business card exchange, a verbal request, or a similar interaction. They know they'll be receiving emails from you. This is required by Constant Contact and protects you from spam complaints, unsubscribes, and legal liability under email privacy regulations.
Why can't I use a purchased email list? Purchased contacts never gave you permission to email them. When they receive your email, they're likely to delete it, mark it as spam, or report it — all of which damage your sender reputation and can get your account suspended. Beyond the practical risks, using purchased lists violates Constant Contact's terms of service and email marketing laws in many regions.
What is a lead magnet? A lead magnet is something valuable you offer in exchange for someone's email address — a discount, a free guide, exclusive content, early access to news, or anything else your audience would find worth signing up for. For example: "Sign up and receive a free nutrition guide" or "Join our list for 15% off your first purchase." Lead magnets significantly increase sign-up rates by giving people a concrete reason to subscribe.
What should I include in my sign-up form description? At minimum, tell people what they're signing up for and how often you'll send. Addressing those two things up front reduces the biggest objections people have. For example: "Sign up for our monthly newsletter and receive a free adoption guide. You'll get updates about our animals, events, and volunteer opportunities — no more than once a month." Constant Contact sign-up forms also automatically include fine print about privacy and the option to unsubscribe.
How do I add a pop-up form to my website? Create the form in Constant Contact under Channels → Sign Up Forms → Pop Up Form. Once published, click "View Universal Code" to copy the HTML snippet, then paste it into the appropriate place in your website's back end. Constant Contact provides quick install guides with instructions for common platforms like Wix, WordPress, Squarespace, and others.
What is exit intent on a pop-up form? Exit intent detects when a visitor's mouse moves toward closing the tab or navigating away from the page, and triggers the pop-up at that moment. It's a way to capture a sign-up right before someone leaves your site. You can enable it in the pop-up form's settings alongside a timer delay.
How do I share my sign-up landing page on social media? From your sign-up landing page, click Share. Constant Contact connects directly with Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok. Note: links aren't clickable in captions on Instagram and TikTok, so for those platforms, paste the landing page URL into your bio and direct followers there from your posts.
How do I create a QR code for my sign-up form? From your published sign-up landing page, click Share → Share QR Code. Download the QR code image and print it on any physical materials — event signage, business cards, flyers, or brochures. Anyone who scans it is taken directly to your sign-up form on their phone.
Can I get notified every time someone signs up? Yes. In the sign-up landing page settings, there's an option to receive an email notification every time a new contact submits the form. Enter the email address where you want those notifications sent and check the box to activate it.
What is Text to Join and how do I set it up? Text to Join lets contacts subscribe to your email list (and SMS list) by texting a word and their email address to a dedicated phone number. Go to Channels → Sign Up Forms → Text to Join. Choose the list you want new contacts added to — the confirmation message and compliance language are already written for you. Then promote your phone number and instructions wherever your audience is: events, in-store signage, social posts, and print materials. Text to Join requires Constant Contact's SMS marketing feature, which is included in the Premium plan or available as an add-on.
How do I add an email opt-in to my event registration form? In Constant Contact's Events tool, go to your event's form setup and check the box that says "Allow registrants to opt in to marketing communications." Customize the label (e.g., "Sign up for future event emails") and anyone who checks the box during registration is automatically added to the list of your choice.
What is a Facebook Lead Ad and how does it help grow my list? A Facebook Lead Ad is a paid ad that displays a sign-up form directly on Facebook to people who don't already follow you. In Constant Contact, go to Channels → Sign Up Forms → Facebook Lead Ad to create the form and connect it to your Facebook Ad account. You upload a list of current contacts, Facebook finds a lookalike audience similar to your existing subscribers, and targets them with your ad. This is a good option if you want to reach entirely new people beyond your current followers.
What should I do immediately after someone signs up? Send them a welcome email right away — ideally automated so it happens the moment they subscribe. The welcome email should thank them for signing up, deliver whatever you promised (the discount code, free guide, etc.), introduce your business, and let them know what to expect from future emails. Constant Contact's Automations tool includes a "Welcome Basic" template for this that triggers automatically when a new contact is added to a list. See the Getting Started with Automated Messages webinar for a full walkthrough.
How do I upload contacts I already have into Constant Contact? Go to Contacts → Add Contacts. Options include uploading a CSV or spreadsheet file, typing or pasting contacts in manually, adding a single contact, or syncing through an integration. Constant Contact integrates with Salesforce, Google Contacts, and many other CRMs and platforms — check the Integrations section in your account to see if your system is supported.
Who hosts the webinar? The Constant Contact Webinar Team. Questions after the session? The team is available through the resources listed below.
Next Steps After the Webinar
Here's where to start immediately after watching:
Create a pop-up form — if you have a website, get this set up first. It captures sign-ups passively while you sleep.
Build a sign-up landing page — takes minutes to set up and gives you a shareable link for social media, email, and print right away.
Download a QR code from your landing page and add it to any printed materials or signage you use.
Set up Text to Join — if you're on the Premium plan or have SMS, activate this and start promoting your number in person and in print.
Create an automated welcome email — so every new subscriber hears from you immediately, without you having to do anything manually.
Related Webinars
These sessions pair well with list growth — watch them in this order for the best foundation:
Getting Started: Upload Your Contacts & Send Your First Email
How to Grow Your Email & SMS List (this session)
Getting Started with Automated Messages — set up your automated welcome email
How to Segment Your Email List — once your list is growing, learn to target the right people
View all upcoming webinars and register →
Additional Resources
Knowledge Base — written how-to articles, short tutorial videos, and QuickStart guides. Available 24/7. Also accessible via the ? icon in your Constant Contact account.
Ask a Trainer — free drop-in virtual sessions with a Constant Contact expert, Monday–Friday 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. ET. No registration required.
Contact Support — chat with a live agent Monday–Friday 3:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. ET, or call 866-289-2101 (Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. ET).
Help Center — full library of documentation, FAQs, webinars, and learning resources in one place.
Constant Contact Community — ask questions, share tips, and connect with other Constant Contact users and experts.
