Building your list
Collect addresses people want to give you, keep them clean from day one and record where they came from.
What you will be able to do
- Choose collection methods that fit your audience
- Verify addresses at capture
- Record source and consent for every address
Collect with a promise
Say what people will receive and how often. A signup form with a clear promise outperforms a vague one in quality even when it brings fewer people, because the people who join expect your mail.
Methods
Signup forms, an unticked checkbox at checkout, gated guides or templates with honest labels, and event or webinar registration where you say you will follow up. Do not buy or scrape lists.
Verify at the door
Check each address when it arrives, on your server, so typos and throwaway addresses never enter the list. Ask the person to fix invalid addresses; accept unknown results and re-check later.
Record keeping
Store the address, date, source form and the wording shown. Add the verification status and date checked. This record is also your evidence of consent.
Your output: checklist
- ☐ Add a clear promise to every signup form
- ☐ Verify addresses on your server at capture
- ☐ Store source, date and consent wording per address
- ☐ Send a welcome email soon after signup
- ☐ Remove purchased or scraped contacts