Use a subscription form on your Web site

The best way to build an email marketing list is to create your own from scratch. That way, every person who signs up has expressed specific interest in hearing from you. The simplest way to build your own email marketing list is to include a sign-up form on every page of your company's Web site.

I recommend: If you're tech savvy, create your own form manually. Otherwise, consider using an email marketing service to create a subscription form for you. Bravenet offers free email marketing services and a tutorial on creating forms. For professional services, try Constant Contact, which also offers tips and hints for building your list.

Have a signup form in your store or business

Brick and mortar businesses don't have to use the Web to build an email marketing list. If you run a restaurant, retail outlet, or any other type of business, ask customers to sign up for your email marketing list at the time of purchase.

I recommend: In addition to a simple sign-up sheet, have postcards printed that customers can take with them, fill out, and send back to you.

Offer an incentive signing up

Incentives can increase your subscription rates dramatically. Entice customers to sign up for your email list either online or offline by offering coupons, special offers, reports, a free e-book, or anything else that would appeal to your target market. Take note that incentives for signup can also dilute the strength of your list since some people who don't want to receive emails from you will sign up simply to receive the incentive.

I recommend: Create and host e-books for free at online print-on-demand (POD) publishers, such as Lulu.com, then provide the download link to new subscribers.

Buy or rent a list from an email list broker

If you don't have the patience to build your own email marketing list, you'll need to buy or rent a list. Make sure your broker uses opt-in procedures rather than harvesting email addresses online, otherwise, you could be labeled a spammer. Note that some email marketing services won't allow you to use these lists even if they're opt-in, so check with your provider before buying a list.

I recommend: Search for list brokers at the Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) Yellow Pages.