1. Have a raffle.

Everyone loves free stuff and will usually give up some information to get it. A great way to expand your marketing program is to hold a raffle that requires contact information in order to participate. Doing this will not only expand your database, but increase your chances of getting quality contacts and real contact information. Don’t forget to include an opt-in box so you don’t get spam complaints from people who just want a freebie.

2. Keep good records

This one sounds simple, but keeping track of who comes to your functions is sometimes overlooked. By creating a registry of everyone that attends your seminars, trade shows, speeches, presentations, giveaways or whatever else you decide to host, you have a solid list of people that are worth contacting. There are lots of ways to do this, and all of them are easy.

• Via tablet/iPad/ kiosk: Present in-store customers with a short form and gather key data, which you can later sync to your marketing platform to help deliver more relevant content.
• Via SMS: Encourage people to opt in to your email program via text message, then use progressive forms to collect more data once you’ve secured the initial email address. Bonus perk: no more worries about employees incorrectly typing email addresses.
• Via mobile app: For the millions accessing info on the go, use your app download process (if applicable) to capture email opt-ins.
• Via local check-in: Use fun “To-Do” lists via local check-in services such as Foursquare to engage customers and tease to your email program

3. Use your printer.

Email may live in the cloud, but your registration options don’t have to. Have registration cards printed and available at your office, in your stores, in a magazine or even on your receipts. It’s not about how you do it, just that you do it. Having multiple options for registration in front of your clients at all times increases the chances of them signing up, and serves as a good reminder that you do business online as well.

4. Create a link.

This might be the easiest option on this list. Create a simple button on your website that takes visitors to a registration page. All your customers have to do is click the button and enter their information. You could also create a landing page to achieve the same results. Sometimes your obstacle isn’t if, but how. Make the sign-up process easy to find and easier to do.

5. Include a reward.

A great way to encourage clients to sign up is to offer email-specific incentives. It can be as simple as a members-only email club, free shipping coupons or even discounts for services. Now you can deliver your message and give the customer some motivation to receive it.

6. Show your past.

An effective way to increase your chances of success is to make previous email offers and content available for viewing. Reassure your customers that you’ll only send them email based on their preferences, and they’ll be more likely to sign up. This could be as simple as setting up a sample email on your website, or as advanced as including your entire email history in an archive. This will expand your reach with your customer base, as well as gain trust by reassuring your subscribers that you won’t be sending them spam.

7. Go make some friends.

Social networking is growing at incredible rates. A smart idea to spread your email’s reach would be to tweet every customer that “checks in” at your place of business. A good start would be something along the lines of “@JohnDoe Thanks for visiting! Want to learn about more great deals here at Silverpop? Sign up for our emails at ow.ly/signup.” Not only have you made the person feel more welcome, but now they have an additional chance to find your email subscription list.

8. Bring friends to you.

Being outgoing with as many customers as possible is an effective way to expand your reach, but it’s not the only aspect of social networking that you should focus on. Building a successful Facebook/LinkedIn/Twitter page can have just as big of an impact. Not only will it be a friendly place for people to learn about your business, but it will also present another opportunity to increase opt-ins, such as by teasing your email program via Twitter or including an email opt-in form on your company’s Facebook page.

Ditch the “life story” forms.

Whether a visitor to your website is coming directly from a social network or is just one of the millions of people who make social a part of their daily lives, offering the option of signing in with a social login (e.g. Facebook or Twitter) as an alternative to filling out a form has several benefits. First, not only does it strengthen the social perception of your brand, but it makes the visitor’s sign-in process easier, a key advantage given research indicating that 75 percent of consumers are bothered by website registrations and will change their behavior as a result. Second, new marketing technology can automatically sync the visitor’s social login with records in your marketing database, improving your data in the process

Add it to another email.

Does your business sell anything online? Because if it does, you probably send some sort of confirmation email saying the order was a success. Why not include a quick registration with it? Recipients are still getting the information they desire, and you’re sending one last reminder that they haven’t signed up for your email list yet. You could even include a discount on their next order if they give you their email address.