You have a good-sized email subscriber list. While it’s nice to have this audience receiving your messages, it doesn’t truly pay unless you can eventually turn these leads into customers.

One way to do this is to optimize your email list for additional marketing purposes. Instead of letting customers just reside on the list, you need to incentivize them to visit places where they will get a fuller understanding of your business or organization. Your social media pages are one example. Here your subscribers can interact with your brand in a more personal way. Your website is, of course, a great place to send them where they have the option to purchase your products and services.

The following are several methods you can use to create more touchpoints and ensure that your email leads become customers.

1. Include a call to action that takes subscribers to your social accounts and website

Every email should have a call to action. It can be the focus of the email, or reside at the bottom of the email, where your subscribers will see it after they’ve read your email. Either way, no email is complete without one.

An urgent call to action will motivate the customer to make a purchase before a deal or limited-time offer vanishes forever. Here’s an example from a jeweler, Gemma Gray. Notice the urgent language and enticing deal.

2. Place social media buttons and website links in every email 

Adding your social media and website links into your email can be done with the click of a button. Make sure you include the icons for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other site that your brand uses.

Above the buttons, you could say something like, “Like our Facebook page to receive exclusive fan surprises” or “Follow us on Twitter and be the first to learn about our upcoming promotions.” You could also add in the word “connect” to make the buttons more prominent, just like Gap did here:

3. Offer a coupon or promote a sale on your website

The chance to receive exclusive coupons and promotions is one of the reasons that people will sign up for an email list. To redeem them, customers should have to visit your website. It’s a scenario where both parties win. You get the customers on your site, and they get a great deal.

Below is an example of a promotion from Old Navy that leads to the website and has an urgent call to action

4. Invite customers to a social media contest

A social media contest, like a Facebook quiz or giveaway, or ‘tweet to win’ competition, can be promoted in your emails. Customers are more likely to click through to your social media pages if you offer a prize. A free product, service or the chance for customers to see their original submissions in your marketing campaigns are good examples.

Check out this Vine competition from Applebee’s called  #BeeFamous to see an example of a social media contest. The chain encouraged customers to vine their reactions to the special new menu items.

 5. Use a sign-up form to increase your email leads

At this point, you know that your email marketing campaigns can be utilized to attract customers to your social media pages and website. Remember that the opposite is also true. Your social media pages and your website should be used to grow your email list.

A simple way to do this is to include a sign-up form on your website or social media pages. Make sure it stands out by placing it where customers can easily see it and input their email address.

If you’re a VerticalResponse customer, you can take advantage of our ready-to-go sign-up forms. When a customer signs up, the contact information is automatically added to your email lists within VerticalResponse. (Check out this post to learn how to set it up.)

You can also use third party websites like Popup Domination, which adds a pop-up window to your website to encourage visitors to enter their name and email address.

Always work to grow your email list. A strong, healthy list of contacts is key to your marketing success, so make efforts to add names throughout the year.

Kylie Jane Wakefield is a freelance writer and content creator in Los Angeles. She’s written for NewsCred, CMO.com, Forbes, Tablet Magazine, and The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles.

© 2015, Contributing Author. All rights reserved.