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GabbyEsposito
Community Manager
Community Manager
September 22, 2026

Share your biggest gaps or challenges on growing your list. Are there any new strategies you are using?

  • September 22, 2026
  • 4 replies
  • 52 views
woman looking at phone

BFCM Peer Pulse: Is your list ready for the rush? 📈

BFCM is getting closer, which means the race to grow your list is officially on. But more subscribers isn’t always the goal. More of the right subscribers is.

So, how’s list growth looking for you right now?

What’s the biggest thing standing in your way: acquisition costs, lead quality, getting people to actually opt in, finding the right offer… something else entirely?

And if you’re experimenting, tell us what you’re trying. 👀 New channels? Different pop-up strategies? Giveaways? Early access? A surprisingly effective incentive?

Drop your biggest list-growth challenge below or share something that’s actually working or a creative idea. Your thoughts might be exactly what another marketer needs to try before peak season.

Need a place to start? Check out the BFCM Hub for list-growth strategies and guidance on what to prioritize, then come back here to compare notes with other marketers.

 

 

4 replies

marika-t
Problem Solver III
Problem Solver III
September 23, 2026

Two of my favourite list growth tactics right now are built for lead quality over volume, so they might not bring in the biggest numbers, but the subscribers you get tend to be more engaged.

 

1. An SMS pop-up for people already on your email list

Set up a pop-up that only shows to email subscribers who haven't opted in to SMS yet. You can do this by targeting the form to people in a segment of email subscribers who aren't SMS subscribers. Inboxes get really crowded in Q4, so building your SMS list before BFCM gives you a second way to reach people when it matters most.

If you add a small incentive for opting in, it can also bring in an extra order: you get a purchase now, plus a new SMS subscriber you can reach through peak season.

 

2. Social auto-replies on Instagram

This is one of Klaviyo's newer features, and it's FREE on every Klaviyo email plan. You ask your followers to DM or comment a keyword (on a post, a reel, or a story), and Klaviyo automatically sends them a DM asking for their email and/or phone number. Once they opt in, they're added to Klaviyo and can go into a welcome flow built just for your Instagram audience.

It's quick to set up once your Instagram Business account is connected, and it's a great way to turn people who already like your content into subscribers you can actually reach.

 

Honourable mention: giveaways 🎉

Giveaways cast a much wider net, and when the prize is your own product, they tend to attract people who actually want what you sell. I'd still keep a close eye on anyone who comes in this way. Tag them with a source (a profile property, or a segment based on the form they signed up through), and if they haven't opened or clicked after a set period, suppress them. That keeps your list healthy heading into your busiest sending season.

 

Bonus: A/B test your pop-ups!!!

You don't need a full redesign to see results. Small changes can move your opt-in rate:

  • Swap the image. A lifestyle shot of someone using the product might beat a product close-up (or it might not, which is why you test 😂).
  • Try shorter copy against longer copy.
  • Test the headline or the offer framing.

Change one thing at a time so you know what made the difference, and give each test enough traffic before you call a winner. Don't assume your current pop-up is working as well as it could be. Keep challenging your control with new variations.

 

Looking forward to stealing some ideas from this thread 👀

RachelF
Problem Solver IV
2025 Champion
September 23, 2026

All great ideas here, and now is definitely the time to test those pop-ups! The SMS pop-up for existing email subscribers is one of our favorites. They already know and like the brand, so asking for their number is a natural next step rather than a cold ask.

We’ve also been leaning into RCS with those subscribers, and the richer format has been outperforming standard SMS for us!

VP of Marketing, Happy Wax
RachelF
Problem Solver IV
2025 Champion
September 23, 2026

A few list-growth tactics I’m liking right now are less about getting the biggest list possible and more about making sure the people coming in are actually likely to stick around.

Warranty registration. If you sell anything with a warranty, setup, or care component, this is a natural place to ask for consent. A first-time customer may not know the brand well enough, or feel interested enough, to opt in at checkout. But once the product is actually in their hands, they’re more excited, more invested, and often much more likely to opt in and stick around.

Quizzes. This one has worked well for us for several years, and this year is no different. Our “find your scent” quiz also doubles as an opt-in. People get personalized recommendations, and we get zero-party data we can use from the very first email instead of dropping them into a generic flow.

We’re always testing new ways to grow our lists in more targeted, thoughtful ways. I can’t wait to see what everyone else is trying!

VP of Marketing, Happy Wax
marika-t
Problem Solver III
Problem Solver III
September 23, 2026

LOVE these. Now I wish I worked with a brand that has a warranty component 🤣

Quizzes are underrated and I feel users are used to the email exchange for their results. The zero party data use cases after are the cherry on top of this list growth tactic!