Email list
What is an email list?
An email list is a collection of email addresses you can send to, usually people who opted in: newsletter subscribers, users, customers or people who downloaded a lead magnet. It lives in an email tool that handles sending, segmentation and unsubscribes.
An owned, opt-in list is different from a bought list (see buying email lists).
Why an email list matters
An email list is an audience you control, unlike followers on a platform whose algorithm decides who sees your posts.
Related marketing terms
A lead magnet is something useful offered for free, such as a guide, template, tool or trial, in exchange for a visitor’s email.
Lead nurturing keeps in touch with leads who are not ready to buy, sending useful content until they are, so they choose you when the time comes.
Buying email listsGrey hat
Buying email lists means purchasing contact data from a vendor to email people who never heard of you. It is legal in places and risky everywhere.
A waitlist collects sign-ups from people interested in a product before it is available, to gauge demand and launch to an audience.