Latest / The Email Marketing Podcast with Fexingo: Newsletters, Open Rates, and Subscriber Growth / How Email List Co-Registration Boosts Subscriber Growth
Transcript
- Lucas: So, Luna, I've been digging into something that's been quietly working for a lot of email marketers lately, and I think it deserves a closer look. It's called co-registration, and it's a way to grow your list that's a bit different from the usual lead magnet or partnership play. Luna: Co-registration—I've heard the term thrown around, but I'm not entirely sure what it means in practice. Is it like when you sign up for one newsletter and they offer you a bunch of others? Lucas: Exactly. You're filling out a form to subscribe to one brand's email list, and at the bottom, there's a pre-checked box or a series of boxes offering you related newsletters from partner brands. You can opt in with a single click, and those partners share the cost of acquisition. Luna: So it's like a bundle deal for email lists. But doesn't that feel a bit... spammy? I remember getting those annoying pre-checked boxes that I had to uncheck. Lucas: There's definitely a bad way to do it, and that's the reputation it has. But when it's done transparently, with relevant partners and clear value, it can be incredibly effective. I've been looking at a case from a mid-sized travel company, let's call them Wanderly, that used co-registration to grow their list by 35 percent in a single quarter. Luna: 35 percent in one quarter? That's not nothing. What did they do differently? Lucas: They partnered with three complementary brands: a luggage company, a travel insurance provider, and a language learning app. When someone subscribed to Wanderly's weekly travel deals, they saw a single checkbox offering all three partner newsletters as a bundle. Luna: And people actually opted in? I feel like most people are trained to uncheck those boxes. Lucas: That's the interesting part. They tested a few formats. The winning version was a single checkbox that said something like, 'Yes, also send me tips from our trusted travel partners.' It wasn't pre-checked, and it was framed as a value-add, not a sneaky add-on. Luna: So transparency was key. But what about the partners? How did they get them on board? I imagine a luggage company might not want to share their list with a competitor. Lucas: They're not competitors, they're complementary. The luggage company gets access to a new audience of travelers, and they only pay when someone actually opts in. It's a performance-based model, so the risk is low. Luna: That makes sense. But doesn't that just inflate the list with people who don't really want your content? I mean, they might be interested in luggage, but not necessarily in weekly travel deals. Lucas: That's the big fear, and it's valid. But Wanderly saw their open rates stay above 60 percent even after the growth spurt. They did a few things to keep quality high. Luna: Okay, I'm curious. What were those things? Lucas: First, they used a double opt-in for all co-registration signups. So even if someone checked the box, they still had to confirm their email. That filters out a lot of accidental or bot signups. Luna: Double opt-in is a pain, but it does help with deliverability. Lucas: Right. And second, they sent a welcome email immediately that made it clear what the subscriber had signed up for, and they gave an easy one-click unsubscribe option right there. They didn't want anyone feeling trapped. Luna: So they set expectations early. That probably helps with long-term engagement too. Lucas: Exactly. And they also asked a quick question in that welcome email—what kind of trips are you planning, solo, family, or adventure? That helped them segment right from the start, so they could tailor the content. Luna: So the growth wasn't just about numbers, it was about bringing in the right people. But there's a cost, right? I mean, you're paying per acquisition, and that adds up. Lucas: It does, but you're sharing the cost with your partners. In Wanderly's case, they negotiated a cost per acquisition of about fifty cents per subscriber. That's way cheaper than most paid advertising channels. Luna: Fifty cents is pretty good. But what about the partners? Aren't they getting the same subscribers? I mean, if I sign up for all three, I'm on all their lists. So the value is diluted. Lucas: That's a fair point, and it's something to negotiate. Some partners prefer exclusive co-registration, meaning they're the only one in a given category. Wanderly did that—they had one luggage brand, one insurance provider, one language app, and they rotated partners every few months to keep things fresh. Luna: Rotating partners sounds smart. It also gives you a reason to reach out to your existing subscribers with new offers, like, 'Hey, we've got a new partner you might like.' Lucas: Exactly. And that's actually a retention play. They saw a bump in engagement from existing subscribers when they announced a new partner, because it was something new and relevant. Luna: So co-registration isn't just about acquisition, it's also a way to keep your list engaged. But I'm still wondering about the downside. What if a partner sends bad emails or has a poor reputation? That could rub off on you. Lucas: That's a real risk, which is why you need to vet your partners carefully. Look at their sending reputation, check their unsubscribe rates, and maybe even do a test signup to see what their emails actually look like. You don't want to be associated with spam. Luna: Good advice. And what about the subscriber experience? If I sign up for Wanderly and get bombarded with emails from four different brands, I might regret it. Lucas: That's why the bundle approach works well. The subscriber sees one checkbox, not four, and they're told it's a bundle of trusted partners. It's a single opt-in for multiple lists, but they know what they're getting. Luna: I can see how it could feel overwhelming if it's not clear. But if it's framed as a perk, like, 'Get tips from our partners too,' it feels like a bonus, not an imposition. Lucas: Exactly. And the key is to make it relevant. Wanderly chose partners that fit their audience's interests. A solo traveler might not care about family-friendly resorts, but they'd love language tips for their trip. Luna: So it's all about audience alignment. But let's talk about implementation. How do you actually set up co-registration from a technical standpoint? Lucas: Most email service providers have built-in co-registration features, or you can use a third-party tool that integrates with your forms. The basic setup is creating a custom field on your signup form that passes the subscriber's info to your partner's ESP. Luna: So it's not that hard to get started. But what metrics should you track? Obviously, the number of new subscribers, but what else? Lucas: You want to track the conversion rate of your signup form, the opt-in rate for the co-registration boxes, and then the long-term metrics like open rate, click-through rate, and unsubscribe rate for those co-registered subscribers compared to your organic ones. Luna: Did Wanderly see any difference between the two groups? Lucas: They did. The co-registered subscribers had a slightly lower open rate initially, about 55 percent compared to 65 percent for organic, but after three months, it evened out. They also saw a higher click to open rate among co-registered subscribers, which suggests they were more targeted. Luna: So they might be more engaged, even if they're a bit cooler to start. That's a good sign for the long run. Lucas: Yeah, it's about building relationships over time. And they also tracked the lifetime value of those co-registered subscribers, and it was actually higher than their organic subscribers by about 20 percent after six months. Luna: That's a strong argument for co-registration. But is it something every brand should try? I imagine it works better for some industries than others. Lucas: In general, B2C brands with a broad audience and complementary partners do well. Travel is classic, but also fitness, food, and lifestyle. B2B can work too, but you need to be more careful about the targeting and the value exchange. Luna: What about a small business with a tiny list? Would co-registration even be worth it? Lucas: It can be, but you need to have at least a few thousand engaged subscribers to make it attractive to partners. Otherwise, you might not have enough volume to justify the setup. Luna: So it's a growth strategy for when you're past the initial stage. But what about the competition? If you partner with a brand that later becomes a competitor, that could be awkward. Lucas: That's a valid concern, but you can protect yourself with contracts that specify exclusivity and the right to terminate if the partnership becomes problematic. And sometimes, a bit of competition is healthy—it keeps you on your toes. Luna: True. But let's go back to the listener's perspective. If I'm a listener and I sign up for one newsletter and get offered three others, what's the best way to ensure I don't feel overwhelmed? Lucas: For the brand, it's about making the offer clear and easy to decline. Use a single checkbox, not a pre-checked one, and let people opt in to the whole bundle or none. If they want to pick and choose, that's a different flow, but it can get complicated. Luna: So the simplicity is part of the value. But how do you measure the success of a co-registration campaign beyond just subscriber count? You mentioned open rates and lifetime value, but what about revenue? Lucas: Wanderly tracked revenue per email sent for the co-registered segment, and it was about thirty percent higher than their average email campaign. That's because they were reaching people who were already interested in the topic, and the welcome sequence was optimized for conversions. Luna: That's a solid ROI. So co-registration isn't just about growing a list, it's about growing a profitable list. But I'm curious about the ethical side. Is it transparent enough? Lucas: The key is to be upfront. If you're offering a bundle, say so. Don't hide the fact that they're signing up for multiple lists. And always include a clear privacy policy that mentions the partners. Luna: That makes sense. It's all about earning trust. And if you lose trust, you might as well say goodbye to your open rates. Lucas: Exactly. And that's where a lot of co-registration schemes fail—they get greedy and pre-check boxes, or they partner with low-quality lists, and then their deliverability tanks. Luna: So the best approach is to treat it like any other marketing channel: focus on relevance, transparency, and long-term value. Lucas: Well said. And I think that's a good place to wrap up. Co-registration isn't a silver bullet, but when done right, it can be a powerful addition to your growth toolkit. Luna: Before you go, I just want to say—if you've enjoyed these marketing conversations and actually used some of the ideas we've shared, it would mean a lot if you could support the show. A couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these episodes coming. You can do that at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Lucas: Yeah, it's a small thing that makes a real difference. And on that note, thanks for listening. We'll see you next time with more practical marketing strategies you can use right away.