10 Best Email Pop-up Examples To Grow Your List

Whether you adore or abhor pop-ups, they work.

Pop-ups quietly generate subscriber after subscriber day after day while people argue about their effectiveness. Like that weird but brilliant cousin in every family who everyone reluctantly turns to when they are desperate for help, content creators resort to pop-ups when they want to grow their email lists exponentially.

If you’re ready to abandon the argument and see pop-ups in action, you’re in luck. In this guide, I will dissect the ten best email pop-up examples and show you how–and why–they work.

What Is an Email Popup?

An email pop-up is an email signup form that emerges on a web page when visitors browse a website.

Pop-ups are crazy effective for collecting email addresses when used correctly. But they can irritate readers and result in poor user experience if mishandled.

What Is a Newsletter Popup?

Similar to an email pop-up, a newsletter pop-up is a subscription form that appears on website visitors’ screens explicitly asking them to sign up for your newsletter.

Email pop-ups are content creators’ most popular method for growing their email lists.

What Is a Good Pop-up?

A good pop-up should have the following:

• An eye-catching design that attracts users.

• An enticing offer that draws users in.

• A short signup form that's easy to fill.

• A clear call-to-action that doesn’t confuse users.

• An element of urgency to drive instant action.

What Should a Pop-up Contain?

For your pop-up to be effective, it should contain the following:

• An attractive visual that grabs the attention of website visitors.

• A reasonably sized window that doesn’t cover the entire screen.

• A clearly visible close button so users can close it easily.

• A simple call-to-action that tells visitors exactly what to do.

• A color combination that matches your brand colors.

• An offer that’s aligned with the page content.

What Are Pop-up Examples?

There are many pop-up examples, including:

1. Exit pop-ups appear when a user is about to leave a page.

2. Entry pop-ups slide onto the screen when visitors arrive on a page.

3. Timed pop-ups appear when a visitor has browsed a page for a specified length of time.

4. On-click pop-ups appear after a user has clicked an anchored text.

5. Location-based pop-ups are shown to users in a specific location.

How Do You Write a Pop-up Email? 10 Best Email Pop-up Examples

Let’s now get into the mechanics of email pop-up writing and design. I will unpack the ten best pop-up examples and explain why they work.

1. BarBend: Capture Attention With a Powerful Headline.

BarBend, a strength training, nutrition, sports, news, and reviews site, has an excellent pop-up worth unpacking.

Why This Works

• Enchanting headline: the headline “Be The Smartest Person In The Room” is powerful. First, it’s capitalized, which grabs instant attention. Note too that it’s only seven words long, which helps the visitor quickly get the gist of the newsletter signup offer and move down the form. Also, the brand underlined the “smartest person” to trigger the psychological tendency for people to be number one.

• Straightforward offer: under the headline, the pop-up explains simply what the reader will get if they sign up for the newsletter. “The BarBend Newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3-minute read.” There are no lengthy, time-wasting explanations.

• Relevant image: the pop-up has a colorful image that captures attention. But having a visual isn’t enough–it must also apply to the offer. Since BarBend is a strength training tips site, they chose a weight training picture. Their image fits the site’s core focus perfectly.

2. Camber: Ensure Your Offer Is Congruent With the Page.

This powerful pop-up illustration is from Camber. Camber is an intuitive app for helping people explore things to do and places to be in Los Angeles.

Why This Works

• Congruent offer: what makes the above pop-up outstanding is that it emerges halfway down while you read a blog post. It crops up when the reader is highly engaged and enjoying the article and promises them more of the same. Because the reader’s interest is high, they will likely get more signups.

• Right-sized: the pop-up is sized just right. It only covers part of the screen. The x icon is clearly visible in the top right corner. Readers can easily close the signup window if they aren’t interested in the offer.

• Simple and concise: the newsletter sign-up offer is straightforward. The headline “Enjoying this post?” and the body copy “Subscribe to get more content like this delivered to your inbox for free!” are a mere sixteen words. Then the user can enter their email address and hit “Subscribe.” That’s it.

3. Geekout: Leverage the Power of Social Proof.

Geekout, a site that helps social media managers and professionals improve their skills, has an outstanding pop-up we can learn from.

Why This Works

• Social proof: by mentioning over 27,000 people love the Geekout newsletter, Matt shows the popularity of his publication. On seeing this massive number, people will see the newsletter as the real deal, and will likely sign up because of the psychological power of social proof. Social proof is the human tendency to copy the actions of the people around them.

• Use emojis: emojis are now a language, with over 3,000 notable emojis used daily for communication on social media platforms. Not only does the ❤️ emoji pop out of the form and pull readers in–it also uniquely conveys the concept of love. Additionally, it’s on-brand, as Geekout uses emojis extensively in its content.

• Set expectations: Geekout tells people plainly what to expect from its newsletter. The potential subscribers will get one email per week, and there will be no spam. Plus, they can unsubscribe anytime.

4. Snack Nation: Use an Inline CTA-Triggered Pop-up

Moving along in our best email pop-up examples showcase, let’s look at SnackNation. SnackNation is a healthy snack delivery service.

Why This Works

• Inline CTA: inline calls-to-action have high conversion rates because they appear in the middle of a blog post as anchored text, right in the reader’s eyeline. SnackNation put a YES/NO question in their blog post. Once the reader clicks yes, the pop-up appears. Since the reader has clicked yes, they are more likely to complete the signup process.

• Visual appeal: SnackNation teases readers to sign up for its newsletter by including a sample of an attractive snack box packed with yummy snacks. When people see what they can get, the chances of them taking up the offer increase significantly.

• Segmentation: another reason SnackNation’s pop-up is effective is that it segments users into groups on signup. There are two offers–one for gifts for employees and teams, and another for clients and customers. Segmented leads are more responsive than generic leads.

5. Gwen Beloti: Entice Readers With a Signup Incentive.

One more superb email pop-up example is the women's gold jewelry brand Gwen Beloti.

Why This Works

• Sign-up incentive: asking people for their email addresses only works so well on its own. You get better results if you offer them an incentive in exchange. Gwen Beloti included a 10% discount for users who signed up for their newsletter. Better still, they have a two-step process–you get an additional 5% discount if you join the VIP list.

• Leads with benefit: before users do anything, they ask themselves, “what's in it for me?” The above pop-up answers this question immediately in the headline, highlighting the biggest benefit they will enjoy if they sign up for the newsletter—a 10% discount.

• Single field: people gravitate towards easy things. So, providing one form field means more people will sign up. People type their email addresses and click “subscribe.” That’s it—no need to work harder by filling in a multiple-field form.

6. World Builders: Use a Minimalistic Design.

The next email pop-up specimen is Nathan Baugh’s World Builders. World Builders shows companies how to tell their product stories.

Why This Works

• Minimalistic design: the pop-up window is big enough to be seen without being distractive, and it has a bold headline that captures attention. There is only one field on the form, plus a simple call to action.

• Casual tone: World Builders uses a relaxed, direct, and disarming tone. For instance, “Nathan here! Enjoying this post?” This active style connects better with readers than the passive third-person language.

• Clear CTA: the pop-up’s clincher, the call-to-action is explicit: “Join for $0.” The language is active and emphasizes that the newsletter is free. Next, the call-to-action is brief, something people appreciate in a crazy-busy world.

7. Gaiam: Capture Immediate Attention With a Unique Design.

Gaiam, a yoga, fitness, and wellness site, has a commendable pop-up email on its site.

Why This Works

• Unique design: when visitors see the same old regular rectangular pop-up, they end up being “blind" to it. Gaiam used a unique, stunning round petal flower for their pop-up. The unusual shape captures visitors’ attention immediately.

• Branding: Gaiam’s logo is petal-shaped. The pop-up is distinct but derived from the logo. It’s an on-brand design that communicates the brand’s life-giving, freshness, and wellness identity.

• Discount: the pop-up leads with a bold, unmissable headline of a generous 20% discount for anyone who signs up. Few website visitors would pass up such a deal–that’s why Gaiam put it at the top to ensure every visitor sees it.

8. Really Good Emails: Be Cultured So Visitors Stay on the Pop-up Window.

The next pop-up example is from Really Good Emails, a company which showcases excellent email designs.

Why This Works

• Be cultured: it’s common knowledge that most website visitors find pop-ups irritating. Really Good Emails preempts that irritation by leading with an apology. “Sorry for interrupting, but…” Apologizing for the interruption makes visitors warm up to you and consider subscribing.

• Brand consistency: the pop window is red, which matches the company’s overall branding. Consistent branding helps visitors recognize your brand and promotes loyalty.

• Personalize: Really Good Emails ask for a visitor’s name beside the email address. A subscriber's name comes in handy later when the brand wants to send personalized emails.

9. Drip: Use a Less Intrusive Sidebar Pop-up.

Drip, an eCommerce marketing automation platform, has a noteworthy and inspirational email pop-up example.

Why This Works

• Sidebar pop-up: most lightbox pop-ups typically appear at the center of a page and dominate it, which irritates users. Drip uses a subtle, less intrusive sidebar pop-up that leaves the greater part of the screen visible.

• Incentive stacking: instead of the usual single incentive, Drip also promises potential subscribers lifetime access to an ever-growing library of marketing resources. The more they give, the higher the chances of getting signups, as people are always hungry for more.

• CTA support graphic and copy: Drip used arrows pointing at the call-to-action to make it prominent. The arrows also act as a visual cue that draws the visitor’s eyes to the CTA. Plus, they strengthen the CTA with a testimonial endorsing the quality of their lead magnet.

10. Beyond Yoga: Use Responsive Pop-up Designs.

Our last email pop-up example is from Beyond Yoga, a yoga apparel and workout clothes company.

Why This Works

• Responsive design: it’s no secret that most people now browse online using their mobile devices. Using responsive pop-up designs like Beyond Yoga guarantees that your pop-ups look fabulous on any device, which boosts conversions.

• Collect customer data: another fantastic thing about Beyond Yoga’s pop-up is that they use it as a customer data collection tool. Visitors can pick their product preferences for individualized newsletter content and product recommendations later.

• Multi-step opt-in: on clicking continue, Beyond Yoga offers readers exclusive SMS deals if they provide their phone numbers. Accessing phone numbers opens up another channel to reach their audience besides email.

That’s a wrap of our best email pop-up examples. Use the inspiration you have gained from these case studies to nail your next list growth campaign and get an avalanche of signups.

Grow Your Email List With beehiiv Pop-ups

beehiiv allows you to grow your list easily using the pop-up feature.

You can collect email addresses on your blog while people read your post. To insert a pop-up on your blog post:

• Go to Website Settings and then Advanced Email Capture.

• Select Pop-up from the Advanced Email Capture dropdown.

Then, boom! You will see a pop-up like the one below.

Pretty easy.

What are you waiting for?

Sign up for beehiiv and start growing your email list today!