Want to know how to get email addresses from Instagram followers so you can turn them into loyal buyers? Then email marketing is perfect for you. In this article, you’ll find out how to scrape your Instagram followers’ emails and what to do with them to boost your marketing campaigns.
How to collect email addresses from Instagram followers
Here are 8 ways to collect emails from Instagram followers:
Use Instagram Lead Ads to collect emails from followers
Instagram’s built-in lead ads are one of the fastest ways to collect email addresses — even people who don’t follow you yet. If you run ads on Instagram, you can add a form with potential clients’ contact details — emails included. Here is how to set it up:
- Select Lead Generation as your campaign objective in Meta Ads Manager.
- Choose your target audience based on interests, location, or behavior.
- Create a short, clear form that asks for an email with the Instant Forms option.
- Offer an incentive (discount, free resource, or early access) in exchange for the signup.
This way, your followers and potential customers can subscribe to your email list in-app — easy both for them and for you.
Add an email link in your bio
The Instagram bio is the 150-character description under the username on the profile page, which allows inserting only one clickable link. Use it for your newsletter or email landing page’s link to drive traffic and subscribers. Check the example below for the inspiration: the Flowercityarts page promotes the newsletter option in the feed and puts the subscription link in the bio.
Note that several link-in-bio tools allow you to optimize that one link and provide additional information and interaction opportunities.
Promote signups in the Stories or Reels
Stories and Reels are great promotional tools, so use them to collect more emails from Instagram followers. Nice font, catchy CTA, and a link will do the job. Of course, if you can — you can always add bonuses like lead magnets, discounts for subscription, and other marketing tools to boost the engagement. Just in case you need an explainer, we have a full guide on how to create a marketing funnel that will bring you more subscribers and clients.
Run a promotional campaign or a contest for your Instagram followers
The best way to boost engagement, attract new followers to your profile, and eventually collect emails from new customers is to launch an Instagram contest. For example, you can convert newcomers into your email subscribers by asking them to provide an email as a contest condition. Create a link for the contest, add agreement to subscribe to your email or newsletter as a condition — and you are all set.
Use freebies as lead magnets
A lead magnet is a free item or service to collect contacts. While some marketers are skeptical about this tool, if you use it wisely, you can drive subscriptions, grow your audience, and convert your Instagram followers into real customers. It may be a checklist, a chapter of your book, or a list of exercises, depending on your audience’s interests and likes.
Use ads to get your message across
We’ve already mentioned lead generation ads, but regular ads — like sponsored posts — work just as well. Add a link, a nice offer (white paper, new report, or any other freebie) to your ad campaign to scrape more emails from Instagram. The example below might be an old one, but it’s also a great one.
Use email finder tools
Emails are not publicly available on Instagram, unless it’s a business account. There are ways to get your potential customers’ emails, though, with special email finder tools. They allow you to search for the emails with simple details such as name or workplace. But beware that
you can’t simply scrape addresses and include them in your email list without permission. Automatic media scrapers may violate users’ privacy and the platform’s terms. There is a legal solution: cold emails that get responses. Unlike spam, cold emails have a clear objective, they are personalized, and are sent from personal addresses.
Set up a welcome message
Send a welcome message to all your new Instagram followers and include a link to a lead magnet, which they can receive in exchange for an email. There are special tools that can be used to send automated direct messages, like Stim Social or BigBangram. If you run any ad campaign, you can also set up an automatic welcome with a lead magnet offer in exchange for an email.
How can you benefit from collecting Instagram followers’ emails
Emails have the highest return on investment
Return on investment (ROI) is one of the main indicators of any business’s success. If you invest time, effort, and money, you need to know how much your investment is generating and how quickly it will pay off. According to Litmus, email marketers get back $36 for every $1 they spend. Once you know how to get email addresses from Instagram followers, you unlock one of the highest-ROI marketing channels available. As for Instagram, reports show that on average, businesses generate $6.50 in revenue for each $1 spent on influencer marketing via Instagram.
You target a warmed-up audience
People get attached to their favorite brands and social media accounts. So getting your Instagram followers’ emails means that you’ll have the contacts from someone who is genuinely interested in your business and has already invested their time. It makes those emails especially precious and a huge difference, even compared to emails you can get from your website.
More chances to reach your IG followers
Constant algorithm changes are tricky to beat. You don’t have full control over your message and who will get it. The feed algorithm seems murky, plus, you might encounter something as awful as social media shadowbanning. Email marketing ensures that you reach your audience: your email will reach the recipient, unless there are problems with the deliverability. The only thing that can tear you apart with your subscribers is the spam filter, but it is quite easy to avoid – our definitive guide on how to stop your emails from landing in spam folders will be of much help.
What to do after the email collection from Instagram followers
After you collect emails from Instagram followers, it’s crucial to keep them engaged and active on your list. Here are a few rules to keep in mind.
Segment your contacts
Email segmentation allows you to send content tailored to different groups of your subscribers. You can segment them by:
- Source — depending on the source of subscription (specific Instagram ad campaign or a promotion);
- Interests — if you know what type of content or products they are interested in;
- Engagement level — Active vs. inactive followers.
Targeted, relevant email marketing campaigns help you improve open and click rates — and keep your IG followers on your email list for a long time.
Send a welcome email
The moment after signup is when subscribers are most engaged — so leverage it.
For example, in your welcome email, you can:
- Thank them for joining.
- Deliver any promised freebie or incentive.
- Set expectations for what they’ll receive from you next.
If you need some inspiration, check out the best welcome email examples and templates in our blog.
Automate your emails
With email marketing automation, you can create a simple onboarding flow without sending every email manually:
- Day 1 – Welcome email with incentive.
- Day 3 – Share helpful tips or your most-read blog post.
- Day 7 – Send a special offer or invite to your community.
This will keep new subscribers engaged and make them warm until they’re ready to make a purchase.
Find the right ESP — Selzy
To do all of the above, you’ll need the right tool. Selzy has it all. Plus, with a very intuitive drag-and-drop builder, creating any email is a walk in the park, no matter whether you are running your influencer newsletter or sending promotional emails daily. Here is what you can do with it:
- Create emails in less than an hour with an easy builder (and an AI assistant in the beta version).
- Segment your audience.
- Personalize your emails so every subscriber can feel valued.
- Create an onboarding flow with Selzy’s email marketing automation.
Set up automation triggers to send retention emails — like abandoned cart emails so you are always on top of your subscribers’ minds.
FAQ
Let’s go over the main questions about getting emails from Instagram followers.
Can you get someone’s email address from their Instagram account?
Yes and no. You can get the email address from Business or Creative IG accounts from their contacts. But regular followers have to give it to you voluntarily — through lead ads, direct messages, or, for example, on your website.
Can people find out your email from your Instagram account?
No, unless you share it with them on your Instagram page. But keep in mind that there are tools — no matter how unethical — that can track your email address. So make sure you share on the web only the information you are comfortable with getting public.
How can you get email addresses from Instagram followers?
There are a number of ways to do that: you can use Instagram Lead Ads and sponsorship, promote your sign-up form through your own Instagram content (in Stories, Reels, and regular posts), use lead magnets, and set up a great welcome message.
Is getting email addresses from Instagram followers worth it?
Yes. Email marketing is much more effective and reliable for getting a message across. Plus, emails have a higher ROI than social media.
What’s the easiest way to collect Instagram follower emails?
The easiest way is to use Instagram lead ads or a link in your bio that directs followers to a sign-up form. Both methods allow you to collect email addresses from Instagram followers without manual outreach.
Final thoughts
It might seem hard to collect emails from Instagram followers, but don’t worry — with the tactics above, you will grow your email list legally, safely, and efficiently. And remember, it’s not just about growing your list — but preserving it!
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