How to make an email list in Gmail

What’s an email list, you ask? Well, it’s like a contact list — a group of emails that you can send the same message to all at once, without manually adding everyone each time.

Making an email list in Gmail can feel a bit inefficient, so we decided to make it as simple as possible for you.

In just a few quick minutes, you’ll learn…

• How to set one up the old-fashioned way (natively in Gmail)
• How to set one up the ultra-efficient way (with a Gmail-centric CRM)

But before we get to the step-by-step instructions, let’s take a look at why you'd want to create an email list in Gmail.

There are plenty of advantages to creating a mailing list in Gmail.

For starters, you save time because you only having to press ‘Send’ once. If you’re the kind of person who sends a ton of emails, you know how tedious it can be to add the same recipients over and over again.

Luckily, bulk lists make it easier to juggle a lot of contacts because you can manage them all at once rather than copying and pasting and clicking ‘Send’ a million times.

When you do it with a Gmail CRM (more on that below), you’ll also get to nurture and manage your lists with:

• Detailed metrics
• Scalable reports
• Automated follow-up reminders based on recipient behavior
• Real-time notifications

In the end, it’s an email marketing shortcut that can pay you back ten-fold.

NOTE: You can’t create a mailing list with the Gmail mobile app—desktop only!

Step 1: Open Chrome and make sure you’re logged into the right Google account.

Step 2: Click the ‘Google apps’ tab in the top right of your Chrome browser:

Step 3: Select the ‘Contacts’ icon from the dropdown menu:

Step 4: Import any new contacts you want to include, then check the boxes for the contacts you want to add to the group:

Step 5: Click the ‘Label’ icon in the top menu bar, then click 'Create label':

Step 6: Name the Group, then save it.

Congrats! You’ve successfully created a mailing group in Gmail.

Now for the fun part: blasting out those bulk emails.

Step 1: Head to your Gmail dashboard.

Step 2: Click the ‘Compose’ button in the top left corner.

Step 3: Click ‘Bcc’ in the recipient box and type the name of the group you just created:

Step 4: Type up your email and click ‘Send.’

That’s all there is to it.

Can you believe that was the hard way?

Now for an even easier way to create bulk email lists using a CRM that’s natively integrated with Gmail:

This method is for anyone who needs to send group emails for a business (like to prospects or customers).

We love this method because it lets you track how recipients respond to your emails:

• Do they open the email the first time they see it?
• Do they open it but then close it right away and don’t read it?
• Do they respond consistently?
• Have they never clicked or opened even once?

All of these things are important because they help you categorize your leads according to how ready they are to buy.

A huge benefit of bulk emailing through a CRM is that you already have customer and prospect lists built out, so there’s no need to create a new group.

Copper is one of those CRMs built specifically for Gmail. We’ll be using it as an example.

With Gmail sync turned on, you can send bulk Gmail emails directly from within Copper using custom templates and merge fields.

Here’s how to make an email list in Gmail with Copper:

Step 1: Sign in to your Copper account.

Step 2: Select the ‘Settings’ icon at the bottom of the left side menu:

Step 3: Click ‘Email Settings & Templates’ from the ‘Preferences’ section. (At the top of the upper white box, make sure that ‘Send and reply from Copper’ is selected.)

Step 4: In the left side menu, select the type of contact (leads, people, companies, or opportunities) that you want to build an email list from:

Step 5: Check the boxes of the contacts you’d like to include in your email list:

Step 6: Select the ‘Envelope’ icon in the top menu to compose a bulk email:

Step 7: Include prebuilt templates (if you already created them) and merge fields by clicking the ‘Plus’ icon in the ‘Message’ section (learn about Copper’s email template feature here):

Choose your templates or merge fields from the displayed options:

Step 8: Review all your recipients by scrolling back and forth with the ‘Arrow’ icons:

Step 9: Hit Send and let the bulk emailing begin.

That’s it!

You’re officially ready to get the most out of Gmail lists.

With Copper’s Gmail integration, you get more than just easier email lists. Copper’s Chrome extension allows you to track conversations and manage Copper contacts without ever leaving your inbox.

The extension lives on the right side of your Gmail inbox so you can access your CRM data without even switching tabs. From there, you can get full contact details, filter conversations by contact, add new contacts, track conversations, and more.

With our Gmail spotlight feature, the Copper logo appears on any emails being tracked by the CRM, making it easy to identify important conversations in busy inboxes.

Plus, when you hover over the logo, you get full context for the recipients and an “add” button if the contact isn’t already in Copper.

Copper’s Gmail integration also makes it easy to tackle tasks and stay on track with a Copper button next to the reply button.

Here, you can set a reminder based on this email or tie an email to an opportunity, company or person in Copper.

Using a CRM like Copper that’s hooked up natively to Gmail has many benefits. It makes creating email lists easier and, ultimately, without all the clutter, it helps keep you and your team productive, prepared and organized.

Making an email list in Gmail can be a lifesaver of a feature for businesses and brands.

This way, you reach more people with less effort, and can then nurture those relationships with greater efficiency.

Start harnessing the power of Gmail lists to grow your business. If you aren’t already a Copper customer, experience the difference by trying us free for 14 days, no credit card needed.