If you were listening to the previous ProBlogger podcast episode about my top tips for building your email subscriber list, you would have heard me talking about creating an opt-in as an incentive for people to sign up.
In this next instalment of the #TodayNotSomeday podcast, I’m going to talk you through exactly how to do that!
Creating an opt-in has the potential to significantly increase your subscriber numbers by offering something truly valuable in exchange for the reader’s email address. They are sometimes called lead magnets, and you’ll have seen them on plenty of other blogs and sites you visit.
Even though creating an opt-in and working on building your email list is one of the most important things you can do as a blogger, I know there are plenty of you who put it off to worry about another time. I know this, because I’ve done it myself! We’ve only recently started offering something similar on Digital Photography School despite being aware it is something I should have done much sooner.
You’ll also notice I don’t have a lead magnet or opt-in here on the ProBlogger blog, but you’ll hopefully see us get this task off our “someday” list in the new year.
Today’s challenge isn’t just for those of you without a lead magnet – if you’ve already got one on offer, you might want to consider upgrading or determining if it’s time to create another? Something more up-to-date, something that will appeal to a different audience, something specific to one of your site categories, or something that could boost your current list?
In today’s episode I also discuss why you should create an opt-in, and the potential it has to grow your blog. We go over how to deliver your opt-in, what format it could take, and how you can figure out something that incentivises your readers to sign up to your list and stay engaged. There is also the option of considering a longer-term strategy or offering as opposed to a one-off incentive, and I give a few ideas here. I also go through the purpose it needs to serve, how you can create your offering, tools and services I’ve used, and that all-important aspect: getting the signup!
So good luck with today’s challenge of creating an opt-in for your email list. What opt-in will you be creating? What will it be about, and how will you deliver it? Be sure to use the hashtag #TodayNotSomeday when you share your efforts to social media so we can see how you’re all doing.
Further Reading:
- 5 Pop-up Creation Mistakes You Have to Avoid for Better User Experience
- How to Use Quizzes and Facebook to Build Your List… Fast
- How Having a Strong Email List Can Land You Great Sponsorships
- 8 Reasons Why Your Email Open Rate is Nosediving
- How NOT to Send an Email: A Day We’d Rather Forget But a Story We Need to Tell
Very insightful post, Stacey. I know that most of the bloggers only focus on the technical aspects such as SEO, Design etc but few of them really focus on marketing techniques & conversions that simply lead to better ROI which means success.
Opt-in is one of the great marketing technique but it only works if you’re providing value, not just for the sake of leads.
I like the term ‘lead magnets’, it’s so true. What I’ve found to be a big consideration is striking the right balance between getting the lead and the value of your free content. If your conversion rate is very high, perhaps the magnet shouldn’t be free after all. Too low and it’s obviously not a big enough incentive!
I’ve created a free email course on my blog hoping to generate more opt-ins. Yet I’m not seeing many signups. I think the important, and more difficult, part is figuring what the readers want so that we can create an effective incentive. And I’m having a tough time with that.
Got any advice?