While it’s not literally true that you will need 100 opt-ins to get 100 subscribers, all things being equal, you will need more than one giveaway to substantially grow your email subscriber list – or to get one started. (Of course, with something like 1.7 billion websites competing for attention worldwide, all things being equal in online marketing is a bit of an oxymoron, so… )
The critical thing to remember when you are working on list building is this: there are no one-size-fits-all solutions to the pain points of your clients.
Yes, we know you tell your clients this, and we know that you offer customized, real-world solutions to their interior design and furnishing challenges. And yet, we also know that you are hoping we will tell you that there IS a single solution to YOUR email marketing and list-building questions. (Yeah, we’ve been doing this a while now. LOL)
What does this mean for your list-building strategy? First, ask yourself how many times you’ve visited a website that promised you a great gift for opting into their subscriber list, only to discover the so-called freebie they’re promoting does not resonate with you? Then think about how many categories of questions your clients or prospects ask you during an initial interview. Those are the types of things your opt-in gifts must address!
Does this help you understand you will need a variety of opt-in gifts to generate interest, based on the varied needs of your target audience? (Yes? Yay us!)
What Your Opt-in Offer Should Accomplish
Let’s define some terms here, OK?
An opt-in offer is the presentation of a gift (usually digital) in exchange for the email address of a visitor to your website; perhaps the most valuable thing they have to offer to you in the age of online relationships.
Typically, the opt-in offer is a bit of high-value information that is designed to resolve a particular issue that is important to a member of your target audience.
The most common form of opt-in gift is an article or whitepaper that can be downloaded in document form, though a mini-eBook (a 3-5 page PDF) is a very popular choice, as well. The link to a free video of you speaking directly to a typical client’s pain points would offer huge value.
Critical to the success of such an offer is that the information you share must be targeted to a particular portion of your audience and that your solution is laser-focused on a specific issue.
Do NOT try to be all things to all people. Instead, provide a REAL solution to ONE problem at a time. Then, create a new gift to address other challenges you’ve run into.
Finally, the most successful opt-ins offer huge value in exchange for something of equal value – your visitor’s email address. In other words, the solution you share in your opt-in MUST be something that a client might otherwise be willing to pay you for.
Now that you have their email address, you have an interested audience with whom you can engage through the use of newsletters, nurture email campaigns, “check-in” emails, event notices, and promotional materials. This is how you begin building relationships in our digital world; relationships that show your expertise, grow trust and have the potential to generate conversions. (That means Make a Sale in the language of online marketese!)
We’re pretty sure you’ve already figured out we’ll have more to say on the subject of how you can grow your email subscriber list using opt-in offers and, you’ll see that here soon. Until then, if you have questions that we’ve not answered here, just… Get in touch with TD Fall today for answers.