When a new visitor arrives on your site, you want to get them to, first of all, remember your name, and secondly, return to your site another time. A great way to achieve both goals is by enticing them to sign up for your newsletter. Here are 8 tips on increasing your email opt-ins.
1. You could buy or rent lead lists from brokers, but you really don’t have to. Just put a little effort into targeting your audience. Let’s say you sell essential oils for perfume, candle and soap making and your target market is members of craft guilds in the Pacific Northwest. If your target craft guild has its own newsletter or print publication, you could advertise in the newsletter, making sure to include not only your website address but also info about your newsletter in the ad. You could sponsor the organization’s website, or sponsor an event organized by the craft guild. Arrange ahead of time to have your marketing materials on display.
The craft guild may rent you their email addresses, and if so, you could forge your email relationships by sending an email like:
“As a member of the Pacific Northwest Candle-making Craft Guild, you indicated your interest in receiving information from related organizations.” Then, offer something of value to get them interested in your mailings.
2. Include the sign-up button on all of your pages, not just the homepage. Bonus Tip: Place the sign-up link above the fold, and ideally in the top right or left corner.
3. Explain the benefits of joining your mailing list. Write a few sentences stating why they should give you their email address. Do you offer subscriber-exclusive discounts? Tell ‘em. Seasonal info? Other exclusive content? Do you add new products regularly? Make sure they know what you’re offering.
4. Allow your newsletters to be forwarded and include a subscribe button in the newsletter, so that friends who receive the forward can get their own copy.
5. Keep the sign up form short and sweet, asking for only the first name and email address. You can always get more information later; The goal is to get them signed up quickly and easily.
6. Always include a privacy disclaimer on your sign up form. Make it clear that you don’t sell, rent, or otherwise share email addresses. Unless-ahem-you do, of course. Assuage their fears that you’re a spammer.
7. Make the call-to-action clear. Use the words Subscribe, Sign Up Now, Send Me Info, or Sign Me Up.
8. Finally, perhaps the most important tip. Provide content they can’t resist. If you make your newsletter appealing, people will want to sign up for it, and most importantly, continue receiving it.
