Email Marketing: Offer Opt-In—Or Miss Out!

When it comes to email marketing, you’ve got a fantastic opportunity to connect with existing and potential customers when they’re ready to buy. After all, their next favorite shirt/hat/business service is just a click away!

But how do you get people to sign up for your emails in the first place? Let’s look at a few options.

#1. In the Checkout Process

This is standard fare: when a customer is checking out to buy something from you online, you can include a box to check if they want to receive updates from you. One sly way to get more signups is to automatically check the box. If someone isn’t interested, they can uncheck the box. Most will leave the box checked, and you’ll end up with more email subscribers.

#2. On Your Home Page

Every, every, every company needs an opt-in form in a visible spot on its home page. Typically the upper right hand corner works best. Craft compelling copy that will make people more willing to part with their email address, such as:

• A one-time coupon

• Free ebook or whitepaper

• Quick tips sheet

The more valuable your offer, the more signups you’ll get.

#3. A Pop Up Box

There are tools that allow you to show a pop up box (also called overlay) when a new visitor arrives on your site, inviting her to sign up for your emails. Not convinced these work? Studies show they can increase opt-ins up to 400%.

#4. HelloBar

A new and innovative tool to try is HelloBar. You can customize the text to send people to a particular web page or to sign up for emails from an unobtrusive bar at the top of your website.

Tips for Increasing Opt-Ins

Create a sense of urgency with your offer. Make people clamor to get what you’re giving away, for just the price of a little ol’ email address. Don’t be afraid to invest in creating some solid pieces of content, such as white papers and reports, and make them deep reservoirs of useful information for your subscribers. Set up an automated email to go out each time someone subscribes so they automatically get that special offer or free ebook right away.

Why Opting In is Important

It’s imperative that everyone on your list opted to be there. Because the CAN SPAM Act requires you to make it easy for people to unsubscribe and that you honor those opt-outs promptly, you jeopardize your business if you don’t comply. All it takes is a few people clicking the “Spam” button the next time you send an unwanted email and you risk your emails getting blacklisted from major email servers.

If you want to add new people to your email list, maybe from business cards you’ve collected at a networking event, always send an email asking if you have their permission to add them first.

If you have concerns about whether everyone on your list is receiving your emails, you can look up your domain on Sender Score to see if emails from you are accepted by most mail servers, or if you’ve been blacklisted.

The Key to Keeping Subscribers Opted In

If you focus on delivering relevant and useful emails to your audience, pay attention to the topics they like the best, and honor unsubscribe requests, you should have no worries when it comes to people opting to stay on your email lists.

Images: ”Opt In And Out Keys Showing Decision To Subscribe/ Shutterstock.com“

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