3 Adjustments To Increase Your Newsletter's Opt-In (Without Pushy Sales Tactics)
Every online business should have a newsletter.
Otherwise, the website has no way of capturing leaky web traffic for nurture into future customers. Most companies and large creators have some form of a "newsletter," but opt-ins to it are 1% if not less. Yes, some can be attributed to the massive percentage of spammy newsletters, but as Makers, we can rise above the spam.
Instead, here are 3 adjustments to increase your newsletter's opt-in without having to spam pop-ups or resort to pushy sales tactics.
Adjustment 1: Focus On Value, Not "News"
Most newsletter opt-ins are: "Subscribe for news and updates."
No one cares.
Maybe that worked before social media, but if someone wants to get first news or updates about the company, they subscribe on Instagram or X/Twitter. Your email list should be for exclusive value given directly to the audience. Readers are selfish, but we can give them value so they want to get our emails, read them, and engage (which builds trust and increases purchase conversion).
Instead of spamming news, updates, calls to action, and purchase pitches, focus on providing value and put that value in the opt-in copy.
Adjustment 2: Incentivize Readers To Enter Their Email
Even if you focus on value, that's still an ambiguous promise that needs to be dialed up into a tangible lead magnet.
Lead magnets are just a more tangible thing that readers get immediately for signing up. Most product brands include a free digital asset like an ebook or 10% off someone's first purchase. Ebooks are better than coupons, which just fill the list with deal shoppers who will never pay full price.
Give readers a free reason so good that they would feel stupid not to enter their email.
Adjustment 3: Turn Lead Magnet Into An Email Drip
Once someone has opted-in, we need to keep them there for at least 4 emails that they open and read.
There's a "Rule of 7" in marketing that says most people need at least 7 positive interactions before they make up their mind about a brand. We can assume 2 of those were on social media, 1 on your website, so make up the difference with 4 positive emails. Instead of offering an ebook, turn that into 4-6 separate emails that get dripped to the reader over 4-6 days.
Once someone is in your email list, we want to keep them wanting to be there and the best way to do that is with a fast-paced value drip up front to prove the value.
