As much as I love social media, I am sick of each platform changing their algorithms on an almost daily basis. When this happens, it makes it more difficult for creative entrepreneurs to market their good and services while building relationships. Because of all of the social media changes, having an engaged email list is more important than ever. Get more dream clients to join your email list by when your opt-in form includes these five must haves.
A good reason to opt-in
If you are anything like me, you might feel like your inbox is constantly overflowing with emails. Therefore, in order to convince people to opt-in to your email list, you need an awesome lead magnet. A lead magnet is something you give away for free in exchange for an email address. Some examples of lead magnets are:
- An checklist or cheatsheet
- A list of resources
- An ebook
- A mini email course
- A challenge
- A webinar
When choosing a lead magnet, decide what your audience needs and will value the most. My current lead magnet is ’25 Ways to Get Your Website + Social Media to Work for You’. I share 25 of my best tips, tricks and tools to enhance your website and social media.
Depending on the type of opt-in form you are creating, you might want to share a thumbnail image of the freebie.
If you haven’t grabbed my 25 Ways to Get Your Website + Social Media to Work for You, Do it now!
A descriptive headline
Good headline will clearly describe the lead magnet and its benefit to your ideal client. The more specific a headline, the better chance you will have of capturing a new lead. Keep your headlines short, an ideal length is around 10 words. Two of my favorite resources for writing great headlines is Olyvia’s 101+ Popular Blog Title Templates That Work (Just Fill in the Blanks!) and CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer.
A simple form
Don’t go overboard on the amount of information you ask for on a form. If you only collect first name and email address, don’t bother asking for a last name. The more information you ask for, the less inclined people will be to opt-in. Just keep it simple.
Killer button text
Whatever you do, don’t leave the button text on your opt-in form generic. Clicking “Subscribe” is less than exciting when you are signing up for an awesome freebie! Make your button text actionable, so people are compelled to opt-in right away. Some examples of actionable button text:
- Send it now
- Get instant access
- Let’s get started
- Get the ebook
- I’m in
In addition to great button text, you also want your button to standout. Select a bright or contrasting color for the button and leave the text white or black so it is easy to read. Capitalizing the button text will also help it stand out on the page.
SMART Form placement
Now that you have your opt-in form ready to go, it’s time to decide where to place your form. Popular places for opt-in forms include: website header, footer and sidebar, in a blog post, on an about page, etc.
Many people also use popups when collecting email addresses. One of my pet peeves is getting hit by an opt-in form the second I arrive on a website. If I’ve never been to a website, I have very little reason to want to opt-in no matter how good the freebie is. Instead of using popups when someone arrives on your site, try an exit intent popup.
An exit-intent popup shows up when people are about to exit your website. If the visitor enjoyed your content, they will be more apt to sign up as they are leaving your site. If you want to try using an exit-intent popup, WordPress users can try out the free version of PopupAlly.
Get more dream clients to join your email list when you have these 5 opt-in form must haves.
And don’t forget! If you are collecting email addresses, be sure to have a privacy policy accessible on your website. (Find a ready to go privacy policy here.)