This is one of the most asked questions when we are building a website. Everyone knows that they should be building a database but no one really knows what works when it comes to getting subscribers.
So here are my top tips to increasing your email subscriber list.
I promise you it isn’t anywhere near as scary as you think.. and you probably already have all the content you need to get this going.
Create an irresistible offer
Getting people to hand over their email address these days can be hard work, so you need to give them something of value.
Create a piece of content that is low cost to you but high value to your potential clients.
Think about who your ideal client is and what their biggest problem is that YOU can solve. As an example in my business my clients want a website but they get overwhelmed with the planning process of a website which can lead to procrastination. So our 10 day e-course walks people through the process of planning a website and what they need to think about.
Things that work well are:
- e-Books
- Videos
- e-Courses – keep them short, sharp and actionable
- Blueprints
- Record an interview or webinar
- Checklists
If you already have blog posts or content written I guarantee you can make that content into something of value to your subscribers.
Your opt-in needs to look great
Now you have your offer and it is time to start getting subscribers. When putting your opt-in on your website it needs to catch the eye of subscribers, but not overwhelm the rest of your website.
I can hear you saying that you don’t know how to make your subscribe form look nice. Never fear, there is a cheeky plugin called Hybrid Connect that will take away all the hard work and leave you with an AWESOME looking opt-in form.
The plugin installs directly into WordPress and connects to all the major email marketing programs and has a heap of options for your website.
You can put your opt-in in the sidebar of your website (as you can see here) or you can put it at the bottom of your pages and blog posts.
Decide on using the evil pop-up method
You know the ones that pop up on your screen when you go to some websites.
These can be a double edged sword they are proved to increase your subscriber list but they also do annoy some people. So you need to make a decision on what is best for you.
For professional services I think that you are better to have this in your website with a ‘call to action’ rather than a pop-up. You want people to focus on your services more so I think that pop-ups are best left alone.
For bloggers I think that you can be a little more relaxed and use these if you want.
Keep your emails short and sweet
Do you have a lot of spare time to read long emails? Chances are you will flag them to read but you don’t get back to them. This is much like your email subscribers.
So keep your emails short and to the point. Ensure that the information you are sharing is what your clients are expecting to read about from you.
Continue to offer your subscribers great content and even throwing in some bonuses or free things every now and then. This will keep them engaged and you will be at top of mind when they are ready to purchase.
Use an email system that allows people to update their address details
People change their emails so you need to cater for this.
I recently decided to unsubscribe from a whole bunch of emails that I don’t read. I also wanted to change the email that the ones I wanted to keep receiving however most made it really difficult and I either had to stay using the same email or I had to unsubscribe.
Make it super easy for people to continue receiving your emails by allowing them to update their preferences.
Some things that you should NOT do
Getting subscribers can be hard work but the ones who do subscribe will be a lot more targeted. So here are somethings you should definitely not do when doing email marketing.
- Scalp email addresses from social media websites. If you are on Linked In and someone connects with you this is NOT permission to add them to a list and start emailing them. This is called spam and you can be fined.
- Do not send emails from Outlook. Use something that will manage people who wish to unsubscribe this will ensure you are compliant with the SPAM Act.
- Do not email people too much they already get enough emails.
- Do not send emails that are too long – people will not read them unless the content is amazing.