When you ask people if they want to receive newsletters from your company, their first thought will typically be “What’s in it for me?”
Here is a cute animated video we’ve done in the past but still strongly resonates now. Enjoy!
Overcome the hurdles by giving people a compelling reason to sign up, showing them what they can expect and consider giving them a gift:
Make them an offer they can’t refuse
If a stranger were to tell you: “Sign up for my newsletter” and provide you with paper and pen – would you give them your email address?
No?
Then why do you expect the sign up box that says “Email” (next to the “Submit” button) is going to get your website visitors to sign up?
Solution: Make sure you’re clear and explicit about what your newsletters contain, how often you’ll send out an email and how they’ll solve problems your readers have.
Show them what they can expect
Show people newsletters you’ve sent in the past to show them what they’ll be giving up space in their inbox for.
If you’re sending blog updates, you could send them previous articles you’ve written.
You could also provide them with the current month’s newsletter as part of the welcome email you send.
The idea here is that people believe what they see – and if they see that your emails are good, they’ll want to get it for themselves.
Solution:
Create a page on your website and call it “Archives”
Use the subject of the emails as a title
Add links to each with the URL provided when you add the “Open email in a browser” link.
The more you give, the more you get
Providing an incentive before you ask people for their email can be a very good way to get subscribers… if you do it right.
The rule of thumb should be that the gift you’re giving must be in line with the kind of emails you send. If you send promotions and coupons, it makes sense to give 10% off their next purchase if they identify themselves or provide a coupon code.
It makes less sense to give a free white paper if your newsletters focus on sales of clothing items.
Solution: If you promise an incentive, make sure you deliver on your promise when you first say thank you for receiving your emails.
