We’ve been talking for awhile now about how businesses have been forced to shift online in order to keep reaching and engaging their customers.
And honestly? Regardless if you’ve already returned to the brick-and-mortar life or are continuing to work from home, it’s really important to have an airtight online presence – so you can connect with customers who are waiting to hear from you.
That’s why we’ve broken down the 3 most important things you should be doing right now in order to give your online presence a boost!
In Part 1 of this series, we discussed several ways to upgrade your website. (If you haven’t already, make sure to go check it out.)
Now, once you have your website copy down, the next thing on the menu is to create an opt-in for your business.
In layman’s terms, an opt-in is a free piece of content that you give away to your audience (on your website) in exchange for their email addresses. This could be a guide, an e-book, a template, a checklist; the content world is your oyster.
Creating an opt-in is not very time-consuming, and the payoff is worth it. As 55% of visitors will spend less than 15 seconds on your website, you need a way to quickly catch their eye and give them an incentive to stay. An eye-catching opt-in form will not only increase the likelihood of keeping visitors engaged with your site, but also draw valuable leads to your business that you can turn into paying customers.
However, just telling your customers to “JOIN MY EMAIL LIST” in all-caps somewhere on your site isn’t going to cut it. Even if they like your brand, people tend not to want more emails – which is why you need to give them an incentive.
That’s where the opt-in comes in. Entice your readers to join your email list by offering content that solves an immediate problem for them (a guide on how to take care of your lawn in the winter if you sell gardening supplies; a 7-day dieting checklist if you’re a health and wellness coach, etc.).
Here’s a great example from Tarzan Kay, an email marketing expert:
Notice that the headline puts the reader at the center, rather than immediately asking them for their email address. And, she offers her visitors 10 free email templates in exchange for their email address; all they have to do is “opt-in” to get it. Easy, right?
As soon as people join your list, you can start building a relationship with them through email. Remember, you’re not spamming them; they’ve chosen to receive updates from you by email, which means they’re open to forming a relationship with your brand. And, once you’ve cultivated that relationship, you can start to sell them what you offer.
So, if you don’t have an opt-in already, here’s how to create one in 4 simple steps.
If you haven’t touched email marketing yet, you’ll need to connect with an email service provider. Working with a provider will help you deliver effective messages to a growing email list, with email templates and tracking features that allow you to measure the engagement rates with each campaign and message.
What can you offer your audience that has value? For the purpose of an opt-in form, let’s define “something of value” as:
– Visually appealing
– Focused on solving a pain point
– Difficult to say no to
– Specifying a currency value (optional)
If you’re a massage therapist, this could be an at-home massage cheat sheet; a real estate agent might offer a post on “5 things to know before buying a house”. There are so many different types of content you can offer, from blog posts to e-books to guides – the list goes on. Try to come up with a topic that falls under your area of expertise, because chances are, that niche is the reason visitors are checking out your website in the first place.
Now, you’re ready to create your offer. A successful opt-in form should have the following components:
– Catchy headline that describes your offer in an appealing way
– Brief description
– Attractive visuals (an image of a person, mockups of an e-book, etc.)
– Call-to-action, like “Get The Ebook” or “Join My Email List”
– A simple form (just ask for name and email address)
If you don’t know how to do this on your own, don’t worry! There are free plugins like Optin Forms that you can use if your site is hosted on WordPress, or more comprehensive tools like OptinMonster that will help you set up your form and target your audience.
Once you’ve created your form, there are several options of where to place it. You can put it in the footer of your site, to catch the attention of visitors who are interested enough to scroll all the way to the bottom; it could appear as a pop-up when your visitors are about to leave your site; or, you could place the form front and center of your website, so it’s the first thing your visitors will see.
That’s all there is to it!
If you already have an opt-in on your site, you can always take the time to revisit it and see if there are ways to make the offer more enticing. Don’t be afraid to look at examples of opt-ins from other brands for inspiration.
Note that it might take some time before you see results. Every time you send an email, you’re starting a conversation with your customers, and your opt-in is just the gateway through which to begin the dialogue.
Remember, email marketing is a relationship that you build with your users over time. A compelling opt-in will give first-time visitors to your site an incentive to engage with your brand – which will ultimately turn them into loyal customers.
Hope these tips will help you and your business thrive online in these changing times!
Have you tried one of them out yet? Reach out to us! We’d love to know what you’re investing in right now and how it’s working for your business.
Now the Content Lead at Tailor Brands, Kira Goldring began her marketing career as a 17-year-old handing out flyers on the streets of NYC. She currently covers all things branding, marketing and small business, but she could talk your ear off about investment strategies or gripping literature without missing a beat. Say hi on IG - @kiragoldring