Understanding what makes an effective piece of opt in copy can make a surprising difference to your email open rates.
Email marketing is a tried and tested way to build a strong base of customers and increase your conversion rates but when you’re just starting out, getting people to actually sign up for your list can seem like an insurmountable hurdle.
When visitors to your site are trying to decide whether or not they should subscribe to your email list, a well worded opt in box or page can see them falling over in eagerness to subscribe while poorly written, non-targeted opt in copy may leave them cold.
Of course there is more to increasing your subscribers than your opt in copy. Your content also has to be valuable and well written, and your site should be well designed and easy to navigate, but it’s important not to underestimate the importance of opt in copy. If you aren’t getting the numbers of subscribers you would like to your list, tweaking your opt in copy is an easy change that could get you real results.
There are a few factors that you will want to think about when writing your opt in copy so let’s start with the most important (in my opinion) and that’s your targeting.
Who is your opt in copy for?
While a juicy list of email subscribers may look good on paper, if you don’t have the right people on your list, it’s not really going to get you all that far. Rather than taking a quantity vs. quality approach to growing your email list, it’s far better to be discerning and focus on attracting the kind of subscribers who are most likely to eventually become paying clients or customers.
Once you have an idea of who you want on your list, you can address them specifically in your opt in copy to increase your appeal and also to act as a kind of virtual bouncer and help keep out the undesirables who you don’t want on your list.
What’s in it for them?
Otherwise known as bribery, this is a very effective technique to encourage people to sign up for your list. Spend some time thinking about what you can offer your subscribers that they will find genuinely valuable and that might encourage them to sign up.
Be aware that most Internet users these days are savvy enough to know when they’re being bribed and they may take your one off piece of content or offer and then immediately unsubscribe. To minimise the risk of this happening, try breaking content down into sections and offer it over a period of time using an auto responder sequence. This will encourage your new subscribers to stay with you for the long haul.
Have you covered all the essentials?
Every piece of opt in copy should include a compelling headline, a sentence or two (or bullet points) highlighting the benefits and a call to action telling your readers what the need to do next (fill out the subscription box). This is the absolute minimum.
If you choose to write a longer piece of opt in copy you can also include testimonials, other forms of social proof and make the language more persuasive and engaging. At the very minimum make sure your opt in page has the above four elements.
Writing persuasive email opt in copy is an art form, and you may need to try a few versions and test them out before you strike on the magic formula that works for your target audience. When done well, your opt-in copy can get you amazing results in terms of your email sign ups, and in turn your sales.