You’re probably wondering if bothering with an email list is even worth it, right? Will anyone even read it?

How do you set yourself apart from the spam emails and constant sales pitches that inundate our inboxes on a daily basis? Is email marketing dead? Have we all had enough?

Truth be told, email marketing still reigns as a key driver to your success and long-term connectivity with your clients. Meaningful conversation, delivered just right, is just that…meaningful!

What is an Email Opt-In?

An email opt-in is a feature on your website that invites visitors to sign up for your subscriber list. It could be a pop-up that invites them to join as soon as they visit your page, a promotional incentive offered in a blog post, or an exit offer that pops up as they exit your website. In all of these cases, you are providing an opportunity for people who were clearly interested enough in your content to visit your website. More often than not, if they liked what they saw, they’ll want to see more and will opt in for email updates.

The beauty of email opt-ins is that you are able to build an email list of people who actually want to receive communication from you. And, as long as you keep that conversation going in an interesting and engaging way, you are much less likely to lose them to the unsubscribe button.

Email Opt-In Best Practices

If you’re going to start using email opt-ins, it’s important to note that your efforts shouldn’t end with a quick pop-up or offer on the website. You need to follow through in order to grow and maintain a robust subscriber list. A few ways to make sure your email subscribers stick with you is to put the following tips into practice:

• Consider a Double Opt-In feature: Once your website visitors have submitted their email to the subscriber list, send them an email containing a link that they need to click in order to receive further communication. This helps ensure that the people who subscribe are really interested in your content and haven’t change their mind since visiting your site.
• Send Quality Content: Now that you have an audience, it’s important to make it worth their while high quality content. Make sure that your titles are interesting and attract attention so that they stand out in overcrowded inboxes and provide the useful information your subscribers were hoping for when they opted in. And don’t skimp on the promotional materials – everybody loves a coupon!
• Don’t forget the Call to Action: Every email you send should include a call-to-action. It keeps your audience engaged and gives them multiple opportunities to connect with you, purchase your products or inquire about your services.
• Tell them what they’re signing up for: Make sure your opt-in includes a disclosure about your privacy practices as well as a statement acknowledging their consent to receive email communication.
  

Who’s Doing it Right?

If you’re looking for a little inspiration to get started, here are some great examples of businesses that are rocking the email opt-in!

1. Here’s a great example of freebie offer that teaches subscribers how to use a freebie offer in their own email marketing. It’s a freebie within a freebie! It also adds an additional layer of opt-in choices with a pop-up offering a free download, so this is an opt-in home run!

See the example HERE. BAM member, Jaime Slutzky shares her business tech expertise on the Tech of Business Podcast, helping businesses become more profitable, retain clients longer, create great experiences and fulfill the mission of the business owner.

2. This opt-in is great because it tells website visitors exactly what they will gain by subscribing – they’ll learn valuable information about how to leverage Pinterest traffic to gain more followers and subscribers. It’s always good to verbalize exactly what subscribers should expect and how it relates to their business or life. This website also features a secondary opt-in option that pops up at the top of the page which increases the likelihood that website visitors will convert to subscribers!

See the example HERE. Amy Edge, another awesome member of our BAM community, specializes in supporting impact-driven entrepreneurs with behind-the-scene support so they can maximize their reach and growth potential (and also have time for a personal life!).

3. For online businesses that are looking to book new clients for their services, this is a fantastic email opt-in example to check out! After reading a blog post with lots of useful information that piques their interest, website visitors have the opportunity to sign up for a complimentary strategy session – how cool is that? There is also a pop-up option on this page to increase the chances of visitors subscribing for email communication.

See the example HERE. Another of our fantastic BAM members, Nicole Lux-Ritchie strives to help professionals gain the technological skills they need to grow their businesses and focus on their missions.

4. Here is another great example of an email opt-in built into a blog post. By using blog posts as part of your opt-in strategy, you’re establishing yourself as an authority on a subject that your website visitors are interested in learning about. Once they’ve read your blog, and see that you have a wealth of knowledge to share, they are much more likely to opt-in for emails, or to book a chat session, in hopes that they can learn a thing or two! In this particular blog, website visitors are given a free video before they’ve even opted in!

See the example HERE. At Get Simply Online, BAM member Kristy Honsvick specializes in helping entrepreneurs be more visible online by sharing their message and content all over the web.

You may have noticed a trend here – all these great examples came from women within our wonderful Business Among Moms community! There is such a wealth of knowledge amongst our members – and we love sharing it! If you’d like to be part of the BAM community, join us HERE! We can’t wait to meet you and learn about your business!