In the online business world – or really any world in today’s digital age, there are few things that are more valuable than your email list. Not only are your email subscribers the only people you have in your corner when there’s another algorithm update that trashes IG engagement, email marketing has some of the best ROI of any digital marketing method. Maintaining a healthy email list is key to growing your business and making sales, which means creating a killer opt-in, or lead magnet, should be at the top of your to-do list.
Lead Magnet vs Opt-In
There are about a million different ways to get someone to join your email list. Offering discount codes in exchange for your email address or adding a marketing checkbox to a checkout platform are opportunities for someone to opt-in to your list. When you create a freebie, download, or other asset in exchange for the email address, we call this a lead magnet. We’ll dive into the specifics of different kinds of lead magnets and opt-ins in another post, but for now we’ll cover the basic formula.
What makes a good opt-in?
A good opt-in is comprised of four main components. The hook, the delivery, and the follow-through.
The Hook
The hook is a quick and snappy way to describe your opt-in. It’s the title or header that makes your ideal clients squeal “Oh em gee!! This is for me!!” The hook is what convinces the reader to give you their email address, and at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what the opt-in delivers if there isn’t a good hook to draw the reader in.
The hook can be broken down into three main parts: The person, the premise, and the promise.
The Person
Think about who this opt-in is for. If it’s your ideal client, think about how they describe themselves. Are they a busy business owner? A spiritual solopreneur? What are some descriptors that your ideal clients relate to? Brainstorm a list and have fun with it!
The Premise
What will your freebie or lead magnet help them accomplish? Are you teaching them how to do something? Helping them make a decision? What are they trying to accomplish and how will your opt-in help them do it? This is your premise statement.
The Promise
The promise is your unique spin on the solution. What makes you different from the alternative? If your ideal client has downloaded other freebies or worked with other providers to achieve the premise – what will your solution do differently?
Put it all together and you have your hook.
This quiz helps values-forward service providers create a compelling opt-in that serves their ideal clients at every step of the customer journey.
The Delivery
This is your ability to actually follow through with your hook and give the reader the transformation that they’ve been looking for. I mentioned earlier that it doesn’t matter how great your opt-in is if you don’t have a hook that convinces people to sign up for it – but you still have to deliver a quality opt-in to help the reader make the transformation. What can these transformations look like?
Not knowing what it looks like to work with you -> understanding your services and price breakdowns.
Not knowing what solution is best for their problem -> finding clarity about what their next step should be.
Feeling lost when it comes to this area of their business -> taking confident action to create a quick win.
You don’t need to throw everything but the kitchen sink into your opt-in to make it valuable, but you do need to provide a tangible solution that delivers on the promise of your hook. By focusing on the quality of your delivery, you can make a greater impact without overwhelming yourself (or your readers) with information.
The Follow-through
Your hook is amazing, your lead magnet is transformative, but what happens after someone joins your email list? Are they bombarded with sales content until they either buy or unsubscribe? Do they never hear a word from you until the next time you’re scrambling for clients? Or are they carefully nurtured so that the next time you have an offer for sale, they’re chomping at the bit to buy from you?
Any of the above examples could be an effective follow-through strategy for your next opt-in or lead magnet, but I like to be a little more structured with my follow-through strategy.
Delivery Email
We start with the delivery email. This email should be automated, immediate, and clearly deliver the lead magnet promised by the hook on your website. Even if you have the tech set up to automatically download or redirect to the lead magnet, you should always have a clear and easy to understand email laying out all of the details of your lead magnet ready for your reader to reference.
Welcome Sequence
Beginning the next day (or later the same day of the download), we can begin to nurture our new subscribers with a welcome sequence. At minimum, this should be an introduction to who you are, who you serve, and what your subscribers can expect from being on your list. Depending on your personality, marketing strategy, and general email sending habits, this sequence can be anywhere from 3-10+ emails long. I tend to keep mine on the shorter side, and tailor the emails to the specific opt-in, but if you only have one opt-in or want a more universal welcome sequence, you can create even more emails!
Sales Opportunity
Finally we want to include an opportunity to convert your new email subscriber into a paying customer or client! The way that you do this will vary depending on the nature of your business and the work that you do, but the important thing to keep in mind here is that the sales opportunity should come at the heels of the transformation provided by your lead magnet.
If you have a quiz, for example, that helps your reader make a decision about which of your services is right for them, the sales opportunity should come relatively quickly, while the quiz is still top of mind. On the flip side, if you offer a 30-day challenge, you’ll want to wait until your new subscriber has had the opportunity to create the transformation before jumping into the sale. Play around with different welcome sequences and sales opportunity timelines to see what works best for you and your audience.
Uncover your next opt-in!
Take the quiz to find out which opt-in style is best for your ideal clients on their unique customer journey. Then, hire me to help you write it!
