Tips for Effective Newsletter Sign Ups

You can barely go to a website these days without being asked to subscribe to a newsletter. But what makes someone more likely to subscribe? In a word: Value.

Be sure your newsletter is offering value.

Just popping in a box that says “subscribe” isn’t going to compel someone to sign up for your newsletter. What people want to know is, what are they going to get out of it? If your box looks like this:

then you clearly are not passing on enough information about what’s in the newsletter to generate any interest. If you simply have a “subscribe” box with nothing else, it just looks like an invitation to be spammed. You have to offer value. What will you give them in your newsletter? How will it help them? This is a give and take. They are giving you their email address… what will you give them? They need to know.

Offer something for free

People don’t like to give up their email address freely. Spam is never-ending these days – nobody is going to sign up for more without a reason. What can you give away? A white paper? A free consultation? Top ten tips for your industry? A coupon or discount? You need to give the user a really good reason to give you their email address.

Tell them you won’t share their email address

Spam is a constant problem. People consider who they want to share their email address. If you have a clear message that lets people know you won’t give away their info, they’ll be more likely to sign up.

So you have a great sign up, but now what? 

I have a few more tips to make your newsletter a success. First, make sure you have a great thank you page. What happens after they subscribe?

• They should get a welcome message within minutes. Be sure it’s branded to match your website and includes whatever offer or incentive you were giving them for signing up.
• Is there something else you want from them? Do you want them to buy something? Contact you for services? Put that in the thank you.
• Are you on social media? Ask them to follow you.

Don’t just say “thanks for subscribing” and let that be the end of your sign up. Plan and calculate your newsletter sign ups so that your subscribers are getting what they signed up for and make them feel like you value their subscription.

Finally, continue to keep offering them value in the newsletters you send. Don’t send it too much, write great content, use great images, and always ask them to take the next step… whatever that next step is.