Do you know what opt-ins are? Do you know why they’re essential to building your email list? If you answered “yes,” that’s excellent; you’ll be a Jedi yet. If you answered “no,” don’t worry, Padawan. There’s still training to do.
Keep reading to learn all about opt-ins and why you want to use them to build your email marketing list.
Email Marketing Runs Strong
Even now, email marketing is one of the most effective ways to disseminate information, announce new product releases, and develop leads for any company, large or small. It has been the backbone of marketing efforts for decades, and the cost-effectiveness and reach of email marketing campaigns remain unparalleled.
Gone are the days of print media like physical mailers, as reaching prospective customers is almost instantaneous (and cheap) by comparison, thanks to the internet.
However, in the fast-paced digital world, we live in today, building and maintaining an email marketing list can seem like an uphill battle, as potential customers are inundated with a constant stream of emails from a vast array of businesses clamoring for their attention.
And of course, it’s only through this attention can the sale be made. So naturally, you want your efforts to pay off and get the highest conversion rate possible. Unfortunately, this is where many businesses fail with cold emailing tactics.
What’s cold emailing?
Picture this: you’re staring at your inbox, trying to drown out the sound of your growling stomach, when suddenly, a bright and shiny email catches your eye. It’s a cold email! But don’t worry; it’s not about selling you a literal freezer.
Cold emailing is the art of reaching out to potential customers or clients who have no prior relationship with you. It’s like walking up to a stranger on the street and asking them to join your book club – or “sliding in the DMs” of an Instagram model you’ve never met before and asking for a date.
Think of it as a Jedi mind trick, but instead of the force, you’re using words. And who knows, maybe your cold email will lead to a warm introduction. Maybe…
Truthfully, cold emailing (just like unsolicited messages on Instagram and strange book club offers on the street) rarely works. It’s a shot in the dark if the recipient will even be interested in what you have to offer.
Seriously, ask yourself; how many emails do you get in a day from a famous brand you’ve purchased from in the past (or maybe never even heard of before)? Probably a lot, right? A better question; do you recall signing up for any of these marketing emails?
This is where opt-ins come in, a critical tool to build and maintain a successful email marketing list. By utilizing opt-ins, you can attract potential customers who are already interested in your products or services and make it easier for them to stay engaged.
What Is An Opt-In?
An opt-in is simply a method of obtaining permission from customers to receive email marketing communications from your company. It can take on different forms, from subscribing to your email newsletter and agreeing to receive promotional emails, to sign up for free products, or webinars.
Remember giving your crush those questionnaires in grade school asking if they liked you? With checkboxes to indicate either “Yes,” “No,” or (for whatever reason other than personal torment) “Maybe?” Opt-ins are kinda like that.
Essentially, an opt-in is a declaration of interest from the customer- a voluntary agreement to receive your marketing communications.
Opt-in benefits
Opt-ins not only help expand your marketing list, but they are essential for permission-based email marketing, where sending emails to subscribers without their permission can result in legal and reputational repercussions for your business. Additionally, when customers voluntarily sign up, they are likely to be more engaged and show an inclination towards active participation and higher click-through rates.
Using opt-ins enables businesses to directly target interested customers, improve customer engagement, and ultimately, increase sales and revenue. By collecting email addresses through opt-ins, businesses can grow their mailing lists faster and, most importantly, organically.
Organic growth is key because it ensures that the customers who sign up are genuinely interested in your brand and products, leading to a higher percentage of leads that are more likely to convert to sales. Opt-ins also allow you to develop a more personalized marketing experience for your customers, resulting in increased customer retention rates and brand loyalty.
Remember those mysterious unsolicited emails we mentioned earlier that you don’t quite recall signing up for? These are likely faceless marketing messages and cold emails without an opt-in, which explains why you never remember signing up to receive messages from a brand you’ve never heard of.
The CAN-SPAM Act sets guidelines for what email marketers crafting a commercial email can and can’t include, like a clearly labeled subject line and an easy way to opt out of future emails.
And having an opt-in to begin with can keep you on the good side of the CAN-SPAM Act. A double opt-in is even better.
What’s a double opt-in?
When it comes to email marketing, one common way to build a sturdy list of subscribers is through a process called the double opt-in method. Essentially, this approach asks recipients to confirm their email addresses after initially signing up for a newsletter, promotion, or other marketing material. This confirmation often takes the form of an email sent to the address used during sign-up, with a link or button that the recipient must click to verify that they are indeed the owner of that address.
While it may seem like an (unnecessary) additional step, the double opt-in process can offer several benefits, including higher quality leads, increased engagement, and improved sender reputation. By requiring a different verification level, businesses can ensure that the individuals on their list are legitimately interested in their content, ultimately leading to improved ROI and overall marketing success.
While the single opt-in method works, using the double opt-in method is more like doubling down and making sure that yes…these are the droids you’re looking for.
How To Build Your Email Marketing List With Opt-ins
There’s several ways you can incentivize people join your mailing list. Here are more of the most popular ways to build an opt-in email list for lead generation, as part of your overall email marketing strategy.
Use of content
One of the best practices for growing your email list is by offering valuable content to your audience. The key to success with this strategy is to provide informative, relevant, and engaging content to your target audience. This could include newsletters, e-books, whitepapers, podcasts, or webinars showcasing your industry expertise.
When crafting your content, focus on providing value to your audience instead of directly promoting your business. By offering valuable content that speaks directly to your audience, you will increase the likelihood of them opting into your email list and staying engaged with your brand over time.
Gated content, or premium content, is another great way to grow your email list; you can have an exclusive hub of content that serves as the incentive for new subscribers. This can be blog posts, videos, infographics, or anything else of high-quality you can dream of! But to access this content, people must subscribe to your mailing list. See how easy that was?
Ask for subscriptions
As a business, keeping your audience up-to-date on your latest product launches and services is essential for maintaining a successful brand. Asking people to subscribe is one way to ensure that your customers receive timely information directly from your company and build your email marketing list appropriately. You can have this included within your website’s home page, any landing page, or even checkout page.
While many may be hesitant to share their email address, presenting the benefits of subscribing clearly and concisely can help alleviate those concerns. Consider offering an incentive, such as a discount code or giveaway, as an added perk.
Because frankly, it never hurts to ask and point out to a prospective customer that there are ways to keep up-to-date on what you have to offer.
Offer freebies
Attracting and retaining subscribers to your email marketing list can be challenging, but offering free downloadable content can be a game-changer. Providing valuable resources such as e-books, checklists, or templates not only entice potential subscribers to opt-in to your list but also establish you as an expert in your field. There are several methods to offer freebies to website visitors, including a simple opt-in form or lead magnet that requires an email address in exchange for the content.
Whichever path you choose, make sure the content is relevant to your target audience and showcases your brand’s unique voice. By consistently offering high-quality freebies, you can grow your email list and ultimately drive more sales for your business in the best way possible.
Conclusion
In today’s digital age, opt-ins have become essential in any email marketing strategy. They are legally required and enable businesses to create a better-targeted email campaign with a higher potential for engagement and conversion. The benefits of opt-ins are vast and have proven to be reliable for growing a genuine email list.
In light of this, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of opt-ins to ensure you are not only in compliance with regulations but also taking advantage of this powerful tool to maximize your email marketing efforts and grow your business.
With the knowledge you have gained on this topic, you are now poised to confidently move forward with creating your successful opt-in strategy.
But wait, are you still stuck on how to get started? It’s ok, and luckily, you don’t need to crash on Dagobah to get help.
Sunrise Virtual Assistant Services offers an exceptional opportunity for businesses to harness the power of email marketing with our strategic content and incentive strategies. Our team of expert professionals specializes in designing top-notch opt-in email marketing campaigns that are tailored to your specific needs.
We analyze your business to understand the content your target audience would appreciate, helping us generate compelling content for email campaigns that drives engagement and conversion. Our email incentive strategy complements content marketing, and this approach ensures we provide value and keep your audience engaged.
Yes, we’ll improve your email marketing results and steadily grow your email list with new email subscriptions. With Sunrise Virtual Assistant Services, you can expect high-quality, targeted email marketing campaigns that will undoubtedly help you witness revenue growth and increase of your email list. Want to finally start your opt-in email strategy? Contact us today for a free consultation.
