Do you know what the worst way to get people to sign up to your newsletter is?
It’s by asking them to “Sign Up to the Newsletter.”
Do you think people wake up in the morning and go,
“Oh geez, I wish I could find more newsletters to sign up to…”
NO!
You have to give them a better reason than that. We touched upon this in the Email Marketing Manifesto that you got when you signed up, but it bears repeating:
Give People Something Valuable in Exchange for Subscribing
What’s the incentive for people to subscribe to your email list? Why should they care?
What’s In It For Them?
Solve a micro problem that you know your audience has. It doesn’t have to be a comprehensive solution.
Give them one solution to a small but annoying problem you know they have.
If you’ve done the research recommended in the last two lessons, then you should have a good idea of the type of problem your subscribers have.
And if you know your market well enough, you probably have a ton of ideas in mind.
For instance:
- If you’re a knifemaker (hi Don), you can create a “Knife Sharpening Masterclass” or a video on knife skills that people get when signing up
- If you’re a trained pianist (hi Jonathan), you can do an “Improvisational Chord Cheatsheet” for people who want to learn to solo
- If you work in finance (hi Adam), you can do a Financial Health Checklist
- If you’re a Cubase ninja, like my friend Chris Selim, then you can create a Mix Template
Those are just a few suggestions based on a few of my subscribers.
Create What’s Comfortable For You
Your lead magnet does not have to be an in-depth eBook, especially if you hate writing.
It could be:
- A quick video if you’re comfortable on camera
- An infographic you make with Visme.
- A simple one-page PDF document with questions
- An audio recording of an interview with an expert
Make your lead magnet whatever feels comfortable for you to create. Something you know is valuable that you can make quickly.
Don’t stress too much about making it perfect. Done is better than perfect.
Get More Subscribers
You’d be surprised just how many more subscribers you’ll get when you swap out the “Subscribe to the Newsletter” with something like “Get the Jazz-Chord Cheatsheet” or “Improve Your Financial Health with the Financial Health Checklist.”
When you offer something valuable in return for subscribing, that’s not just another generic newsletter nobody cares about; you’re guaranteed to get more subscribers.
Not only does the value of your lead magnet increase your subscription rate, but using great copy will help as well, something we’ll talk about further in week 4.
Add Your Lead Magnet to Your Welcome Email
Now all you gotta do is add your lead magnet to the Welcome Email of your email software, change the opt-in forms on your website to say what you’re offering when people sign up, and then you’re bound to get more subscribers.
We’ll be discussing the Welcome Email, the Welcome Sequence and how to optimize your opt-in boxes on your website in week three and four, but in the meantime, get busy making your lead magnet.