Let’s get back to the basics. I’ve been doing quite a bit of thinking about my opt-in offer, and I’m happy to say it’s very much served its purpose. I’ve had this single opt-in for a few years because it’s worked very well and its information is still really relevant.
As I’ve talked with a lot of entrepreneurs, I’ve had great opportunities to think about what I’m doing and how I can help online business owners create an opt-in offer that’s going to grow their list. Today, I’m going to share the essentials of a magnetic opt-in offer that will do the work of converting your audience onto your email mailing list for you!
Why Do We Need Opt-In Offers?
Success in online business is directly tied to your email marketing list. It’s as simple as that. I’m not saying you have to have a huge email list, but you do have to be focused on growing that email list consistently to consistently grow your business. It comes down to putting something out that people are going to want and giving it away for free.
Success in online business is directly tied to your email marketing list. It’s as simple as that. Your list doesn't have to be huge, but you do have to be focused on growing it to consistently grow your business. #Youpreneur Click To TweetThere are many, many online influencers in the last 5-10 years who’ve said they should’ve started their list way earlier. If you’re reading this and you don’t have an email list strategy in place for your blog or website, you are leaving money on the table. You must launch an email marketing campaign immediately. That should be your number one priority.
Evolved Opt-In Offers
My opt-in offers started as simple ebooks. I would write on subjects I was passionate about that I knew people were interested in. After 3,000-5,000 words of useful information, I had it formatted into a PDF document and gave it away for free.
As time has gone by, the opt-in offer has evolved. Ebooks still work, but you’ve also got things like white papers, case studies, cheat sheets and top tool resources. These are all just PDF documents.
I did a video course because I wanted to do something a little bit different. I mean, a few years ago, people weren’t giving away full-blown video courses. Now, there are more and more people doing it because things evolve.
In this age of evolved opt-in offers, you can give away a single webinar style screen capture PLUS an audio version of the same webinar. Turn that into an ebook, and you can give your audience three types of content to enjoy.
There’s no point putting time and energy into a Facebook group unless you’re converting members to your email list. This is where a super high-quality opt-in offer comes in handy. Focus on creating an opt-in that’s easy to consume and allows your members to be able to learn quickly from your experience.
The most important thing about your opt-in offer is that it answers questions. I specifically set up my videos to provide solutions for problems people have when it comes to working with virtual staff.
Tips For a Magnetic Offer
Anything and everything that provides value can make for a fantastic opt-in offer. Be thought-provoking. Try to make your audience take action when they’re done with your free content. Give them a quick win, and they’ll be fans for life.
When you create that offer and build up your email list, you also get the opportunity to build your brand. Remember, your opt-in is a direct relative to you and your brand. Make sure it’s as high-quality as it possibly can be and equally valuable.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel here. You can quite easily repurpose content you already have available. Chances are, there’s a high-quality piece of content on your blog with a lot of comments and shares. Develop that into a slightly new piece of content and give it away, it’s as simple as that.
For me, the number is 100. When it comes to a magnetic opt-in offer, I want to create something that I feel I could easily sell a ton of at $100 a pop, and then I go ahead and give it away for free. There’s no right or wrong way to do this. Some opt-ins will work better than others. You’ve got to try things out as you do with most things when it comes to online business.
Lastly, don’t just have one offer. If there are high-quality, converting pieces of content on your blog, develop an opt-in just for that page. Produce an overall opt-in offer and also have a few spin-off offers. Keep it super relevant, super high quality, and try to provide a few wins.
Chris founded Youpreneur® in 2015. He is a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker and author of the bestselling books “Virtual Freedom” and “Rise of the Youpreneur”. He hosts our podcast, live events and coaches our clients inside the Youpreneur Incubator. Chris is based in Cambridge, UK.
