How many times have you visited a website for the first time and, before you even got to know the site or the brand, you are asked to suffer a newsletter? It’s a bit like walking into a restaurant and, before you have even been able to see the menu or even taste the food, you are asked if you want to have a membership card. It’s really, at best, without finesse and, at worst, intrusive.
Add the fact that we all get tons of emails every day and it is not surprising that requests to subscribe to a newsletter are ineffective for growing your list of potential customers’ emails.
But all is not lost- there are many ways to get these emails!
I’m not going to list all the possible ways to grow your email list because this article would be way too long. I will only discuss the most efficient way.
Create and offer something valuable to the visitor for free and which will be sent by email.
This “free content” can be as fancy as a private video explaining something important, but it can also be as simple as a PDF. Whether it is a tutorial, a checklist, a self-evaluation, etc, the most important thing is that it has value to the visitor.
Objectively ask yourself: “would I be willing to give away my personal email and receive regular advertising messages in exchange for this free content?”.
If the answer is yes, then go ahead and write this content (or find someone to do it for you).
Some things to keep in mind:
If the idea of having a great video is enticing, be aware that the production and time that go into making a video are much more than that of making a PDF.
Also note that once the person sees this video, the chances of them coming back to view it again in a few months is very low.
And finally, a PDF that has been downloaded will be easier to find than the address of an unlisted video buried in their inbox.