Here’s the cold, hard truth: people won’t care about your newsletter unless you make them. That means going above and beyond to grow your list by being strategic about how you promote it. Follow these suggestions to step up your newsletter marketing game.
Your pop-up matters
A newsletter popup is one of the first things your audience should see when visiting your website. Its design and copy need to be captivating or else people will ignore it. Be honest—how often do you click “X” as fast as you possibly can whenever you see the word “Subscribe!” pop up on a website? It takes a lot to keep us interested, so make sure your ad is extraordinarily compelling..
Although it may only be a sentence or two, the growth of your newsletter largely depends on the copy of your popup. Be strategic about your word choice and tone. You want to call the audience to action without commanding them to action, so shape your message to sound like it’s coming from a very persuasive friend. You should also be sure that your copy emphasizes the specific ways your readers will benefit from subscribing.
Here are some phrases to get you started:
“Be the first to hear about…”
“Sign up and get…”
“Want [xyz] sent straight to your inbox every week?”
“Receive weekly tips on…”
“Never miss another update on…”
Keep in mind, however, that popup headlines are best when they’re clever and specific to your organization. Make it your own.
When it comes to design, keep it clean, engaging and on-brand. Stand-out copy, eye-catching colors and and a simple graphic will do the trick.
Offer perks for joining your list
If you feel like your newsletter’s content alone won’t be enough to convince people to subscribe, propose a special deal or bonus along with it. You can offer premium downloads, articles or resources; or, if your organization provides a product or service, offer discounts on them. Whichever perk you choose, your subscribers should know it’s “exclusive” to only them.
Promote on other outlets
Once you’ve perfected your landing page popup, you can’t stop there. You should also be promoting your newsletter on all possible channels.
That means…
-Tweets and Facebook posts
-Promos in your other emails (in the form of the copy itself, a banner ad at the bottom, etc.)
-Ads in your print publication, if you have one
-Other website ads
And if there’s any other media outlets you can think of, utilize them.
Offline connections
You can also step away from the computer to find new subscribers. If you send direct mail, include a place for people to opt in to your emails on the page. When you host events or fundraisers, place a newsletter signup beside your check-in sheet.
Once you rally up new subscribers, regardless of how you’ve acquired them, be sure to send out a welcome email to remind them that they opted in.
Pack your newsletters with awesome, engaging content so that once a user subscribes, they stay subscribed.
