Increase Opt-ins These 5 Ways

Online marketers have one major goal: increase your opt-in
list. We measure success by list size. A big list *usually*
means you are doing something right.

A big list won't do much good unless it's also a targeted
list. That means you have a list of subscribers who will
stay with you when you send solo mailings, inviting them to
buy a product or attend a teleseminar. They won't run away
screaming when your headline has a typo or your link doesn't
work, unless it happens a lot.

All three solutions depend on having what I call an
irresistible freebie: a giveaway to thank visitors for
signing up. We also assume you display your privacy policy.
"We respect your privacy" is the phrase of choice.

Technique #1: The Squeeze Page:

Your site is named "mygreatsite.biz" but when visitors go
there, they see a sales letter for your no-cost ezine. Will
they sign up?

In some markets, the squeeze page works really well. In
others, you will turn away your most promising leads.
Typically, squeeze pages work best when you provide some
content instead of just a sales pitch.

You also have to think about returning visitors. They've
already subscribed. Do they have to re-subscribe? Or is
there a button to click to enter the site?

Of course, you have to write good copy for your squeeze
page. You need to demonstrate strong benefits and you need
to understand the problems that motivate your visitors to
seek solutions.

You can also try a hovering pop-up. I have them on both my
sites and they work. But I would test against a page with no
pop-up, just a subscription box.

Technique #2: Add a graphic to make your virtual ezine look
like a magazine.

These days people are visual. They like to see images. So if
your opt-in page isn't converting, make your ezine seem
tangible.

This technique works for many markets, assuming your ezine
has a strong name. But it can backfire in other markets. I
tested my opt-in page with and without the "sleepy-cat"
logo. The plain ugly page got a higher conversion rate.

Technique #3: Integrate your blog, articles and ezine.

Send blog visitors to your ezine and vice versa. Some ezine
authors post recent blog article titles in each issue. Of
course your article resource box will link to your ezine,
too.

Typically visitors judge your ezine by what they read on
your blog. Or they like an article and want to learn more.

Article marketing offers a strong resource for opt-in lists
because you're most likely to get targeted traffic. They
know something about you. In contrast, people who go to your
pay per click (ppc) ad may be fishing. Nearly everyone who
adds subscribers from ppc or exchange list reports feeling
disappointed. You'll get subscribers but they won't be high
quality.

Technique #4: Buy advertising in ezines that also reach your
target market.

Some of you came to me from an ad I ran in Ali Brown's ezine
awhile back. I've also been seen in Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero's
ezine. These subscribers tend to be very high quality. They
share the same Internet marketing spirit and they appreciate
what I write.

Good ezine ads may cost a few hundred dollars or more,. But
they can be far more effective than a year of rubber chicken
event working.

I don't sell ads currently myself but I do buy.

Technique #5: Joint ventures.

Here's how it works. You offer a gift to someone else who
plans a promotion. Your gift gets seen by everyone who buys
the target product. Your gift description will be seen by
everyone who visits the landing page of the venture.

This technique works only if your joint venture partners
share a common target market. I've attracted opt-ins when
partnering with sites that target authors and business
owners. But I don't fit ventures targeted to spiritual or
health audiences. Your experience may be the opposite.