Do NOT Say "Join Our Newsletter!" (here's why)

If you’re running an online business, the primary goal of your website & social channels should be to capture email subscribers.

 

The saying “the money is in the list” is one of the most important online business rules and it still applies today.

 

Problem is, so many people shoot themselves in the foot by putting a TEENY TINY box hidden in the bottom corner of their website that (of all things) says “Join our newsletter”.

 

As a consumer, I want you to solve my problems, not “update me”!

 

Here’s what to do instead.

 

Give people a good reason to subscribe that benefits THEM - make it a no-brainer for them.

 

That’s what today is about.

 

You Will Learn:

• How to collect email addresses effortlessly
• What to say to get people to subscribe
• How to start collecting those emails ASAP

 

Let’s dive in!

 

 Step #1 - Create a Lead Magnet

 

When building a targeted email list with people that care about what we have to offer, it’s best to actively solve their problems and lead with value. 

 

The way we do this is with lead magnets.

 

Simply put, a lead magnet is something you give your audience in exchange for their email address.

 

Lead magnets come in many different forms…

• PDF Guides
• Online quiz
• Exclusive Content (like a workshop) 
• Actionable Templates 
• Cheat Sheet PDFs
  

 

The format doesn’t matter nearly as much as the content the lead magnet provides. In the end, that’s all a lead magnet is - another piece of content (much like a blog or social media post).

 

Here’s a simple formula for creating your own lead magnets:

 

• Identify your audience's most consistent, annoying, and intense problem

• Offer them the single most valuable and immediate solution to that problem

 

Here are a couple of examples of great lead magnets:

 

A coach and friend of mine Greg Faxon has a perfect lead magnet for his audience called “21 Ways To Find Potential Clients”.

 

Greg helps coaches fill their client roster, so this lead magnet is a no-brainer for his target market.

 

He understands that one of the most consistent and frustrating problems coaches experience is where they're going to find their first (or next) clients.

 

Here’s the crazy part…

 

That guide is about 2 pages long. It's just bullet points

 

Understand that your lead magnet is a “potato chip”, not the full meal. It doesn’t need to be a 30-page ebook you spend weeks carefully planning and creating. 

 

A simple 1-8 page resource that solves your audience's problem is perfect.

 

Here’s one more example from my own site…

 

One of my highest converting lead magnets is my “Earn Your First $500/mo. of Passive Income in 5 Simple Steps.”

 

It’s clear, speaks to what my audience wants, and it gives them what it promises. I even break down the math based on different price points.

 

If you haven’t already, I’d recommend you download it for 2 reasons…

 

1. It’s awesome.
2. You’re going to see how simple a lead magnet can be so you can replicate it in your own way.

 

The better you understand your audience, the better your lead magnets (and products) will be.

 

Study what your audience cares about, use the formula I shared with you, and build it. You can always update it to make it better or test different lead magnets down the road to find which one converts best with your audience.

 

Step #2 - Write Eye-Catching Optin Copy

 

Once you build your lead magnet, you have to package it in a way that’s compelling for your audience so they actually download it and give you their email address. 

 

How well your lead magnet converts ultimately comes down to what solution you’re offering with the lead magnet.

 

Here’s a simple formula I learned from Ramit Sethi for creating compelling opt-in copy:

 

[PROBLEM]? Get my [SOLUTION] & [RESULT]

 

Here are a couple of examples of what this looks like in action:

 

• “Can’t control your dog? Get my bonus training on how to train your dog to behave in public.”
• “Want more website traffic? Get my 5-step website checklist and triple your traffic”
• “Think eating healthy is boring? Get my grocery store cheat sheet and fill your fridge with tasty foods that melt fat and build muscle”

 

What can you come up with for your lead magnet with this formula?

 

Step #3 - Build Your Brand Around Your Lead Magnet

 

If you’ve done what I’ve shared with you up to this point, now it’s time to promote your lead magnet and start building your email list!

 

Once you’ve built your lead magnet and created your opt-in copy, put your lead magnet EVERYWHERE.

 

Build your entire website around your lead magnet.

 

My highest converting lead magnet is what you see on my entire homepage, blog sidebar, and at the bottom of each blog post, exit or 2-step pop-ups, even my About Me page.

 

Just peruse my website for example and replicate your own version for yourself.

 

Conclusion

 

Saying “join our newsletter” doesn’t benefit your audience as much as providing a valuable piece of content they can consume.

 

In the end, serving our audience is what we do.

 

Providing lead magnets that speak to the audience you want to serve is going to attract more of those people to your email list which means you will build a quality list.

 

If you just say “join our newsletter!”, or anything like that, you’re going to attract less focused customers to your business.

 

But you have to actually use what you learned here in order for this to work. Taking action is your only superpower.

 

Focus on each piece of this post, one step at a time.

1. Create a Lead Magnet
2. Write Eye-Catching Optin Copy
3. Build Your Brand Around Your Lead Magnet

 

Just make sure you use a software like MailChimp, ConvertKit, or Kajabi so you can actually capture and store these emails somewhere and stay in contact with them.

 

Once you actually do this, you’re going to start building a quality email list. It will take time, but it’ll be worth it.

 

Wishing you a lifetime of success,

 

James