If you already have a newsletter signup CTA on your website and a lead magnet, is there anything else you can do to get email subscribers without paying for promotion?
Fortunately, yes!
Many solopreneurs, content creators, and brands with large email lists don’t do any paid promotion.
The real secret is that they execute the basic organic newsletter growth strategies more effectively (and consistently) than the average newsletter creator or email marketer.
For example, you probably already have a lead magnet. Yet the relevancy and value of the lead magnet is the difference between earning 100 or 100,000 email subscribers. So the real question isn’t do I have a lead magnet, but rather, how effective is my lead magnet?
In this post, we’ll discuss not just the basic strategies to get more email subscribers, but more importantly, how to effectively execute each of these strategies like the top 1% of newsletter and email marketers.
1. Improve Your Lead Magnet
If you already have a lead magnet, increasing your conversion rate by even a small amount can significantly boost email signups.
In fact, before executing any of the steps below, spend time optimizing your lead magnet, as this is the 80/20 of earning more email subscribers.
So, what makes a highly effective lead magnet?
Two main factors impact your lead magnet’s conversion rate:
Let’s explain both of them.
Relevancy
The relevancy of the lead magnet for that visitor is how specifically it addresses a pain point that the visitor feels.
For example, someone reading a post on keyword research is more likely to download a free keyword research cheat sheet than a “5 marketing hacks” guide. Obviously, this means that creating more lead magnets will help, as you can then create lead magnets specific to each blog post’s topic.
HubSpot is excellent at creating very specific lead magnets that correspond with the blog post topic. For example, in this post on how to write a blog post, the lead magnet is a collection of six blog post templates:
Usefulness
The usefulness of the lead magnet is the degree to which the lead magnet solves the reader’s problem.
For example, a free tool that automates a daily task the reader spends an hour on is much more useful than a “5 tips to X” style blog post (even if the tips are helpful/relevant).
Therefore, even if you have a lead magnet, check that it’s actually relevant to the type of visitors you’re attracting and that it’s ideally useful enough that a person may be willing to pay money to access.
If you’re feeling stuck while creating your lead magnet, look at your blog’s most successful topics to identify the most painful problems your audience feels and then work backward to create a solution you can offer as a lead magnet.
Improving your lead magnet’s performance is important because if you get this step right, you can have a poorly optimized CTA and ignore the other advice in this post, and still produce an excellent email subscriber conversion rate.
2. Optimize On Page CTAs
You probably already have a CTA on your website for people to subscribe to your newsletter.
Yet the number of email subscribers it earns depends on:
- How many CTAs are on your website
- Where the CTAs are positioned on the website
- The visibility and size of the CTAs
- The copy of the CTAs
There isn’t a perfect answer for how many CTAs you should have or where you should position them on your website, but here are some best practices.
Include a general CTA to subscribe to your newsletter both:
- In the footer
- Somewhere on your homepage.
You can also include a CTA for a general lead magnet in both:
- The sidebar of your blog posts
- An exit pop-up
Finally, include a CTA to more specific/relevant lead magnets:
- Contextually, within each blog post
- At the end of each blog post
Additionally, it’s a best practice to make your CTA stand out from the rest of the text on your website. While you can test different colors and fonts, the main point is to make it easily visible.
The copy of your CTA will also impact your conversion rate. Perhaps the best CTA copy is a testimonial of the newsletter itself, similar to Backlinko’s CTA:
If you’re not sure what a great CTA looks like, simply tell the reader what they’ll receive when signing up to your email list.
The biggest mistake I often see with CTA copy is over optimizing it by providing too much information or focusing on vague benefits that don’t clearly communicate what the reader will actually receive when subscribing.
Too much information: Learn how to cook keto recipes, exercise more effectively, access exclusive content, and hear behind-the-scenes stories of how keto changes lives.
Too vague: Subscribe to learn how to change your life.
Instead, simply tell them what they’ll receive by subscribing to your newsletter.
A clear, concise, and effective CTA: Subscribe to learn how to make keto meals in less than 10 minutes.
3. Add A Subscribe CTA To Your Emails
If you deliver truly outstanding content, subscribers will likely share the emails with their friends. Therefore, optimize your emails to earn more subscribers by including a link to subscribe at the bottom of each email.
Here’s a great example of how Pay Flynn executed this:
4. Offer A Referral Program
Alex Lieberman, the founder of Morning Brew, has repeatedly stated that Morning Brew’s main growth strategy was its referral program.
Today, they have a tiered referral program, a strategy every newsletter and email marketer should use to earn more subscribers.
You can offer a similar referral program through most newsletter platforms.
The key to a great referral program is making it easy for people to reach the first reward. For example, if people see that they need at least five or seven referrals to reach the first reward, most won’t even begin because the task seems too daunting.
However, after they reach the first level, reaching the second level won’t feel as daunting, and they’ll be encouraged to continue sharing it after receiving the first prize.
Additionally, ensure that the first reward is something your audience will truly value.
“` If the reward is a prize that will likely end up in the garbage or be deleted from their computer, consider offering a more valuable reward. For example, you could offer a database of helpful links or a mini Facebook ad course as a reward. This approach has proven to be more effective in attracting subscribers. If you’re looking to improve your email marketing strategy, it’s important to focus on mastering the basics before exploring more advanced tactics. By implementing the tips mentioned above, you can enhance your execution and see better results.
For personalized guidance and support, you may want to consider joining the Copyblogger Academy. This community, led by successful entrepreneurs Tim Stoddart and Charles Miller, offers a range of courses on content marketing, email marketing, SEO, personal branding, and copywriting. Members can also receive feedback from the community and participate in accountability calls to stay motivated and on track.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to elevate your skills before prices increase later this year. Join the Copyblogger Academy now to take your email marketing efforts to the next level.
FAQs:
1. What is the Copyblogger Academy?
The Copyblogger Academy is a community of entrepreneurs and marketers offering courses on various digital marketing topics.
2. Who leads the Copyblogger Academy?
The Copyblogger Academy is led by successful entrepreneurs Tim Stoddart and Charles Miller.
3. What courses are available at the Copyblogger Academy?
Members of the Copyblogger Academy have access to courses on content marketing, email marketing, SEO, personal branding, and copywriting.
4. Can I receive feedback on my work at the Copyblogger Academy?
Yes, members can ask the community for direct feedback on their work.
5. How can I stay motivated at the Copyblogger Academy?
You can join accountability calls to ensure you execute the material in the course and stay motivated through challenges.