Tips to creating a killer opt-in
Star Castle Studio provides artful entrepreneurs and makers with tips and custom-created visuals needed to beautifully run a professionally branded business and make an unforgettable impression online.
There are literally millions of freebies/opt-ins available on the internet – it’s important yours stands out. Make sure it’s worth saving and sets up the recipient for a big win of some kind.
There are two secrets to a wow-worthy freebie:
good content and GOOD design.
Great content with bad design leads to a blah word document that gets lost in the shuffle – if people even bother reading it… Great design with mediocre content leads to a ‘oo that’s pretty’ that later gets deleted and forgotten.
Combining both creates an unforgettable freebie that people continue to use and refer to long after downloading.
“What is an opt-in, really?”
An opt-in is something you deliver (for free) in exchange for the person’s email address (to put on your email list)! This is an excellent way to introduce yourself, your business and its capabilities. It’s also commonly referred to as a lead magnet, as it brings in potential leads through a low-commitment, high delivery exchange (without you having to lift a finger!)
First impressions are crucial to maintaining a successful business and consistently attracting new clients and/or customers. If you don’t excite or entice the buyer from the get-go, the potential of working with them drops dramatically.
Think of an opt-in as a free sample of your business!
Most business have pretty generic opt-ins that they spend minimal effort on, so if/when people grab it, the document just starts collecting dust in their overflowing download folder, never again to see the light of day.
"Ten ways to grow your email list" is so overused and stale…
Don't just follow suit! Consider what you / your business uniquely has to offer. What are they currently struggling with? Are there barriers to working with you – use your freebie to help them work through those first steps.
This is your chance to make an unforgettable first impression, don’t waste it!
Quality content
Opt-is can be informational or interactive. Informational opt-ins are meant to be used as a (one-time or on-going) reference for the recipient. Interactive opt-ins are intended to help the downloader work through some sort of process on their own, by following your guidance.
Informational opt-in ideas
E-book
Reference guide / cheat sheet
How-to / tutorial
Video
Template
Case study
INTERACTIVE OPT-IN IDEAS
Workbook
Worksheet
Checklist
Mini-course
Challenge
Quiz
Whatever file you deliver, make sure it’s something that really ‘wow’s them.
Make it worth their while to provide their email address + download!
+ In general: KeEP it bite-sized.
While you may want to teach readers everythinggggg, an opt -in should provide a quick win and leave them wanting more!
Great design
If you’re unable to hand off your content to a designer to polish to perfection, here are a few simple design tips to keep in mind:
Don't bombard readers with epic walls of text! Even if you think the material is really juicy, most people will be put off by having to read too much right off the bat.
Stay on brand. Since this is the first touch-point for new customers/potential clients, it’s important that your opt-in matches your unique brand aesthetic and sets the right tone for your business. Stay consistent with your colors, fonts and imagery so you’re building solid brand recognition right from the start!
Keep the intended use in mind. If its meant to printed, don't have a ton of photos that are going to waste ink! If readers are meant to work through it and write answers, make sure it's interactive (+ be sure to double check that everything works properly)!
Have you ever downloaded a PDF and its more tedious than helpful? Maybe the form capabilities don’t work, or you can only select one checkbox on the list (caused by the simple mistake of adding radio buttons instead of checkboxes)… make sure you avoid these pitfalls. Frustration is NOT the first impression you want to make.
Make sure all urls are properly linked and open in a new window (especially for your site credit and/or if you’re sharing resources).
Sprinkle in some eye-catching icons. Simple icons can really help breakup information, engage the reader and help explain your content in a more visual way. Download some from flaticon or better yet, create-your-own to match your brand aesthetic.
If you’d prefer to focus on creating the best content and want to ensure it’s a beautifully branded freebie, outsource and have a designer fluff things for you! I always love tackling one-off projects for existing brands :)
Be sure whatever you deliver impresses, engages and leaves them wanting more.
Encourage the next step
Even if its the best piece of content in the world, be sure to give the reader clear next steps after they've accomplished whatever problem you're helping them solve. Be there to meet them at the finish line in celebration, while encouraging next steps to moving forward!
Now that they’ve worked through your freebie, consider what questions / problems will arise next and introduce them to other solutions you provide. The possibilities are endless – just make sure you’re intentionally guiding them somewhere (that helps your business!).
Introduce your more in-depth course, up-sell a digital product, link to your past blog posts that tackle similar topics, or better yet, give them the information to come and work with you! Find a way to bring them closer into your circle. + Give yourself the credit you deserve with this link back to you!
Bonus points if you’re able to set up a quick-n-easy email sequence. Don’t get too hung up on this step, and don’t overcomplicate it with a 10+ email sequence! Simply thank them for downloading, follow-up on how the freebie helped them / if they have any questions, and pitch how you can help with next steps!
How's your opt-in holding up?
Are people downloading your opt-in?
More importantly, are they actually putting it to use and making your desired next steps?
Ready to make an unforgettable Opt-In?
I LOVE taking content (boring word doc, pdfs, etc.) and making it shine and sparkle! Have you ever even considered making your Opt-In interactive? I can make that magic happen for you! Let's talk!
