I see MANY email opt-in pages that say…
TO GET MY AMAAAY-ZING FREEBIE WHATSIT…
DROP YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS HERE
But that’s it. 🤷♂️
Sometimes you’ll get a little extra, like…
“We’ll keep your email safe.” (Damn hope so!)
Or, “You’ll get our newsletter.” (Duh?!)
But I’m left with little-to-no clue about what I’ll get if I leave my email address.
I presume you’ll send me some marketing emails?
But is it for stuff I want to hear about?
And how often?
I, for one, appreciate transparency on opt-in pages.
I like to know what I’m getting myself in for.
You see… when people are clear, it helps me trust them that little bit more from the get-go.
And that I’m NOT getting myself in for a torrent of unfun, irrelevant stuff in my inbox.
What I try and do with my opt-in pages is…
Make them clear as a freshly Windexed windowpane.
In fact, one of my core business values is: TRANSPARENCY.
Just being upfront with people.
Whether it’s about what you get with a product you buy…
Fessing up about mistakes I make…
Or being clear about what it means to enter my email world.
When you signed up, you may remember I asked for your real name. And made it clear I like relating to real people.
It’s also because I want engaged subscribers. Not people who collect my emails to study or “swipe.” Or stash them in a “might-read-someday” folder… that soon grows cobwebs.
I tell you that you’ll get tips, promotions, and even give a glimpse that this Chris fellow might appreciate a chuckle or two.
Everything I write on my opt-in page is designed to be CLEAR.
So I can help people who arrive there to make a quick decision whether joining my list is a good fit for them.
You of course can’t dump your WHOLE personality out on an opt-in page. Or tell them every last thing that might show up in their inbox.
Heck! … unless it’s a specific promotion that’s on my calendar…
Even I don’t know what my emails are going to look like from one day to another! 😲
So the thing with transparency is…
It’s about being genuinely helpful because you want people to make a good decision for themselves.
Plus, you’re more likely that people best-suited to your world… walk through those gates into your kingdom.
Where there’s the opportunity to build a strong relationship with them as they come to know, like and trust you… on their way to becoming a superfan.
Having the right people in your email world means MORE engagement. MORE consumption of what you produce (whether free or paid content). And LESS hassles from people asking for refunds and whatnot.
If an equation helps…
Transparency = Trust
You’re not trying to hide things. Or trick people into buying.
It doesn’t mean you can’t write in a way that helps people discover how your products can help them. And lead them along the path. That’s all part of helping them.
So….
How’s your business looking on the transparency front? Especially on your opt-in page.
Can people clearly see what they’re signing up for?
Maybe you’ve discovered problems once people have come into your world… when you find they’re really NOT the right fit for you and what you offer… and it saps a pile of energy to deal with the consequences.
It could be a transparency problem.