7 strategies to boost email opt-in

An effective email campaign can do wonders for your customer communication strategy, especially when used alongside other channels like SMS and WhatsApp. In addition to a sharp subject line and engaging email design, your list of subscribers also matters. 

When it comes to improving email opt-in rate, our biggest tip by far is to ensure your opt-in process is simple. The easier and shorter the process is, the more likely people are to handing over their contact details. This also applies to different types of devices. From mobile and tablet to desktop, opting in should be easy regardless of the device.

Here are some more top tricks to help you improve email opt-in and grow your database.

1. Exclusive offers
2. Opt-in forms and pop-ups at the right time and place
3. Newsletter sign-ups
4. Spin-to-win forms
5. Promoted via your other communication channels
6. Rewards programme
7. Retargeting ads

7 strategies to boost opt-in and grow your email subscriber list

1. Exclusive offers

From first purchase/new customer discounts to free samples and gifts, these special offers can persuade your audience into opting in to receive email communications from you. The more valuable this offer is perceived to be, the more likely people are to take advantage of it.

2. Opt-in forms at the right time and place

Using your website analytics and customer data, strategically place your opt-in forms. For example, when it seems like a user is about to leave your website (e.g. if they reach a certain point on your web page or they’ve been on the page for a specific length of time), have a pop-up form appear.

It’s not just timing that can make an impact. Location can also matter. For instance:

• Header – a form placed above the fold will be spotted immediately.
• Bar – a form that appears as a bar at the top (e.g. over the navigation bar) or the bottom (e.g. over the footer) of the screen.
• Floating – rather than being ‘in your face’ like a standard pop-up, these will subtly slide into view.

3. Newsletter sign-ups

While some people sign up to receive promo codes, offers and first access to sales, others may want to receive more information from you. So, why not allow customers and prospects to sign up to your newsletter? 

Think along the lines of:

• Tips to get more out of a product or service.
• How other customers have been using a product or service (and seeing success!).
• Brand updates.
• Market updates.

4. Spin-to-win forms, giveaways and competitions

Gamification is an excellent way to boost email opt-in rate. Not only are spin-to-win forms, giveaways and competitions fun and engaging but people love winning things for free. So, whether it’s a discount code, free shipping or a free gift, this gives your audience an incentive when signing up to receive emails from you.

5. Promoted via your other communication channels

Boost your email opt-in rate by using your other comms channels to promote it. Let’s say you use live chat or a chatbot. While both are great for customer support, you can also use it to promote your other website content, such as your blog, FAQs page and your email newsletter. 

All it takes is a simple message at the end of the conversation that invites the user to sign up to your newsletter if they’d like to find out more about a certain topic.

You can also use behavioural psychology to influence your users. For instance, when someone clicks on a specific call-to-action button or nears the end of a blog post, you can prompt a chat that invites them to subscribe to your newsletter.

6. Rewards programme

Another gamification tactic is to incorporate your email newsletter into your rewards/loyalty programme. Allow customers to earn points when they perform certain actions, such as subscribing to your newsletter. This can also boost opt-in across all of your communication channels as well as improve customer retention rate.

7. Retargeting ads

Another way to boost email opt-in is to target people who have visited your website in the past. If they haven’t already signed up to your newsletter, offer them something that’s exclusive to email subscribers. This can incentivise them into opting in (as well as revisiting your website and potentially purchasing something).

Improve opt-in further by narrowing down your targeting and offering more specific content. For example, segment by industry.

Growing your subscriber base doesn’t have to be difficult

There are various things you can do to successfully persuade your audience to opt into receiving emails from you. This blog outlines some of our favourite ways. The key takeaways are to ensure the overall opt-in process is simple and to provide content/offers that your users will perceive as valuable.

At Esendex, we’ve been helping businesses like yours improve their customer communication strategies and deliver memorable experiences for over 20 years. From SMS and RCS to email, we can empower you to have natural conversations that cover the entire customer journey.

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