This is the final leg of the preparations we need to make to the opt-in form and opt-in page. After all, we want to make sure we are getting the best results for our list building efforts that we possibly can.
Whenever we set up something new, we need to build in mechanisms to help us to determine what’s working and what needs improving. The same holds true for our opt-in pages and forms. We need to test and track our results in order to figure out which versions perform better.
Why We Need to Test and Track Performance
Just because we set up an opt-in page or form, it doesn’t mean that we can set it and forget it. Here is an example of the benefit of testing and tracking the performance:
Example 1: Looking at your website analytics, you got 500 visitors to your opt-in page last week. Of course the goal is to get them to subscribe to your list. The data shows you have a 3% conversion rate. This means 15 people signed up for your list. You don’t change anything about your opt-in form or page, so you stay roughly in the 3% range for conversions the following week.
Example 2: After looking at your website analytics, you see you received 500 visitors to your opt-in page last week, and had this same conversion rate of 3%, or 15 people. However, you tweaked your page to test out a different version, and that updated page got you a conversion rate of 20% the following week, or 100 new subscribers.
This is a difference of 15 subscribers versus 100 subscribers over the same time period, all based on a reach of 500 visitors to your site. What difference could this make in your list building efforts?
Consider the impact over weeks and months, and you can see the power of testing different formats to see what works best. And testing does not mean re-doing your entire opt-in page or form, it could mean something as simple as playing with headlines, copy, or color schemes. The slightest change can result in a major impact, which is why you want to test for the best results.
Set Up Your Testing and Tracking
Most email marketing service providers have options to test and track the performance of your forms already built in. For example, when you login to your account, you can see how well your forms are performing by going to the forms section. If you cannot find it, visit the help or knowledge base section on the website.
You may also have the option to do what is call A/B split testing. What this means is that you can create 2 versions of the same form to test which performs better. If you choose this option, your provider will give you the code to copy/paste into your website, and half your visitors will see the first opt-in form, and the other half will see the second opt-in form. The visitors will be “split” into 2 groups that see 2 different forms, and your analytics will show which form version performs better.
Remember Example 2 mentioned earlier? Testing can have a major impact on your list building efforts, so the time to set up your tracking will be time well spent.
Things You Should Test
Testing is a continuous process. Now that you know the value of testing, you have to know what to test. The easiest way to start is to test two headlines against each other. You can also test the color of your sign up button, different calls to action, or different images.
As you become more familiar with split testing, you can get more creative with your opt-in pages and split testing. When testing, you can let your test run for a week or two and keep the version that works better. Or you can try something else altogether. The goal is to enjoy the best conversion rates you can.
Yesterday we identified your target audience, the people you want to join your list. Now it’s time to look at your lead magnet – when is the last time you looked at your opt-in offer? Is it stale, in need of an update?
List building is a continuous process, though we don’t always treat it as such. It takes some work to create a lead magnet, and integrate the opt-in form, and set up all of the pages in the autoresponder. Once we have it finally set up, we simply drive traffic to it. We don’t always schedule time in to re-examine the lead magnet to be sure it fits in line with what our audience needs over time. Remember, needs evolve, and your audience may evolve as well. Your lead magnet may be stunting your list building efforts.
Now that you know your customer avatar, it’s time to figure out if your opt-in offer makes your avatar run to hit the subscribe button. Do you need to tweak your existing offer just a bit to bring it up to date for your audience? Or do you need to do a major overhaul, or start with a new offer?
The goal of your lead magnet is to speak to the needs of your audience right now, and make them so excited to sign up and receive it! They should want to sign up immediately, and take action to get the results you promise. Is your opt-in offer doing this?
In order to answer this question, you will need to figure out what your dream subscriber needs help with right now. What are they struggling with today? What challenges are they facing that your lead magnet helps them with, or solves for them? What keeps them up at night, and what keeps them motivated to press forward? Can you tap into the emotions of your dream subscriber, to entice them to subscribe?
Once you can answer these questions, you can define the topic of your lead magnet. Topic aside, what’s the best format to deliver your lead magnet? Is your content best delivered as a downloadable ebook, video, an email course, or a multimedia format? Which format is most appealing to your audience?
Now look at your lead magnet. Take a couple days to revise your offer as you need to, including the quality of the content. With so many offers to choose from online, you want your subscribers to be impressed with the quality of your lead magnet, so much that they stick around to receive more from you.
When you revise your lead magnet, you will probably need to revise the opt-in forms and pages, thank you pages and autoreponders you have already set up to deliver the offer. You will also want to make a list of all of the pages where you mention the offer in case you need to make some changes.
Once this has been completed, there is a final component to set up before we work on driving traffic to your offer. Stay tuned!
The money is not in a huge list, the money is in the right list. In other words, your list has to be filed with the right people, targeted subscribers who are interested in what you offer. It doesn’t matter how big your list grows if it is filled with the wrong people, people who have no interest in what you have to offer. The wrong people will not open your emails, click on your links, or buy from you.
With this in mind, our goal for list building is to attract the right subscribers. But first, we have to identify what “right” means.
Identifying the right subscribers means finding targeted, responsive people, and getting them to subscribe to your list. This is the goal for list building. If you can accomplish this, you can grow a profitable list. Therefore, this is probably one of the most, if not THE most, important lesson in the entire challenge!
Who is your dream client or customer? Let’s paint a picture of this person as best we can, down to the smallest details, including
Gender
Age
Marital status
Family status
Income level
Educational level
Professional level
Defining all of these elements about your ideal client or customer helps you to build what is known as a customer avatar. This customer avatar is the person you are speaking to, writing to, and marketing to in all of your communication. Some people go so far as to give this customer avatar a name. It may sound strange, but it works!
This customer avatar symbolizes the people you want to sign up for your list. When you know and understand your ideal client or customer, you can create content that speaks directly to them. Whether you’re creating an opt-in page, offer, or writing emails, speak to this one person. Now you can probably see why some people give their avatar a name, it makes it easier to focus on a specific person when you’re writing.
Once you know who your ideal client or customer is, you have to go find them online! Consider where they are already communicating about the kinds of products and services you offer, and where they go to find out about your industry and your competitors.
What social media platforms are they using? What blogs and magazines are they reading? Where do they go for information – forums, groups, niche websites, etc.?
Create a list of all of these websites for you to use as we move further along in the challenge. You will need to meet your audience where they are, get in front of them, and drive them back to your website. Therefore, having this list will come in handy!
If you are not already familiar with all of the blogs, magazines, social media platforms, forums and groups that your ideal client or customer is using, now is the time to study. Study all of these places and formats to see what’s popular and listen to what your audience says is great and what is lacking. This will help you to position yourself in the market, and support your list building efforts!
Short on cash… send an email to your list. The money is in the list. If you’ve been around the internet for any length of time, I’m sure you have heard any of the “money is in the list” cliches that people often quote.
It may not be as easy as some people make it out to be, but it is closer to the truth than not. When you build a targeted list of subscribers, and provide value and insights, you earn their trust. Therefore, when you promote your products and services, you can actually generate revenue with your emails. As a result, the “money is in the list” cliché become the truth. The know, like and trust factor is a real thing.
First things first, you have to build a list of targeted subscribers. No matter what industry you are in, or what stage of business you are in, you can benefit from a larger, more targeted list.
Welcome to the List Building Challenge!
The challenge is designed to help you to take daily action to grow your list!
Who Is The Challenge For
Please note, this list building challenge is not for people completely new to email marketing. This challenge is for people who are already getting subscribers to at least one list. The list building challenge is for people to learn more advanced list building strategies to grow lists faster, and with more targeted subscribers.
Audit Your List Building Systems
Before we can begin with any new initiatives to grow our lists (I’m taking action as a participant too), we have to look at where we are now. We will also look at the systems we have set up, and what services are currently being used, in the event you want to make some changes as you learn more about list building.
Decide which list you want to focus on for the length of this challenge. You may have more than one list and multiple opt-in offers right now, and that is okay. However, for the purposes of this challenge, it is best to pick a single list that you want to grow. Then, you can rinse and repeat the process for each additional list you want to grow.
Once you have selected the list, review the opt-in form or opt-in page. Is it up to date and relevant? Does it speak to the people you are trying to attract?
Subscribe to your own list to review your funnel. Review all of the emails and pages you have as part of the subscriber process, including the welcome email and thank you page. Click on all the links as though you are a new subscriber to ensure everything is working properly and you do not have any broken links. Review for typos and formatting as well.
Once you have reviewed and fixed everything in the email sequence, consider all the ways you could enhance what you have now, from the opt-in offer itself to the auto responders and specific links within each of your emails.
Now that you have completed an audit of your existing subscription process, you will be all set to begin the List Building Challenge! Set a reminder to visit the blog every day.
