If you’re like me, you don’t subscribe to many newsletters. Blogs are better. Maybe you use Google Reader to bring the articles to you. It makes sense. I do this same. But, my newsletter brings in more sales than my blog, twitter and PPC. So, how can you increase the number of email subscribers? It’s easy when you think about it.
But, there I still subscribe to twelve different newsletters. I checked. Take a quick look when you get a chance. It’s more than you’d think.
How To Get More Email Subscribers
This experiment doesn’t require any fancy software, split testing, or focus groups. Because you’re the test subject!
Here’s what I want you to do. The next time you subscribe to a newsletter, sit back, and look at your decision impartially:
- What made you sign-up?
- How easy was the sign-up?
- Did it use CAPTCHA? If so, did it get in the way. I rarely get it right the first time.
- Did you get an autoresponder telling you how to subscribe? Was it easy to understand.
- Did the autoresponder go into your spam folder and you had to dig it out.
- Where was the sign-up form? The top right of the page is the traditional place, but maybe they added to the footer of an email or blog post. There’s nothing stopping you being creative – providing it works.
- What was your first impression of the Welcome message? Did it hit the right note? Did you unsubscribe immediately?
Create your own checklist and note what made you sign up for newsletters. And what made you unsubscribe.
Is this really scientific?
Yes, you’re a subject and you’re getting tested. And the results are recorded.
But…
Ok. If you want to test 100s of consumers then go ahead. But, for most of us, that’s not practical. You need to find shortcuts.
Using yourself, your friends, family and others are all starting points.
Always Be Starting
The key is to start.
Don’t wait for the ideal moment. Do a little testing whenever you get 10 minutes. Then do something else…
You can learn a lot by studying your own behavior because you’re hopes, fears, desires, interests, and needs are the same as others.
Small businesses fail for different reasons. Newsletters are a great way to build a loyal readership and promote your products.
And like all things it takes practice.
Learn to observe yourself and see what works for you – then implement the same for your customers.
Subscription rates will shoot up.
Tomorrow I’ll give you seven (legit) ways to ramp up the number of subscribers.
PS – what software do you use to send out newsletters? I use Aweber. What about you?
