A Secret to Opt-In Freebie Success

“Start a blog!” they said!  “Build an email list!” they said! “But how?” I wondered. What was the magical equation that would send me into email subscriber heaven? After a bit of research, the answer was clear: I needed to create a valuable piece of content that my viewers would hand over their email for.

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Grow your Business with an Opt-In Freebie

Creating a successful opt-in freebie is an absolute must if you want to grow your email list. On any given day, hundreds or even thousands of people will stumble upon your website.

If you don’t have a strategic plan to capture these people, you’re missing out on a tremendous opportunity. You see, your email list is gold when it comes to monetizing your blog or running your online business.

You can pump out article after article, pin like crazy on Pinterest and drive traffic to your website via Instagram, but if those website visitors aren’t given the chance to connect with you, they won’t. And that would be sad:(

An opt-in freebie gives you the opportunity to create real, long-term relationships with your viewers. Nurture those relationships and provide tremendous value to your people, and you will grow a tribe of followers that will later turn into paying customers.

Offer Something Somebody Wants

I have done my fair share of subscribing to email lists. On any given day, I receive 10+ emails from other bloggers that I follow. But how did I end up on 10+ email lists? Simple. I visited their site looking to solve a problem I was having. They had an opt-in freebie that would help.

In exchange for their information, all I had to do was provide my email address and bam! The information I was seeking was delivered right to my inbox.

Types of Opt-In Freebies

An opt-in freebie can be a variety of things. I have seen anything from a simple checklist, a fillable .pdf, a worksheet, a guide of sorts, a template, a cheat sheet or a mini-course like the one I use to capture those valuable email addresses! Marina over at yestotech.com has a list of eight epic opt-in ideas if you need some more inspiration.

So, what do all successful opt-in freebies have in common? They are all beautifully designed! In fact, here are 10 bloggers killing it with their profesh looking opt-ins.

Make it Pretty

The way your opt-in freebie looks will play a HUGE role in the number of people you get to join your email list.

First things first, it needs to look professional and eye-catching. Your viewers will see the “cover” of your opt-in freebie long before they see what’s inside, so you need to be sure that it has a good design and looks appealing.

Head on over to this article, where I break down how to design your first opt-in freebie. If you’re ready to get started.

In a nutshell, I suggest gathering some inspiration, learning some basic design skills and getting to work. Don’t forget the golden rule of design: K.I.S.S – Keep it Simple, Stupid. Don’t try to come up with something that is overly designed.

Free Graphic Design Training

If you’re ready to learn some basic design, enroll in my Free 30-Minute Graphic Design Traning to learn some great design tips for creating your opt-in freebie. YES, it’s only 30 minutes (cause I know you’re busy!) but you are going to learn SO much! You’ll also get a very brief introduction to six super important graphic design principles that will improve your graphics when you use them.

Here’s The Proof

My I average about 15 new email subscribers a day after publishing my Mama Prints Mini Bundle. I designed this opt-in freebie when I first started blogging, and have since pivoted into teaching graphic design to online business owners.

This opt-in had me on track to have just under 5,000 email subscribers after one year! Woah! That even sounds crazy to me! (Side note, I retired this as a freebie since my niche has changed. I now offer it for $3 and consistently make money from it!)

Watch the Subscribers Pour In

Having a well-designed opt-in that looks like you put your heart into it equals lots and lots of email subscribers for you. If you want to build long-lasting relationships with your subscribers that will ultimately lead to money in your pocket, then creating a professional-looking opt-in freebie is an absolute must!

Get started on the right foot by making sure your opt-in freebie looks good enough to download. Enroll in my free Graphic Design Training and improve your graphic design skills so you can make your opt-in ultra-downloadable! (is that even a word?)

I can’t wait to see what you create!