Let’s face it, we’re all in this for the same reason. To talk with people who share the same interest and could possibly be or refer us a new client.
So in order to get them to give up their email, we better come up with some interesting and helpful stuff that will make them want to be in our book for future gems. It’s not only what you have to say, but how you say it. Beyond being potential customers, these contacts can be your best friend by sharing it with their peer group.
I recently read a blog post by Ramsay Taplin in Copyblogger, 5 Subtle Writing Strategies That Drive Email Signups that I thought had value for the B-to-B community. While all may not be applicable to your world, he raises some good tips for us to consider:
- Use time-sensitive language – people are afraid to miss out on something. An example, for a webinar, space is limited, sign up now.
- Standing out from the crowd – tell unusual stories to get your point across. This is especially true when talking about more technical or drier topics. Add a personal touch or a little humor. Everyone loves a laugh.
- Include social proof – demonstrate that they won’t be the first. Put up comments from other subscribers as to what they are getting out of it.
- Develop and test different landing pages – Yes, you will ultimately end up with the names, but how you might ask for them will bring different results.
- Write for people and search engines – Yes, your message is ultimately for people, but search engines help spread the word to others looking for similar information.
Oh, by the way, if you want to get more gems from me, sign up here for my monthly newsletter.