Why Should I Opt In?

When marketing an online business, especially information products or consulting, one of your most valuable assets is a list of leads.

Over the past several years hundreds of lead capture strategies have emerged and been tested and there are dozens of Customer Relationship Management tools to help you capture, sort and communicate with those people.

But it all begs the question why should the user opt in in the first place? Even for free information, we’re becoming more jaded and overwhelmed with the amount of email we receive. Instead of opting in it’s easier to find a friend who has already downloaded free content and get it myself without the added step of opting in.

If the file were too large to download I could simply go to the URL given and hit download myself.

I’ll address in a minute one solution to this loophole but first, why do I as the business owner want you to opt-in?

1. The process of opting-in tells me if what I’m offering to the market is actually needed and valuable. Without this step I’m working in the dark. Seeing people download my video series on hiring every day tells me that my theory that online businesses need this support is correct.

2. I know and understand that effective, lasting results cannot come from reading one ebook. Or watching one video. So I’ve crafted sequences that are designed to educate and support your process.

This is really key – if you only get one piece of the puzzle then you’ll be frustrated, lost and likely think badly of my business service.

It’s a little like watching the middle 20 minutes of an award winning movie. Without any context in the story line you don’t get the full experience.

In this map of a typical lead process (traffic, conversion and follow up), you can see that you only get the full experience once you opt-in.

3. You can always opt-out! When a business owner sees that there are multiple members opting out then it’s a sign that things need to change. Either you’re targeting the wrong audience or you’re not bringing enough value to the conversation.

4. Finally, implementation is a process. Consider how hard it is to change your own habits and you’ll begin to understand how hard it is to change someone else. Businesses that practice “churn and burn” have a high list turnover and need to make money off their leads quickly. I’m not interested in that kind of business. My clients work with me for months at a time and the lead process reflects that with value laden emails that don’t push or sell hard.

Now, I did mention a new way to secure digital download files if you’re sending member only content or would like to increase conversions of your own free downloads. I’m partnering with a new service that does just that for pennies per lead. If you’re interested in learning more before the launch email my team for an introduction.