Having the right incentive for your mailing list can double, triple, or quadruple your sign-ups. It also asserts your position as an authority in your field and creates return customers.
But how do you decide what to offer as an incentive?
The right incentive for your mailing list will:
- Entice people to sign up
- Offer something of value
- Keep your customers coming back
- Not give away your ‘secrets’
- Complement your products
You should never, ever have the ‘newsletter’ (and please never use that word!) be the incentive because, honestly, no one wants that. No one wants to JUST get emails from you. We’re a ‘me’ society and we want to know right away what we are going to get from you for free. So make it something good, something your clients really NEED, and you’ll have them hooked from the start.
Want to see some stellar examples?
Stephanie of Space Cadet Creations hand-dyes the most beautiful yarns I’ve ever seen. Her incentive is actually an e-book that tells you how to use hand-dyed yarn. It answers the question she was constantly getting asked at craft shows and it also eliminates a barrier to buy for the customer, who may have been wondering how to use this slightly different yarn.
Megan Auman creates breathtaking jewelry out of steel. Her incentive is free shipping on your next purchase. This also eliminates that barrier to buy because who doesn’t love free shipping?
Tara Gentile coaches entrepreneurs to be their best. Getting on her email list means you get access to 3+ hours of recorded coaching calls. Not only does this introduce you to who Tara is and what she does, but it gives you the value of 3 hours of her wisdom.
An incentive works best when it complements your work and gets rid of a barrier to buy. If you’re a jewelry maker, how about a style guide to show how to pair your jewelry for different seasons? If you are a web designer, how about giving a little worksheet for people to fill out to get their ideas flowing about what they want from their site? If you’re a coach, how about creating an e-book from past blog posts that resonated with your audience?
What’s your incentive for your mailing list subscribers? Please share in the comments below.
And if you are still trying to think of an incentive, tell me what your business is. I’d love to give you some ideas.
This is absolutely vital!
I have a combo of incentives for my list, because I have 2 types of readers – people who love my jewellery, and fellow crafty biz peeps.
So, the crafty biz peeps get a free ebook, and the jewellery peeps 1. go in the draw to win a piece of my jewellery every month – and they’re automatically entered so long as they stay subscribed 2. in their introductory email (if they read it to the end) they get a chance to get a one-off 20% coupon if they email me telling me what their fave item in my shop is.
This is working really well for me 🙂
Ooh, I LOVE the idea of a drawing! You’re the only one I’ve seen do that. I knew I should have checked out your site for the article. Haha.
I’d love to get some ideas! Starting {and growing} a mailing list is the next thing on my to do list….
I handcraft fun retro bags, clothes, and accessories, and I have no idea what to offer as an incentive.
{really, people don’t just want an email from me?! lol….}
Any ideas for me?
Hi Diana! The first two things that come to mind are a catalog showing how people style what you create OR if your customers have a bit of DIY in them, a tutorial on how to make something that complements your work. Don’t show them how to make what you make but perhaps a notebook from records or something that pairs with your brand.
Thanks for posting this article! Makes me realize I need an incentive for my mailing list sign up. I am a painting artist and sell my original art from my website and Etsy. Any great suggestions for an incentive? ~Blenda
Ooh, another visual artist! Yay! One think I get asked all the time is how to frame paintings or, if not framing them, the best way to hang them. Perhaps also a guide that shows what colors go well together. My mother always has trouble visualizing what can go with what and that stops her from buying a lot of artwork.
Ok, I’m focusing on the details. I call mine a newsletter, eeeverywhere. Why not call it a newsletter, and what synonyms would you use instead (or just say “sign up for my emails and get xyz”)?
Hi Rose! Most people hate the term newsletter. It makes them think of something dull, something that comes all the time, and something that’s LONG! I used to call mine Studio MME Sneak Peeks (because I would show them in-progress shots of my work). Others call it their mailing list, some title it around a series that they’ll send out (such as Tara Gentile’s ‘Kickstart Labs’). Be creative!
Gotcha! Thanks so much! 🙂
I love that – a much more appealing name than “newsletter”.
Wow! Thank you for this article. What great advice! Your post motivated me to add the free shipping incentive to our newsletter sign up form. It’s a good incentive because some of our fabric wall decals ship in large tubes. It also motivated me to add the sign up link to our facebook page.
Thank you for your guidance!
Hi
I used to use the “free draw every month” incentive and got loads of sign ups from people who came via a competition site. (someone had posted my monthly draw on the comp site). While it boosted my mailing list, these were not good quality contacts as they all just want something for free and they don’t open the mailings that I send out. I think offering free postage or something like that is better.
Regards
Karina
Great ideas here, thank you. I like the free shipping coupon idea. Another idea that I’ve been toying with is a giveaway draw every month, but am undecided what to offer. Perhaps a small drawing (I don’t sell my drawings usually) or hand illustrated card. I am a visual artist and sell my paintings on Etsy and locally.