Did you know that creating a brand community around your blog is an excellent approach to improve website traffic?
Personalized newsletters are an excellent approach to develop a brand community.
“But folks are inundated with subscriptions these days!” you could argue.
While this is true, the statistics show that readers still want to hear from their favorite brands.
While 36 percent of those who responded to our latest survey said they convert between 1 and 5% of visitors to blog/newsletter subscribers, 48 percent said they convert at a rate of 11% or above.
So, how can you increase the number of individuals that sign up for your newsletter? In this report, you'll learn everything you need to know.
What Is The Purpose Of A Newsletter?
If your firm doesn't have a newsletter, you're missing out on a fantastic opportunity to interact and engage with potential and existing consumers by delivering relevant, useful information about your products, services, corporate news, content, and more.
If you're not sure what a newsletter should look like, have a peek at ours for some ideas.
What are the Benefits of Using Blogs and Newsletters in Your Business?
For maximum success, businesses should utilize and mix both blogging and email newsletters, and here's why:
Increasing the number of visitors to your website
Both blogs and newsletters allow you to develop and distribute useful material with your prospects, leads, customers, and subscribers, as well as serve as a vehicle for increasing website traffic, particularly when internal connections to other blog posts, landing pages, and resources are included.
Improve your customer relationships.
Blogs and email newsletters are wonderful tools for strengthening your bonds with potential and current clients. They're great for establishing your brand as a trustworthy source of information and keeping your audience informed about industry developments, company news, fresh material, your product, and your service.
Create opportunities for social media sharing
By highlighting social media sharing buttons on your website, blog, or as part of a CTA, you increase the likelihood that your readers and subscribers will connect with you on social media, especially if they enjoy your material.
Boost sales
Although newsletters and blogs are generally intended to be instructive, exceptional content can lead to sales, especially when they are aimed at readers who are on the point of purchasing your product or service. It should be the goal to guide them in the proper route.
Increased brand recognition
Great content and well-written newsletters that appeal with your readers and subscribers establish your business as the go-to source for specialized information or services. Your committed followers and consumers will most likely refer your brand to others who are looking for dependable and resourceful blogs to subscribe to if you develop a brand community.
How to Increase the Number of Blog and Newsletter Subscribers
1. Make your newsletter more useful.
2. Give people a reason to sign up.
3. Encourage people to save your information to their computers as a PDF.
4. At the top of your blog post, provide a subscription box.
5. Incorporate opt-in forms into your blog posts.
6. People should be directed to a landing page.
7. Make use of pop-up opt-ins.
8. Send them to push notifications on their phone or tablet.
9. Make your homepage more welcoming by including a welcome mat.
10. Use social media ads to reach out to your current fans.
11. Publish stuff that your target audience will enjoy.
12. Increase the number of visitors to your blog who are interested in what you have to say.
13. Assure them that you'll provide them with similar (or better) value in their inbox.
14. Work together with others.
1. Make your newsletter more useful.
What are your thoughts about your newsletter?
If you only use it to inform people when you publish new content on your blog, you may be undermining your own conversion rates.
Edwin Plotts of Ladder believes that this approach is critical for gaining blog readers, which is why he recommends "productizing" your newsletter: “What is your newsletter's main value? It has to be more than just ‘keep up with the times.'”
Because “most consumers are wary of being pushed to sign up for another email that clogs your inbox,” Plotts rebranded Ladders' newsletter as “GrowthScience... get new marketing tactics in your inbox”–a change that has helped his team achieve conversion rates of 27 percent.
2. Provide an incentive for people to sign up.
Every day, the average person receives 88 emails.
Why should people subscribe to your newsletter?
Following Edwin's advice, CrazyCall's Jakub Kliszczak suggests incentivizing users to give you their email addresses.
“The pop-ups must be related to the item that a visitor is presently reading, and they must provide a reward – checklist, ebook, cheatsheet – that is likewise relevant to the content,” adds Kliszczak.
But he's not the only one who thinks rewards are a good idea. Sign-up incentives are also used by our blogging experts:
Programs that provide incentives
The Slumber Yard's Matthew Ross notes, "One effective method we've utilized to build our subscription base is an incentive scheme." “Every month, we choose one lucky subscriber and send them a gift package.”
This method, as you might expect, comes at a price: “Typically, the bundle costs us approximately $300-$500, but we believe the cost is worth the incentive for individuals to subscribe.” So far, the incentive program has been a huge success.”
What's the end result? “Subscribers are considerably more engaged with our content,” Ross adds, citing the reward scheme as an incentive to join their blog newsletter.
“I would propose that other blog owners implement a similar initiative to increase interest.”
Content that is unique
Alejandra Melara of Gray Group International adds, "Having downloadable pieces of material that drive people onto a landing page is one of the finest methods I've found most useful in terms of attracting blog subscribers."
“If you give your readers something in return, they will willingly exchange their contact information with you if it's a well-thought-out piece of content that follows their buyer's journey.”
Melara is correct: 95% of purchasers are willing to provide their name, company, and email address in exchange for content, making this a great way to grow your blog's subscriber base.
“As part of your email campaign to develop your subscriber list, produce an infographic or other form of content you can send to potential subscribers to demonstrate them they will get special content if they subscribe,” says McCall Robison of Best Company.
Chris Marrano of Blue Water Marketing agrees, saying, "We have built a variety of different eBooks to work to obtain more blog subscriptions." We have eBooks for all of the services that we utilize as a CTA to subscribe to our blog because we're a digital marketing agency.”
… But how do you decide which themes to focus on for your exclusive content?
Inbound Marketing Agency's Adam Rowles explains his strategy:
1.“Research popular blogs and topics. (Behavior -> Site Content -> All Pages) in Google Analytics
2. Create a lead magnet based on a popular blog theme (content upgrade, guide, report, video, etc.). Note: To download the article, simply convert it to a PDF.”
Freebies, discounts, or other incentives
A freebie appeals to everyone.
3. Encourage readers to save your information in PDF format.
Long-form content is always encouraged.
Granted, writing 3,000 words of material is beneficial to the SEO of your blog.
However, if people don't have time to read it, you may be wasting a lot of time creating blog content that isn't read.
“Give your visitors the opportunity to download a PDF version of your long-form blogs to read when it's more convenient for them,” Andrea Moxham of Horseshoe + co. suggests. When you recognize a common source of friction (short of time), you demonstrate empathy and propose a solution that benefits both parties.”
4. At the top of your blog article, provide a subscription box.
If consumers don't know how to sign up for your blog, you'll have a hard time raising your conversion rate.
An opt-in form, according to several of the blogging professionals we spoke with, is vital.
A subscription bar at the top or bottom of the page, according to the majority, is the most effective location:
Mike Schiemer of Bootstrap Business likes the subscription bar because it's "a more subtle and smart technique to grow your email subscriber base."
Schiemer uses Hello Bar, but he claims that “similar products will generate actual results without compromising UX or SEO,” regardless of whatever tool you use.
5. Make use of opt-in forms in your blog posts.
Isn't it the goal of your opt-in form to get it noticed?
“A lot of visitors are oblivious to forms in popular places like sidebars and post footers,” says Vital Dollar's Marc Andre, “but they're likely to see a website form that's right there in the text if they're reading a post.”
Andre prefers to "have a few alternative forms and then add the one that is most relevant to the post." This method provides excellent visibility without being as intrusive as a popup.”
Cass Polzin of Accelity Marketing says his team "uses CTAs in our blogs (typically at the end) encouraging people to sign up for our newsletter"–a strategy Polzin claims boosts blog conversion rates because "people who scroll all the way to the bottom are demonstrating that they're truly interested in our content, showing a high-intent from the start."
6. Direct visitors to a landing page
“Creating an opt-in landing page is a terrific approach to enhance your membership rate,” explains Ollie Smith of ExpertSure.
“The goal of this page is to persuade individuals to join your email list, thus it should include information on the benefits of a subscription, the type of content contained in emails, the frequency of emails to expect, and sign-up bonuses.”
Don't make the mistake of developing your landing page and expecting blog readers to find it on their own.
“Once your new landing page is up and running, it's critical to promote it. This can be accomplished by directly advertising on social media profiles, bringing traffic to the website through paid advertising, or even redirecting readers after they have commented on a blog post, according to Smith.
7. Make use of opt-in pop-ups
“One effective approach to increase blog subscribers is to employ pop-ups on your pages to engage visitors while not interfering with their experience,” says Angelle Erickson of Fisher Unitech.
Hello, Bar is used by Erickson because it "allows you to choose from a range of pop-up types."
Wojciech Szywalski employs pop-up forms as well, but with a twist.
“Adjusting the popup trigger duration to 30% of the average time users spend on the given page type was the most effective technique in the instance of the PressPad blog in increasing the blog subscribers list.”
8. Provide them with push notifications on their device
“If your audience is hesitant to submit their email,” says Clint Tepe of Nexus Growth Coaching, “offer push alerts as an alternative.”
You're probably worried about spam on this site.
If sounds, flashing bars, or invasive pop-ups prevent visitors from reading your material, you don't want to drive them away.
“Spam isn't really an issue because the user has to approve notifications and can unsubscribe at any time,” Tepe argues.
This strategy, according to Clint, “allows them to subscribe with a single click rather than filling out a form.” You can still contact them personally, but they are less concerned about their privacy.”
Tepe continues, "We've seen that function considerably better than asking for an email with specific websites." They're getting a 15-18% opt-in rate on their website, according to them.
9. Include a welcome mat on your website's front page.
A welcome mat does exactly what it says on the tin: it welcomes visitors. With a full-page call to action, it welcomes visitors to your website.
Marketers often don't load the dropdown on individual blogs or job posts to ensure that the technique is effective — only on the home page. Users who find the site through a search visit a related post and then see the welcome mat when they click the navigation logo or otherwise navigate to the top page.
According to our own research, welcome mats have a subscribe rate of more than 20% during the last 12+ months.
10. Use social ads to reach out to your current fans.
We already mentioned that if visitors don't know how to sign up for your blog, you'll have a hard time getting more subscribers.
While it's a good idea to make your opt-in form prominent for new readers, don't forget about returning visitors who haven't seen it yet.
Cristina Maria of Commusoft adds, "You'd be surprised how many people had no idea that they could subscribe to our blog." “Some of our followers have told us that the only way to keep up with the latest news was to follow our social media posts.”
That's why Maria suggests "creating social media advertising with a link to a subscribe landing page based on your most popular blog content."
“My most effective technique to-date has been generating a relevant pdf freebie for my audience and promoting it in targeted Facebook groups and with Facebook ads,” says Michele Gourdine of LyntonWeb.
11. Create material that your target audience wants to read.
Let's take a moment to consider why you're devoting so much time to your blog.
Most often, it's to discover a group of people who are interested in the items or services you provide and nurture them into purchasing them.
That cognitive process, according to G2's John Thomas Lang, could sabotage your efforts to gain blog subscribers: “All too often, marketers are preoccupied with stats and fail to consider the needs of end-users and what they want to gain from your content.”
Lang suggests posing the following questions:
'“What are the benefits of subscribing to your blog for the end-user?
'What are the methods for obtaining this?
'“How are you going to fill that void?”
… because "looking for answers to these questions might materialize in technical opt-in copy, how your exit-intent or fly-in acts on-page, and whether or not they stay engaged after giving you their email address."
Big Sea's Autumn Sullivan adds, "Keep your blog 100 percent focused on giving value to your audience's life."
“Stop thinking of your blogs as free SEO tools and start seeing them as pieces that people will genuinely want to read. […] Ask yourself, “Who does this serve?” with each new blog concept. Scrap it if the answer is anything other than "my audience."
“If you do that, users will gladly subscribe. Simply provide them with a form or a button to complete.”
12. Increase the number of people that visit your blog that are interested in what you have to say.
The amount of people that visit your blog and give you their email address is used to calculate conversion rates.
It makes sense that people who read your material are more likely to opt-in if they are highly targeted (and really engaged in the content you're sharing).
“Content marketing is an effective—yet frequently overlooked—a tactic for boosting blog subscribers and gaining returning visitors,” writes Emily Laubham of Committee, who believes that “no quality blog should live in a vacuum.”
“Work just as hard to get your content in front of people as you did to generate it once it's live. You can distribute through your own social media networks or even invest in paid social media and digital advertising.”
“You'll notice your numbers start to climb as long as your content is solid, in front of the RIGHT audience, and easy to subscribe to (bottom of the page subscription bar),” Laubham says.
Are you unfamiliar with HubSpot? It's no problem. ActiveCampaign, Campaign Monitor, Google Analytics, and MailChimp all have templates for tracking blog subscriber growth and interaction.
13. Assure them that you'll provide similar (or better) value in their inbox.
Growth Hackers' Jonathan Aufray echoed our previous suggestion, saying, "You want to show why your visitors should sign up for your blog material." Don't just say, "Here's where you can sign up for our blog." You should inform them what they'll get out of signing up.”
Aufray, on the other hand, suggests that "you use bullet points." List the three key advantages of becoming a new blog subscriber, for example:
“Will they be able to gain time?
Will they be given money-making tips?
Will they be able to figure out how to be less stressed?
Will they become more productive as a result of this?
Will they be able to pick up a new skill?”
You could do this, according to Ollie Roddy of Catalyst Marketing Agency, while also teasing people about your next piece of content in the intro or conclusion of a piece you just published, with the caveat that they should "Sign up below to receive it straight to their inbox as soon as it's published."
“This works especially well if the following item links to the one you just uploaded; you already know they're interested in the topic, so as long as your next title is interesting, they'll be interested in subscribing,” Roddy adds.
… However, how can you know what kind of material your target audience prefers?
Take Survicate's Anna Rubkiewicz's advice and "conduct a reader interest poll among your blog readers" in addition to in-depth consumer personas. Inquire about their favorite topics to read about and how frequently they'd want to receive emails.”
Once they've opted-in, the results of your reader interest survey should inform your entire email campaign.
Josh Ho of Referral Rock explains how his team used this strategy: “We have a drip email series that is highly contextual to what visitors read on our blog. For example, it's a five-part email series on referral marketing 101. After the series is over, this is a logical fit for the blog subscription.”
It makes no difference if your readers vote for a free eBook or a discount code for your services.
All that matters is that you're offering value, as Sagefrog.com's Matthew Engelson puts it: "All the pop-ups and forms in the world won't save your blog if you're not delivering value to your visitors."
14. Work along with others
Jennifer Chen of Team Building NYC adds, "My favorite approach for expanding our blog subscribers (and readership) is to co-publish articles with other successful bloggers and entrepreneurs."
“For example, if you sell HR software and collaborate with a blogger who covers remote work, you may share experience and promote each other to your respective audiences. With a good cooperation, the end outcome should be at least double the number of readers and subscribers for each of you.”
Chen's best piece of advice? It's one that the staff at Team Building NYC has had great success with.
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