Email Marketing and Your Opt-in Landing Page - It's All About Focus

By Karen Cioffi

Landing pages have specific purposes. One page might be for sales and another might be for your email opt-in box and copy. Whichever it is, a landing page is a specific page that is intended for a specific purpose and draws targeted traffic. The traffic is drawn to this page to take a particular action . . . to say YES to your offer or opt-in.

One of the most essential landing pages’ is your subscriber or email opt-in page, and it should be designed specifically to garner email addresses. 

The reason a separate opt-in page is crucial, as with any landing page, is to eliminate distraction.

While it’s a good idea to have a subscriber opt-in box on your website’s sidebar for stray visitors and those who find your blog through a search for a particular keyword, you need a separate page to lead your targeted traffic in from your inbound marketing strategies. These strategies include, blogging, submitting to article directories, guest posts, joint ventures, and video marketing. They are the strategies that need a resource box, bio, or tagline that will direct readers to a page designed to let the reader know why she should give you her valuable email address.

The Email Opt-in Page Gives the Details

It’s on this page that you can fully explain the benefits the reader will get if he opts in. He may get: relevant information, tips, tools, reviews, news, etc. You also have the space to list the title and description of the ebook you’re offering as an ethical bribe. Or, maybe the freebie is a one-on-one free consultation, or an instructional webinar, or and e-course. This opt-in landing page allows you to fully answer the reader’s WIIFM (what’s in it for me) question.

In addition to the WIIFM information, you can include what you’re qualifications are for offering this particular information, for claiming to be an authority in this niche.  

Lack of Distractions Works

Due to its focus and lack of distractions, your email opt-in landing page allows for a higher conversion rate. This means a higher percentage of visitors will follow your directions and say YES to the action you’re asking them to take.

Just remember that simple always works better in regard to websites and landing pages. You don’t want to make it feel or look busy, or give confusing or complicated steps for the visitor to take action.

To emphasize the ‘simple is better’ strategy, Google’s company philosophy is “Simplicity is powerful.”

While it’s in a writer’s nature to usually write more than is necessary and an individual’s nature to make things more complicated than necessary, follow Google’s lead and keep it simple. Keep your email opt-in page to the essentials, and learn how to write effective copy for it.

For an example of an email opt-in page, check out: http://thewritingworld.com


Karen Cioffi is an author, ghostwriter, and online marketing instructor. If you need to create a website or need to tweak an existing one, check out her e-class through WOW! Women on Writing:

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Shout Your Qualifications on Your Subscriber Opt-in Landing Page

By Karen Cioffi

All writers, including authors and freelance writers, must have a website. It’s just the way it is. And, it doesn’t matter whether you write fiction or nonfiction – you need a website.

Everyone from Writer’s Digest’s Chuck Sambuchino to Jane Friedman (formerly with Writer’s Digest, now an editor for the Virginia Quarterly Review) to agents to publishers, all adamantly proclaim the need for an author website, even before your book is published.

While a website is mandatory, another must-have is a separate landing page to entice visitors to subscribe to your mailing list.

Having a separate landing page for your email opt-in offer is just a good marketing move. The primary purpose of this separate page is to avoid visitor distraction. On a regular author website or freelance writer site there are usually too many options, which translate into distractions for the visitor.

Think about it.

Do you have a Home page, About page, Reviews page, Events page, Awards page, Excerpts and Illustration pages? Audio? Video? Do you have ads or other sidebar content?

These are all distracting features. They may have their purpose, but they are counterproductive in regard to focusing in on building your subscriber list.

When it comes to building an email list, your site must be focused – NO distractions – NO visitor anxiety. It should have clear call-to-action content with a simple opt-in process.

This page should fully explain the benefits the potential subscriber will get if he opts in, and it should also include what your qualifications are for offering this particular information, for claiming to be an authority in your niche.

Let Your Qualifications be Known

People need to be persuaded into subscribing to yet another mailing list and into buying what you’re offering, so you need to make the YES decision and process as easy as possible. Conveying your qualifications for writing your book and the book’s merits are part of this process. For example, if you write fiction:

•    Do you have a ‘big name’ publisher?
•    Did your book win any awards?
•    Is your book a best seller?
•    Do you have positive reviews and feedback?
•    Are there book illustrations you can share?
•    How about a brief excerpt?
•    Do you have a book trailer?
•    Do you have good sales numbers?

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, the Frugal Book Promoter, suggests you also “include a pitch or logline for that piece of fiction that will intrigue your Web site visitor” and “include praise (blurbs) for it.”

Even your social networking numbers matter (e.g., number of Twitter followers, number of Facebook connections, and so on).

If You’re Writing Nonfiction

Getting a bit more specific as to your actual qualifications for writing the book, particularly if you’re writing nonfiction or offering freelance writing services or products:

•    Did you take special training (e.g., classes, ecourses)?
•    Do you have a degree or certification in the topic?
•    Do you have ‘good’ clips?
•    Do you have great testimonials?
•    Have you won awards?
•    Do you belong to relevant groups/clubs?
•    How in depth was your research?
•    Do you teach the topic?

Whatever gives you authority in your niche, whether fiction or nonfiction, be sure to include it in your list.

Sites claiming to be an expert in a particular niche are a dime-a-dozen. Let the visitor know you and your book are the ‘real deal.’

Karen Cioffi is a writer and online platform instructor. Her latest e-class with WOW! Women on Writing is Get Website Traffic with Inbound Marketing. Click the link for details.

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Book Marketing - Yesterday and Today (online marketing strategies to use in 2014)

By Karen Cioffi

   
“The Times They Are A-Changin.’”

Bob Dylan’s title to his 1964 album is still right on the mark in regard to today’s book marketing arena. In fact, we might say the times are still a-changin,’ since we’ve seen lots of changes already and there are many more to come.

The major change that's unfolded has been a turn toward online marketing as being an absolute essential part of any marketing strategy. Offline strategies that worked yesterday don’t quite cut it today or we might say they’re not as effective. Let’s take a look at a few.

Five old book marketing strategies that don’t pull the weight they once did:

•    Book signings
•    Offline book tours
•    Traditional paid book review sources, such as Kirkus and Publisher’s Weekly
•    Print advertising
•    Broadly targeted and impersonal press releases
•    Impersonal media kits

This is not to say these strategies can’t bring some visibility and value, but they are certainly not as powerful as they once were. Taking the marketing lead are savvier, reader friendly, personalized, and search engine optimized strategies. Let’s look at a few of those.

Eight newer and more effective book marketing strategies:

•    Optimized author websites and blogs
•    Content marketing
•    Social media and networking
•    Virtual book tours (online)
•    Online reviews from high ranking review sites
•    Free excerpts, other useful freebies, e-galleys
•    Personalized media kits
•    Email marketing (e-newsletters)

If you look closely, what do you notice? What are some of the main elements of the newer more effective strategies?

Four prevalent elements of the newer book marketing strategies:

The very first element is the cost – there really isn’t any. While you may incur some expenses, they are usually reasonable and affordable. And, much of what needs to be done can be done for free.

You can also improve your skills free of charge. Take free courses in your niche. Attend free online conferences. Watch free webinars or videos. Do what it takes to help you hone your craft or build your marketing skills.

Having low or no-cost strategies within reach is great for indie authors and those with small publishers.

The second element is having an online presence or author online platform and generating ongoing visibility. The foundation of that platform and visibility is a website. You CANNOT have an effective online presence without a website.

Other elements of a platform include content marketing, social networking, and email marketing.

The third element is giving people what they want, whether it’s information, excerpts of your book, special offers, or other, it’s about ‘giving.’

The fourth element is connecting, being sociable, and personalization. Moving forward, having a relationship with people, especially your readers, will probably be the most important element in effective book marketing.

There is of course more involved in creating and maintaining a successful book marketing strategy, but these four elements are in the forefront of what you should be doing.

What strategies are you using in 2014?

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Karen Cioffi is an Online Platform and Website Optimization Instrutor. Find out more at: Build an Online Platform That Works.


P.S. Get more visibility-generating writing and marketing tips sent right to your inbox - at The Writing World.

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