There are lots of tricky moving parts to email marketing and list building.

The obvious visible-to-everyone pieces…

opt in forms, freebie offers, delicious calls to action that STOP visitors in their tracks.

and the not-so-obvious:

auto-responders, follow up sequences, list segmenting, thank you pages and web form codes – WTF?!

Hmm…slippery little suckers…

That’s why I LOVE it: challenging (sometimes of toe curling proportions) with loads of bits to fix neatly into place, and yet endless creative options to serve your peeps while showing you off at your best.

Plus it’s mega important for growing and upscaling a business online.

Because when you have a list of loyal fans that you can tell about your products and services who already want them, selling them on doesn’t mean starting from scratch every.single.time.

There’s one not-so-obvious piece that I recommend my clients create from the get-go.

Not many people know about it so it’s just as well you’re a smartypants and reading this right now! (Extra chocolate for you!)

It’s the Opt In Landing Page

Basically, a page on your website dedicated just for your email opt in.

• It can be added to your navigation bar (like this one on my Twitter Brilliance site)
• or it can be a hidden or internal page (not on your navigation bar, like this one)

and, if you want to get really nifty, it won’t have anything else on the page other than info about your opt in – so it’s just like a sales page leaving your visitor only one action to take: GET YOUR STUFF.

Now, this Opt-In Landing Page does NOT replace your opt ins that are strategically sprinkled around your website.

You still want to include those on your home page; about page; at the bottom of blog posts; headers and footers; side bar; in text (yes, really!). But having a dedicated opt in page will play a lead role in your in your online marketing strategy.

Because it’s easier for you to share on social media and easier for people to sign up = 100x more effective.

Don’t believe me? Here’s why

• You can add a call to action and link to your landing page in your email signature
• Post a link to your landing page as social media updates
• Include it with a call to action in your social media bios
• Add your link to your leaflets, biz cards and printed marketing material
• TELL people – events, presentations, phone calls, conferences, workshops…

And, when people get there they’ll know exactly what to do: Sign up!

The BIGGEST mistake you can make is this one >>>

Directing people to your home page asking them to opt in and expecting them to do it. (Noooooooooo!)

Unless you’ve got a massive opt in banner that is so obvious they seriously can’t ignore it then you’re missing out on great leads! We are busy, we have monkey minds and jam-packed brains. When we land on your site we’ll be distracted by a thousand other things or maybe forget why we clicked through anyway (that’s if we take you up on your offer in the first place).

And when your web page hasn’t got an obvious purpose, people click away in seconds.

Creating an opt in page is simple – your web designer can do it easily. Or if you know you’re way around the back end of your website, it’s a matter of creating a new page, adding the opt in code from your email marketing programme, describing what you’re offering that makes people think they MUST HAVE what you’re offering, like NOW! Remember to include your juicy call to action and maybe an awesome review or two.

Then start sharing!

Job done.