By Dave Roberts on Thursday, February 25th, 2016 in Uncategorised.
Building your email list and collecting contact details from current and potential clients is a wise investment. But do it wrong and the only thing your webform will be collecting is cobwebs.
The first mistake many businesses make when writing the copy around their newsletter sign up/mailing list form is assuming that whoever is reading it, is 100% interested. People behave differently online – they have zero patience for waffle and are entirely focused on “what’s in it for them”.
Unless you’re offering something of real value, like free tips, discounts, vouchers or free ANYTHING, chances are your readers couldn’t give two hoots about handing over their prescious contact details.
Before I get into what to avoid, you must first ask yourself if what you are offering has value. Be brutally honest. If you really want to enter into a relationship with your customers (and you should) you need to give a little to get a little. If all you’re doing is broadcasting about yourself, your mailing list isn’t just going to stay static – it’s going to shrink! Browsers are very quick to feel cheated – so give them something and they’ll reward you with their attention.
Now, phrasing around this is key. How can you set off the pleasure & reward centre in your reader’s brain? By letting them think they are going to receive something of value.
Avoid this:
– Submit your details
– Provide your contact information
– Fill in the form
There is nothing in those sentences that implies what they are about to do is going to reward them.
Instead, write this:
– Join our community!
– Gain access to…
– For exclusive previews of…
These words tickle that sweet spot by hinting that simply by providing their details, they’ll be getting something valuable in return.
Have a look at your website – are you committing any of the above copy sins? If so, get in touch with us and we’ll help you fine tune your copy to hit the sweet spot in your customer’s mind.