The world is a busy place in which we’re constantly bombarded by text messages, voice messages, phone calls, social media notifications and emails. There’s only so much stimulation a nervous system can take, and many people are trying to filter their sensory experiences to keep the noise out by toning down their time spent on social media or online, in general.
While we know that most people check their email inbox several times a day, and that email continues to outperform social media as a way to contact and engage with people authentically, a lot of people are very careful about who they give their email address to. I’m one of them. The amount of spam emails I receive every day is unbelievable; thank goodness for spam filters! I guard my inbox like a watchdog. Why? Because I don’t want to have to sift through hours of email marketing every time I check my emails. I want that experience to be positive with emails waiting for me from people I’ve decided I want to hear about only. And this is what most people prefer.
So, in today’s episode on Kidlit Marketing Made Easy(er), we’re going to look at how you can stand out from the crowd and be one of those people that others want to hear about. This isn’t about fooling people into signing up to your newsletter; it’s about being clear what people can find in your newsletter so that they can decide if they want to hear from you on a regular basis or not. How do you that? By creating an email opt-in that tells people exactly what to expect from you and when.
What’s an email opt-in?
Simply put, an email opt-in is a form that tells potential subscribers you have a newsletter and asks them to sign up to it if they’d like to read it. You’ve all seen them; they can be square boxes that pop-up on a website you’re visiting or simply a button on the navigation bar.
What information needs to appear in an email opt-in?
An opt-in form doesn’t need to sparkle and shine; it doesn’t need bells and whistles or have to be clever and funny, and while it can certainly be all of these things if you want, the most important thing it needs to be is clear and informative.
I see many children’s authors with beautiful websites packed full of information about their career, their writing processes, their books and their school visits, topped off with an educational and interesting blog… and then I notice their opt-in form which says something along the lines of ‘Sign up to my newsletter for updates and tips’. Please don’t do this for your newsletter! Why? Put yourself in your potential subscriber’s shoes and ask yourself: What does ‘updates’ mean? Updates of what and when and how often will you be getting them? Would you want to sign up for vague and uninteresting updates or would you need more incentive?
I definitely would.
I want to know what you’re offering that is precious enough for me to give you my email address, allowing you to email me frequently. When I give you that address, I’m basically telling you that it’s OK to email me but I need to know what to expect in advance. So, you need to be very clear about two things in your email opt-in:
- What subscribers can find in your newsletter
- How often they can expect to receive your newsletter
In the opt-in for my newsletter called The Kidlitter Letter, I am very clear about these two criteria. My newsletter has three sections: one for championing the efforts of children’s authors to write and be published, one that offers writing resources and the last that shares writing opportunities. So, my email opt-in form says, “Join my tri-monthly newsletter and get writing resources, creative inspiration and actionable opportunities for getting published that involve more than traditional book publishing contracts or self-publishing.” I then go on to promise that we’re a warm and welcoming community which is true! There’s no doubt what you’ll be getting from me and how many times a month you’ll be getting it.
Examples of engaging email opt-ins from children’s authors
You don’t need to be an email marketing guru to have a successful newsletter for your readers; you just need to connect with the people who would love to hear from you and then let them know that you have a newsletter, what it’s about and when they’ll receive it. Then, make sure that you stick to what you’ve promised. Nothing could be easier – a monkey could do it!
Here are three examples of authors for children who aren’t marketing gurus, but who’ve set up a newsletter and have made their opt-in specific and interesting. I signed up to all three and I knew exactly what I was getting myself into when I decided to trust them with my email address. I enjoy their newsletters because they’re informative, fun and engaging, and they’ve delivered on their promise:
Analysing email opt-ins
So, what do they each of these children’s newsletter opt-ins look like?
If you go to Laura Purdie Salas‘ website, you’ll see a link in the top right-hand corner, just under the navigation bar that says, ‘Laura’s e-letter for educators’. When you click on that link, a box pops up in the center of your screen asking you to join her monthly newsletter for educators, and then promises you that if you do, you will get three of her favourite poetry activities. What I like about this very simple method is that you know right away that Laura’s newsletter is for educators and that you’ll get it once a month. She also offers a freebie of poetry activities which creates an incentive to sign up. We’ll talk about freebies in our next podcast episode, but just know that freebies are great for showing potential subscribers that the relationship you’re offering them is a give-give and not a give-take on your part.
Once you click on the subscribe button, another box opens up giving you more information. It tells you that Laura will share poems, classroom ideas and useful resources with you in her newsletter. If you know that Laura is a poet whose books are mostly educational and that the newsletter is for educators, you’ll know if you’re in the right place or not.
One last thing I’d like to say about Laura Purdie Salas’ opt-in is that, while it is a pop-up form, it only pops up when you click on the link for her newsletter. This is a personal preference, and I know there is a lot of data out there from marketers telling us that pop-ups work but I really don’t like them. There’s nothing that will make me leave a website faster than a pop-up harassing me to sign up for a newsletter when I’ve only just discovered the website and haven’t had the time to read anything yet. And even worse than an intrusive pop-up, is a pop-up that covers something I’m trying to read. So, think carefully about what you want your potential subscribers to feel about you before you program your opt-in as a pop-up that behaves like a jack-in-the-box all over their reading experience.
Now, let’s take a look at Laura Wippell‘s opt-in. You can find hers under the ‘contact’ button on her navigation bar. When you click on it, it takes you to a page inviting you to sign up to her newsletter if you’d like to receive – and I quote – “personal reflections on her writing that aren’t available on social media, reading recommendations, and a free quiz to find out which character from Feeling Hopeful you are!” Feeling Hopeful is Laura’s debut picture book about hope, fear, the importance of reading and friendship – isn’t a quiz on finding out which character you resemble in her book a fun idea? I love it! Finally, the information on the page then lets you know that Laura will only contact you 3-4 times a year. You can’t be clearer than that about what to expect from Laura!
The last email opt-in we’re going to take a look at is Meg Medina’s. You’ll find a link to it in the navigation bar at the top of her website called, quite simply, ‘newsletter’. The link takes you to a page where Meg explains that her newsletter is bi-monthly and that it’s called Sobremesa, which refers to a Spanish tradition of lingering at the table after a meal allowing people to stay connected for just a little longer. She then goes on to say that her newsletter is designed in the same spirit. It’s a place where she can slow down and share things a little more deeply with those who are interested in children’s books and her work.
What’s your newsletter about?
Now that we’ve had a look at some different ways for authors of children’s literature to invite potential subscribers to sign up for their newsletter, what do you think? If you’d been considering, or if you already have, an email opt-in that asks readers to sign up to your newsletter for updates and tips, can you see how being more specific is more engaging and will draw more people in?
I have a feeling that many of you might have used ‘updates and tips’ in your opt-in because you didn’t really have a newsletter plan and you don’t really know what to write about in your newsletter. If this is you, I’ve got you! Go back to episodes #4, 5 and 6 which talk about starting an author newsletter, nurturing an author newsletter mindset and what to talk about in your author newsletter. These episodes will help you gain a clear vision of what you want to achieve with your newsletter and then set it up.
That’s all we have time for today but you can join me next time in episode #10 of the podcast to chat about freebies and whether you should offer one with your email opt-in. See you then!
Great post, Lou!
Thank you! I hope it was helpful to you in terms of where you are on your author newsletter journey?