Building a successful blog or website is an interconnected task – various elements will only be successful if they are working in conjunction with other elements like marketing, social media and email. Particularly when it comes to email, persuasiveness is key. Since readers do not have to provide their contact information when stumbling upon your website or blog, creative elements are needed to encourage them to subscribe to your mailing list. This aspect of content marketing is not as difficult as you may think, and we will be covering a few simple ways in which you can engage your readers and convince them to subscribe.

Free Goodies

One of the most popular ways that blogs convince readers into subscribing is through the offering of free items or services in exchange for their subscription. Some blogs create a landing page so that they can be pinging to Google this type of offer in addition to ads and pop-ups on their site promoting it. The most popular free item is an e-book that provides relevant, valuable information. This tried and true tactic should always be considered and is relatively easy to accomplish: create a few pieces of interconnected content, bundle them together to create your PDF and promote, promote, promote.

Social Sharing

If you already have followers on sites like Facebook and Twitter, then at least some of them probably have already subscribed to your mailing list. But what about those who have not, and may not otherwise know about it? Periodic promotion via social media is a great way in which to invite individuals to join your mailing list without being too intrusive; nobody tends to get upset over a casual status feed that suggests a product or service to them. In this call to action, you also will want to encourage existing subscribers to promote and share it with their friends and family who may also be interested in what you have to say.

Subscription Forms

Your blog or site may have many pages, so it does not make sense to have a subscription form limited to just one or two pages. By adding subscription forms to the side of every page, you will be constantly reminding readers that you have a mailing list (and if you do it properly, will also be reminding them of the benefits they stand to gain by subscribing). Most successful blogs have found that using the upper-right hand of the website works best for garnering attention, but you may find a strategy that works better. Embedded pop-ups are also another popular way to nonchalantly poke your readers into subscribing.

Unique Content

If your mailing list looks like what dozens of other sites are pinging to Google on a daily basis, then retention will be a major issue when it comes to new subscribers. It is not just about gaining subscribers, but also keeping them and making sure they are engaging with your brand. When you create unique and valuable content for your mailing list, you can tout the exclusive benefits and features that non-subscribers will receive if they change their minds.