Local Internet Marketing – 7 Tips to Get Prospects and Customers to ‘Opt-In’

Our clients are always looking for ways to boost local Internet marketing leads and sales, and one way we encourage them to do this is by getting prospects and current customers to sign up for their email marketing campaigns. And regardless as to what some might say, email marketing is not a dead market. In fact, it’s a great way to stay in front of your prospects and clients. The question is— how can you encourage prospects and customers to ‘opt-in’?

First things first, you want to make sure you have a clear Call to Action that’s positioned in a place on your website that’s easy to see, and be sure that it has clear instructions for entering an email address. Also, you want this Call to Action to be visible in emails, as well, and when you’re out and about, have a sign-up sheet to encourage people to sign up for your email list any time you have the opportunity to do so.

Now that you have the Call to Action out of the way, we’ve pulled together a list of suggestions to help you get creative so you’re sure to get everyone you interface with to sign up for your email list to boost your local Internet marketing business.

1. Ask for Referrals. Offer your current local Internet marketing customers a discount or special offer if they refer you to others.
2. Host Events. There’s a variety of events that could peak people’s interest, so get creative and host events at an art gallery or retail shop, or offer to do a lunch & learn for a local company or business with your sign-up sheet in hand.
3. Give Something for Free. Offer a free training Video or eBook if visitors ‘opt-in’ and sign up for your local Internet marketing email list.
4. Use a Newsletter. Offer or include a local Internet marketing newsletter link in all of your email communications.
5. Utilize Link Bait. Provide something of value that the individual can’t refuse if they ‘opt-in’ to be a part of your address book.
6. Do a Tradeshow. Tradeshows are a great place to meet hundreds of new prospects and customers, and the up-front cost to attend typically pays off in the long run. Start with tradeshows that have visitors that would be interested in your products or services, and be sure to have a clip board handy with a sign-up sheet asking permission to add names to your email list.
7. Use Your Business Card. Print a special offer for those who ‘opt-in’ to your email list on the back of your business card. It might be a discount or free consultation, and so on.

Getting people to ‘opt-in’ for your email marketing campaign is a great way to build and grow your business. In addition to getting these local Internet marketing leads to ‘opt-in’, you want them to stick around once they do, so send the right message by referring to my blog, ‘7 Tips for Clear and Effective Email Marketing.’

Chris Marentis

For nearly three decades, Chris Marentis, Founder and CEO of Surefire Social, has been responsible for driving innovation and sales growth for large media and e-commerce brands as well as start-ups. With a long-history of counseling local businesses about their marketing efforts, Marentis provides insight on what it takes for small businesses to succeed and thrive in today’s evolving digital environment. His notable career includes creating the foundational blueprints for online marketing, e-commerce and content branding for AOL’s Interactive Marketing group, where he served as Senior Vice President. While CEO of Clearspring Technologies, Marentis developed one of the most widely adopted venture-backed Web 2.0 technology platforms. Marentis is a frequent speaker at local digital marketing conferences and a contributor to SMB and technology-focused publications.