51. Creating Captivating Opt-ins

Twice per month, I go live in our private FB group to hold a Q&A Office Hour and Strategy Call. Each event includes a conversation about a strategy for utilizing content for practice growth.

Today’s recording focuses on Creating Captivating Opt-ins. You can visit our private Facebook group, Scale Your Nutrition Practice, for the complete recording. Simply apply by answering a few questions and you can join the active conversations happening here.

An opt-in is a top-of-the-funnel marketing tool where individuals give their contact information, like their email address, in exchange for something valuable. This could be a free guide, a recipe ebook, a webinar, an email series, or exclusive updates.

Opt-ins play a key role in marketing strategies:

• They allow you to build your email list by growing your contacts and establishing a direct line to potential clients.

• They engage potential clients by providing value upfront in exchange for their contact information. This starts a relationship on a positive note.

• They help you segment your audience based on what offers they opt into. You can understand what particular services or information your audience is most interested in.

• They move contacts from the awareness stage down the funnel toward becoming leads and eventual customers.

Elements That Make an Opt-in Compelling

An effective opt-in provides compelling value in exchange for contact information. Four key elements contribute to an opt-in that successfully attracts subscribers:

Value

The offer should be something your audience finds useful enough to exchange their contact details for. For example, a free guide that provides step-by-step instructions on how to meal plan would offer high value to those seeking to improve their nutrition. The greater the perceived value, the more willing potential subscribers will be to opt in.

Relevance

The opt-in should relate closely to your services and resonate with the interests of your target audience. Staying relevant ensures you provide opt-ins that people actually want, instead of generic content. An opt-in for weekly kids’ recipes would have high relevance for a nutritionist targeting busy parents.

Simplicity

The process of signing up should be extremely straightforward and quick. Eliminate any unnecessary fields or steps in the signup form. Complex opt-in forms lead to drop-offs.

Clarity

Clearly communicate what the subscriber gets by providing their email. Avoid vague promises. State exactly what content or resources they will receive in exchange for their contact information. This manages expectations, builds trust, and encourages sign-ups.

Types of Opt-Ins

Opt-ins come in many forms, but some of the most effective for a nutrition practice include:

Meal Plan Opt-In

A meal plan opt-in provides a full week of recipes and guidance on how to prepare balanced meals. This comprehensive solution helps clients start on the right foot with practical support. Meal plans should include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for each day, along with an accompanying guide on meal prep methods, grocery shopping, and budgeting tips. The mealtime method guide should be tailored to address the specific challenges faced by your ideal client.

Why It’s Effective: Provides the what [meal plan] and the how [mealtime method] – a structured meal planning solution that helps clients start on the right foot with practical and actionable guidance.

Library Selection Tips: Search for templates that include a comprehensive 1-week meal plan along with easy-to-follow recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. The Mealtime Method Meal Planning Guide guide offers tips on meal preparation, grocery shopping, and budgeting that resonate with the specific challenges faced by your ideal customer avatar.

Weekly Email Series

An email series that provides new recipes on a weekly basis keeps your brand top of mind. Focusing each email on testing new recipes also caters directly to clients who are culinary curious or seeking more variety. Create engaging email templates that can be easily updated each week with fresh recipe ideas. Consider a thematic focus like “Test Kitchen Tuesday” to make the series more compelling.

An email series that provides subscribers with regular, themed content is an excellent opt-in offer. The ongoing engagement helps you stay top of mind while also delivering valuable information tailored to your audience’s interests.

Why It’s Effective:

• Provides consistent value that keeps subscribers engaged with your brand over time.
• Allows you to establish yourself as an authority by regularly sharing expertise.
• Enables personalization and adaptation based on subscriber feedback.
• Ongoing touchpoints make subscribers more likely to convert to clients.

Tips for Selection:

• Choose a theme that aligns closely with your ideal client’s interests and needs. For a nutrition professional focusing on serving those touched by IBS, this could be a “Healthy Low FODMAP Recipe of the Week” series.
• Ensure you have enough evergreen content or the capacity to continually create fresh content so the series remains relevant. The Living Plate Rx library will be your lifeline here.
• Set up automation to deliver the emails on a consistent schedule, like every Tuesday morning.

Content Bundle

Bundling multiple educational resources into one opt-in offer provides significant perceived value. This appeals to those looking for comprehensive solutions and immediate insights all in one place. Useful items to include are handouts, an eBook, recipes, cooking videos, or other complementary content that offers a well-rounded educational package. Ensure the bundle covers a variety of topics or skills that your ideal client cares about most.

Why It’s Effective: Bundles are an effective opt-in offer because they provide a lot of value upfront. By packaging multiple resources into one download, you demonstrate generosity while also appealing to those seeking comprehensive education on a subject. The variety of formats and topics covered in a bundle also cater to different learning styles. Those who prefer reading can enjoy the handouts and eBooks, while visual learners may connect more with the videos. This approach helps you attract a wider audience.

Selection Tips:

When curating a content bundle, ensure that all the pieces complement each other and offer a well-rounded educational experience. For example, include an eBook that provides an overview of the topic, detailed handouts that offer worksheets or actionable steps, relevant recipes that bring the content to life in the kitchen, and skills-based videos that demonstrate techniques visually.

Think through the customer journey when developing your bundle – what information and resources will your ideal client need to gain confidence and feel equipped to put what they’ve learned into practice? Keep the focus on providing true value rather than promoting your services.

Here is an example of a content bundle I have offered:

Evergreen One-Week Challenge

Challenges motivate and engage through their concrete steps and defined timeframe. They also enable participants to experience quick wins within just one week. The challenge should provide clear, actionable steps that participants can take to achieve a specific goal, like improving gut health or increasing vegetable intake. Evergreen challenges can be started at any time without updates, offering maximum flexibility.

Why They’re Effective: Challenges create engagement and motivation through their actionable steps and time-bound nature. They also provide an excellent opportunity for participants to experience quick wins.

Library Selection Tips: Select or design a challenge that is simple yet impactful, ensuring it provides clear, actionable steps that participants can take to achieve a specific health goal within a week. The challenge should be evergreen, meaning it can be started and completed at any time without needing real-time updates.

Landing Page Creation

Choosing the right landing page tool is key for effectively showcasing your opt-in offer. There are plenty of software options to choose from that provide drag-and-drop templates and easy customization. Check with your email provider as most services, such as Constant Contact and Active Campaign, include these in services. You can also create landing pages on your website or with String Connect, an all-in-one platform I use.

When you’re building your landing page, you should start by selecting a template that matches the look and feel you want to convey. Clean and minimalist designs work best for a nutrition or wellness offer.

Next, customize the template by adding your own branding elements. Make sure to include your logo, colors, and fonts to maintain visual consistency. You’ll also want to insert imagery that further reinforces your brand identity.

The opt-in offer itself should be prominently displayed. For example, if you’re promoting a free meal plan, ensure the download button is clear and enticing.

Craft compelling copy that clearly communicates the benefits of signing up. Use concise, persuasive language that speaks directly to your ideal customer. Testimonials can add further credibility.

To maximize conversions, include a simple contact form that only asks for essential details like name and email address. The call-to-action, like “Get Your Meal Plan Now!” should stand out and use action-oriented language.

Finally, set up a thank you page that users reach after signing up. Confirm their subscription and outline what they can expect next. This enhances the experience and keeps subscribers engaged.

Here is a sample Thank You page where I deliver a free webinar [opt-in] along with offer to join my higher offer [membership]:

Email Sequence Setup

Setting up an automated email sequence is key to nurturing your new subscribers into becoming clients. Choose an email service provider like String Connect, Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or ActiveCampaign that allows you to easily create sequences.

The first email in your sequence should be a welcome email. Thank the subscriber for signing up, deliver the promised opt-in content, and set expectations for what emails they’ll receive next.

Follow up the welcome email with a series of 2-4 emails that provide additional value. Send educational content that builds on the opt-in, like meal preparation tips after a meal plan opt-in.

Include engagement emails that encourage interaction through questions or requests for feedback.

End your sequence with a call-to-action email inviting them to book a consultation or join a program, aiming to convert leads into clients.

When setting up your automation, trigger the welcome email immediately on subscription confirmation.

Space out the follow-ups every few days. Personalize each email using the subscriber’s name and references to the opt-in they received to make the sequence feel tailored and relevant. With an automated sequence in place, you can nurture leads effectively.

Conclusion

In summary, opt-ins are a powerful tool for growing your email list and engaging with potential new clients. By providing free, valuable content like meal plans, challenges, or email series, you give website visitors a compelling reason to exchange their contact information. This then allows you to nurture these new leads by delivering tailored, relevant follow-up content via email automation.

The key is to ensure your opt-in provides something useful that resonates with your target audience’s interests and needs. Take the time to create professional, branded landing pages to showcase your opt-in and make signing up effortless. With a well-executed opt-in strategy, you’ll be able to consistently generate and convert high-quality leads into loyal clients over time.

Your Content Cure for This Week

Your Content Cure this week is Your Ultimate Guide to Creating Captivating Opt-ins. It’s an ebook that summarizes many of the points we covered today and offers you actions to take to create your first opt-in or improve the ones you already have in place.

>> DOWNLOAD YOUR RESOURCES HERE<<