opt in freebie ideas to grow your email list

Let’s take a hot minute to brainstorm some email list opt in freebie ideas! First things first, though. If you’ve either:

a) Been living under a rock and not noticed every marketing pro telling you to start an email list

or

b) Been living in a normal home but have ignored every marketing pro telling you to start an email list

I’d like to take this opportunity to clear a few things up! Spoiler alert: the marketing pros are right.

And if you’re thinking: “but Asia, there are already a billion things to do. Whyyyyy do I need an email list too?!”

Then I’ll tell you this: because if you have a business and the majority of your marketing is done online, it’s the fastest/easiest/most guaranteed way to stay connected with and in the minds of your potential clients.

If you woke up one morning and found your social media accounts had been hacked or mysteriously deleted, how would you feel? How would you connect with your audience? Would you have to start from scratch, or would you crack open a beer and put your feet up knowing you could pop online and connect with your list immediately?

Social media is a great marketing tool, but when it comes to direct contact with your audience an email list wins every time. By opting into your list, your subscribers are not only giving you permission to send love notes to their sacred inbox on a regular basis, they’re also telling you they WANT you to send love notes directly to your inbox on a regular basis.

You don’t have to figure out new trends every month, you don’t have to have to feel like you’re getting lost among thousands of your industry peers, and you have a direct line of communication with potential customers.

The algorithm? Never heard of her.

Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about some opt in freebie ideas. But first…

What the hell is an email list opt in freebie?

Sometimes called an opt in, sometimes called a lead magnet, sometimes called a freebie, sometimes called a pain in the ass, an opt in is something super valuable that you offer for free in exchange for someone’s email address. The idea behind an opt in freebie is that if someone lands on your website without knowing anything about you, the chances of them getting distracted and clicking away is pretty high.

If they see an offer for your opt in, something that will help them immediately and for free, you’ll have a way to stay in touch with them after they’ve gone. We all hate spam, our inboxes are full enough as it is, and if you’re relying on a boring box that’s titled “Sign Up To My Newsletter,” there’s a good chance it’ll get passed up. But if you offer something that will help people in INSTANTLY and fo’ FREE, who could pass that up? WHO, I ASK YOU?!

And since you’re here to get some fresh opt in freebie ideas, keep scrolling!

What should I offer as my opt in?

The world is your burrito on this one, but it really depends on three things:

1. What your most valuable piece of knowledge is

2. What your audience wants and needs

3. What type of information will give someone a quick win

If you’re looking for some specific opt in freebie ideas, instant-access products like how-to eBooks, design or fill-in-the-blank templates, or email mini courses tend to be really successful. I’ve also seen trial sizes, bonus products, and one-time discount codes for product-based businesses.

All that really matters is that it’s actually something of value that will genuinely help your potential clients so you can start building your relationship with them. You want them to think, “hot damn – if they’re offering this for free, what ELSE do they have up their sleeve?!” Here are a few example ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

For a graphic designer: Customizable Canva templates for Instagram Stories
For a photographer: 5 ways to prepare for your family session ebook
For a candlemaker: A free sample tealight set with your first order
For a mindset coach: 25 journal prompts to improve your money mindset
For a landscape architect: 10 easy care plants for your front yard ebook
For a ceramic artist: Free shipping on your first online order
For a SEO strategist: A 7-day email course to improve your website SEO one page at a time

I’ve recently discovered my new favorite opt in freebie idea, though: Quizzes! Why? Because everyone loves learning about themselves. I mean if it takes less than a minute why wouldn’t you want to know which hotdog condiment you are?! (I am spicy mustard, obviously.)

Quizzes are fast, scratch our instant gratification itch, are a great platform to enhance your brand, AND they give you the ability to learn about your audience.

How do I make a quiz?

I used Interact to make mine, and I’m really impressed with how intuitive the interface is! They take care of the technical (ahem…boring) stuff on their end, so all you have to do is come up with a subject, your questions, and your results. Also, this post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase after clicking through I’ll get a commission at no cost to you. Cool right?!

They also break down analytics easily so you can keep track of stuff like how many people are taking your quiz, which answers are chosen most, and whether they’re sticking around until the results page:

You can customize your quiz with photos, fonts, colors, and your logo so your visual brand is forefront:

It’s easy to connect to your mailing list provider and to share your quiz on your website or via social media:

And for those of us who like to jump into things without having a clue what we’re doing, have no fear: they also offer resources for tips and best practices so you have some guidance for a well-converting quiz:

If you don’t have an email list but want to get started, or if you have one but have found that your current opt in freebie isn’t converting like you’d hoped, try a quiz and see if it’s a good fit for your brand and your audience!