Creating Awesome Incentives for Email Subscribers

One of the most fascinating things I learned at my Email Marketing certification course was that there’s actually a FORMULA for email messaging effectivity: 

Relevance (offer + incentive) minus (friction + anxiety)

Without going into too much detail (you’ll have to take the course for that), the point is that if what you have to offer is good enough to overcome any doubts and fears your subscriber may have, then you’ve got it — you’ll achieve the goal…  conversion to a signup or a sale.

As with most things in life, email conversions often go by the “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” rule, and in most scenarios, it’s usually the incentive that tips the scale.  The incentive you use will depend on many factors (among other things, your budget and your subscribers’ interests) but whatever the case, in this day and age of spoilt subscribers, it’s almost criminal not to offer people something for giving you permission  to contact or sell to them. 

So think about it, and be creative!  Here’s a great example I picked up from a blog post in The Email Wars: a free drink for signing up.  Not only does it reward subscribers, it also guarantees foot traffic to the bar offering the reward. (Click on the pic for a larger view)

Neat, right?  Now go check your own ”inventory” and figure out what you can offer.  Some tips:

• The higher the perceived value, the better. (Note: the actual value doesn’t have to be all that big)
• Match the incentive to the audience. 
• Take advantage of the opportunity to build brand awareness

And lastly, remember that the quest for permission is an ongoing challenge. It doesn’t end when people sign up — because they can always choose to unsubscribe at any time. 

To keep permission, reward often, and reward generously.  If you can keep your subscribers happy, at the end of the day you receive the biggest rewards of all.