You’ve probably already seen them on other websites, you might have even read about them. If so, you’ll know just how fantastic content upgrades are — they can increase your opt-in rates to your mailing list by 785%.
It’s likely that you haven’t yet created a content upgrade, perhaps you have your doubts, the one you did make isn’t working for you, or you have no idea where to start. That’s all okay, it’s why we’re here to help.
We’ve created an easy guide to creating content upgrades, that will actually work for you and your purposes. Say goodbye to the days of the traditional “sign up to my mailing list” and say hello to incredible conversion rates.
What is a content upgrade?
Content upgrades are highly-specific opt-in offers, that will turn every single one of your blog posts into a tool adding addresses to your mailing list.
Think of them a bit like leads, something that you create as an offer or bonus for your visitors. They should appeal to your readers so they don’t hesitate to provide their information.
Keep it relevant
For your content upgrades to really work, they must be relevant. Your readers came to your blog for a specific reason, so don’t lose sight of that.
For example, if you have a blog all about vegan food and recipes, your content upgrade could offer them a shopping list or cheat sheet. It really is that simple, you just have to be inventive.
Just like that, you’ll have a new email and consequently a new subscriber. This is why you need to have a content upgrade; they will completely change your mailing list.
Below we’ve listed our very own content upgrade cheat sheet, with ways on just how to do it.
For a blog series — Create an eBook
For a blog series, perhaps on fitness, recipes, beauty, being a mum, or business, you can compile those blog posts into an ebook.
An ebook allows you to celebrate your greatest work, expand your reach to your audience, and gives your readers a one-stop to all the best hits. It’s a win for everybody.
For instructional blog posts — Create a how-to guide
If your blog posts are in step by step format, make them a downloadable how-to guide. This gives your audience a way to look at your content in a new way.
To make people want to sign up for your how-to guide, you’ll have to find a gap in the content. How can you increase the value? In fact, this should be all part of your strategy when you’re blogging.
Add some extra steps in the downloadable version or add extra images. Make it something a user would find valuable.
For long-form articles — Create a checklist
Long content is great. However, not everybody wants to read through it. Checklists are a bit like cheat sheets, for those who don’t have much time or aren’t in the mood for reading a lot.
You should aim to make your content’s readability absolutely impeccable. This will help your SEO and keep your readers happy. This means that you should have subheadings and lists throughout.
Everybody loves checklists, they’re easy to follow, interactive, and can be genuinely helpful. More than likely, when people have found your blog posts, if an offer for an easy to follow checklist pops up, they’ll take it.
For example, your blog revolves around small businesses — your reader hops onto your site to be greeted with “The ultimate small business checklist,” would that not appeal to everybody?
How to give your readers their upgrading
There are a few ways in which you can create the actual opt-in. Different ways work best with different types of blogs.
For example, your instructional blog posts will probably benefit from letting your audience read the blog post first. This way, they can decide if they want the recipe or how-to guide readily available after reading it. List Builder is an excellent option for this.
Another option is a pop-up, which greets you before you read the blog. This works well with blog series and long-form articles. Welcome Mat could be a great option for doing this.
Content localization
Wondering how to quickly make your content relevant for those who don’t speak English? Well, you should look into localization. Localization is the process of adapting a piece of content to the linguistic and cultural norms of a certain country.
For example, the English people speak in the US is very different from the one spoken in Australia. The changes made to the localized text are often subtle and unnoticeable, but they play a huge role in attracting new customers and amassing a broader audience. There is a large number of sites like Pick Writers that can help companies source writers that specialize in localization.
Where to place it
It goes without saying, a popup will appear as soon as your reader enters your site. However, a click trigger has to be a little bit more strategic.
If you’re using List Builder, you can decisively place the content upgrades throughout your content. We recommend placing them:
- Right at the beginning — for those that don’t have the time, but need the information for later.
- At relevant midway points — If you mention in your blog post about the effective use of content upgrades, place a link to a how-to guide or checklist there. It should be relevant and clearly reference something that you just mentioned.
- Right at the end — This way it acts as a conclusion and a call to action.
Conclusion
There are more creative, effective ways to say “sign up to my mailing list,” and they don’t cost time or money. Content upgrades do convert higher than traditional email opt-ins, just look at Brian Dean’s 785% increase.
Will you be ditching your traditional opt-in for a content upgrade?
Kristin Savage
Kristin Savage nourishes, sparks and empowers using the magic of a word. Along with pursuing her degree in Creative Writing, Kristin was gaining experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in marketing strategy for publishers and authors. Now she had found herself as a freelance writer. You can find her on Facebook and Medium.
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