There’s a reason people pay for courses: we value organized, simplified, and easy to absorb information.
And that’s why we see that free online courses are so appealing. Because they offer so much more than just another blog post or download.
And because we place such a high value on courses, they’re a veritable gold mine for the savvy entrepreneur in search of original list building ideas.
With a world full of email list building strategies, chances are that your ideal subscribers have “seen it all.” And they’re ready for something that can actually change their world…
Original List Building Ideas Meet Their Full Potential With The Login Optin™ Strategy
Just imagine … if you had access to a unique process that nurtured these potential customers from their first impression of you.
Imagine if this process gently led them to signing up eagerly for your email list. They eventually become a happy paying customer and a super fan who shares your work far and wide.
Right inside your own membership website.
This sounds so magical, right?
But it’s happening across the globe right now. And it’s at the cutting edge of original list building ideas with a catchy little title: The Login Optin™ Strategy.
A Free Gift Isn’t Good Enough
So here’s the reality check: downloads and blog posts are a dime a dozen.
I know, because I’m bombarded by opt-ins everywhere I go online.
It’s a quick process for me to get what I want: leave my email, confirm in my inbox, download the gift. Inevitably, I often hit “unsubscribe” when the newsletters start rolling in.
How terrible.
(Sorry if I’ve done that to you before.)
But savvy online takers (like me) are the reason why we’re starting to turn to more impactful original list-building ideas. Ideas that require more than just passing curiosity on the side of the subscriber.
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See it in actionBecause just tossing out a free gift isn’t enough to attract the right subscribers…nor is it powerful enough to keep their attention long enough to build a relationship with them.
Thus: the advent of The Login Optin™ Strategy. It uses a more substantial free course as the “lead magnet,” and a membership site as the trap.
First, You Build Something They Absolutely Can’t Resist…
You’re most likely familiar with the challenge of finding that perfect, attractive opt-in gift. For many of us, this has traditionally happened in the form of a quick download, eBook, or other one-time-prize.
But in a world where free gifts are a dime a dozen, you’re challenged to offer your very best material even as a free opt-in gift.
The more generous you are with your knowledge, the easier it’ll be to enchant perfect strangers to join your email list.
Then, Build It So They Have To Stick Around
And here’s where you can really amp up your game by offering a free course instead of a one-time download.
This course might be a video or audio series, written content, or a mixture of all three…which is the route Nathalie takes in her free course, the 30 Day List Building Challenge.
With a course, you can pack a ton of amazing bits of knowledge into your new opt-in. You can also create an environment where your subscribers have to keep returning to take advantage of their gift.
Amp Up The Commitment By Giving Them The VIP Experience
…but where are the subscribers “returning” to each time you’re ready to release the next step of the free course?
To your membership site…where you happen to house your free course.
Because realistically, very few so-called original list building ideas can actually deliver a VIP experience like this very easily.
But a membership site carries a special value.
The moment your new subscribers sign up for your email list, an automated email is sent with a welcome message and unique login information for your membership site. There, they receive access to the first module (or lesson) of the free course they signed up for.
With a daily challenge, this becomes an easy routine for your subscribers. Each day, they receive an email prompt that reminds them to log back into the membership site to check out the latest module.
The benefit: the more they take action to approach your material, the more invested they become in your mission and what you have to offer.
Create Your Login Optin™ Library
Once they’re logged in, you’ve totally got your new email list subscribers in the palm of your hand and ready to be impressed.
So here’s a neat trick:
If you’ve been in business for a while, chances are pretty high that you have more than one opt-in gift hanging around…
…which can be frustrating for your current subscribers who still have to re-submit their information each time to take advantage of your gifts.
One great way to work around this dilemma is by housing ALL of your pre-launch videos, courses, downloadable opt-in gifts, etc. inside this same membership site, using the Login Optin™ Library format.
Simply create a dashboard of your free opt-in prizes so that subscribers (new and old) can enjoy easy access to the best of your content.
Because realistically, once someone’s subscribed to your list, it makes very little sense to push another opt-in form at them each time they try to take you up on your free offers.
It does, however, make a ton of sense to keep rewarding them for logging into your membership site.
Keep Them Focused On The Reason They Signed Up
A word of warning here: careful design of your login area is key.
If the Login Optin™ Library is too prominent, it can be really distracting.
And if your new subscribers don’t stay engaged in the free course they signed up for in the first place, they’re likely to lose interest altogether…making your offer just another “cool” thing that didn’t impact or transform their lives.
What might this look like?
In our own membership site (built with the AccessAlly membership plugin), we make sure that our free course, the 30 Day List Building Challenge, is the first thing that you see when you login.
We’ve also made it pretty easy to see how much progress you’ve made in the course, which helps with motivation and commitment.
Optional: Create A Sequence That Guides Them Through … And Transitions To Your List
The danger again is overwhelm. If they’ve just signed up for a 30-day challenge and will be receiving daily emails, adding them to the weekly newsletter might push them overboard into a state of overwhelm.
One way to address this issue is to first allow your subscribers time to make it through your free course. Then, you might offer a short sequence that segues into your regular weekly (or bi-weekly, whatever you do) newsletter.
Because by the time they’ve finished the course, you’ve got them engaged and ready to hear more about what you say.
Why Is The Login Optin™ Strategy At The Top of The Latest Original List Building Ideas?
Most “original” list building ideas are focused on only one thing: getting people to opt-in to your email list. After that, they sort of leave you hanging.
But by requiring your subscribers to sign into your membership site AND return to access the content, the Login Optin™ Strategy is different. It’s nurturing.
And it’s exactly the same experience we created for our own free course The 30 Day List Building Challenge… which has had over 47,000 participants and led to multiple six figures in organic sales.
But That’s A Success Story For Another Time…Next Week, In Fact
Is there more to the story? Absolutely.
Next week, we’ll dive into the second phase of the Login Optin™ experience: how to use your free membership site as an upsell and get more paying clients.
Because yes, your free courses can naturally lead to more advanced paid courses without being pushy.
