There’s a strategy that anyone can use to increase email opt-in rates. The simple tactic shared here in this blog post will help you build trust and put your website visitors at ease for a higher rate of engagement.
The powerful game changing ‘hack’ that can transform the way you interact with your audience is something we call micro-commitments.
Get to know your audience and convert more strangers into warm leads with this time-tested solution.
The Brain’s Fight or Flight Response
Back in my days studying neuroscience at Brown, I stumbled upon Dr. Robert Maurer’s work on the psychology of fear. I discovered that when you ask someone to make a change or take any action, the brain interprets it as a threat, triggering the fight or flight response.
This is precisely why visitors to your website might hesitate or leave when asked to provide their email address upfront.
Hacking the System with Micro-Commitments
The key to overcoming this challenge is to avoid activating that natural fight or flight response.
How? By breaking down the commitment into smaller, more manageable steps.
For instance, start by posing a simple multiple-choice question before diving into the email request. This is what we call a micro-commitment.
A Real-Life Example
Let me share a little secret from our own experience. We discovered that adding a step—finding out a little piece of information about the website visitor—before asking for their email significantly increased our opt-in rates.
We do that by asking strategic, but simple quiz questions. It’s a process that’s proven itself time and time again across various markets.
Identifying Buckets and Customizing Communication
But what’s the real magic behind micro-commitments? It’s not just about getting more email sign-ups; it’s about understanding your audience better.
When you ask non-threatening questions, the benefit is twofold:
- You gather information that allows you to categorize that respondent based on their current needs. That means it will be easier for you to propose the best targeted solution down the road.
- That sequence of tiny little yesses builds rapport and grows your subscriber base.
And why does this work so well? Because the questions revolve around their favorite subject: themselves!
The Power of Segmenting Your Audience Into Buckets
The process that I’m describing here is an opt-in funnel, specifically a Quiz Funnel.
Let’s take an example from a book publishing company whose target audience includes authors who specialize in a variety of genres. In this scenario, it makes sense to divide fiction writers and non-fiction writers into separate buckets.
This would allow the publishing company to tailor communication, emails, sales copy, and ads based on the author’s response to that question.
Plus, when you ask highly relevant and thoughtful questions, your expertise really shines through. This connection sets the stage for explaining how your product can solve problems, building interest in what you sell.
The Art of Teaching and Explaining
Here’s the beauty of it all: there’s no hard sell involved. You’re not pushing a product; you’re guiding, teaching, and explaining.
By engaging their curiosity and showing them you understand their needs, you lead them into your world gradually.
It’s about making them feel understood and appreciated, one simple question and one small micro-commitment at a time.
Conclusion
There you have it–a simple strategy that you can start using right away to grow your list.
Start using micro-commitments to boost your email opt-ins while getting to know your audience.
It’s a win-win strategy that allows you to have your cake and eat it too!
If you’re ready to discover how AI-powered Quiz Funnels can help your business achieve success, join our next workshop for free. Click below to save your spot:
