The Full-Time Creator Podcast

Ep. 9 — The 4 Biggest Opt-In Conversion Mistakes Course Creators Make

In this episode, Zach shares his biggest lessons about opt-in conversions and email list growth rate for course creators.

Working professionally in the internet marketing space for over 13 years I’ve worked with big names like EoFire, Amy Porterfield, Rick Mulready, Jonathan Fields, and Ryan Lee.

Today, I start with an overview of the 4 biggest conversion mistakes I see course creators make and deep-dive on how to fix them.

Then we’ll go through my top of funnel conversions (aka opt-in forms) and lead magnets that have easily generated over 100,000 email subscribers for myself and clients.

You’ll also learn how I 7x’d the email list growth rate for one of my clients. I’d wager if you implement what you learn today you could double your email list growth rate in 30 mins of work.

Download the free “30 minutes to doubled email list growth rate” mini-course at https://crowiz.co/go

It’ll walk you through the exact steps for creating a high-converting opt in form. These are the exact steps I use for myself and clients that usually double email list growth rate right out of the gate.

It also includes swipe copy, a template you can use, and a scorecard to score what you made and remind you of what you learned here at a glance. It’s designed to be as plug and play + “quick win” as possible.

And it was made to be usable even if you’re a terrible designer, not techy, and suck at conversions and numbers and stuff. Just follow along, copy and paste my swipe copy and design template, make a couple edits, and you’re done. You can improve it later; for now you just need to get the basics going.

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AI-Generated Summary:

  • 0:00 – 2:00 — Zach introduces the Full Time Creator podcast and shares his background in Internet marketing, web design, and conversion optimization. He mentions his experience in running successful online campaigns and launches.
  • 2:00 – 4:00 — Zach emphasizes the importance of top-of-funnel conversions, highlighting the effectiveness of opt-in forms and lead magnets in email list growth.
  • 4:00 – 6:00 — Zach introduces a free mini-course that provides step-by-step guidance on creating and launching high-converting opt-in forms and lead magnets.
  • 6:00 – 8:00 — Zach lists the four biggest conversion mistakes made by course creators: not having a full-screen pop-up opt-in, lacking a lead magnet, having non-compelling copy and imagery, and not running simple AB tests.
  • 8:00 – 10:00 — Zach stresses the importance of implementing the advice and strategies he’s shared, urging listeners to act rather than passively consume the content. He begins discussing the characteristics of a good lead magnet.
  • 10:00 – 12:00 — Zach discusses the importance of having a good lead magnet and describes characteristics of an effective lead magnet, emphasizing quick wins and illustrating the value it brings.
  • 12:00 – 14:00 — Zach provides a real-world example, referencing his Sierra Wiz mini course, and demonstrates how he runs it through a checklist to ensure it meets lead magnet criteria.
  • 14:00 – 16:00 — He elaborates on the ratings he gives to his own lead magnet, emphasizing fast consumption, value, and simplicity. Zach also touches on the importance of setting clear expectations for what a user will receive.
  • 16:00 – 18:00 — Zach contrasts specific lead magnets with generic “join my newsletter” offers, discussing the criteria to evaluate their effectiveness and compelling nature.
  • 18:00 – 20:00 — He emphasizes the importance of direct audience interaction, suggesting live conversations or coaching calls as the best approach. Zach highlights the need to focus on genuine audience concerns rather than perceived ones.
  • 20:00 – 22:00 — Zach discusses the benefits of a free email course, shares his perspective on checklists and worksheets, and expresses his dissatisfaction with a certain PDF download.
  • 22:00 – 24:00 — Zach elaborates on the idea of investing time upfront for subscribers’ benefits and provides examples of tools and content like automation, Zapier templates, and swipe files.
  • 24:00 – 26:00 — Zach offers thoughts on the presentation of workshops versus shorter videos, highlights the significance of aligning lead magnets with audience goals, and touches on how to score potential marketing assets.
  • 26:00 – 28:00 — Zach emphasizes the importance of addressing the goals and pains of the audience in the opt-in forms and how the lead magnet acts as the solution.
  • 28:00 – 30:00 — Zach outlines a scorecard for evaluating opt-in forms, emphasizing dream outcomes, social proof, readability, clear call to actions, and risk mitigation.
  • 30:00 – 32:00 — Zach discusses the importance of relevant images in opt-in forms and mentions a template for effective opt-ins.
  • 32:00 – 34:00 — Zach delves into the specifics of his template, emphasizing the value of specificity, social proof, and risk mitigation.
  • 34:00 – 36:00 — He compares opt-in forms to advertising and discusses various formats and structures to achieve better results.
  • 36:00 – 38:00 — Zach highlights the significance of full page opt-in popups as a strategy for increasing email list growth.
  • 38:00 – 40:00 — Further discussion on opt-in popups, their effectiveness, and the logic behind their design for maximum visibility without coming off as intrusive.
  • 40:00 – 42:00 — Zach discusses the balance between high and low-quality leads, emphasizing that he prefers more leads even if they’re of lower quality.
  • 42:00 – 44:00 — Zach touches upon the importance of targeting relevant and profitable leads rather than focusing on sheer numbers.
  • 44:00 – 46:00 — Zach delves into the challenges and benefits of creating specific lead magnets for different blog post categories.
  • 46:00 – 48:00 — Zach shares a case study from “Double Your Freelancing,” illustrating the impact of implementing full-page pop-ups.
  • 48:00 – 50:00 — Zach presents another example from a client, “Afford Anything,” and discusses the evolution of his copy skills over the years.
  • 50:00 – 52:00 — Zach discusses Paula’s brand, emphasizing her shift from real estate to financial independence and her struggle to align her content with her revenue stream.
  • 52:00 – 54:00 — Zach highlights the results of AB tests on Paula’s site and notes the surprising impact of small content changes on conversion rates.
  • 54:00 – 56:00 — Zach breaks down the successful lead magnet form that yielded better conversions with fewer impressions compared to previous versions.
  • 56:00- 58:00 — Zach touches on the power of specificity in providing social proof and the importance of clarity in opt-in forms.
  • 58:00 – 1:00:00 — Zach emphasizes areas for improvement in Paula’s opt-in form and underlines the significance of compelling content for better conversion rates.
  • 1:00:00 – 1:02:00 — Zach emphasizes the importance of AB Testing and how businesses often neglect it, citing it feels optional or too complicated.
  • 1:02:00 – 1:04:00 — Zach provides a hypothetical scenario on the potential ROI of optimizing email subscriptions through AB Testing, illustrating the long-term financial benefits.
  • 1:04:00 – 1:06:00 — Zach continues to showcase the value of investing in testing and introduces a resource for those wanting to implement AB Testing.
  • 1:06:00 – 1:08:00 — Zach discusses which elements are worth testing in marketing, highlighting the distinction between minor tweaks and major changes.
  • 1:08:00 – 1:10:00 — Zach shares his testing framework for deciding what to test, emphasizing the importance of making impactful changes and offers a structured approach for those with low website traffic.
  • 1:10:00 – 1:12:00 — Zach discusses the importance of understanding conversion rates for website traffic, using the example of an opt-in form.
  • 1:12:00 – 1:14:00 — Zach emphasizes the need to routinely check A/B test results and the significance of setting calendar reminders to determine the winning opt-in.
  • 1:14:00 – 1:16:00 — Zach introduces the concept of changing headlines for the same lead magnet to appeal to various audience outcomes.
  • 1:16:00 – 1:18:00 — He further elaborates on different business angles for freelancers, suggesting diverse headline testing to cater to various freelancer needs.
  • 1:18:00 – 1:20:00 — Zach touches on articulating the format of the lead magnet differently (e.g., PDF vs. email course) and the potential impact of short form versus long form copy.
  • 1:20:18 – 1:22:00 — Zach discusses the power of testimonials in advertising and contrasts a dramatic redesign of an opt-in form that’s testimonial-focused against traditional designs.
  • 1:22:00 – 1:24:00 — Zach talks about his experimentation with a lead magnet stacking strategy, emphasizing the need for multiple components like checklists, templates, and swipe copies.
  • 1:24:00 – 1:26:00 — Zach delves into the nuances of AB testing and how new tests might give the illusion of better conversion rates initially, but could level off over time.
  • 1:26:00 – 1:28:00 — Zach shares the importance of establishing a baseline for opt-in forms and highlights the value of gathering testimonials, either through coaching calls or automated feedback processes.
  • 1:28:00 – 1:30:00 — Zach lists various AB testing strategies including testing different dream outcomes, using super social proof headlines, and leveraging testimonials as headlines for authenticity.
  • 1:30:00 – 1:32:00 — Zach discusses the process of choosing the best testimonial image and compares it with using product images.
  • 1:32:00 – 1:34:00 — Zach proposes various headline suggestions for email growth and monetization and emphasizes the importance of social proof.
  • 1:34:00 – 1:36:00 — Zach elaborates on the importance of detailed copy for conveying benefits and speaks on the difficulty of hypothetical bullet points.
  • 1:36:00 – 1:38:00 — Zach shares an experimental tip about leveraging ads for website optimization and mentions the value of Zach Sparkler’s Facebook ads boot camp.
  • 1:38:00 – 1:40:00 — Zach talks about the challenges faced during podcast recording, emphasizes on being braver, and ends with a reflective question.
  • 1:40:00 – 1:42:00 — Zach emphasizes the importance of AB testing for business profitability and introduces his free course to help with email subscribers and conversions.
  • 1:42:00 – 1:44:11 — Zach highlights the huge impact of growing an email list on sales and revenue, passionately urging the audience to take action and mentioning his offering.

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