Use numbers to show the value of subscribing?

Last week I discussed adding evidence of social approval to sign-up forms and pages to make people feel more comfortable about subscribing to your list.

Let's go further with that concept.

Any article on sign-up forms - like this one - talks about the need to communicate the value a subscriber would get from joining the email list.

Yeah, yeah, we know.

But if there's one part of email marketing that suffers from "set it and forget it" syndrome, it's the sign-up form. Many fail to communicate any kind of value to the prospective reader.

Perhaps there was a time when website visitors felt an uncontrollable urge to fill out any form field asking for an email address, squealing with delight at the prospect of getting another email.

But that time is not now.

Those that do "sell" the benefits of signing-up usually talk in vague terms about subscribers getting "useful advice" or "special offers." (I'm guilty as charged.)

In a world where almost every etailer has an email list, "special offers" really aren't that special anymore (which is why content might be making a comeback).

"Special offers" might appeal to your loyal fans, but such banalities are less attractive to the casual passer by.

So how can we make "special offers" or "useful advice" sound better?

Here's a thought: you wouldn't write a headline that said "lower prices on everything, today only" when you could say "25% off everything, today only."

Numbers have power

So might a few numbers demonstrating the value of your list be more persuasive than the usual empty phrases?

If your emails are a source of discounts and special offers, for example, might you draw on your campaign reports and tell prospective sign-ups:

"So far in 2009, email subscribers saved $2,364,081 on purchases."

What about making that number dynamic? So people can watch it rising as new orders come in.

What about putting that number in an email occasionally, to remind people of the fantastic value your messages offer?

Or how about...

"Our subscribers save an average of $235 each year on purchases."

Or maybe:

"Our last email gave away $500,000 worth of coupons"

With a little thought, extrapolation and/or reader surveys, even informational newsletters can come up with some impressive numbers:

"Our dieting tips helped readers lose 746,733 lbs last year"
"Our time management tips saved each reader an average 51 hours of work last quarter"
"Our articles helped 237 readers sell their house last month"

At the least, take a fresh look at your sign-up copy and ask yourself if you're doing enough to convince people that handing over an email is worth the effort.

What do you think?

More on building a list | Tags: email marketing, email acquisition