Steal this confirmation email approach from retail giant Macy's to increase your subscription success rate on double opt-in email lists.
Email marketing can be a tough marketing tactic to implement correctly and effectively, even with the best sales, lead nurturing, and list-building insights, data, and tools powering it. Maybe that’s why so much of the email that makes its way into my inbox is mediocre at best.
I’ve got a “subscription email” that I use to subscribe to a ridiculous number of email newsletters for personal and professional interests. I watch for what stands out, what gets ignored, what gets me to open or click, and what actually impresses me.
Too often, I’m left scratching my head wondering, “How did someone think sending this was a good idea?” Or thinking, “Didn’t anyone proofread or check this before clicking send?” So when an email stands out and grabs my attention, I save it to reference and model later — sometimes for my own business and sometimes for clients’ businesses.
Today, I’m sharing a brilliant double opt-in confirmation email partly because it inspired me, and partly because these types of emails usually get overlooked.
It All Started With a Couch
My family needed a new couch — a big, cushy, leather, sit-in (not sit-on) sectional — and because our house requires furniture with large proportions, the long side needed to measure 12 feet in length.
We scoured furniture stores but couldn’t find one big enough that matched our style. Eventually, we ended up at Macy’s, found a fabric sectional that was the right size (Hallelujah), and bought it.
Double Opt-In By Email
During checkout, we had to give the store an email address and one day later they sent the following email:
Now, we shopped at the Macy’s furniture store, not the department store, so in a perfect world, this email would have included a furniture photo. But I’ll let that go because the rest of the double opt-in confirmation email is brilliantly done.
Take a look at the above email screenshot.
- At the very top, Macy’s offers an additional savings of 15% just for clicking the confirmation link.
- In the middle, an alternate call to action once more encourages to click the confirmation link. The offer is made again and you’re asked if the email they have for you is correct — and you know it is because you’re reading the email!
- At the bottom, Macy’s reminds you one last time that you must click a link to receive any future emails from them. They also give you a clear opportunity to unsubscribe if you’re not interested.
Apply This Confirmation Email Approach
If you use a double opt-in for your email sign-up forms, you can easily copy this confirmation email example in your freelance business to increase your subscription success rate and grow your email list.
Once you have defined your confirmation call to action, brainstorm alternate options:
- Can you offer another discount or extra savings for clicking the confirmation link?
- Can you ask recipients to confirm that the email address you’re using is the best one?
- Can you offer another free gift or an exclusive bonus for clicking the confirmation link?
Then, evaluate how and where you may implement these ideas:
- Can you edit your primary confirmation email?
- Can you create a single opt-in list-building offer, then use one of the emails in the welcome sequence as a confirmation email?
- Could you use an email like this to re-engage cold subscribers who haven’t opened or engaged with your emails in a while?
- Would a similar email work as a list-cleaning email to get subscribers to open your emails or identify those that should be purged?
As a freelancer, you’re strapped for time, which means you need your marketing to work. You need it to produce results as quickly as possible.
While email marketing is often viewed as a long-game lead generation strategy, implementing emails like this double opt-in confirmation email in your sequences can help you grow a high-quality email list and engage subscribers quickly.
