88: Crafting an Effective Opt-in Tailored to Your Audience's Learning Styles

So many times we find ourselves wondering. Wondering what our audience wants, wondering what they're thinking, wondering, you know, what we could do to really get them excited. And so anytime I find myself wondering, I decide to just stop wondering and ask instead. I'm Bonnie Christine and this is where all things creativity, design, business and marketing unite. I'm a mama living in a tiny town tucked right inside the Smoky Mountains, running a multi seven figure business, doing the most creative and impactful work of my life. But when I first set out to become an entrepreneur, I was struggling to make ends meet and wrestling with how to accomplish my biggest dream of becoming a fabric designer. Fast forward to today. I'm not only licensing my artwork all over the world, but also teaching others how to design their creative life and experience the same success. I'm here to help you spend your life doing something that lights you up. I'll help you build a creative business that also creates an impact, changes people's lives, gives you all of the freedom you want, and is wildly profitable. Welcome to the Professional Creative Podcast. Foreign. So an opt in, if you're new to the idea, is something that you create for your audience that is really valuable in exchange for getting it, they opt in to giving you their name and email address and potentially getting newsletters from you in the future. You know by now that growing your email list is one of the most, or maybe the most important part to building your business. And so if you don't have an opt in or if you have some opt ins and you're ready to really dig into them and make sure that they are as good as they can possibly be. This episode is for you specifically. I want to talk about tailoring our opt ins based on our audience's learning styles. This is kind of like taking opt ins to the next level because they're a pivotal role in building and engaging your online audience as well as your business. Part of creating an opt in that's really impactful is deeply understanding your audience and their needs and what could really serve them best. And this doesn't necessarily come quickly or naturally. It requires a lot of research and a lot of listening. And so I want to tell you one of the ways that I really learn about my audience and it's always around, asking. So so many times we find ourselves wondering, wondering what our audience wants, wondering what they're thinking, wondering, you know, what we could do to really get them excited. And so anytime I find myself wondering, I decide to just stop wondering and ask instead. And so I've asked my audience in many, many different ways, through emails, social media posts, so many different surveys, I ask them the questions that I really want to know the answer to most. And so one of the many ways I've done this is usually every year I run the giveaway for different things, different things that I have that I could give away. But the way that people enter the giveaway is by answering a couple of questions. And I tailor these questions to truly what would help me know the most? As it relates to your business, what is the number one thing you're struggling with right now? Or as it relates to your business, what is the number one thing you're trying to learn right now? Or what is the number one thing you would love to learn from me next? And so I take these answers and the first year I did it, you know, I had maybe 50 answers. The last year I did it, I had about 4,000 answers. And so every year I personally sit down with this list and I just devour it. I indulge in it because I get to hear first, firsthand from my audience what they're trying to learn, what they're struggling with and what they want to learn from me next. And it just injects my mind and my business with so many ideas. Because naturally, it's like this giant brainstorming session. As I'm going through all the answers, I get so many ideas for ways that I could help that person or ways that I could tailor, you know, what I'm doing to really meet them where they're at. And so from this list, I really curate so, so many things. I'll update our programs. I'll, you know, do a new podcast on, on the topic. I'll formulate a new opt in for some of the biggest or most frequently themed responses. I'll, I'll create an opt in or a free class or even maybe a small paid class. And so it's a great way to just again, inject, infuse your mind with so many possibilities and so many ideas. And that's one of the many ways that I really try to my audience's needs. And then I adapt all of the things that I offer. So the free content, the opt ins and the paid content, I adapt it based on their answers. And so I build my business really just responding to. What do you want to learn next? Now, before I go any further, I want to tell you about the free opt in that I have for you today. And it's called the Free Opt in Brainstorm worksheet. Because I know that designing an effective opt in can feel maybe sometimes overwhelming, especially when you're considering the different learning styles, which is what we're going to be covering today. And so that's why I've created this tailored worksheet to guide you through the entire process. It will help you brainstorm and craft your next opt in or revised one that you already have with learning styles and all of those key components in mind that will ensure that you're connecting deeply with your audience and providing immense value. So whether you're creating your first opt in or you're looking to revamp one that you already have, this workshop will just give you so much clarity and direction. So I want you to go grab it. You can get a free copy at Today's show notes, that's@PropriationalCreative.com so you can head over there to download it or you can click the link in the episode description below. Trust me, you don't want to miss it. Before we get to learning styles, let's talk about the key components of a great opt in. I always say a really great opt in is something that hurts a little bit to give away. Meaning it can't just be something that you'd give away, no problem. It has to be so good that you're like, should I actually charge for this? And then you know, it's a good opt in that is going to get you tremendous results and also the people who are opting into it tremendous results as well. So the first key component to an effective opt in is value. Your opt in has to give real, tangible value to the person who's opting into it. It has to give them, you know, something that this is likely one of their first interactions with you and it's your chance to really prove what you're made of. So make it valuable. The whole reason we're doing this is to be impactful, right? And so you want to make sure that it's value packed, that it really does give them a big win and it makes something in their life easier. The next component number two is relevance. It should align with your audience needs and interests and also align with maybe your ascension model. So you should think about an ascension model all the way from like an awareness level and entry point with you. So free content, free opt ins all the way up into your paid offers. And maybe you have like small, medium and large, large offers in the paid realm as well. And so you want your opt in to be in line with all of that. It should be in line with their needs and interests and also in line with where you would love to move this person to next. So maybe it's in line with something they need before they're ready for one of your paid offers. You know, I've seen many people kind of put out an opt in to grow their email list before they offer, let's say, a course, but the opt in isn't necessarily related to the course and so they end up getting the wrong person on their email list and their course launch doesn't do well. So it could be addressing one of your audience's needs. Say maybe they really want to learn how to do embroidery. Right, but your course is on how to learn Photoshop and so it's like maybe the same person, but it's not directly aligned enough to ensure that you're speaking to the right person when you come to launch your course on Photoshop. So you want to really think about it being in line with your both their needs and your further offers down the line as well. Number three is usability. So ensure that it's just easily accessible, that it's super user friendly. The last thing you want is an opt in that's hard to figure out. So if you're getting emails that they can't find their download or it never arrived, or they don't know their username and login right, always try to just make it as simple as you possibly can to get the opt in, the freebie in their hands and get them using it. So for instance, I teach a couple of free workshops every year and I remember having to make the choice, do I set this up as a free class inside the software, I use Kajabi and then everyone would have to have a username and password or do I just kind of build it out on a landing page which has no barrier to entry, so you don't have to log in or anything. And so while the class setup would seemingly flow a little bit better, it's got that sticky, gotta find your username and password, step in there. And I didn't want to have any barrier to entry for the people who are signing up for it, so I decided to build it out on a landing page as well. So that's an example of just making it super usable. Number four is engagement. So it should encourage further interaction with your brand and your business, which is kind of on that relevance, you know, line and really also stand and work on its own. So is it a natural stepping stone into your world and then into another offer that you have as well? So again, the four key components are value relevance, usability and engagement. So next let's talk about different learning styles to take into consideration. This is the part that's kind of like opt in taken to the next level because part of knowing your audience means really creating content that's truly tailored to them. And one way we can do that is by considering everyone's different learning styles. And so there are potentially hundreds of learning styles. I will link a piece of research from Atlantic University from Bay Atlantic University in today's show, notes that talk about the potentially hundreds of different learning styles, but there are eight that I want us to talk about today. Number one is a visual learner, so learning through seeing. Number two is an auditory learner, so learning through listening. That's very much like what you're doing right now. Number three is reading and writing learners, so very much learning through written content. The next is kinesthetic learners, which means learning through doing or experience something. And then the next four are really coming from this article from Bay Atlantic University. It's a logical or analytical learner, so learning through reasoning and analysis. The next one is a social linguistic learner, so learning through social interaction. The next one is a solitary learner, so learning through self study very much alone. And then the last one I love, this one is a nature learner, so learning best outdoors or through nature related content so just thinking about these eight different learning types already will probably get your mind going with new possibilities when it comes to ideas for your opt ins. And we typically try to hit just about as many of these in a given year as we can. So I may not have all eight represented in one single opt in, though I likely have a couple. But especially through all of the opt ins that I offer throughout the course of a year, I'll try to hit as close to all of these as I can. Mark your calendars for this October 19th through the 21st. Because our annual conference for Creative Immersion Live is coming up, we've gathered a spectacular lineup of industry leaders, artists and entrepreneurs like Amy Porterfield, Morgan Harper, Nichols Glow Otonmo, and Nicholas Wilton, plus many, many more for an unmatched virtual conference experience. Immersion Live this year is all about the art of business for the professional creative. Over three days you'll unlock strategies to guide your business effectively, refine your designs and establish a flourishing creative career. And the best part is that you can experience it all from the comfort of your own home. We do a live virtual conference like nobody else. Sessions will allow for real time interaction, questions answered, and a sense of community that's honestly hard to match. Our event kicks off with Open studio night on October 19th, where you'll get to peek behind the curtain of some incredibly successful artists and designers. The next two days you'll immerse yourself in keynote sessions and workshops where you'll learn, interact and have all your questions answered. Come engage with like minded creatives, make meaningful connections and open the doors to collaboration. We're also recording every session so you can revisit and absorb this wealth of knowledge at your own pace. Head ON over to bonniecristine.com 2023interersion live to join us. So consider what you want to share and the best method that you should do it in. So some things naturally lend themselves to certain content and beyond learning styles you're creating and teaching and sharing will probably shape how you deliver it as well. So for instance, in my course Surface Design Immersion, this course I teach once a year. It opens in February of every year. The videos are important because the students really need to see how to use and learn Adobe Illustrator. But we also supplement these videos with transcripts of the captions, a summary beneath it, as well as workbooks and guides people helping them socially in the community as well. So there are many different types of learning that we do there. And speaking of a nature learner, some of the lessons actually call people to go leave their computer and get outside to do a couple of different things as well. Another thing that I love to think about is that I always teach a free workshop right before we launch the Immersion course. And this is a way for everyone to just come into my world, get to know me and figure out whether they want to learn from me or not. And so one thing that I do with this free workshop is that I teach it in a very similar style as I teach in the course. So the students get a really nice preview of what to expect. And I actually think that this is one way that we ensure that our refund rate is really low. So our refund rate is usually underneath 1%, like below 1%. And I think this is partly because most of the people who end up in the course have gone through the workshop with me, which means that they already know what to expect. They already know how I teach, how I set up lessons, how I show up on video. And so it's not a surprise. So in some cases you might meet multiple learning styles. For example, you could offer a video for visual learners paired with a private podcast audio version that helps auditory and kinesthetic learners and then by adding some robust text notes below for the Reading and writing learners. One piece of content can actually address multiple learning styles and needs at one time, but you can also address them, you know, over time as you build out your library of opt ins. So let's go back to our list of eight and let me give you some examples. So for number one, the visual learner, you can offer rich visual content like infographics or lookbooks. The next one is auditory learners. And so this would be something like podcasts, audio guides or soundscapes that really tell a story. Number three is reading and writing learners. So detailed written guides, articles or newsletters. Number four is the kinesthetic learner. So interactive design challenges, live sessions where people can follow along and create a downloadable sewing pattern pattern to use with your fabric collection or something like that. Number five is the logical analytical learner. So maybe you could analytically break down your latest artwork or designs or create a quiz. The next one is a social learner, so community or maybe a pop up Facebook group or a virtual art show with commenting or cameras on for participants or collaboration challenges. Number seven is the solitary learner, so personalized recommendations or self paced guides. And then number eight, the nature learner. So maybe a resource that they can take on the go or a way to enhance their experience when they are outside. So I just want to invite you into really thinking about your audience and get creative. You could also think about personality types or special interests that your audience has as well. If you know me, you know that the Enneagram is one of my favorite tools for understanding the people in my life, my team, the people that I love, my friends. For example, as an enneagram3, I'm driven and I would love like a roadmap. If I could have had a roadmap when I was first starting out in surface design, that would have been like the best thing ever. And so that's why I created one for you all. And so if you are an Enneagram nerd like me, I want you to go check out the show notes for today's episode because we have ideas for all of the types there. Just for instance, type number one is called the Reformer. And this person is principled and purposeful and self controlled. And so an opt in idea might be something like Design Perfection Checklist, like a guide to achieving flawless designs and resonating with their desire for order and perfection. So it can be really fun to just tap into all of these different things. And by the way, if you want to learn more about the Enneagram, it's a personality type but I suggest reading a book. It's called the Road Back to youo by Ian Cron and I absolutely love it. It was life changing for us. So don't forget that as you bring people onto your email list from your opt in you want to make sure that you are nurturing them. So check out episode number 41 called from freebies to Fans that could also be called From Opt Ins to Fans and you'll understand more about what to do with everyone once they're on your email list. So as a recap, the essence of a good opt in is value, relevance, usability and engagement and then the significance of really understanding and catering to all of the diverse learning styles. I think it's also a really fun activity that is super creative for you to think about as well. How can you address these different learning styles with your offers? And most of all, learn your audience, ask them questions, get feedback from them and inject your business with fresh ideas that come directly from the people who are looking to learn from you. So I'd love to invite you to just go ahead and evaluate your current opt ins against these key components and learning styles. Do you need to add something to an existing opt in? Do you need to create a new one? And then I would love for you to just brainstorm a new opt in idea that's tailored to a very specific learning style that you have yet to address address. I hope this was fun and I'd love to know your ideas around opt ins. Again, you've got to go get today's free opt in free download@Propriecreative.com this workshop will help you brainstorm and craft your next opt in with both learning styles and these key components in mind which is going to just ensure that you connect deeply with your audience and provide them immense value. You, my friends, create the opt ins and the beauty that you want to see come alive in the world. And remember, there's room for you.