Welcome to Lesson 4!
Before we dive in, I just want to say well done!
If you’ve completed lessons 1, 2, and 3 of the Thrive Suite onboarding course so far, you now have a functional website you can proudly start promoting to visitors.
Now, it's time to turn those visitors into leads.
So welcome to Lesson 4. Are you ready to build your first opt-in form to capture new subscribers?
Let's Get Started!
In this lesson, you'll learn how to create and place your first email opt-in on your website using Thrive Leads, our lead generation plugin.
We’ve made this task super easy for you by making hundreds of pre-built opt-in form templates available in Thrive Leads’ visual editor.
Today, you'll be creating a single opt-in — a simple one-step process that involves a visitor filling in your opt-in form with an email address.
In case you've ever wondered, "What is the Difference Between a Single Opt-in and a Double Opt-in?", then read this article to gain some clarity on the topic.
What are the essentials you'll need to prepare for your first email opt-in?
- Install and activate Thrive Leads
- Subscribe to an email marketing service and connect it to Thrive
- (We recommend MailChimp, AWeber, ConvertKit, or ActiveCampaign)
- Build a confirmation page with Thrive Architect
- Design a thumbnail of your opt-in offer
- Create an opt-in offer (optional)
An opt-in offer, also known as a lead magnet or freebie, is a useful tool in terms of increasing your engagement / interaction and conversions. An opt-in offer can take on one of many forms:
- Free eBooks
- Guides
- Cheatsheets
- Bonus Packs
- Resource Libraries
- Checklist
- Workbooks
- Webinars
- and more
Not sure how to connect your email marketing service to Thrive? Check out our Knowledge Base article, How to Connect to All API Services – All Video Tutorials.
Now, It's Time To Build!
First things first … in your Thrive Leads Dashboard, you'll need to choose the type of form that best suits the intent for your lead magnet. Amongst the different types of forms available to you, a clear difference exists between Lead Group and Short Code as well as ThriveBoxes.
Remember, the user-journey is:
- Acknowledge the opt-in form
- Being redirected to a confirmation page
- Click the opt-in button to start downloading the freebie
It might come as a surprise, but it's actually easiest to start crafting the user journey from back-to-front.
Upload Your Lead Magnet
“Do I need a lead magnet?”
Not necessarily, no. But having a compelling offer for your visitors gives them more incentive to sign up and become a lead.
Now, your offer doesn’t need to be a fancy video, 100-page eBook, or 10-hour long course. It’s important to work with what you have so you can get your website launched and collecting emails as fast as possible.
If you’re not sure what to offer as an opt-in offer, you should check out this article on 9 Quick Win Lead Magnets You Can Knock Out in Under an Hour
But for those of you who do have a lead magnet ready, follow the instructions below:
Start by uploading the lead magnet (for example: a downloadable PDF).
- In the Media tab click "Add New"
- Upload your lead magnet file (and copy its URL link for the opt-in button on your confirmation page)
Create a Confirmation Page
Next, create your confirmation page using Thrive Architect:
- Head to the Pages tab and click "Add New"
- Give your new page a title and launch Thrive Architect
- Select the Pre-Built Landing Page option and select a set that best suits your purpose
- Select a template
Customize Your Confirmation Page
Proceed with customizing your confirmation page:
- Link the Download button to your lead magnet by selecting the Download button, then going to the Animation & Action tab, and entering the downloadable PDF URL link
- Customize the rest of the page as needed
- Save your work and preview it
Remember …
Everything on this [confirmation] page is 100% customizable. You can change the fonts, colors, images, get rid of elements and add additional elements.
Create an Opt-In Form
Now you're ready to craft an email opt-in form via Thrive Leads.
- Add a new Lead Group and give it a name
- Click the button Add New Type of Opt-In Form and selection one form the options (for example: a lightbox)
- Create a lightbox form by clicking the Add New Form button
- Choose a template design for your form
- Connect your opt-in form to your email marketing service, select single opt-in and add a tag
- Specify what happens after a visitor submits a form
- Specify your confirmation page via its name or URL link
- Customize your opt-in form's image and text
- Save your work
Select Your Display Options
Back in your Thrive Leads' Dashboard, you'll need to select the targeting options for your lead group. Choose to display your page on individual pages, specific blog types or archive pages and even assign categories. Thrive Leads lets you set exclusions and customize more detailed settings, such as Triggers, Display Frequency and Animation.
Finally, choose whether you'd like your opt-in form to display up on desktop and / or mobile.
Set Up an Autoresponder Email
It's generally considered good practice to send your new subscribers an autoresponder email confirming their subscription. This will be sent by your email marketing service, so hop on over to your email service to set this up.
...and you're done!
Congratulations! You've built your first opt-in!
If you run into any technical issues, simply send our friendly support team an email: [email protected]
Or post your question in the Thrive Themes Official User Group.
If you're feeling inspired to dive deeper into list building via opt-in forms, then have a look at our Thrive University course called How to Build an Engaged Email List for Your Online Business.
Click Next to move on to Lesson 5, where you'll build your first marketing funnel!