9 opt-in form best practices + examples from top creators

As an ambitious creator, chances are you already know the success that comes with growing an engaged email list—which also means you know the value of opt-in forms.

Opt-in forms are deceivingly simple: a bit of copy, a few form fields, and a call to action button. Just throw that on your website, and you’re good to go, right?

While opt-in forms are a straightforward tool in your growth as a creator, getting them right requires balancing the right opt-in form type, copy, lead magnet, and the emails that follow after signup.

Here’s everything you need to know to reap the greatest rewards from opt-in forms.

Opt-in forms: everything you need to know

Let’s start with the foundation of opt-in forms: what they are, why you need them, and the types you can implement to turn your website traffic into long-term subscribers.

What is an opt-in form?

An email opt-in form is an email sign-up form that gives your website visitors an opportunity to receive your emails on a regular basis.

It’s an essential part of building an email list because it’s the final step in turning a casual follower, reader, listener, or viewer into an email subscriber, which lets you build a deeper connection with them.

Why use opt-in forms?

An opt-in form lets you build an email list on autopilot. The alternative would be manually adding an email address to your list when someone shares it with you through an Instagram message, for example.

Your email opt-in form does the hard work for you because it lets people add themselves to your list and instantly receive your emails.

What types of signup forms are there?

Email signup forms are a simple yet powerful tool in your list growth. They’re also versatile, so you can use them in many different ways based on your goals. All opt-in forms fall into two main types: standard and popups.

Here are the opt-in form types you can use and how they benefit you:

1. Standard (also called inline or embed)

When you see an email signup form in a blog post, a landing page, or a website sidebar, that’s a standard email opt-in form. It’s also called inline or embed opt-in form.

You can tweak a standard opt-in form based on where to place it. For example, your main newsletter form can be different from one that promotes a lead magnet to a blog post.

Where do I put opt-in forms?

You can place your opt-in form anywhere on your website or a specific page—and you can experiment with this to find the option that performs best. Here are some embed positions to consider:

• Within a blog post, like after the intro or halfway through
• After a blog post
• In your website sidebar
• On specific pages, like your about me page
• In your website footer

2. Popups

Popup signup forms have a reputation for being annoying and disruptive for your visitors, but when you implement them the right way, they can bring you tremendous results. According to OptiMonk, popups convert between 5.1% and 20% of visitors, which sounds too good not to experiment with.

There are several types of popup forms, including:

• Modal popups
• Full-screen forms
• Slide-in forms
• Sticky bars

Check out our complete guide to email popups if you want to use them to grow as a creator.

How do I create an opt-in form and add it to my website?

To create an opt-in form, you need to choose a provider—like an email marketing software or a website plugin—so you can generate the code that lets you embed the form on your website.

This is super easy to do with Kit. Here are the steps for you to take:

1. In the main menu, head to Grow > Landing Pages & Forms
2. Click the Create new button and select Form
3. Choose between Inline, Modal (i.e. popup form), Slide in, or Sticky bar
4. Select one of the templates, then add your copy and customizations
5. Click Publish and add the form to your website by using Javascript, HTML, WordPress, or Unbounce

Do I need a website to use email signup forms?

Good news: not at all! If you don’t already have a website to embed an opt-in form into, you don’t need to wait until it’s finished to start promoting your email list.

Instead, use a tool like Kit to create a landing page without a website. This way, you can take advantage of all the benefits of opt-in forms and implement the tips for success we’re covering in this guide.

9 email opt-in form best practices (with real-life examples)

Want to get the most mileage out of your opt-in form? Dive into nine tips to make it great, including copy, social proof, customization, subscriber experience after signing up, and opt-in form examples for each tip.

Tip #1: Offer an enticing lead magnet

One of the most powerful ways to grow your email list is by offering visitors a valuable resource— a lead magnet—in return for their email address.

A lead magnet positions you as the expert, makes your teaching accessible to everyone and shows that you care about leading with value. It’s also a fantastic way to streamline your list growth because a resource you create once can pay dividends for years to come.

The best part is that lead magnets can fit perfectly into your opt-in form, even if you have a landing page that goes into more detail about the lead magnet. This means you can use the same resource to grow your email list through different channels, which is a definite win.

Tip #2: Customize your email opt-in forms in moderation

You might feel tempted to heavily tweak the visual elements of your opt-in form, just because you can. But too many colors, fonts, and images can overwhelm or confuse your visitor, so keeping your form simple is the best way to go.

Use your brand colors and fonts to ensure your opt-in form fits right in with the rest of your website. That’s all the form customization you need. Kit’s pre-made signup forms are really easy to customize to your brand colors and embed on your website.

Tip #3: Keep your copy short and clear

Strong copy is essential for great results, but your opt-in form doesn’t have a lot of space for it. That’s why it’s essential to make your copy brief and to the point, emphasizing the main benefits of signing up to your email list.

The more specific it is, the better. Vague, generic “sign up for my email list” without details as to why will deter potential subscribers.

The copy elements you’ll need are:

• Headline with up to 10 words to grab attention
• Short description to get into more detail
• CTA button copy to encourage taking action

Tip #4: Inject your brand personality

Make your form stand out and engage your site visitors by infusing it with your brand personality.

One way to do this is by adding your brand voice and writing style to it, like phrases, puns, and formatting. You can also include other elements your audience is already familiar with when interacting with you: photos, graphics, emojis, and more.

Tip #5: Comply with privacy law standards

Turning a casual visitor into an email subscriber is a big win. It means they trust you enough to let you into one of their most protected online spaces—their inbox. That’s why it’s crucial to show them you’ll respect their privacy and protect their email address at any cost.

Privacy laws like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) exist to protect internet users’ data in the EU and California, respectively. Your opt-in form is a chance to show you comply with these laws by linking to your privacy policy below the call-to-action.

With Kit, you can also explicitly ask for a subscriber’s consent, thanks to its GDPR and CCPA feature.

Tip #6: Use social proof

Want your audience to trust you? Social proof is the catalyst for making it happen.

You can promote your website, lead magnet, or newsletter with any claim that comes to mind. But if there’s social proof that others already trust you, your claim instantly carries more weight.

Social proof can be as simple as the number that shows the size of your audience or a quote by your subscriber or customer. You can include it in your email signup form as text, a graphic, or a combination of the two.

Tip #7: Don’t forget the double opt-in

If someone fills out your email signup form and then receives an email to confirm they want to subscribe, that’s called double opt-in. In that email, they’ll see a confirmation button and must click it to officially sign up.

If they don’t, it’s as if they never filled out your form in the first place.

Here’s what a confirmation email might look like:

Here are three reasons a double opt-in approach can benefit your list growth:

1. Double opt-ins improve email list quality

Confirmed subscribers indicate two things: that they aren’t bots or spammers and that they truly want to receive your emails.

A large list full of spam email addresses or people who don’t care about what you have to say is worth a lot less than a smaller one packed with real people who can’t wait for your next email.

2. Double opt-ins help you avoid email deliverability issues

If people mark your emails as spam, your reputation as a sender will drop. That means that more and more of your emails will end up in the spam folder instead of the regular inbox, and fewer people will see your emails.

Double opt-ins help you ensure that people who sign up to your email list really want to be there.

3. Double opt-ins increase engagement

You’ll get better overall results by only sending emails to people who genuinely want to hear from you.

Your confirmation email is a great way to convince subscribers they’re in the right place. As you grow your list, pay attention to email marketing KPIs like open rates, click rates, and conversion rates to understand how you’re doing and where you can improve.

Tip #8: Deliver the goods and tell them what’s next

The best thing you can do for new subscribers is to seamlessly deliver what you promised to them. You might be tempted to have an advanced thank you page or send a long, detailed welcome email—but the most important thing is that the resource they’ve signed up for is ridiculously easy to get to.

That means you should either redirect a new subscriber to that resource instantly after they sign up or, if you use double opt-in, make it the first thing they see after confirming their subscription.

Tip #9: Add sequences for extra magic

That person that just joined your email list? They’re at peak levels of excitement about what you’re sharing with them.

Your opt-in form did the essential work of convincing them they belong in your inner circle, so instead of letting them wait until your next scheduled newsletter, use an automated sequence to show up in their inbox sooner.

Include a welcome email that helps them get you better and show them what you’re about, and follow up with several emails that bring them your best content, more about how you can help them, and what they can expect from you moving forward.

Build and embed your opt-in form with Kit

Opt-in forms are one of the most flexible email list-building tools. You’ve learned what makes some opt-in forms more successful than others and how even subtle tweaks to your form and a couple of welcome emails can make a tremendous difference.

If you don’t know how to apply what you’ve learned, we have an idea: grab a free Kit account, which lets you start from a template and embed an opt-in form in minutes.