Snowmail â A sign up process.

This is not another post Christmas Blog although I do hope you all had a lovely and relaxing Christmas break. This is a blog about a news icon Jon Snow (Channel 4) and how he used Facebook ads, combined with a simple sign up to build an audience of daily newsletter subscribers.

The success of mobile Facebook ads is growing, with 35% of US marketers finding the ROI for Mobile at least somewhat greater than from desktop – A survey by RBC Capital Markets and Advertising Age reports. The value of gaining an opt in with a sign up is imperative to building this ROI.

So how could it work?

While I was checking Facebook on my mobile one ad caught my eye. ‘Read between the headlines’. A bold headline and a colourful image stopped me from scanning down and took my attention for the 2.2 seconds it needed to. Using a full screen width and height and an equal balance of copy and image the ad enticed me to click to receive news in my inbox.

The next step was simple responsive landing page stating ‘Sign up for Snow mail.’ I felt I had been chosen as the sub heading wrote; ‘join the select club of Snowmail readers’. This gave me a feeling I was joining a small community. The landing page gave mixed media approach and included video from Mr. Snow as well as a short list of what you may expect from your daily newsletter. The copy stayed strong using words like ‘unique, trust, big stories’, words that are important in an industry where people have lost trust.

I was hoping the optimized mobile journey would follow through on the daily email however the email newsletter is not fully responsive, so the text is a tad on the small side. Although the email was not responsive it was built as a one column grid which works well across all mobile devices, images are full width and break up the stories. Copy could be shortened so that the user is driven to read the full story online. I like the opening line from Jon, which gives a personal touch. It may be nice to go one step further and add personalization to the opening line to make reader feel part of the club.

Top 5 take-aways we can all learn from Jon:

1. Use Facebook Ads to target the right audience and build your data base first to then enable you to convert later.
2. Test the user experience at every step – people’s expectations are high and making a process as clear and easy will aid conversions
3. Don’t forget the copy – Take time to write concise copy and keep a strong tone of voice through out
4. Always list the benefits and set expectations when the user is signing up – A video could be a nice way to show information
5. One column email design works well across devices but always consider getting the most mobile optimized template built – your competitor will be!

When spending time and money on Facebook ads make sure you test the user experience. In the world where mobile devices are people’s second limb and there is multiple mobile touch points make sure every part of the user journey is accessible.