If I click a link to read your article and am met with a popup telling me I need to subscribe to read it, I won’t be reading your article – or subscribing to your newsletter.
Never have, never will.
I don’t know when it became common to gate everything behind an email signup form, but it’s stupid.
(And I assume largely being driven by the newsletter “platforms” who just want more people’s email addresses for themselves so they can say they have more users.)
Here’s how it should work:
You publish something awesome.
People read it and realize it’s so awesome they want to hear more from you.
They subscribe.
Stop trying to extort people into giving you their email address.
Your content should be good enough to make them want to subscribe AFTER they’ve read it – not just because you wrote a compelling headline.
Sincerely,
Your favorite lead magnet hater
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