"Subscribe to our newsletter."
That's what 90% of signup forms say. And it converts terribly because nobody wakes up thinking "I really need another newsletter in my inbox." Once they sign up, you need a solid welcome email sequence to keep them engaged. And consider using double opt-in to keep your list quality high. For building a targeted list, quality beats quantity every time.
The brands getting good conversion rates on their signup forms are doing something different. Here's what actually works, with examples you can steal.
Morning Brew: Social Proof + Specific Value
Morning Brew's signup is one of the best on the internet. Simple, but everything is deliberate.
The headline: "Become smarter in just 5 minutes."
That's specific. It's a benefit. It tells you exactly what you get and how much time it takes.
Then the social proof: "Join over 4 million readers."
Four million people can't all be wrong. This removes hesitation. If that many people signed up, it's probably worth trying.
The form itself? Just an email field. No name. No company. No nothing. Zero friction.
What to steal: Specific value proposition + social proof + minimal fields. Don't ask for anything you don't absolutely need.
The Hustle: Urgency Without Being Sleazy
The Hustle uses a counter showing how many people subscribed in the last 24 hours. Real-time social proof that creates subtle urgency.
It's not "SUBSCRIBE NOW OR MISS OUT FOREVER." It's just showing that thousands of people joined today. The implication is obvious without being aggressive.
What to steal: Real-time social proof creates urgency without feeling manipulative. If people are signing up right now, there must be a reason.
Tim Ferriss: Exclusive Content Hook
Tim Ferriss offers a "5-Bullet Friday" newsletter with exclusive content you can't get anywhere else. Not his blog posts repackaged. Actual new content.
The signup promise is specific: "5 things I'm enjoying that week" including books, articles, gadgets, and random discoveries.
What to steal: Offer something exclusive. If your newsletter is just your blog posts in email form, why would anyone subscribe? Give them something they can't get by just visiting your site.
ConvertKit: Show Don't Tell
ConvertKit's signup shows examples of what you'll receive. Screenshots of actual emails. Real subject lines. You know exactly what you're getting before you sign up.
No guessing. No surprises. Just "here's what this looks like, want in?"
What to steal: Preview your emails. Let people see what they're signing up for. Reduces uncertainty, increases conversions.
Exit-Intent Popups Done Right
Exit-intent popups are annoying. But they work. The key is not being obnoxious about it.
Good exit-intent:
- Appears once, not every time
- Offers something valuable (not just "don't leave!")
- Has an easy dismiss option
- Doesn't block the whole page
Bad exit-intent:
- Appears on every page
- "WAIT! Don't go!" desperation
- Makes it hard to close
- Covers everything so you can't continue without interacting
The difference between annoying and effective is respect. Show the popup once. Make the offer good. Let them close it easily. Done.
Landing Page vs. Inline vs. Popup
Where you put your signup form matters.
Dedicated landing page: Best conversion rate per visitor. People who land here are already interested. But you have to drive traffic to it.
Inline form (on blog posts): Lower conversion rate, but catches people while they're consuming your content. Works well at the end of articles or in the sidebar.
Popup: Highest volume but also most annoying. Use sparingly. Exit-intent or timed delay, not immediate on page load.
Most businesses need all three. Landing page for dedicated campaigns, inline for organic capture, and a well-timed popup to catch the rest.
What Not to Do
Don't ask for too much. Every additional field reduces conversions by roughly 10-15%. Name, email, phone, company, role, budget, blood type... no. Just email. Get the rest later.
Don't be vague. "Stay updated" means nothing. "Get weekly marketing tips" means something. Specific beats generic.
Don't hide the value. What exactly do they get? How often? What topics? Answer these questions in your signup copy.
Don't forget mobile. Over half your visitors are on phones. If your popup is broken on mobile or your form is impossible to fill out, you're losing them.
The Psychology
People don't sign up for newsletters. They sign up for:
- Exclusive content they can't get elsewhere
- Specific benefits delivered consistently
- Being part of something (social proof)
- Solving a problem they have
Your signup form should address at least one of these. Preferably two or three.
"Subscribe to our newsletter" addresses none of them. That's why it doesn't work.
Testing Your Forms
If you're not testing, you're guessing.
Things worth A/B testing:
- Headline copy
- Button text ("Subscribe" vs. "Get the tips" vs. "Join 10,000 readers")
- Form placement
- Number of fields
- Popup timing
- Incentive offers (discount vs. lead magnet vs. nothing)
Small changes can make big differences. A 1% improvement in signup rate compounds over time.
Start Here
If your current signup is "Subscribe to our newsletter" with an email field:
- Rewrite the headline to be specific. What do they get? How often?
- Add one piece of social proof. Subscriber count, testimonial, anything.
- Check that it works on mobile.
That's it. Three things. Do them today. Your signup rate will improve.
Then test variations. Then add exit-intent. Then try different incentives.
But start with those three things. Most forms fail the basics. Fix the basics first.