How to Make Co-Registration Work for You
10 Tips for Utilizing this Exclusive Lead Generator
What do an Italian food recipe website and a pasta sauce brand have in common, besides making you feel hungry? How about users who love to whip up a tasty Italian feast — which makes them interested in both products! That kind of audience synergy is what the best co-registration campaigns are all about. Co-reg, as it’s often called, has been around for a while. But the increase in powerful CRMs and analytics that enable lead tracking and automated nurturing have boosted its value as part of an overall marketing strategy.
In the simplest terms, co-reg campaigns give a brand access to another company’s subscriber or user base, a sort of “friend of a friend” introduction. For example, the brand creates a simple call to action, typically offering a discount or additional information, that tags along on a communication to visitors who are taking action on the co-reg partner’s website. Though it’s a pretty straightforward process, there are plenty of dos and don’ts when it comes to co-reg. Here are ways your can make the most of your co-registration campaign:
1) Prequalify yourself. Co-reg is a great, cost-efficient way to generate leads for many companies. That said, there are a few disqualifiers. In this case, exclusion is not some mean girl power trip, but actually a kindness. If your email strategy is not well-developed (or non-existent), then you will more than likely be disappointed in the long run. Co-reg works best for companies that have a solid email marketing machine already in place, so be willing to honestly evaluate your capabilities up front.
2) Use the opt-in format. Unless . . . The typical “Golden Rule” of co-reg marketing advises not to pre-check the offer box, because while an opt-out approach can build a list quickly, the leads are often of much lower quality. Opt-in, on the other hand, tends to give you better-quality leads, just less of them. But for you rule-breakers (and we know you’re out there), here’s some good news: If the partner you’re working with already has a hyper-targeted user base, you can actually have the best of both worlds with opt-out. You’ll get that bigger list, AND the leads will be better-qualified. If you can find one of these hyper-targeted co-reg unicorns, it’s a win-win.
3) Keep your offer simple. Contact is often limited to a couple of lines of text and an image, such as your logo. So, like an online dating profile, it’s important to strike that tricky balance between enticing and concise. See if you can further qualify your leads by making sure your copy helps potential subscribers self-select.
4) Customize your content. Compelling co-reg content provides a unique, strong sense of your brand along with a compelling reason to act. Remember that kid in school who would practically fall out of his chair waving to get called on? His brand was teacher’s pet, and his frantic gesturing prompted the teacher to take action by choosing him. You don’t actually want to be that kid, but a great one-liner combined with a nice first-order discount or valuable information such as a free e-book are cool attention-getters.
5) Send a prompt welcome email. Would you invite a guest into your home and then immediately disappear? Exactly. Don’t do the same thing to your new brand guests, either. Have your welcome email cued up BEFORE your campaign goes live — and make sure you reference your co-reg partner so that recipients remember why you’re contacting them.
6) Create a long-term nurture track. Ever been in a relationship that started with constant texts or calls . . . that suddenly dried up? Ghosting is not cool, whether you’re a boyfriend or a brand. Keep the love alive with your brand’s newest fans by staying in regular contact with a steady supply of useful information or exciting offers.
7) Provide subscription options. Some relationships just don’t work out. Maybe a subscriber has moved on to a new life stage (yay, no more diapers). Or maybe your breakthrough emails aren’t actually breaking through. Whatever the reason, be cool and stay legal by offering them a clear way to unsubscribe. Yes, clear —the law frowns upon making people break out a magnifying glass to read the fine print at the bottom of your email, or to click through five links to free themselves. And just in case they still like what you have to offer, but feel like you got a bit stalkerish with the frequency of emails, including an “opt-down” option as well keeps subscribers happy.
8) Track and analyze. You don’t have to have to be a math whiz or programming prodigy any more to get great insights from your data (those folks are the ones making a fortune creating the tools you’re using). Take advantage of the technology available to ensure your co-reg investment is actually paying off. If your results aren’t what you expected, it’s time for a little introspection. Take an honest look at the copy in your emails, the landing page that leads visit, and the consistency of your email marketing efforts. It could be them, but sometimes it really is you.
9) Choose your partner carefully. Like all relationships, the more good qualities the person has, the better the chance it will work. If a potential co-reg partner doesn’t provide real-time lead delivery, can’t show you where and how your offer will show up, or is unable to show you some clear success stories, then swipe left and keep looking.
10) Insist on transparency. Surprises are great on birthdays, but there should provide be no mystery to a reputable co-reg deal. Expectations should be clear from the brand, deliverables clear from the partner — and subscribers should never find themselves on additional lists that they did not expect to join. It goes back that original Golden Rule of treating others the way you’d like to be treated.
One thing that hasn’t changed about co-registration over the years is its exceptional value. For a minimal Cost Per Lead (CPL), brands can generate a highly desirable amount of excellent leads — if they choose the right partner and stick to some simple rules for engaging their audience.
At SignUp, we offer select co-reg opportunities on our website that can deliver up to 100K high-quality, verified leads. If you’d like to explore them further, let us know.
