How to use Social Media Graphics to Promote your Opt-in

So you’ve finally created your first freebie — yay! You’ve put in the hard work and now you’re well on your way to growing your email list. Before you know it, you’ll have an engaged audience at your fingertips who can’t wait to receive all the wonderful value you have to give.

But here’s the thing, friend. It doesn’t matter how epic your opt-in is if nobody knows about it! The hardest part may be over, but now it’s time to share your freebie with your tribe, followers, and soon-to-be superfans.

To continue building your list over time, you need to consistently market your freebie — but that doesn’t mean you have to spend hours a day getting it in front of your peeps.

I’m here to share tips on where to focus your efforts, and how you can use stunning social media graphics to get your opt-in noticed. I’ll also show you how you can batch-create visuals that you can reuse over and over again, saving you loads of time in the long run.

And do you want to know a secret? You don’t have to do #allthethings at once.

Start slow. Pick one of these channels to focus on for now, and learn to really master it before moving on to the next. Think about where your peeps hang out online the most, and focus your efforts there first.

 And if you need some more tips on exactly how to create these graphics, I’ve got you covered. Snag my full Opt-In Promo Guide —  and your freebie will be stealing the show in no time.

Okay, let’s dive in.

1. Start with your blog

Your blog already has an engaged audience, so don’t forget to reach out to your tribe there! This is where your followers already go to get their hands on the awesome content you create, so your opt-in will be well received here.

If you’ve been blogging for a while, though, you already know that you need graphics to really get your content noticed. There are at least three places where you can use gorgeous social media graphics to draw attention to your opt-in on your blog, no matter what you might actually be blogging about:

• A content upgrade graphic: Let your readers know that there is more awesome where this came from by encouraging them to opt-in to your freebie for more goodies. Don’t shy away from placing it throughout your post, not just the end, to show them exactly what they’ll get if they do opt-in. Bonus points if you repurpose that graphic on Facebook posts, and for SEO by including alt text!
• Pinterest graphic: Mention your freebie directly on your Pinterest graphic, and be sure to create at least two or three options so you can test which one gets you more traffic and pins. Then, you can tweak your copy or imagery accordingly.
• Sidebar: Don’t forget to consistently share your opt-in in a graphic on the sidebar of your blog, where you can connect with your visitors 24/7.
  
  

2. Instagram

There are sooooo many ways you can share your opt-in on Instagram! It’s probably the most versatile social media and a great tool for getting your freebie in front of your tribe. 

Your Instagram Feed

Go old school (kinda) and share your opt-in with the IG world directly in your feed. No matter what stage you are in creating your opt-in, you can drive engagement on your feed and get people interested in your freebie:

• Tease your offer. If you’re still working on your freebie, tease your followers to let them know what’s coming, or ask them questions for feedback on what you’re developing. 
• Share a mock-up of your freebie so they get a sneak peek of what they’re getting before they opt-in
• Create a gif or video showing the opt-in
• Share a carousel of images showing different sections or tips from your freebie, with actionable tips in the comments to provide even more value

Your Instagram Stories

The same idea goes for your Instagram stories. Remember that while your followers don’t expect your stories to be quite as polished as the content in your feed, you still want to stay on-brand and capture their attention with graphics:

• Stickers: leading up to the launch of your freebie, you can poll your peeps using the questions or polls stickers
• Videos: create small video or image snippets of your opt-in that summarize the problems it helps solve, and show your followers exactly what they’ll get from you
• Mock-up: share a mock-up to help followers see how the freebie will serve them or be used in their lives (you can simply repurpose your square mock-up)
• IGTV: create a graphic that links to an IGTV episode where you share tips about your opt-in

Just be sure to alternate what you’re sharing on your stories vs your feed, so your followers aren’t seeing the same content on repeat on the same day. 

Your Instagram TV (IGTV)

IGTV isn’t just for your favorite beauty vloggers to share their morning routine — you can use it too!

• Start by shooting a short episode about your opt-in, sharing a handful of tips and talking about the problems it solves (just don’t give away all your secrets!).
• Then, create a cover page to brand your IGTV channel and include a graphic at the end to promote your opt-in with details on where to get it.
• You can even share your IGTV episode to your feed, and link to it from your stories. Yay for more content from less work!
  
  Bonus tip: If you already have a YouTube video about your opt-in, you can easily repurpose smaller snippets of it for an IGTV video or series. 

More Instagram tips

Your Instagram feed is prime real estate when it comes to converting soon-to-be fans into active followers — so use all of it to talk about your opt-in! 

Once you’ve talked about your freebie on your Stories, create a highlight for that content. And don’t forget to mention your opt-in in your bio (“Download my freebie for X”) and then link to your freebie in your ‘link in bio’ to make it extra easy for your followers to snag it.

3. Facebook

Facebook is another great tool for promoting your opt-in on repeat — yep, even without investing in Facebook ads!

As long as you have a Facebook page, you have a way of getting your freebie in front of the people who need it most. Here is a list of ways you can use social media graphics to promote your opt-in on Facebook:

• Banner image: Create a banner image or a slideshow of images showcasing your freebie. Remember to use the caption section to give them more info once they’ve clicked, and include a CTA (call to action) with an easy link.
• About section: In between sharing your story with your Facebook fans, include a link to your epic freebie in the about section of your Facebook page.
• Services section: Sure, your freebie may not actually be a service, but don’t neglect this area to share your opt-in with people who are interested in your work.
• Pinned post: After sharing a graphic of your freebie to your Facebook page (with a compelling caption, of course), pin it so that it always sits at the top of your page for new visitors to see.
• Video: Share a short video of yourself talking about your freebie — or, if you don’t feel comfortable talking to the camera just yet, you can create a slideshow video with music and changing images of your opt-in.
• Go live: Get out there, show your face, and tell your tribe exactly why they should download your freebie in a live video!
  
  

BONUS - YouTube

If you’re including video training in our opt-in, don’t forget to brand your YouTube video with a thumbnail that stands out in the YouTube search results. This also helps make sure your content looks on-brand and professional.

Bonus bonus — You can also share your freebie in any YouTube video you create! Include a linked graphic at the end of your video that encourages them to download your opt-in if they’re looking for more great content. It can be as simple as: “Want to [insert your audience’s problem here]? Grab my free resource to [insert your freebie’s solution here]”
 

Do more with less time

Feeling inspired to create social media graphics that steal the show and make your followers ready to opt-in to your freebie? I’ve created a comprehensive guide just for you, with a checklist to follow for every social media platform mentioned here and a list of the ideal dimensions for each type of graphic.

And let’s face it — you don’t have hours a week to create graphics for your social media channels. The easiest way to do all this promo (in less time and with practically zero design experience) is to batch create your graphics using a tool like Canva.

Canva templates make it super easy to create graphics for social media (and anywhere else on the internet for that matter!). No more scrolling through Insta for visual inspo, no more trying to remember where you jotted down your brand colors — Canva templates take care of it all for you.

I’ve got you covered with a full selection of templates in The Canva Template Shop, including The Canva Social Media Template Bundle, so you can connect and convert without spending hours trying to magically become a graphic designer.

So, friend — where will you start sharing your fab opt-in? Which social media graphics are you most excited to create? Let me know in the comments!