Email addresses are currency. Opt-ins are a transaction.

For three years in high school I worked at a grocery store as a bagger. Then, thanks to my incredible food-in-bag-placing skills, a checker.

Across those years moving cans of creamed corn from one conveyor belt, across the scanner, to another conveyor, I noticed something interesting. Because beside that scanner was almost always something to donate to. Often it was a little plexiglass box for a nearby food pantry or children's home.

Now, I believe that the vast majority of people are genuinely good, but do you know how many folks donated to those causes?

Maybe 3-5%.

If I pointed it out and asked them to donate? Perhaps 10-20%.

Donations

Now think about this for a moment. These people, collectively, are buying hundreds upon hundreds of items. Each of those costs roughly the amount of a single donation to that box. Their wallets were out. They were ready.

Why? Because instead of giving value in return, they're simply asking for a donation.

It's why so many fundraisers now donate a part of your purchase or give you something small in return. People want to be charitable, but most also want something more than good feelings in return.

Opt-Ins

The vast majority of email opt-in forms are exactly like that donation box.

It's there, there's tiny print reminding folks how it works, but there's a fundamental thing missing: the reality that an email address is currency and an opt-in is a transaction.

And in that context, most opt-in forms are asking for donations instead of giving folks something valuable in return. Just like shoppers at a store, people give out their emails all day every day buy only when they get something in return.

Chase's CTA

This is exactly why I love the call-to-action in Chase Dimond's recent tweet.

He's not asking for a donation, hes giving you something valuable to buy.

And the price of that valuable thing?

Just your email address.

Nice one, Chase. A great one for many of us to be reminded of or learn from.