Pros and Cons for Email with link vs. Direct link

[JScharpe]

I am looking for input on which is better. (if this is not the correct place for this, im sorry!)

I have a form collecting lead info (name and email) and offereing a Free Guide. Is it better to send an email with a link to the guide or just send them directly to the guide?

[RSchweighart · Accepted solution]

Hi @JScharpe,

Maybe you could do both? Redirect them to the guide immediately. Then, a day or so later you could send an email in case they forgot to download, or something like that. Or, you could add a slightly longer delay (48-72hrs) to give them time to read it, then ask for feedback or other thoughts via email. In that ask, you could provide a copy of the guide.

I went ahead and asked ChatGPT on this one. Here's the response unedited:

Sending an Email with a Link to the Guide

Advantages:

• Lead Verification: By requiring users to check their email to access the guide, you can verify the validity of the email addresses collected. This helps in building a high-quality email list.
• Engagement Opportunities: Sending an email allows for further engagement with the lead. You can introduce your company, provide additional resources, or guide them to the next steps in your marketing funnel.
• Tracking and Analytics: You can track how many users open the email and click the link to the guide. This data is valuable for understanding user behavior and the effectiveness of your email campaign.

Considerations:

• Potential Drop-off: Some users may not proceed to check their email immediately, leading to a potential drop-off. This could reduce the number of people who actually view the guide.
• Email Deliverability: There's always a risk that your email might end up in the spam folder, preventing the lead from accessing the guide.

Directing Users Immediately to the Guide

Advantages:

• Instant Gratification: Users get immediate access to the guide, which can enhance the user experience and satisfaction.
• Simplicity: This method simplifies the process for users, as they don't need to take the additional step of checking their email.

Considerations:

• Email List Quality: Without the email verification step, you may end up with more invalid or low-quality email addresses on your list.
• Missed Engagement Opportunities: Directing users straight to the guide means missing out on an immediate opportunity to further engage them through a follow-up email.

Decision Factors

• Your Audience: Consider the typical behavior and preferences of your target audience. Are they likely to prefer immediate access, or are they accustomed to receiving content via email?
• Your Marketing Strategy: If building a quality email list is a priority, sending an email might be the better option. If immediate engagement with the content is more important, direct access could be preferable.
• Technology and Resources: Ensure you have the necessary technology for tracking and analytics in place, regardless of the method you choose.

In summary, there's no one-size-fits-all answer. It might even be worth conducting A/B testing: send half of your leads an email with the link and direct the other half immediately to the guide. This way, you can directly measure which method works better for your specific audience and goals.

Best,

Ryan Schweighart

Whole Hart Impact, LLC

whimpact.co

I help businesses with HubSpot and Zapier.

[JScharpe]

Wow! Thanks for the feedback. These are all great points to think about. I appreciate the help.

[karstenkoehler · Accepted solution]

Hi @JScharpe,

There are four important considerations here:

• Do you want to make it easy for visitors to access your content? The answer to this might not be a sounding no. Sometimes, getting your piece of content out there is a win, especially when your strategy is content-led, and the piece of content has further opportunities for conversion. Then again, it is very likely that you will see better data quality when you make clear on the landing page that the piece of content will be delivered via email - as visitors will then use an email address that is valid and where they can receive the piece of content.
• How confident are you that your email configuration is correct? With recent changes in the field of email deliverability, you always need to think about this as well. If you have corporate B2B customers, it might be very hard to get even a confirmation email through to your recipient. If you're concerned about this, sharing the piece of content on the thank-you-page is safer.
• Do you need to get an email confirmation from the contact? In some countries, it is required for the contact to confirm the email address before receiving further emails. If someone has the content piece already, they're less inclined to confirm their email address, thus resulting in a lower confirmation rate and more contacts that need to be deleted, theoretically.
• Do you want to apply additional rules to who can receive your content? If you're on a Professional subscription and don't want to deliver content to competitors, the email option is the only route. This is not something you could do on a thank-you-page.

Hope this helps!

[RSchweighart · Accepted solution]

Hi @JScharpe,

Maybe you could do both? Redirect them to the guide immediately. Then, a day or so later you could send an email in case they forgot to download, or something like that. Or, you could add a slightly longer delay (48-72hrs) to give them time to read it, then ask for feedback or other thoughts via email. In that ask, you could provide a copy of the guide.

I went ahead and asked ChatGPT on this one. Here's the response unedited:

Sending an Email with a Link to the Guide

Advantages:

• Lead Verification: By requiring users to check their email to access the guide, you can verify the validity of the email addresses collected. This helps in building a high-quality email list.
• Engagement Opportunities: Sending an email allows for further engagement with the lead. You can introduce your company, provide additional resources, or guide them to the next steps in your marketing funnel.
• Tracking and Analytics: You can track how many users open the email and click the link to the guide. This data is valuable for understanding user behavior and the effectiveness of your email campaign.

Considerations:

• Potential Drop-off: Some users may not proceed to check their email immediately, leading to a potential drop-off. This could reduce the number of people who actually view the guide.
• Email Deliverability: There's always a risk that your email might end up in the spam folder, preventing the lead from accessing the guide.

Directing Users Immediately to the Guide

Advantages:

• Instant Gratification: Users get immediate access to the guide, which can enhance the user experience and satisfaction.
• Simplicity: This method simplifies the process for users, as they don't need to take the additional step of checking their email.

Considerations:

• Email List Quality: Without the email verification step, you may end up with more invalid or low-quality email addresses on your list.
• Missed Engagement Opportunities: Directing users straight to the guide means missing out on an immediate opportunity to further engage them through a follow-up email.

Decision Factors

• Your Audience: Consider the typical behavior and preferences of your target audience. Are they likely to prefer immediate access, or are they accustomed to receiving content via email?
• Your Marketing Strategy: If building a quality email list is a priority, sending an email might be the better option. If immediate engagement with the content is more important, direct access could be preferable.
• Technology and Resources: Ensure you have the necessary technology for tracking and analytics in place, regardless of the method you choose.

In summary, there's no one-size-fits-all answer. It might even be worth conducting A/B testing: send half of your leads an email with the link and direct the other half immediately to the guide. This way, you can directly measure which method works better for your specific audience and goals.

Best,

Ryan Schweighart

Whole Hart Impact, LLC

whimpact.co

I help businesses with HubSpot and Zapier.