The opt-in advantage: How to build an audience that wants to hear from you

Today’s marketers have stepped into a new era of audience-based growth. With stricter privacy regulations and the sunset of third-party cookies, many traditional data-driven advertising methods are becoming less effective and harder to execute at scale. Brands are having to rethink the ways they reach and keep customers.

In this state of play, consent-based marketing, also known as opt-in lead generation, is emerging as one of the most effective and ethical ways to build a high-quality customer base. Research from Intuit Mailchimp shows that around three in five consumers in Australia and New Zealand are willing to share their personal data in exchange for value.

Ultimately, the best customers are those actively choosing you. And when people want to hear from your brand, it’s easier to drive long-term engagement and customer loyalty. But how do you earn that critical ‘yes’?

Offer a clear value exchange

Unlike third-party or even first-party data, zero-party data is the information customers choose to share with you directly. This can be from their preferences, interests, or buying intentions. Because it’s willingly shared, the data is inherently more accurate, relevant and rooted in trust. However, earning that data requires brands to make opting in worthwhile.

Leveraging pop-up forms on your website that offer a clear value exchange can be an easy way to achieve this. Through a simple, interactive form, brands can gain an insight into customers’ personal preferences, while offering something they want in exchange. This could be a discount, but it could also be other benefits like free shipping, access to competitions, giveaways, newsletter subscriptions, and more.

And when customers sign up for certain giveaways or download specific gated content, they’re sharing additional signals about their interests with you. These insights help marketers move beyond generic messaging and towards follow-ups that feel relevant, personalised and timely. They also support stronger customer segmentation, and campaigns that feel like they’re speaking directly to individual consumers.

The payoff is two-fold: richer insights and a base of engaged customers who feel like they’re receiving real value.

Katy Pilar

Ease drives conversions

While offering a clear value exchange is beneficial, poor timing or friction can lead to even the best offers being dismissed. Long forms, clunky layouts, or irrelevant messaging can cost a new lead. That’s why it’s equally as important to make opting in a seamless journey.

Today, roughly 75% of website visitors browse on mobile, yet most pop-up forms are still built for desktop experiences—a costly oversight. By prioritising mobile-first design, dynamic targeting and smart triggers, a well-designed pop-up form can ensure you meet customers where they are and offer value at the right time, in the right way. The more intuitive and frictionless it feels, the more likely new customers are to opt-in.

And it makes sense; customers have a tendency to veer towards familiar choices out of habit, so creating a simple and consistent experience can be a great way to combat decision fatigue. This follows through when it comes to factors that influence purchasing behaviour. In our 2025 Science of Loyalty Report, 97% of Australian consumers said their preferred brand makes it quick and easy to purchase—the number one brand association for repeat purchase shoppers. By making that process seamless and giving people a reason to opt-in, you’re more likely to capture leads, convert them into customers, and earn trust.

Target with precision

Today’s customers want relevant and personalised communication, and greater control over how brands engage with them. Leading brands are shifting from generalised messaging to hyper-targeted, permission-based strategies that reflect what customers want.

This means building smaller, more intentional lists of people who’ve said ‘yes’ to hearing from you and who’ve told you explicitly what they’re interested in. With access to zero-party data, brands can create more targeted experiences, which are often more effective than sending out the same message to everyone. Savvy marketers can divide lists based on subscriber behaviours, preferences or demographics. Addressing them by name and tailoring content to their specific interests or purchase history can be another way to create a personalised moment of connection that is more likely to turn potential customers into brand advocates.

Ultimately, gaining a deeper understanding of your current customers and prospects is crucial for crafting targeted campaigns that drive stronger connections. By using zero-party data to create frictionless and personalised experiences, marketers can future-proof their lead generation efforts, and earn an audience that actually wants to listen.

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