It feels good, doesn’t it?
That little ego boost you get when you see an email come through saying “Someone just subscribed to your newsletter.”
It’s like an instant hit of validation.
A pat on the back from the Internet gods.
That little voice being nice for once saying, “I’ve got this.”
Or as Mailchimp would say, “Someone’s pickin’ up what you’re putting down.”
And if feels damn diggity good, right? (Said with my best American accent.)
Like all the hard work (late nights, sacrifices, bags under your eyes, blood, sweat and 1,047 tears) is finally paying off?
Someone wants in.
In to your tribe. Your inner circle. Your world.
So let me ask you something…
How would it feel to get 3X the amount of those little shots of ego-boostin’-love on a daily basis?
Amazing?
Great. Thought so.
Let’s dive in.
Get my ultimate guide to turbocharge your email opt-ins and triple your damn diggity good moments each and every day.
STEP 1: Know who you’re talking to.
There’s no use trying to charm the pants off everyone, choose a niche and then niche down again. The fact is that you’re not going to ‘click’ with everyone, nor do you want to.
You only really want to attract those people onto your list that ‘get you’. Like those best friends you have where you just ‘clicked’ when you met and there’s never that awkward pause or tension if you don’t talk for a few months.
A big part of you being authentic, is you actually being authentic. 100% unapologetically authentic.
And that means not everyone is going to like you.
So you gotta pick your mark, laser focus on exactly who it is you’re talking to (chances are they are a lot like you, have the same values, and possess the same worldview as you), and craft everything you do from here on to them and only them.
When you know who you’re talking to, you can craft an offer so compelling, and connect with someone on such a deeper level that you become magnetic.
Powertip: Some of my most compelling landing pages and emails have come from when I pretend to write to myself when I’m writing to my audience. I talk about how I truly feel when faced with the challenges of running a small business, what really goes on inside my head, my fears, the pains, what keeps me up at night, my dark moments, the highs and the lows. When I go to that place in my copy, I get flooded with emails from people saying “OMG, you are in my head, how on earth did you know that?!” It really works. Try it!
STEP 2: Make a list of people’s pains.
What problems do you really solve? I don’t mean ‘on the surface’ problems. I mean deep down emotional problems.
I build websites. I could leave it at that and be like the 473 billion other web designers out there, but what I really do is build websites that actually generate leads and change lives. I believe small business is where it’s at and if I do my job properly and the leads flow in for my clients, it means I can help put food on the table for their families and their staff’s families and keep a roof over everyone’s heads.
So I don’t just build websites… I build livelihoods. Peace of mind. Stress-relief. Happier marriages. Better partnerships. Assurance. Safety. The list goes on…
You might think that’s a stretch but think about a business that has an okay website getting one lead per month. Times are tough. Cash flow is stressful. Staff have to be laid off. Mortgages can’t get paid. Kids can’t go on school camps. Marriages start to crack. Relationships strain.
If I come along and help that business turn things around and go from one lead per month, to one lead per day, the entire business is transformed. New staff are being hired to keep up with demand. There’s plenty of money flowing through. Suppliers are getting paid in advance. The business owner’s on cloud nine. They feel successful. The family can go out to dinner together and everyone’s happy.
(I just explained a real client of mine in Sydney, by the way.)
Once you understand at a root level what problems you really help people solve, you’ll instantly connect with the people that belong in your tribe. You’ll speak the same language. Be on the same page. And they’ll want what you’re putting down. :)
STEP 3: Craft your crazy hot offer.
Now that you know what keeps them up at night, brainstorm 10-20 pieces of free content you could create to help them solve their deepest, darkest problem and pick one to start on first. Remember, it’s okay to give away your best stuff for free. Your goal here to help them make better versions of themselves.
Tips for creating a killer lead magnet:
- Think cheat sheet, checklist, roadmap, mindmap, blueprint, etc.
- Forget the 10+-page eBook. They’re not as effective anymore. People are time poor and always say they’ll read it later, which they never do then you’ve lost them.
- Keep it short: 1-2 pages is best. People need to be able to consume it rapidly to keep moving through your funnel.
- Have an irresistible title. Research how to write great headlines online. Google it. There’s plenty of formulas you can follow.
- Create an accompanying surprise video. Include it on your success page. You’ll instantly connect and people love surprises so your brownie points will skyrocket instantly.
- Include a call to action with your paid offer at the end. Whatever you do, don’t forget or gloss over this step. It is critical to getting people moving through your funnel. I know this blog is about list building but I’m about leads. There’s no point building your list if you don’t convert that list into sales.
(I created a free masterclass on ‘How To Create A Killer Lead Magnet’ over here if you’d like to watch it. I give a free workbook which takes you by the hand step-by-step too if you’re new to all this. View the recording now.)
Here are some examples to help you get started:
A home brew shop targeting first-time home brewers:
‘The Top 10 Mistakes First Time Home Brewers Make & How To Avoid Them’
A travel company targeting senior single travellers:
’10 Conversation Starters For Single Travellers’
A winery targeting middle-aged, affluent professionals who like to entertain:
‘The Ultimate 3-Course Home Dinner Menu, With Michelin Chef Wine Pairing To Impress Your Most Discerning Friends’
If you’re stuck for ideas, just go to Google Images and do a search for “<Your Industry> free eBook” and you should find some inspiration to get you going. Remember though to make yours original and true to your brand and your unique voice. There’s so much noise out there these days, it’s no use being just like everyone else.
Once you’ve got your content piece created, get it designed by your designer, or find someone on People Per Hour, or even Fiverr (but be aware it could be pretty crap quality) and get them to supply you with a PDF that has plenty of clickable links back to your website. This is not only great for SEO, but also in terms of getting people to move to the next stage in your sales process.
STEP 4: Create a smokin’ hot landing page.
Of course you’ll want to spruke your new lead magnet all over your website, that’s a given, but to be more effective in converting visitors into prospects, and then into leads, you should also setup a landing page.
I personally use and love ClickFunnels, however LeadPages is also popular, as are Instapage and Unbounce.
They all have templates you can follow but pay particular attention and a good amount of time to find the right words for your page. The headline again is paramount. Research how to write landing page copy and do it right. This is where the rubber meets the road.
A simple formula you could use that works is:
- Callout to your audience
- Headline
- Sub-Headline
- Bullet Point 1 (Benefit)
- Bullet Point 2 (Benefit)
- Bullet Point 3 (Benefit)
- Call to Action (Button)
This blog wouldn’t be complete without giving you some hints and tips on how to pimp your website too.
So, make sure you:
- Create a banner for your lead magnet that links to your landing page.
- Create a popup lightbox using OptinMonster.
- Add an opt-in for it to your sidebar on your blog.
- Create banner ads and have them appear right throughout your site, in the middle of your blogs, in your footer, everywhere.
- Add it to your email newsletter footer, and email signature for that matter.
- Add it to your Facebook banner with a clickable call to action also.
- Pimp that baby out! Put it everywhere.
STEP 5: Put your nurturing on auto-pilot.
The final part to tripling your list is setting up an automated sequence of emails you can send out on auto-pilot to do the relationship building for you… often called a ‘nurturing sequence.’
For this, you’ll need a paid Mailchimp account, which is only about $10 per month. Or you could use AWeber, Campaign Monitor or any other email provider of your choice.
Once you’ve got your account set up, you’ll want to wire up the delivery of your free lead magnet so that a welcome email is sent out to your new prospect with a link to download their free gift.
This first email is the perfect opportunity for you to thank them, introduce yourself and start building a connection.
Don’t ever take an opt-in for granted. Especially these days!
Getting someone to hand over their email address is a big thing. Respect that.
In your welcome email, tell them what they can expect from you. How often? What form? What topics? Let them peek inside your world and be sure to always hit on their pains and how you’ve made it your life’s mission to solve them.
Also ask them to connect with you on social platforms to stay in touch. And for an extra punch of connection, ask them to reply to you and tell you what their biggest challenge is as it relates to what you do. I do that with Web123 and I’m constantly amazed with how people open up to me.
After the welcome email goes out, you’ll want to have a sequence of emails that educates them on what you do, builds rapport and gets them to know, like and trust you.
You can stagger these emails using Fibonacci numbers which means you send one on day 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, and so on adding up each two previous digits to get the next.
This ensures that you have enough touch points early on while a prospect is hot but then back off as the days go by so you don’t come as across as annoying and they unsubscribe because you pester them so much.
There’s a whole ton of tips I can share when it comes to nurturing sequences and what to write in each of your emails to turn prospects into customers, but seeing as this blog is about tripling your list opt-ins, and I have to get to the gym, I might have to leave that for another day!
Until next time, go forth and conquer, my friend. You’ve got this. :)
