Chapter 9 - How to Use Free Offers
The fastest way to get traffic to your site is:
GIVE SOMETHING AWAY&THAT HAS A HIGH VALUE TO YOUR NICHE MARKET
OR
GET IN FRONT OF ANOTHER INTERNET MARKETER S EXISTING TRAFFIC
Find something, or the rights to something, that your target market finds valuable and then give it away. In exchange for their e-mail address, of course!
Traffic will come to your website in direct proportion to the value of what you give away. The number of visitors and the speed at which that number grows are always in direct proportion to the perceived value of what you choose to give away.
The number one problem small businesses face with their websites is that they do not give away something that their potential customers want. In the eyes of their potential customers, they have not earned the right to market to them. There is not nearly enough perceived value in their give away.
Study the masters of marketing and look for clues. Just because we are marketing online does not mean that the fundamental psychology of buyers behavior has changed. Before we get into Pushing and Pulling Visitors into our sales engine make sure to revisit:
-Your niche and a unique selling proposition. Do you really know what you are selling and why people are buying it?
- What makes your product or service unique?
- Who your perfect customer is and where you can find them.
- What other products and services share that same group of potential customers? Make sure that you have created a list and done some research on these potential partners.
Do not waste your time with the wrong traffic. Do your homework and you can drive qualified traffic into your sales engine. Skip this step and you will get traffic. and very little sales.
Your E-zine
Of all the tactics and strategies available to the small business online, the Electronic Newsletter or e-zine is probably the most overused and poorly utilized tactic. Of course I am assuming that you have started an e-zine. If you have not, start one today. Next to not having a website, a small business without a newsletter/e-zine is like a business without a website.
Your e-zine does not equal Internet marketing!
Not only are e-zines overused, they are used improperly. An e-zine is meant to inform your valuable subscribers, not punish them with advertisements for your product or services. Recall the two reasons people are online? Check e-mail. Get information. Give them both in your e-mail newsletter!
If done correctly your e-zine may be the most effective way you can build your list. If done poorly it can be the quickest way to kill your online business and, despite your best efforts, shrink your list.
The Purpose of Your E-zine
Understand that your e-zine is in the build your list step. Not in the Sell Products and Services step. Getting the two confused is the biggest mistake I see small businesses make. Ask yourself which newsletters you stay subscribed to. Is it the e-zine that consistently provides you with new and relevant information that you need or the one that is blatantly trying to sell you something? This does not mean that you cannot use your e-zine to sell. It means that you have to be smart about how you craft your e-zine messages and structure the flow of information to your subscribers.
You have to have an E-zine!
Giving away a subscription to an e-zine or online electronic newsletter is now MANDATORY! Almost every small business used the free subscription to a daily, weekly, or monthly e-zine as their e-mail capture incentive. If you are thinking of using your e-zine as your only e-mail capture incentive, do not hold your breath. It does not work.
Why is that?
How many newsletters are you subscribed to? I am betting too many! The longer you have been online, the less you are apt to subscribe. With the total amount of e-mail increasing exponentially in our inboxes, there are only of couple of reasons we will give up our e-mail for a free subscription to an e-zine.
- If the subscription is from a brand name or someone you already know and trust. If you like all things Martha and you go to the Martha Stewart website you will sign up for Martha s Newsletter. Martha has earned your trust and rapport before you visit.
- If a friend or trusted third party who is already a subscriber refers the new subscriber to your e-zine, they will subscribe from the signature line in your newsletter.
- Your topic is so unique that they believe they cannot get the information elsewhere. And finally
- You have added an overwhelming number of additional free bonuses to entice them into subscribing to the newsletter.
You still need a newsletter, but not as the tool for capturing the e-mail address of new visitors. Design your newsletter to nurture the e-mail addresses that you have already captured and notify your list of upcoming events.
The content of your e-zine establishes your expertise (and credibility) and the repetition builds trust and rapport. It plants the seeds for future sales, so take care of it.
Your e-zine should not be used to sell products and services directly!
Key Point!
Never Use Your E-zine To Sell
Products or Services!
6 E-zine Tips:
Please write something that is important to the people who are on your list! If you do not have something important for them, do not bother. Think about the e-zines that you subscribe to. Why do you stay subscribed? Why do you look forward to them?
- Good Relevant Content
You do not have to write all the content yourself. You can always reprint another expert s opinion (with permission). Just make sure that whatever content goes in is fresh and relevant and applies to the people who are getting it. Answering common questions can be interesting and helpful.
Not sure what to write about? Keep a small journal of daily customer examples, product or service situations, and customer service issues as topics. When something happens with a customer, prospect, your product or service, make a short note and keep those notes in a scrapbook.
Answer the questions of the existing customers and you will be helping potential customers. How is your product or service being used? What works? What does not? Always remember, your goal is to establish trust and legitimacy. You are real and expert in your field. Build a conversation first, sell second.
With such a cluttered inbox, it is often difficult to get your e-zine read. To make sure that you do not get deleted each week choose your subject headline wisely.
Some tips include making sure that you personalize the subject line. Each person who gets a copy of the e-zine has their name included in a catchy headline. If you can also include the name of your e-zine as well, that is an even bigger bonus.
Which of these subject lines would you be more interested in reading if you received them on a regular basis?
James, Search Engine Obsessions in this issue of VirtualSelling eNews...
Or
Newsletter
Remember that even if you have killer content it is the subject line and what shows up in the preview window of your customer s e-mail client that determines what actually gets read. Take your time with the Subject Line. Make sure to test and measure the feedback that you get for each issue.
- Keep it Short
Get to the point. What do I need to know about this topic? Send the finished message to yourself before you send it to your list. How long did it take to get read? Anything over 5 minutes is too long.
- Give Me My Space
It is annoying when someone does not give you enough space. It happens both personally and professionally when someone crowds you. The relationship started off OK, but you find your self making excuses as to why you cannot give them your time now.
This can happen with your e-zine.
Set a publishing schedule that is comfortable for your subscribers and industry. The frequency should be determined by the shelf life and freshness of your content. If you are in an industry that changes slowly, writing a monthly e-zine makes sense. An example might be the aerospace industry. On the other hand, if your industry is in constant flux, a daily e-zine makes sense. An example of this is the financial services industry.
- Include Your Personal Contact Info
Your e-zine is for getting and giving feedback. It is about proving that you are real and your business is legitimate.
This is one of the reasons I do not use list serve software. How do you reply to a list address? Make sure the e-mail address that sends the newsletter is real and personal. Allow your subscribers to get back in touch with you, the real person.
Good content in a regular e-zine will generate more responses than you think. Use the feedback to write the next issues.
- Tie the e-zine to Your Main Theme Site.
Events and search engines are key components in this strategy. Make sure your event listing is always part of your e-zine. Keep it up to date and constantly to contact your list with upcoming chances for them to pre-sell themselves. Your schedule of events gives you content for the e-zine, a reason to talk to the customer and another chance to engage potential customers. A regular calendar of events shows that you are a real business, and confident about what you do. You are ready to do business right now and in the future.
Include the e-zine as a separate page of your website. Remember what the search engines like? Content, relevant content, the more the better. Every time you publish a newsletter, include it in an archive section of your theme-based site. If you have been writing e-zine content that is relevant to your readers and your theme site it should be filled with your key words. This is exactly what the search engines look for and will help your search rankings considerably.
Coming and Goings
When visitors join and leave your newsletter you have a real opportunity to learn first hand about who you are dealing with. Take the time to set up learning pages when you get a subscription and when you lose a subscription
Key Point!
People Who Leave Your List Are
a Great Source of Information!
The Thank-you Page. If you are using a form to collect the subscription information from your user, take the time to introduce them to additional information or materials. Most marketers do this pretty well.
Send a Confirmation E-mail. Send an e-mail to every new subscriber. Set the tone of the newsletter and include crystal clear information on what they are going to receive and how they can control the level of communication. It should contain information about how they can unsubscribe and where to turn for customer support. Many of us are using multiple e-mail identities. Include the e-mail address the subscriber is subscribed with as part of this message.
The Unsubscribe E-mail. Let people know they have left. Better yet, ask them why. A list has an ebb and flow to it. Some mailings work, others do not. Keep track of what is and is not working and learn from your mistakes. The beauty of e-mail is the speed at which you get feedback. Take every opportunity to ask for it.
Technical Considerations
Present your text in an appealing way. Words sell, pictures do not. There will always be an argument for or against different e-mail formats. Should you use HTML formatted e-mail or plain text? Remember the purpose of the e-mail. If you are trying to build a brand and provide a certain type of image, give the users the option of receiving their newsletter in a HTML format. Understand that not everyone will be able to read it and that you are adding another level of complexity to the management of your contact list.
Here are some technical tips when it comes to your newsletter.
- Always use one type of Font in any one page.
- Use space in between paragraphs.
- Present your text in headings and sub-headings for easy navigation.
- Use exclamation marks. This gives a feeling of excitement to the viewer.
This is only $19.95.
This is ONLY $19.95! - Indentation of one of your paragraphs or lines draws attention to it. But do not forget to use uniform indentation.
- IN E-MAILS: In e-mail programs you can highlight text by
Asterisks (*)
Arrows (===>)
Greater than (>)
You can use broken line (-------) to box the important paragraph
Use colors (In some e-mail programs)
Use emoticons if possible
Capital letters
Additional Ideas
An electronic newsletter is easy and cheap to publish. The result is that there are literally thousands of new ones being started each day. After the initial glow of your niche topic, you will probably have to add some flavor to yours to make it stand out.
Make sure your readers do not tune out. Try some of these ideas to prevent overkill of your niche.
Additional Content
- Light Hearted Fillers - Make your readers smile.
- Top 10 Lists. Alternatively, Top 20, 30, 40.... Everyone loves a countdown list of the hottest, longest, tallest, fastest and so on. This will always make for a good and interesting space filler.
- Keep It Personal. Humans are interested in other humans. Make sure that the readers get to know you.
- Votes and Polls. Let the people speak. Everyone loves to know what everybody else thinks. Help them discover by publishing the results of opinion polls or votes.
Adding additional content as your newsletter matures brings two additional benefits:
- First, you will better entertain your existing readers. They will look forward to publication date and be glued to your newsletter for the future.
- Second, you will encourage new subscribers by making your subject more accessible to a wider audience. In fact, the more specialized your subject, the more this is true. If your newsletter focuses 100% on your primary subject and covers nothing else, you are unlikely to help draw new people into your fold.
E-zine Content
I have recently had way too many conversations with professional business people who consider an e-zine or electronic newsletter as their Internet Marketing or e-marketing strategy. If you take one thing from this book, I hope that it is the realization that your e-zine is only one of many strategies that you can use to grow your business.
There is also some bad news when it comes to e-zines. Using your e-zine as the sole method or incentive for capturing e-mail addresses is a sure way to die a slow death. Secondly, if you want to die a little slower, include lousy content. My favorite unsubscribe content is a personal journal approach. Content is king when it comes to e-zines. A recount of events in your day or week just does not cut it for today s how-to starved information seekers.
If you are already rich and famous, build yourself a fan site. If you are a small business trying to engage, educate and enroll cash carrying customers into a powerful sales engine, add real value to every message that you send out.
If you think your daily musing is really interesting start your own BLOG with www.blogger.com. In fact that is a great strategy to create keyword rich content for your site. Just do not use your e-zine as a personal journal if you are using it to capture e-mail addresses.
If you are really short on content you can always supplement your offerings with other people s content. I have included a number of links in the resources at the back of the book where you can find websites with free articles. Although this type of content fills your e-zine, it also requires that you include the link to the author s website. Your subscriber leaves your message when they click on the author s link in the e-mail that you sent. You can also lose credibility as an expert in your chosen field. Of course, if you have articles where your product is mentioned by a trusted third party or leader in your industry, get permission from the author and use them.
Viral Marketing
Hotmail.com seems to come up every time the term viral marketing is used. The viral marketing approach that Hotmail used resulted in more than 30 million registered users of the free e-mail service when Microsoft made the purchase. Who knows what the number is at this point.
Key Point! Viral Marketing is not effective unless you have a Back End !
Viral marketing is the new buzz-phrase for what old-timers call word-of-mouth advertising. You rely on customers to help spread the word about you and what you do.
It works like this. If you tell two friends and they each tell two friends and so on, pretty soon you have a tidal wave of people checking out your website. It is important because of a number of stats that float around the net from reputable analysts. Jupiter Media Metrics reported that 57% of consumers said that it was word of mouth that made them visit a website. Another research company also reported that 34% of online buyers found out about a new product or service from a friend. The key to any viral model is that it spreads rapidly, is easy to transmit and it is free. However, there is a problem. This all makes sense 3 years ago.
A small business should forget about viral marketing as a strategy. It is easy to talk about and nearly impossible for cash strapped small businesses to implement. Everyone and their uncle are trying to do something that is viral. A free e-book, a free e-mail service, this free and that free in the hope that what ever is given away will be passed from two people who will tell two people and so on.
Why should a small business forget about it? Viral marketing is only effective when there is a backend. What is a backend? If there is not a way to earn money from what you are trying to give away as viral, do not bother doing it.
To be effective, a Viral Campaign has to generate word-of-mouth advertising and that means whatever you use as your give-away must meet these four criteria:
- Is the idea new? Can you create a buzz around it?
- The product or service that the idea provides must be of value to the people using it.
- You have to make it easy to give away. It should not require work or effort on the part of the person passing it along.
- Most importantly, can you earn money directly from the buzz and or excitement created by your viral marketing?
If # 4 is not there, do not bother. My recommendation is to stick with your e-mail capture strategy and forget about viral marketing. Smart small businesses that are serious about Internet marketing do not have time or money to focus on making it big like Hotmail.
Signature Files
The easiest way to use a slightly viral marketing approach is the use of a signature file in all of the e-mail that you send. An e-mail signature is the last part of your e-mail that recipients read and often the one that they remember most. Savvy direct-marketers know that the P.S. at the end of a letter or under the sender s name is the most frequently read part. So take advantage of this fact. Make the most of your signature!
Most signature files are:
- Used for Positioning.
a. Elevator Pitch: Use a condensed version of the elevator pitch that you created earlier. Use your main theme or the key words that you have based your business around.
b. Famous Quotes: Famous quotations, tips or jokes of the day
c. Testimonials: If you have a brand name or well known customer, you may want to include a testimonial or quotation from them in your signature file.
- Used to Capture E-mail Addresses
a. Your newsletter: Give them the option to subscribe to your regular e-zine.
b. Promote your website: Include highlights of upcoming events and product releases.
c. Membership Incentives: If you have a membership component on your main site give a special offer or incentive to check it out.
d. A free download: Create an information-packed e-book or white paper, checklist or special issue of your newsletter and offer access to it as part of your signature.
Of course, the Signature File should contain your contact information. How do people reach you? Include your e-mail address, website, telephone and fax numbers.
Your e-mail software allows you to have a number of signature files. When I first started out, I used the positioning approach with every e-mail that I sent and it was probably a waste of time. With a small business and a limited number of contacts, branding is a waste of time. What I wanted was more e-mail addresses added to my list. If you have established customers and a solid customer base use one of the positioning signature files. If you want more captured e-mail addresses and new leads, use a signature file that requires the person receiving it to give their e-mail address if they act on it.
Here are two examples of signature files that I use. Notice, both requires someone to send me an e-mail before they receive the offer.
Listen to Small Business "How To" Information
Click the Link below and I'll send You the link to my Internet Radio Station
mailto:radio@jamesmaduk.com
Learn to build your business Listen at any time to expert interviews, sales and Internet Marketing information. Listen and Learn - 24 hours a day 7 days a week. *******************************************************
Or the traditional format
If you know of others who would like to receive "VirtualSelling eNews" for free, please forward this copy so they can sign up. They can subscribe on the website or by sending a blank message to mailto:join@jamesmaduk.com
In any case, make sure to test your signature files and do not bore your readers into ignoring your e-mail signature.
Mini Courses for Each Product
Instead of providing a single download or information that may be forgotten quickly, you can use a timed approach and provide a constant stream of information over a period of days or weeks. The use of a mini course as a give away or incentive in return for a new visitor s e-mail address has a number of additional benefits. The most important is its ability to pre-sell programs and link to your existing direct sales websites that we will discuss in the next step.
Selling and building a business relationship take time. In fact, you are going to reach the prospective customer a minimum of 7 times before they will consider making a purchase from you. Trust, credibility and legitimacy are earned over time. When you have been in touch with valuable information over time you start to build the trust and credibility that you need to close sales and build your customer base.
The mini course creates a series of customer contacts each with valuable information. Next to being face to face with your customer this is a great way to create rapport.
E-Books
E-Books provide the small business owner and Internet marketer with a cost effective way to promote themselves online. An e-Book can be used in a variety of ways to provide you with high quality additions to your e-mail list. These additions may come directly from a download of an e-Book on your website and by using a link back strategy. With its vast variety of uses, just one quality e-book development and distribution can produce an ongoing promotional tool that will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week and multiply itself by leaps and bounds. Your e-book and links back to your site can literally be viewed by millions simply by giving it away.
Here are some ways you might want to consider using an e-Book:
- Marketing: If you have an affiliate program or a reseller, provide them with a complete sales presentation that they distribute freely on their websites and e-mail campaigns. By including a tracking code with their ID embedded in it, you can quickly track any of the sales
-. Strict Promotion - Provide valuable information on a specific subject, product or service to bring traffic to your site.
- E-zine Archives: After you have written a number of newsletters, you can create an archive versioned in the form of an e-Book. Include links to your mini-sites and any other affiliate links. Make sure you offer readers who are given the e-book an easy way to subscribe, visit your website, submit ads, etc.
- Create a Virtual Catalog: Provide a desktop catalog for your customers to view on their desktop. You can even provide a form to accept orders right through your e-book.
- How To Manuals: Provide your affiliates with a complete how-to manual for marketing, advertising and promoting your products.
- Electronic Books: Writers can offer their books in an electronic version.
- Web Site: Create an electronic version of your website to place on disk or view on your client s desktop.
- Instructional: Provide an electronic training manual.
Creating an e-book is just like creating a website. Simply create your HTML pages just like you would for your website. Make sure you select a good software package that allows you to include hyperlinks, graphics, search, forms, etc. Keep in mind, the more professional, content rich your e-book, the more exposure it will receive.
There are several software packages available online to assist you in compiling your e-book.
Hyper Maker HTML www.bersoft.com
NeoBook www.neosoftware.com
InfoCourier www.smartcode.com
WebCompiler www.webcompiler.com
Your e-book topic plays a big part in how quickly you can get the book distributed and how many will be passed to other people. It is best to select an introductory subject with a broad appeal. It should still fit into your site s theme and include references to more detailed information in your main site.
Another strategy that results in even more distribution is to include the rights to free distribution. Include a short paragraph on copyright and distribution that allows readers to "feel free to give this free e-book to your visitors."
