Your Lead Generation System
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There are basically two lead generation systems that we’re going to talk about today to get your prospects to subscribe to your list.
- You provide something valuable that they want and will get when they subscribe to your list.
- You present them precious content up front and then tell them they can subscribe to your list for even more. This is the “reverse lead generation system”.
Ideally, you’d like to implement both of them. Particularly in really crowded markets such as the Internet marketing (IM) niche, where prospects become more and more unwilling and skeptical each day to give out their email address. By showing them up front a bit of what they’ll can expect, like in the reverse lead generation system, they will be put at ease.
You want to provoke a reaction like “Geez, I’d like to see what this guy/girl is selling if (s)he’s giving away all this!” in both systems. Isn’t that what I (and most other marketers) am trying to do here at my blog?
Let’s closer examine some lead generation devices.
In order to be objective, I won’t use any of my own. Instead, I’ll use the ‘Copywriters Toolkit’ as an example, a great product from successful copywriter John Ritskowitz. Also, because John set up the basics for this series and he was so kind to provide his conversion rates (no affiliate links in here!).
Here’s the main sales page for the Copywriters Toolkit.
As you can see, John provides a “sneak preview” in his third P.S. That’s where leads can get his Profit DNA book and a few tools just by subscribing to his list.
But he also tested a couple of other things using so called squeeze pages. Those are page designed to only ‘squeeze’ a name and email address out of his leads. I will show you these pages below, followed by the conversion rates (the percentage of leads who subscribed to his list). Note that the first two are only designed to “sell the mystery” and get them on the early bird list.
- http://www.copywriters-toolkit.com/index-d.html (22.03%)
- http://www.copywriters-toolkit.com/index-r.html (24.82%)
- http://www.copywriters-toolkit.com/read.html (14.56%)
- http://www.copywriters-toolkit.com/dna.html (14.87%)
John also used others, but these converted the best. Carefully note, that “selling the mystery” (the first 2) is a crucial concept that shouldn’t be left out, whether a pre-launch or not!
Now for the reverse lead generation system.
John produced a book: “The Profit DNA: How To Unlock The Code To Maximum Profits Through Self-Evolving Websites.”
It contained strategically placed links referring back to his sales letter and his squeeze pages that he was testing during the release of this book.
You can still see how John did that. Just download “The Profit DNA”.
Notice the links to the sales letters and John’s blog on the download page. He did the same in multiple places where it made sense inside the book.
Just don’t overdo this, as you don’t want your book to be a sales letter. Instead, you only want it to offer high value content that people would actually pay for, and then slip in “Oh, by the way, you can learn more about X here…”, almost an reconsideration.
Perhaps you already know many of these tactics and I agree this is not rocket science. but here’s the main question:
are you using right now?”.
Huh? Huuuuh?
One of the main obstacles implementing such tactics is the time it takes to get them all into place.
John spent almost a year getting many of my puzzle pieces into place in a perfect way (although he also has been very busy writing copy, his core business that always comes first).
But don’t let that hold you back. I’ve written many 52 and longer autoresponder series, that took months before they were good (and I’m still looking closely to unsubscribe rates).
I’m passing on this information as a shortcut for your own efforts here, because it’s IMPORTANT!
I could talk about lead generation all day, as there are many ways to do it successfully. But I think I’ve covered the important concepts.
In the next post, we will discuss the after sales process.
That leaves you with some time to think about your own lead generation system and how to set it up.
Meanwhile I’m curious about your comments.
Post them below.
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The more practical information like what you’ve shared is discussed and commented upon the better it is for the internet marketing industry. A lead generation system that is sensitive to the needs of the reader/customer as well as the business owner is the kind of balanced solution that enhances our business.
Sharon
From my past experience the best things that works for me is when you create a report on whatever your niche is and then create a blog that gives pieces of this report for a few posts and then you ask the person visiting your website to signup to receive the whole report. If your report is good your few teaser posts will build up enough interest to have them sign up. I usually get a lot of my list building done this way.
I think you have a good point there. I wouldn’t buy anything or sign up to a new website that I have just stumbled upon. You want your visitors to come back several times and realize that you offer solid stuff for free.
Then they might buy something or do whatever you want them to do. But the important thing is to offer value, to keep them coming.
The lead management tools can help you but it can’t replace the involvement of lead management people & sales staff.
You are right on with your two lead generation methods. The public is in a panic and the news media is loaded with fear-mongering and this is affecting everyone. Customers will be more and more cautious and if our marketing is to succeed at all, we simply must be smart about lead generation. The days of “Hey, sign up here just cuz I want you to” are long gone. It’s harder to make money, but that’s not always a bad thing because the lazy, get-rich-quick will quit and people with quality products will stand out.
Jeremy
A research actually shows that it takes an average visitor at least 7 clicks on a site before they decide to purchase or subscribe. This is very true to most type of sites. Unless the content interests me, i wouldn’t purchase or subscribe anything.
Rif Chia
You make some excellent points. I won’t buy anything from anybody if they don’t first show me that they know what they are talking about.
You make some great points. It does take a lot of time putting all of those pieces together to generate leads and subscribers.
One thing that works well for me and doesn’t take much time is to create a small report that has valuable content and then add it to JV Giveaways. You can build a list fast this way.
Thanks for sharing,
Alan Mater
Very useful strategies on how to generate leads. I have come across those lead generation gimmicks that promise a huge number of subscription but as we all know one ends ups with a junk list of email addresses.
The idea of spit testing and using different squeeze page is really powerful and is something that I have found to be working pretty powerful.
This is a very informative post. It takes time to understand lead generation. It sounds like you guys have it down to a fine art now. I am getting there, but it is slow going. Luckily there are so many excellent resources (such as this one) about the subject. All it takes is a willingness to learn.
Get your leads from your website: before or during the buying cycle of your potential customers, they will visit your website.
Thus use a web service that reveals the company names of your website visitors for lead generation.
Then cold call upon those warm companies as they have already showing interest.
Only for the first four emails. See How To Write Great Email Follow Up Series.
The rest of the sequence highly depends on the market you’re in. You should thoroughly test these messages and keep an eye on the unsubscribe rate at certain points.
You mentioned this “One of the main obstacles implementing such tactics is the time it takes to get them all into place.” Have you ever written a post on this in more detail?
Also any idea on how setting up a callback instead of an email stream would reduce the response rate?
Good points, all.
I’ll add one more example that can be even more successful than the reverse lead gen device.
Recently I released my PowerEffects v2 software. I also sold MRR licesnses with it, so buyers could resell it and keep 100% of the profits?
Why would I do this? Well, in the software itself (which they’re not allowed to alter), there’s a “register” menu item and link, where users can get on my updates list to get free updates for life, and other goodies.
The MRR option gives them an incentive to turn this product viral. The “Profit DNA” model allows them to pass it along, but offers no viral incentive.
Can you guess which one went viral more?
Cheers,
John