When life gives you lemons, you figure out how to sell them to someone at a profit. Analogies aside, if you’ve been getting bad leads, converting them to good ones can seem like a whole lot of headache. Anyone can find a group of people willing to get something for free, the key is converting those users to buyers. The secret sauce isn’t really so secret, it’s about creating value.
Shotgun the Approach
Having trouble deciding on whether to pursue an aggressive SEO strategy or pour resources into PPC ads? Why not both? Heck, why not do some YouTube viral videos, and create a business Facebook page for yourself too! Sounds like a lot of work, but just like creating multiple streams of income, multiple traffic streams will lead you to more conversions. Don’t struggle too much with approach either. Launch them and refine them as you go. You should have a pretty clear idea of the kind of campaign you want to run, so put it together and get it out there.
Lead with a Freebie
Freebies aren’t what they used to be, and people have a lot more junk on their computers to contend with too. That’s why your freebie should offer something of long term value:
- Free weekly coupon list that you hand curate
- Software, or a piece of code, that users will actually need
- Gift card (great for selling your own products, it’s like guaranteeing yourself work later)
- Valuable industry insight
Remember that your goal is to eventually make a sale. Something easy and free, especially something instant like an estimate, helps break the ice of the relationship.
Hit Them with an Offer
Don’t let them just sit there getting cold. The worst thing you can do to a lead is leave it alone. Try to find something related you can send to them to get them clicking on something and show that you have something to offer. Hit them again within a week or two of the first blast to pitch a new idea. The older the lead gets, the less chance you have of getting conversions from it, but old data is still valuable. You can sell it to other brokers or try out some different offers entirely.
Where is the Urgency?
If your copywriting isn’t driving the customer towards a sales goal, your site’s design should be. You should always have the most valuable content above the fold and have your sales propositions very clearly articulated. A button that says “Buy” or “Click Here,” or a simple sign-up form will usually do the trick. Images, and other non-verbal forms of communication, also help. Don’t underestimate things like vibrant colors and arrows. Just don’t abuse them either.
Qualify Them
A qualified lead is worth a lot more to the buyer because the information has been verified. The lead lives at the address given, and picks up the phone. If you don’t have the manpower for address verification, consider outsourcing it to another company. They can provide a verified list of subscribers to cut down on the bogus leads and lost mail, and help you hone your list into a razor sharp sales tool.
The Newsletter Approach
Why do newsletters still work? The answer is that hand generated content still goes a long way, when it’s curated by a trusted source. Newsletters can also take many forms, guiding users to your website or your satellite websites through social media or email. You can also curate your social media through the usage of lists that help your users follow some of your favorite personalities. Using Twitter, you can set up lists for celebrities you follow, entrepreneurs that inspire you, or writers that interest you.
Promote these lists as part of what makes you an expert. Selling that reputation, the idea that you are someone “in the know,” will help bring more business your way.