We’ve all been on the quest for sign ups. Whether it’s for our bootcamp, webinar, event, eBook, or just to get readers on our marketing list, we’ve all tried well-planned (and not-so-well planned) launches.
Raise your hand if you know marketers who send out a week-before and week-of email blast, along with a smattering of social media posts (even on sites we haven’t seen you on in months!) to push their event.
[Raises hand and waves it around wildly]
So you mean to tell me you spent months planning this launch and then mere moments marketing it? Hmmmm.
[Silence]
Silent Launches Suck
You may be thinking: “But wait! I sent those emails. I made like, six different posts on my social sites. That’s not silent.”
Okay. Let’s look at this logically … by the numbers.
- Look at your open and CTR (click-through-rates) for the email blast you sent out regarding your launch:
- What was the % of opens?
- What was the % of clicks on your event/product/etc.?
- My guess is only a small portion (19-48% is an average, depending on your industry) opened your email, and an even smaller group clicked on your promotion.
- Look at your social metrics:
- How many people did your post(s) reach?
- How many people interacted with your post(s)?
- How many people shared your post(s)?
- My guess is these numbers are also small.
- Oh and that ad you ran on Facebook the DAY OF your event? Much too late, my friend.
- Look at your landing page where visitors are sent to sign up:
- How many people landed on this page?
- How many of the people who landed on this page converted (signed up)?
- My guess is you don’t track this information. TISK!
Be honest with yourself. After looking at the above metrics if you see very small percentages, you’re silently launching your bootcamp/webinar/event/eBook into … well … silence.
It’s no wonder your sign ups are dismal. [Cue crickets]
Four Tips For Better Sign Ups
Here’s how we like to do it for B Squared and for our clients:
- Build an interest
- Build credibility with conversation
- Provide proof
- Sell your bootcamp/webinar/event/eBook (or whatever)
Let’s look at each phase more closely:
Build An Interest
There are many ways to build an interest with your audience. Some of our faves:
- Poll your readers on the topic
- Ask your active social communities questions surrounding the topic
- Write blog posts around the topic
Once you see an interest, you can move to Phase Two: Credibility.
(Hint: If you’re not getting a good response, chances are your launch may be flawed from the start. Find a topic your audience craves and build your products/services around that!)
Build Credibility With Conversation
You’ve already started the conversation with your preliminary research. Now it’s time to start showing your credibility in the [industry/topic] space.
Ways to build credibility around your topic:
- Write more blog posts (as long as those first ones gained lots of attention)
- Make a video on the subject
- Host a webinar on the subject
Have you noticed what social pros Mari Smith and Amy Porterfield do before they launch their next paid course?
They host FREE webinars! And I bet if you follow the breadcrumbs you’ll see that they start polling and asking questions of their audiences before that webinar — and the decision to launch a certain product — takes place!
Provide Proof
We’re skeptical these days. Buyer Beware is a syndrome most of us have – especially in the marketing space where “experts” appear overnight.
The best way to combat doubt danger is to give your audience – those would-be sign ups – proof. You can do that by:
- Testing your bootcamp/webinar/event/eBook with beta users. Collect user-generated feedback on their experiences and use their quotes to highlight their positive testimonials.
- Go a step further and use that positive feedback in a video.
- Use these quotes, video or other “social proof” on your landing page or sales cart where sign ups will be making their purchase decision.
Sell Them!
After all of the above, guess what you’ve got? A LOUD and PROUD way to sell. [Cheering and clapping]
None of the above is done in a week. Heck, it’s probably not done in a month!
The days of “Wham! Bam! Thank ya ma’am!” sales are over. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: WE WANNA BE WOOED.
By following the blueprint above, you’ll have a much more targeted group interested in your launch, which should lead to many more sign ups.
The ‘Secret’ To Sign Ups
Guess what else? All of that stuff above? The steps … the blueprint … the product launch structure I just laid out?
It’s content marketing.
BAM! Let that sink in a bit and then comment below with your thoughts on successful launches. If you’ve banged one out — research to completion — in less than a week, I wanna know! (We might also want to hire you.)
See you in the social sphere!
The post Here’s Why Your Sign Ups Suck appeared first on B Squared Media – Social Media Management.