Ever had that moment where you’re working your fingers to the bone to follow all these marketing trends, building your email lists, publishing share-worthy content and basically rocking your customers’ world”¦
But then, when you look at the revenue and the money you put in, you think “Where did all the money go?” You get frustrated and fret that you’re doing all the wrong things.
Have you been there? Admit it, because I have.
You’ve worked so hard to build a credible business, to follow all the suggested strategies, and for what? To end up with little to no profit.
The problem here is that real-world marketing takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight, and without professional support, expect to spend money testing stuff in the early stages.
If you’re looking for a way to market your business that will deliver a strong ROI, then you need a sales funnel.
What is a sales funnel?
A sales funnel is an automated journey that your customers take from discovering your business to making a purchase. Some funnels are more complicated than others and will include retargeting and email marketing, but we’ll get to that later.
Set your goals.
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let’s establish what it is you are looking to promote and how you will reach people. There’s nothing worse than setting up a sales funnel with no real goal in mind.
For example, let’s say you’re looking to promote SEO services to business owners and marketing managers. There are thousands of companies out there selling the same service – all with testimonials and five-star ratings. What makes you any different?
Establish what matters to your audience, and hit them with that right away! Don’t start with something generic like, “Benefit from our award-winning marketing services.” It’s okay, but doesn’t pack a punch.
If you’re struggling to find a unique selling point, then opt for a giveaway.
People love free stuff. If you start your funnel with a free resource that can be downloaded in exchange for personal data, that’s a win. People get something free that has your branding all over it and showcases your credibility. And you receive precious data (name, email, phone number, company, etc.) that can be used to retarget them once you’ve gained their trust.
Send follow-up emails.
Once you have captured interest – and data – you can start hitting people with promotions. There are many different approaches when it comes to following up with emails. This will depend on the nature of your business and your relationship with prospects.
Here are just some of the ways to can follow up with prospects:
Offer:
Having an offer will put you ahead of the competition. That’s an offer, not a product. What you have to understand is that everyone has a product to sell. You will forever be battling it out on the price.
Having an offer will significantly increase your conversion rate.
The definition of an offer is a bundle of products that, once packaged together, create an attractive deal.
For example, let’s take a mobile phone company selling an identical phone to another provider. This strategy is like gold dust. Instead of promoting a phone like all other providers, why not throw in some freebies? So, not only are you giving people a phone but also a screen protector, headset and manual. That’s a quick example that can be applied to any industry.
Just ensure that you keep production costs low and the perceived value high so that you profit from your bundle deal. Pretty neat, right?
Story:
Are you a business owner with a story to tell? If so, incorporate that into your sales funnel.
Remember, these people have just entered your funnel and may need to know more before parting with their hard-earned cash. A lot of that comes from getting to know the business owner.
Think about the popular UK talent show, The X Factor. You will probably hear the term’ likeability factor’ thrown around a lot. Basically, someone could be a rubbish singer but they have an infectious personality. The audience loves them and, therefore, they will sell records. It should be about talent, but likeability comes first every time.
The same goes for your business. You could be promoting the most innovative service or product but without the personality to sell it, you won’t get far.
Let’s say you’re a public speaker who routinely confronts crowds of thousands. You have to be bold, daring and confident. But did you always feel like that? Oh, no! Your confidence has grown, matured, over time.
Teach people that feeling nervous is perfectly normal. Make them aware of your story. You will appear relatable, which helps build trust and confidence in your abilities as a business owner.
The important thing to remember is that all of the above is automated. Once set up, you don’t have to lift a finger. Your sales funnel will bring in leads at all hours of the day and night.
How do you set up a sales funnel?
Use a funnel creation and automation tool, like Clickfunnels.
Clickfunnels will give you everything needed to create high-converting landing pages and follow-up emails. Here you can automate everything in your funnel, keeping all marketing and costs with one provider. You don’t need external email software, a coding expert or content writer to craft funnels. Clickfunnels will include templates with design and content elements. What’s more, there’s even video tutorials to help if you get stuck.
Where do I promote my sales funnel?
You need a little bait to lure people into your funnel. That bait is paid advertising. Unlike a website with organic rankings, a sales funnel is all about targeted marketing. Both websites and funnels are essential. They help you drum up revenue through multiple marketing methods.
Ask yourself, “where does my audience spend time?” That location is where you need to promote your sales funnel.
I can recommend both Facebook ads and Google AdWords as exceptional ways to generate clicks from potential customers. The targeting options are laser-focused on location, interests and even behaviors to help you reach your ideal customer.
About the author:
Mark Woodcock is the Managing Director of the online marketing company, Bigfoot Digital. He specializes in the creation of high-converting sales funnels and advertising with exceptional results. If you are looking for support in creating an automated sales funnel that bring in sales, even as you sleep, get in touch on 01226 720 755.