6 Steps to Catch More Opt-ins Than Ever Before (native american history)

July 31st, 2008 admin Posted in news |

By Alexandria Brown

Remember that when you have new visitors at your website, your #1 goal is to get them on your ezine list! That way you have permission to contact them again and again, educating them about your helpful services and products that they came to learn more about.

But you cant just put up a link that says free newsletter. No one cares! You need to carefully craft an opt-in box that works like a big net, catching the exact type of fish you want as your ideal clients and customers.

Also remember, dont hide your box at the bottom of your web pages. Right now, most testing shows that the best place for your opt-in box is the upper right corner loud and proud!

Here are six simple things you should have in your opt-in box that will help you get more signups than ever before.

1) An Attention-Getting HEADLINE

Remember that online readers SKIM copy - they dont read it word for word. So the headline in your opt-in box may be the ONLY thing they read, which determines whether they sign up or not. So dont waste this space saying something like Free Newsletter or even worse Sign up for our mailing list. Ugh! Instead, tell me the MOST exciting thing your ezine will give me!

Examples:

Are You Ready to Blast Off Your SALES This Year?

FINALLY: Learn How to Keep That Weight Off For Good

Insider Secrets to Writing Novels for Big Bucks

2) A Raving Description of Your Ezine

Work hard at putting together a description of your ezine that gets prospects excited to sign up! Remember theyre tuned into station WIIFM (Whats In It For ME?). Tell them what your information is going to DO for them as well as everything they GET. Examples: How-to articles, quick and easy tips, free resources, insider secrets. Aim for your description to be between 15 and 30 words.

3) A Field to Enter Their FIRST NAME.

Getting peoples names along with their e-mails allows you to personalize your ezine for them. For example, if I was on your list, your e-mail would come to me saying, Dear Ali The subject line could even say, Ali, heres your free tip. Why do you want to do this? Studies prove that having the recipients name in the subject line of your e-mails can increase your open rates by 60%!

The problem is, many people value their privacy and are hesitant to give you their full name. For this reason, just ask for their FIRST name. Its been proven that youll get MORE names from people if you only ask for the first name. (And their first name is generally all youll need anyway.)

4) A Field to Enter Their Primary EMAIL ADDRESS.

Many people have a backup or personal e-mail address that they use just for receiving online newsletters and promotions. The problem is they are often from free e-mail services like Yahoo or Hotmail. These services filter e-mail like crazy, and their mailboxes fill up quickly, so theres a good chance your e-mails wont even reach these recipients.

The solution is, simply ask for their primary e-mail. Its amazing, but simply ASKING them to enter their primary e-mail will get you more quality e-mails on your list! (Youll also get less bounce-backs from undeliverable e-mails. If you get too many of those, it raises a red flag to some spam filter programs.)

5) A BUTTON That Says Subscribe or Sign Me Up Now

Make it very clear what they should click on to activate their subscription once they type in their name and email. Dont use something confusing like a link that says submit form.

6) Your PRIVACY POLICY, right then and there.

Everyones scared to receive more spam these days, so put your prospects at ease. Dont make them wonder what youre going to do with their e-mail addresses. State right next to or below your opt-in form what your policy is. Mine is, We will never sell, rent, trade, or share your e-mail with any other organization. (Feel free to use that yourself.) DONT make people click on a link to read your privacy policy - it looks like you have something to hide. In fact, in some U.S. states, its now required that you state your privacy policy right at the point of opt-in, so its a good idea no matter where you do business.

Want to See a Sample of This in Action?

If youd like to see many of these components in action, see my pop-under box at www.ezinequeen.com/popup.htm.

And if youd like MORE step-by-step instructions on how to get more signups at your website (and beyond) and build your list bigger than ever before, see my SPECIAL REPORT: 101 Simple, FREE and Low-Cost Ways to Quickly Build a Massive EMAIL LIST, which you can learn more about here.

Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, The E-zine Queen, is creator of the award-winning Boost Business With Your Own E-zineonline newsletters system. To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for her FREE how-to marketing articles and FREE audio class, visit

www.EzineQueen.com

7 Marketing Lessons We Can Learn From TV Infomercials
By Alexandria Brown

I hate to share this, but I love watching infomercials. And I’ve ordered more than once from them! Everything from cosmetics to a cell phone accessory.

When pressed, my friends admit the same. If you sniff around most people’s homes, you’ll find SOMETHING ordered from an infomercial, whether it’s the Ronco Rotisserie or Victoria Principal’s skincare.

You may think of these often annoying programs as “trash TV”, but think again. Did you realize that they use many of the exact same strategies that we should?

Now, I don’t mean you need to scream at your customers or flash “$19.95″ in blinking digits on your website! Those are gimmicks. But what most people don’t realize is that many of the STRATEGIES that sell the kitchen doohickey gadget are the same ones that can also sell your products and programs.)

Here are 7 of my favorites:

1. They grab your attention.

Infomercials air on the most challenging medium there is out there: television. You’re just a second away from your prospect clicking their remote to the next channel. So they do their best to get your attention right away and KEEP it for as long as possible.

That’s why infomercials give bold statements and emphasize how this doohickey will change your life. You should do this too — stop beating around the bush and make it clear to your prospects how your products and services will change *their* lives!

2. They give tons of real-life testimonials.

You’ll see that TV infomercials have evolved greatly since years ago. It used to be one or two people talking to a camera for the entire time. These days most typical 30 minute spots are over 80% customer testimonials! And that’s for good reason… they are the hands-down BEST way to gain instant credibility.

A great example is for one of those home exercise machines. I noticed years ago they just showed the super-ripped guy using it on the infomercial. Now they show that guy, PLUS dozens of before and after testimonials from real-life guys with beer bellies and real jobs who used the product with success. That was a great move on their part, because c’mon, I just can’t believe that super-ripped guy got that hot looking using it just 30 minutes, 3 times a week!

3. They use personalities.

The most successful infomercials now use celebrity guest hosts. They know this gets people’s attention more than practically anything out there. Pro Activ uses Jessica Simpson. Youthful Essence (a skincare product I love) uses Susan Lucci. Even NutriSystem is now using Dan Marino in their commercials to target men.

You can do the same in your marketing. You can either hire a star, or even better, make YOURSELF the celebrity… by sharing stories, being personal, and having fun with your market.

4. They give an irresistible offer.

It’s rare these days to see an infomercial asking for you to pay for something in full. You’ll mostly see things like “3 payments of $19.95″ or “4 payments of $39.95″. Why? Cash-crunched Americans are always more concerned about cash flow than the total price. They’ll even happily pay much MORE in the end in order to gain a lower monthly payment!

You can do the same. Offer a payment plan for your products, courses, workshops, and coaching. You’ll be AMAZED at the increased response, and it’s easy to do with marketing-savvy shopping cart systems.

5. They give a strong call-to-action NOW.

These folks know that as soon as you change the channel, you’re going to forget about their product. So they make it very urgent that you pick up the phone and call them now or visit their website and order. They usually say something like “If you call in the next 10 minutes you also get…” and they list a few great bonuses.

This isn’t just specific to TV. Everyone would rather put off ANY decision these days, we’re all so busy and overwhelmed! So you need to give people a good REASON to act now, whether it’s a discount that expires, a payment plan that expires, a limited number of products or seats, a special bonus… you get the idea.

6. They sell on continuity.

What’s “continuity”? online newsletter it’s when you make ONE sale that results in multiple charges over and over. For example, because my friends have been raving about I.D. Bare Minerals natural makeup, I recently ordered a kit from their infomercial. Now, every 2 months, I receive a fresh supply in the mail, and my card is charged again. I love it because I don’t have to remember to reorder. They love it because they only had to make ONE sale, and how they’ve got me as a customer forever until I cancel!

Hear me now… continuity will change your life! Consider how you can use this principle in your business. Could you convert some of your current offerings into a monthly membership? Or instead of doing one-shot teleseminars, create an ongoing monthly program? (I did this with my Marketing & Motivation Mastermind.)

7. They repeat themselves. And repeat themselves.

And repeat themselves again! Smart marketers know it takes an average of 9 TIMES for someone to see/hear your message BEFORE they will even consider purchasing! That goes for you too. So many of my clients complain that advertising doesn’t work when they only ran one ad ONCE. Or published ONE newsletter and it didn’t get them results.

Remember it’s the ongoing exposure and repetition that breeds familiarity and trust with your prospects! And that leads to more sales than you’ve ever imagined.

Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” publishes the award-winning ‘Straight Shooter Marketing’ weekly

ezine with 20,000+ subscribers. If you’re ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at

EzineQueen.com

How Starting Your Own ‘Country Club’ Can Skyrocket Your Revenues!
By Alexandria Brown

My mom was visiting recently and during our mother-daughter shopping time I noticed something interesting. Almost all of the stores I made a purchase at asked me if I’d like to get on their mailing list. That’s very smart.

However, the WAY in which they did this made a big difference in my answer. I said NO to almost all of them because they simply did not make it enticing for me. I mean, who WANTS more junk mail? So if you simply ask me if I’d like to be on your mailing list, the answer will usually be NO.

But one store in particular got me. First of all, it was a designer clothing store I loved. Second of all, they didn’t ask me if I wanted to be on their mailing list. They invited me to become a “VIP Client”.

Say the words “VIP” to me and my ears perk up. It of course stands for “very important person”. And in general it indicates a level of advantage and prestige. Suddenly I WANTED to be on that mailing list, especially when the salesman explained to me it came with certain benefits, such as early notice on new arrivals, a personal shopping service, and private trunk shows.

And you know what? I would have even paid to be part of that - to be regarded as a VIP.

You see, people WANT to be part of something special like ezine advertising. The example above was free. But don’t underestimate how much your clients or customers will PAY to do that, either.

Example: A friend of mine recently shared he pays $15,000.00 a year to belong to the President’s Club of a local playhouse, even though he and his wife could attend each show there for just $150.00. Why would even a loyal attendee want to pay 100 times more? Special treatment like preferred seating, valet parking, invites to VIP functions, private restaurant for members only, networking with a higher level of people, etc.

Another friend of mine pays for membership at a private nightclub here in Los Angeles up on Sunset Blvd. for many of the same reasons (but more so, I believe, because it impresses his dates ; )).

My marketing mentor Dan Kennedy taught me there is a segment of virtually EVERY customer or client group or market who will happily pay FAR above standard prices for convenience, status, and special treatment.

I call it “country clubbing” your business. Why be the driving range with an hourly charge when you can be the classy six-figure membership club down the street? You can offer both of course, but look at what will skyrocket your business FASTER, with less transactions and higher quality clients.

One example of this is my private Platinum Mastermind program, which I launched in 2006 due to overwhelming demand for my personal coaching. This group of 15 serious small business owners each pay $15,000.00 a year to have greater access to me than anyone else, and in a small group setting where we meet 3 times a year at luxurious 4- and 5-star hotels and resorts.

My Platinums are, essentially, VIPs in my world! And because I maintain a bit of mystique about the group, people seem to want “in” even more. (One of my members got cornered in the ladies room at my last Online Success Blueprint Workshop by several attendees who demanded to know how they could get into Platinum!)

I share this not to impress you, but to impress upon you that in YOUR market (yes, *yours*) there IS a percentage of folks who will gladly pay MORE - much more - for a higher level of service or treatment. Remember, you’re not trying to please EVERYBODY, just the select few who can afford that level of service.

So now, take a minute or two and consider how YOU can start your own “country club” for your clients and customers. Whether it’s a VIP level of service or a private client group that meets a few times a year.

To get your wheels turning, imagine this… if you can get 10 people to commit to some type of program that is just $10,000.00 a year, that’s an extra $100,000.00 this year for YOU!

Your Information Network On Native American History And Facts

united states history

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.