SELLING PRODUCTS ONLINE USING INTERNET MARKETING EBOOK By Sade Birdow
IMpossible Academy Where we make internet Marketing Possible
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WELCOME
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DISCLOSURE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this Ebook may be modified or altered in any form whatsoever, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval system without express written, dated and signed permission from the author. AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER. The short, direct, non-legal version is this: Some of the links in this report may be affiliate links which means that I earn money if you choose to buy from that vendor at some point in the near future. I do not choose which products and services to promote based upon which pay me the most, I choose based upon my decision of which I would recommend to a dear friend. You will never pay more for an item by clicking through my affiliate link, and, in fact, may pay less since I negotiate special offers for my readers that are not available elsewhere. DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES: The information presented herein represents the view of the author as of the date of publication. Because of the rate with which conditions change, the author reserves the right to alter and update his opinion based on the new conditions. The report is for informational purposes only. While every attempt has been made to verify the information provided in this report, neither the author nor his affiliates/partners assume any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions. Any slights of people or organizations are unintentional. If advice concerning legal or related matters is needed, the services of a fully qualified professional should be sought. This report is not intended for use as a source of legal or accounting advice. You should be aware of any laws which govern business transactions or other business practices in your country and state. Any reference to any person or business whether living or dead is purely coincidental. IMpossible Academy 2020 ©
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BUILDING YOUR AUDIENCE
Many new entrepreneurs struggle with this stage of the business-building process. You see, the natural instinct is to hold off on audience-building until you have a product you can offer them. But it’s surprisingly beneficial to start building your audience as soon as possible, even if you won’t have a product to sell for a while longer. Check out these 3 audiencebuilding facts to find out why it’s vital that you start building your audience even before you have a digital product to sell.
Fact #1
Building an Audience Takes Time It’s hard to put an exact estimate on how long it will take to build a following for your brand, but building an audience doesn’t happen overnight. If you wait until your product is already developed to start finding followers, you’ll have some serious downtime before you actually have customers ready to buy when you build your audience in advance, you’ll have a list of people ready to sell to as soon as your product is ready to go live. This means you’ll be earning more from the get-go.
Fact #2
Building Trust Is Easier You probably know just how important it is to build trust between you and your audience to get them to spend money on your products. One reason people are wary to trust a business is they recognize they are being sold to. Savvy audiences are painfully aware of the fact that nearly every email that lands in their inbox and many social media posts are there to get them to spend their hard-earned money.
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BUILDING YOUR AUDIENCE So what if you don’t have a product to offer when you first start building a relationship? While people will recognize you’re starting to build a brand and will be trying to sell them something eventually, there won’t be any sales pressure at the start. This can make them more receptive to your message and help you build the authority and influence you need to sell digital products.
Fact #3:
You’ll Have a Market Research Advantage Having access to your audience in the early stages of your product development can help you thrive from the start. You’ll quickly learn exactly what your audience is interested in and get a firsthand look at what they respond well to. This way, by the time your product launches, you’ll have a solid marketing strategy that’s already been tested. Your early audience can also serve as a group of product testers. Once your product is nearly ready for release, select a handful of people to get it early and ask them for feedback. Your target audience will be able to give you valuable insight as to what’s working and what’s not.
While your instinct might be to focus on your product first and build your audience later, there are some serious advantages to connecting with your audience as early as possible.
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BUILDING YOUR AUDIENCE How exactly do you go about building an audience when you don’t have a product to offer? Thankfully, it isn’t nearly as difficult as it sounds! Here are 5 of my favorite audience building tips – let’s get started. Tip #1: Share Valuable Content Creating valuable content in the form of a blog or social media posts, for example, where you can post on a regular basis is one of the quickest ways to establish yourself as an industry authority and build trust with your target audience. Focus on posting insightful content your audience will find useful and relatable. And don’t be afraid to inject your personality into everything you publish to really let your followers know what you’re all about. Tip #2: Develop Your Social Strategy With over 2 billion active users on Facebook and 1 billion daily users on Instagram, your target audience is out there and ready to connect with your business via social media. Utilize each platform to start connecting with them early on. Fun, informative, and engaging content will get your brand the attention you need for a successful product launch. Tip #3: Get Your Followers Involved Once you have your blog and social platforms, get your audience involved as soon as possible. Encourage them to ask questions and get involved in the comments. And once they do start commenting, keep the conversation going – thank them for compliments, answer their questions and have some fun. Showing your audience you care will go a long way in building strong relationships that last.
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BUILDING YOUR AUDIENCE Tip #4: Build a Community To take audience engagement a step further, you should consider building a Facebook group for your audience to take part in. These groups are more intimate and foster more connections than comments on regular posts do. When your audience feels like they’re a part of something instead of feeling like they’re simply being targeted for sales, they’ll be more likely to buy into your brand message and make purchases later on. Tip #5: Stay in Touch via Email As you build your blog and social media pages, you should also look for opportunities to build your email list. Having a direct link to your potential customer’s inboxes will allow you to reach them with sales letters and promotions directly once you’re ready to launch your product.
Building an audience before you have a product to sell is thankfully much easier than it sounds. Through blogs, social media, engagement and email marketing, you’ll be able to build an audience eager to purchase your products and follow your brand.
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DIGITAL PRODUCTS 101 The FIRST thing you must do if you want to start selling digital products is:
You need 3 simple things to start selling digital products and most overcomplicate this process. ➜ A problem that needs to be solved. ➜ A person who wants that solution. ➜ Proof that you are the person to help this person with this problem.
Identify what you will sell!
If you can't answer these 3 questions, you're not ready to launch your product yet.
1. What problem am I solving?
2. Who needs this solution?
3. What experiences or knowledge make me qualified to solve this problem?
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These 3 questions will be the foundation of your content which builds your audience, establishes you as an authority and leads to sales for your digital product. Now let’s dive a bit deeper because you likely have no problem identifying what you DO well. Whether you’re a photographer, writer, author, teacher, fitness trainer, makeup artist, customer service rep or a nurse ... you likely have a skill you use on a daily basis. The problem comes in when it’s time to transform what’s in your head into a marketable ‘product’ AND, of course, you MUST trust in your ability to get paid to share what you know with others. But that anxiety you have about getting paid for what you know ends today.
So grab a pen and write down answers to the following 5 questions:
1. What tasks do I perform on a daily basis at work?
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2. What skills have I gained as a result of formal training or education?
3. What struggles have I overcome against all odds?
4. What struggles have I helped others overcome against all odds?
5. What questions do my family and friends ask me all the time?
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Now that you’ve identified what you will sell, it’s time to package it up into an easily digestible package your audience will love to devour. So what’s the best way to format a digital product? One that you can create fast and with a smile. While I seriously love sharing my wisdom in videos, challenges, eBooks, webinars and masterclasses, you might prefer eBooks and courses because you hate doing videos. The goal is to choose a format and move on. You’re NOT married to any one format so please don’t let this step trip you up. Here are 3 digital product formats you can develop quickly. Top 3 suggestions would be eBooks Virtual Masterclasses/Webinars Courses
1. eBooks: A specific set of steps, strategies packaged in a logical manner to lead your audience all the way through to accomplish one particular goal. To Create eBooks: Google Docs Canva InDesign Apple Pages All can be exported as a PDF file which can be uploaded to any of the sites to be delivered after purchase.
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2. Virtual Masterclasses/ Webinars: Live or pre-recorded lessons generally delivered with a slide presentation and workbook for your audience to follow along. To Create Webinar/Masterclasses: Zoom Crowdcast WebinarNinja WebinarJam EasyWebinar You can host both paid and free classes on these platforms, be mindful of classroom size.
3. Courses: A set of strategies, steps, lessons, tips or ideas tied together in a logical order and distributed on a specific schedule via email. To Create Courses: Teachable Thinkific Kajabi Teachery Coursecraft Podia Courses will be a combination of videos, PDFs, worksheets, etc. Choose ONE of the above digital product formats or pick another format so you can get the ball rolling quickly.
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PRICING YOUR DIGITAL PRODUCT As a digital entrepreneur, you probably already know just how important pricing is to the overall success of your business. You want to thrive, bringing in as much income as possible from the products you have to offer. But figuring out exactly how to price your products can be a totally overwhelming process if you don’t know where to start. Keep reading to discover how to price your digital products for success.
STEP #1: GET TO KNOW THE MARKET In order to get a baseline as to where you should start pricing, you need to check out the competition and see how much similar products cost. While you shouldn’t feel too much pressure to price your product at one specific point just because of a competitor, you DO want to know the range you should be in to be competitively priced while also making a profit. Even if this is your first product, don’t be afraid to price your service above the lower end of the scale. Remember, people perceive higher price points as higher quality product
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STEP #2: REMEMBER YOUR VALUE When you’re selling a physical product, pricing is often determined by the cost of production. Of course, this isn’t as much of a factor when it comes to digital products, so you’ll need to consider the value of your product when setting your prices. Remember, you’re putting your time and effort into teaching people a valuable skill that might be difficult for them to learn without your guidance and expert information. In many cases, this information is probably intended to change their lives in a positive way.
STEP #3: GET PSYCHOLOGICAL Whether or not you’ve noticed it, psychology is everywhere in pricing. When you go to the mall to buy a pair of jeans have you ever noticed that the price ends in .79 or .99? It’s the same at the grocery store and probably even your favorite coffee shop. Even if it’s just a few pennies, people are persuaded by these psychological pricing strategies of the price looking lower than it is. And they certainly apply to digital products as well.
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STEP #4: OFFER A BONUS People love free things – and that doesn’t change between physical and digital products. What that means is adding a freebie will undoubtedly boost the perceived value of your digital product. So, when you’re advertising your offer with a bonus, always state the estimated cost of the freebie to reinforce that extra value.
STEP #5: OFFER A GUARANTEE People are afraid of wasting their money, and it’s hard to overcome that – especially when you’re a digital entrepreneur that no one has really heard of before. Now, one thing you can do to overcome this objection is to ensure your customers they’re not throwing away their money by offering a money back guarantee. A guarantee also shows you’re confident about your product and that will often make buyers feel good about taking the leap to invest. Finding the right pricing for your products is all about understanding your market and then using the right tactics to convince your potential buyers to invest in the outcome you’re promising.
We talked about different strategies you can use to price your digital products. But the strategy doesn’t stop there! You can continue to adopt strategic pricing tactics into your selling strategy to maximize your profits.
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WAY #1: ADOPT TIERED PRICING Is your expensive product a course with an eBook and coaching or a similar package)? If it is, consider breaking it down into tiers to make it more accessible to people who may not be able to purchase the full package. For example, you might make tier 1 an eBook, tier 2 will be an eBook and the course, and tier 2 is the full shebang. Having a tiered pricing system gives customers the freedom to pick and choose what they want and what they can afford, which in turn, allows you to sell more. And if they like what they see there’s a good chance they’ll be back for more.
WAY #2: CREATE BUNDLES I LOVE bundles and nearly everyone has purchased something with bundled pricing before. Think not? Pause and reflect on your most recent visit to a fast food restaurant. That Chick-Fil-A combo you ordered with a sandwich, fries and a drink – yep that’s a “bundle.” You see, bundle pricing is a strategy companies of all sizes use to sell more and make their customers feel like they’re getting a good deal with the pricing. Just remember, all bundles are NOT created equal. So, if you want to maximize sales, be sure to bundle products that complement each other so your audience is more likely to purchase the full package.
WAY #3: CONSIDER ONGOING SUPPORT After someone purchases your product, how much time and support are they going to need from you? This is going to depend on the type of digital product you’re selling, but it’s something to keep in mind no matter what the product is. For example, you might sell an eBook that will likely require very little support from your customers once it’s been purchased, but if you’re selling a digital class or a plug-in for a website, those customers may need more of your time. Teachable Moment: Your prices should reflect the time you’ll spend supporting customers in the future, not just the time you spent creating the product. www.Impossibleacademy.org
WAY #4: KEEP YOUR EXPENSES IN MIND In order to truly maximize your profits, you need to make sure you’re making enough to cover the cost of any fees or subscriptions you might need for your business. This could include web hosting, hired freelancers, payment processing fees and even the cost of Internet in your home. Always be sure to charge enough to make a profit after expenses.
WAY #5: DON’T BE AFRAID TO RAISE THE PRICE Generally speaking, you’ll want to consider raising your prices sooner rather than later. Once you start to see success from your current price point, continue to analyze the market and use different strategies to see if you can make more from each sale by raising the price. It doesn’t need to be a lot – if you raise the price by $10 and you make 10 sales a day, you’ve made an extra hundred dollars in only 24 hours.
*Pro Tip: The key to maximizing your profits is continuing to adopt new pricing strategies and experimenting with different selling tactics. Once you do that, you’ll find it easier to maximize your profits and find the success you’ve been after.
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PRODUCTÂ PLANNING Product Title :
How will the product be structured? How To / Tutorial
Video
Case Study
eBook
Membership
Worksheets/ Checklist
Webinar/Workshop
Audio
What one problem does this product solve for my audience?
What resources do I have that can be used in the creation of this product?
What resources do I have that can be used in the creation of this product?
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PRODUCTÂ PLANNING What will be my price point for this product?
What is my sales goal for this product?
How will I promote/market this product?
Product Plan
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MARKETING 101 As a new business owner, you likely have more time than cash. And that’s understandable because right now you’re spending most of your precious 24 hour a day learning how to bring in more revenue. Now, I know they say, “it takes money to make money,” and while that IS true, I’m flipping the script just a little by sharing three easy marketing strategies that will require time, not money.
STRATEGY #1: HOSTING A WEBINAR Hosting free webinars is a great way to introduce your services and products to a larger audience AND boost your influence and authority levels. Choose an appealing topic and title and you’ll attract more interest. Don’t have the budget to cover the cost of webinar hosting software? Don’t worry, just check out: Zoom - zoom.us/pricing Join.me - join.me ezTalks - eztalks.com/pricing Or, you can deliver your wisdom directly via Facebook/Instagram Live.
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MARKETING 1010 STRATEGY #2: SENDING OUT SOME EMAILS Now, if you have an email address (which I’m sure you do), you’re pretty familiar with the promotional emails flooding your inbox on a daily basis. And while you may side eye the number of emails you receive, numbers don’t lie: Studies show that businesses bring in an average return of $43 for every $1 spent on email marketing, making email the most cost-effective way to promote your services, engage your audience and reach your business goals. Now, you can choose from a variety of email service providers that allow you to send emails to a large group of people without being labeled as a spammer. I use and love ConvertKit.
STRATEGY #3: RECORDING (AND SHARING) VIDEOS Video content has become one of the most important pieces of a successful marketing strategy. Why? Because in this online world of fakes and phonies, it gives your audience the chance to know, like and trust the real you.
But I get it – the thought of recording and sharing your face on a video might scare the mess out of you ... but having a business that doesn’t generate profits should scare you even more. You have to weigh your fears. Yes, video marketing can be scary but there are things you can do to make it easier. For example, if you don’t want to show your face on screen, use presentation slides. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking from the top of your head, use notes.
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STRATEGY 4: USING SOCIAL MEDIA Okay so you may already use Instagram, Facebook and other social media platforms to share memes, funny videos, Bible verses and so on. And while everybody loves a good word of inspiration, that’s not how you market on social media. Yes, showing your human side is a great thing, but it can’t be ALL you do on the platform. With 77% of the U.S. population using social media, it’s a great way to reach and engage your ideal clients. In addition to posting promotional content, you can interact with clients via comments and direct messages and share valuable content that helps establish you as an influencer and industry expert.
So, now that you have a few key marketing strategies in your back pocket, it’s time to start thinking about how you can use these tactics to grow your audience (and revenue).
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BRAINSTORM
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EMAIL MARKETING Let’s dig deeper into the most cost-effective marketing technique ever – email marketing. When done right, emails will drive traffic to your website, increase conversions and build brand loyalty. Studies have shown that people look at their phones around 150 times a day – so if you send them an email, there’s a pretty good chance they’re going to see it sooner rather than later. But how do you make sure your email campaigns are effective? These three essential tips will get you off to a successful start.
TIP #1: MAKE YOUR EMAILS WORTH READING Were you one of millions of fans who tuned in every Thursday night to watch “Scandal”? Like really, the show had a cult-like following and that’s exactly the type of excitement you want people to have when you drop an email in their inbox on a weekly, monthly or even daily basis. To do this, you must make your emails interesting by including personal stories, valuable tips and relatable situations that both excite and educate your subscribers. Another awesome tool for personalization are features that allow you to segment your subscribers into different subgroups. This is super helpful if you have a broad audience that can be narrowed down by specific interests or locations. This way, the content is always relevant to their needs and wants.
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TIP #2: DELIVER CLICK-WORTHY SUBJECT LINES If you want subscribers to read your emails, you first have to get them to open your emails.. The best way to do this is to create an irresistible subject line. There are a lot of ways to make your subject lines interesting. You can make a surprising claim, ask a question, make a timely pop culture reference, reel them in with a mysterious phrase or word like “announcement.” Get creative and switch it up every week. People will be way more enticed to click on these emails over those simply labeled “weekly newsletter.”
TIP #3: ENCOURAGE CONVERSATION Marketing email scan open the door to authentic communication with your audience. Like you, your subscribers receive tons of emails every day. Now, because there’s so much information being thrown at them from all angles, you really need to step outside the box to give them a reason to bust open your emails and take action – buy, download or whatever you’re asking them to do. Which brings us to my final point. Be sure to include a call to action (CTA) in your emails that specifically asks your subscribers to do something. Don’t have anything to sell yet? Don’t worry. You should still ask your subscribers to respond to your emails with feedback on content topics, service ideas and so on so you can keep the conversation going (and create products and services your audience will race to buy).
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BRAINSTORM
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VIDEO MARKETING I know creating videos might scare you, but you have to weigh your fears. For example, you KNOW video marketing can attract more clients, so the question is: Are you more afraid of recording a video or of not making enough money for your business to survive? While you think about that, let’s go ahead and explore three strategies video marketing strategies you can use to attract new clients, generate more revenue and grow your audience.
STRATEGY #1: EXPLAIN SOMETHING NEW Explained videos are extremely popular, especially on social media. These videos are created to show your audience how you or your service helps to ease their pain points. You can get creative with these – tell a story and illustrate how you’re addressing the problem. It gives the audience a good reason to choose you over the competition. Videos like this should max out at about 3 minutes. You’ll want to include a strong call to action at the end of the video, encouraging viewers to learn more about your brand or to make a purchase.
STRATEGY #2: GO LIVE Live videos are the most popular on social media and you should definitely start incorporating them into your overall video strategy as soon as possible. It can be intimidating to go in front of a live audience knowing there aren’t any do-overs, BUT believe it or not that actually adds to the appeal. You’ll be more personable and build trust with your audience when you aren’t hiding behind video edits. You can use live video in a lot of different ways. Live Q&As can b a great way to break into live content since you can go with the flow of the conversation and work on building a connection with your audience. You can also try going live for any big announcements or to give viewers a look at your daily operation. www.Impossibleacademy.org
STRATEGY #3: COLLECT TESTIMONIALS Hate recording videos of yourself? You’re going to LOVE this video marketing strategy. Here, you’ll ask your clients to provide video testimonials as a way to validate your expertise and prove you can do what you say you can. Sharing testimonials is a great way to attract new clients. And putting a face and audio to positive reviews and feedback makes them even stronger in persuading people to buy from you. Remember, people want to buy from other people they trust. Ask your clients to keep videos to 2 minutes or less. That way, you’ll encourage viewers to watch them all the way through. Oh, and you can use testimonials pretty much everywhere – in ads, on social media and your website. Just make sure they feel authentic – clients can smell a fake right away!
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BRAINSTORM
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SALES FUNNELS 101 Sales Funnels. You’ve probably heard the phrase plenty of times before, and yet, I still find that a lot of entrepreneurs don’t really have a strong handle on what they really are, how they work or why they need them in their businesses. So, if you’re feeling a little clueless – don’t worry. I’m here to break down this whole sales funnel situation, but FIRST, let’s start with the basics.
WHAT IS A SALES FUNNEL? To put it simply, sales funnels are your money makers. This is how you’re going to convert your website visitors and social media followers into paying customers at the end of the day. The purpose of a sales funnel is to move prospects through the stages of the customer journey, from the moment they become aware of their need for your products and services until they make a purchase from you. No matter what kind of business you own, every prospect will invariably travel through 4 core stages of the customer journey. At each stage of the journey, as the supplier, you’ll address a specific need for your prospect until they choose to invest. Now, let’s take a look at the 4 core stages of the customer journey.
STAGE #1: AWARENESS In the awareness stage, the customer has become aware of your business and has a general understanding of what it is you have to offer. At this point, they may or may not be totally aware of the struggles they need to overcome in finding a solution to whatever problem they are trying to solve. The awareness stage usually occurs when they’ve come across an advertisement or a post on social media, but it can also be through word of mouth or by some other advertising means.
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STAGE #2: INTEREST People in the interest stage are aware that they have a problem that needs to be solved and are actively looking for ways to overcome it. They might be Googling or browsing business on social media to locate someone that can help them. This is where customers will finally express an interest in your brand. They know you might be able to provide what they’re looking for, so they follow you on social media or subscribe to your email list to learn a bit more about what you offer.
STAGE #3: DECISION Once someone enters the decision stage, they’re thinking more seriously about whether or not they want to purchase what you have to offer. At this point, they’ve probably looked into your products, have done research on your company and have investigated your pricing. They’ve also probably done similar research on your competition. So, it’s at this point that the funnel really starts to narrow and it’s here that businesses have the opportunity to seal the deal.
STAGE #4: ACTION Eventually, the customer is going to make a final decision, take action and purchase what appeals to them most.
Now that you understand the stages of the customer journey, you’re ready to learn the steps you’ll need to take to create a sales funnel of your own.
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STEP #1: FILL THE FUNNEL The secret ingredient in every profitable sales funnel is LEADS – and lots of them. So to kick off this whole sales thing, you have to find a way to fill the funnel. To do this, you can send out an email asking subscribers to share their struggles with you. You can make a post on Instagram or Facebook asking people to message you for the solution to XYZ. Alternatively, if you have a Facebook group, you can run a poll asking people to vote on their BIGGEST struggle.
STEP #2: HOOK THE PEOPLE Now that you have the attention of your audience, you need to hook them with free, valuable information AND tell them how to access the information. Will they need to watch a webinar, download an eBook or schedule a FREE strategy call? During this step, you have to clearly communicate what and why you’re sharing the information, how it will help your audience and provide clear instructions on how they can consume the information.
STEP #3: OFFER A SOLUTION Now that they’ve consumed your free information, it’s time to offer a way for your audience to level up and solve their struggles once and for all. This initial offer is typically referred to as a “tripwire,” which is simply a low-cost offer you make to subscribers once they’ve handed over their email address. This tripwire offer can be a video course, a paid challenge, an audit, a how-to guide, fast-action coaching calls and so much more.
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HERE ARE SOME THINGS TO NOTE FOR YOUR TRIPWIRE OFFERS: Give them a no-brainier price of $97 or less Make sure the offer is relevant to the core product or service you’ll be offering after the tripwire Ensure it’s at least 10X more valuable than what you shared in your free lead magnet Think of the initial offer as one that shifts the subscriber from freebie seeker to buyer
STEP #4: HIT YOUR MONEY MOVE After taking your subscriber from freebie seeker to buyer it’s time to unveil your core, signature offer or product. This can be an online course, mastermind retreat, monthly coaching sessions, tickets to a live event – the options are almost unlimited. Now, if your subscribers found value in your free content and even more value in your initial offer, the likelihood of them racing to invest in your core offer is pretty high.
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MAP YOUR SALES FUNNEL
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MAP YOUR SALES FUNNEL
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FREE VS. PAID CONTENT WHAT’S THE BIG DIFFERENCE? As a digital entrepreneur, you’re already aware there’s a ton of content out there on just about any given topic. And you’re also well aware some of it is free while some of it is locked behind a paywall. You know you need both types of content to grow and create profits for your digital business, but figuring out what content should be free and what you should charge for can be tricky. So, what exactly is the difference between free and paid content? Well, while every creator will have different guidelines about how much they choose to give away, there are some things to remember that will help you differentiate between the two. Keep these 3 things in mind when you’re deciding whether your content should be free or paid.
THING #1: FREE CONTENT ONLY GIVES AWAY PART OF THE TOTAL SOLUTION. Anyone can access free content, and you should try to expose as many people to it as possible. People find your content because they need information on a particular subject, but it’s important not to tell them everything they need to know. If they get everything they need from looking at your freebies, they’ll never be motivated to make a purchase for the full solution. Your paid content, on the other hand, should be a comprehensive solution to the pain point. You never want a paying customer to feel like they still don’t have any idea what they’re doing after using your product, so always take the time to craft your most in-depth and complete content for your paid products.
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THING #2: KEEP YOUR AUDIENCE COMING BACK FOR MORE. Your free content isn’t just valuable for new viewers – it should be able to keep your regulars coming back for more. Most people in your audience won’t make a purchase after reading just one free piece of content, and that’s okay! But if your free content is valuable and unique, you’ll keep those audience members interested in what you do and coming back to your site for more. As you use this free content to build trust and generate interest in your business, more and more of your audience members will begin making purchases and buying into what you’re selling. And once they’ve purchased a solution from you and see real results, they’re even more likely to be repeat customers.
THING #3: REMEMBER, IT’S POSSIBLE TO GIVE TOO MUCH AWAY. Some creators make the mistake of giving all they’ve got away in their blogs, to their email lists and on their social pages. But if you give all of your content away for nothing, there won’t be anything left for your customers to pay for! Some people object to paying for digital content, saying it can all be found for free elsewhere. But gathering all of the necessary information from various free sources takes time and effort. Remember…you’re selling total solutions to help people overcome their pain points.
Figuring out where to draw the line between free and paid content can be tricky. But if you remember your free content should be used to grow your audience and build trust while your paid content should be total solutions, you should be able to strike the perfect balance.
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Many entrepreneurs are afraid to start selling their content because of all the objections they’re likely to face. What if no one buys? What if people say the content wasn’t worth it? What if it’s a failure? Remember, there will always be people who only want the freebies. And that’s okay! No business on the planet converts 100% of their prospects, and you won’t either. But it can be helpful to have a better understanding of why people pay for content to overcome those uncertainties and develop even better products. So, here are 5 reasons your audience might pay for your content.
REASON #1: THEY’VE TRIED TO LEARN ON THEIR OWN AND THEY AREN’T SEEING RESULTS OR THEY’RE SEEING SOME RESULTS AND WANT MORE. Learning on your own without any kind of structure in place is hard, especially if you have no idea where to start. Without the guidance of an expert, it can feel totally impossible to get the desired results. But purchasing a package of content that’s laid out in a sensible order eliminates this struggle and fast-tracks results.
REASON REASON #2: THEY HAVE A SPECIFIC NEED THAT GENERAL INFORMATION OUT THERE DOESN’T QUITE COVER. There’s a ton of content out there, but a lot of free information is high-level and doesn’t always dig into the nitty-gritty parts of a topic. For some people, the topics they want to know more about just aren’t widely covered by the freebies. And if the information is available in free articles, most likely it’s so hidden it’s nearly impossible to find.
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REASON #3: THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND GET REAL FEEDBACK FROM SOMEONE WITH EXPERIENCE. Asking questions and getting feedback from an instructor is a valuable part of any learning experience. Not everything you read online will make sense immediately, and having someone to clear up any confusion makes the whole process easier. It offers an opportunity to share opinions and form a connection with someone who has similar interests as well.
REASON #4: THEY WANT TO LEARN FROM SOMEONE WITH REAL EXPERIENCE. There’s a lot of content out there, and sometimes it’s hard to tell if the person who wrote it actually knows what they’re talking about. There’s nothing stopping people from publishing content that makes them sound like an expert, even if they’re just beginning. With paid content, all of the information is coming from the same source.
REASON #5: LEARNING ALONE IS SCARY. Doing something new is always a little nerve wracking, even if it’s just sitting alone and reading about something new. Paid content often offers buyers a support system of other students, message boards, coaching calls and other resources making the process less scary.
Everyone has their own reasons for purchasing content, but understanding the thought process of your potential buyers can help you create better content and overcome the fear of failure.
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GROW YOUR BUSINESS Daily Business Action Checklist
Create a daily to-do list. Post to social media, remember content should inform, educate, inspire, entertain or connect. Use Instagram Story to share behind the scenes, minitrainings, Q&A’s, product highlights, work with me, etc. - Aim for 8-10 Stories daily and give a clear call to action. - Share to FB as well if applicable. Respond to comments and engagement on all platforms Answer and follow up on direct message to engagers thanking them, opening up further conversation, etc. (Followup, not cold contact.) Complete the 25 comment challenge: Comment on 25 pages throughout the day, this can be your followers, brands you follow or related hashtags. Give value and leave meaningful comments, aim for at least 4 words. Share email freebie, check email content. Give at least one call to action for a product. Check ads, schedule, adjust, etc. Provide value and ask for the sale! Check all links!
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GROW YOUR BUSINESS Weekly Business Actions Checklist
Set a profit goal for the week, product focus, and break down what’s needed. Send at least 1 core piece of content to email list (then resend to un-opens that evening or following morning) Send at least 1 sales email (always lead with value and end with a solid call to action)
Use Livestream at least once to share content, drive traffic, and build connections with your audience. Get at least one new testimonial you can promote in your content, on social, etc. Schedule influencer or sponsored ads for the week. Update budget and review content. Monthly Business Actions Review all stats - Traffic to website - Visitors - Pageviews Products - Top 5-10 products for the month - Best conversions - Best-selling product - Worst-selling product Ads - Budget Spent - ROI - Email Growth (starting - ending) Social media stats - Followers - Engagement - Content www.Impossibleacademy.org
BRAINSTORM
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BRAINSTORM
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TOOL TO CONSIDER Canva Pro: graphics, digital products, and adding videos. Convertkit: Email provider, simple funnels, and community growth. Kajabi: courses, Masterclasses, and Digital Products Squarespace: website, sales pages when needed and landing pages. WebinarJam: To host my weekly classes (paid and free) Loom Pro: Recording screen shares and course content Zoom: Webinars, group chats, masterclasses LeadPages (Website & Landing Pages): conversion marketing with landing pages ClickFunnels: Funnels & Capture Pages Aweber: Email Marketing Screencast-O-Matic: creen recording and video editing platform Fiverr: home for digital, creative, web programming, copywriting, audio, video and other professional services, providing a onestop shop for millions of digital services. When you are considering any tool, software or platform always think about how it will fit into your current tools, will it replace any and does it pay for itself.
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ADDITIONAL NOTES Sales Strategy - The $9.99 Flash Sale This strategy is perfect for repurposing old Lives that have a lot of value, eBooks, or older Masterclasses that you may not be selling currently. The price is enticing enough to be a no-brainier, you may already have testimonials or feedback that you can share, and when you make it a limited time offer it adds scarcity so they have an extra incentive to take action now. What do you need? ➜ An email list or social media audience ➜ The product you want to offer for $9.99 ➜ Countdown Timer for sales page or email What to do? Swipe My Email and update this to your own content, you can also use the same format for social media.
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Hey [customize their name here], I’ve been getting a ton of questions about [Insert the main problem or pain point your product highlights]. I decided to check out my archived products and I have found the perfect solution for you. For the next [24-48 hours] I’m running a special price on [insert product here.] and you can [give outcome of product] for $[sales price vs. regular price.] [The product] also covers: Give a list of 2-3 things they’ll learn in the product. ➜ ➜ ➜ Go to [insert link] to grab [product] for only $9.99! Insert Countdown timer. You can use emailtimers.com or Motionmailapp.com Let me know if you have any questions! [Your name]
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ADDITIONAL NOTES Questions are always content. This can apply to eBook topics, Live topics, Masterclasses, or even courses. Your audience will tell you exactly what they want to know which will turn into exactly what they will buy if you pay attention to the questions they are asking. I keep a running Note on my phone that documents questions my audience has asked.
You can find questions: Social media: Pay attention to the comments, especially the threaded replies questions come up in them frequently. Email: What questions are you getting in response to your own emails and what type of emails are you receiving from others in your industry? Online communities: Facebook groups are gold mines for questions, make sure you are interactive in 2-3 groups that cater to your target client. Conferences, in-person and networking events: What topics are being promoted? Podcasts: Who is a top podcaster in your industry? What are their topics? Can you reuse any of them to apply to your brand? YouTube: What are some of the top watched videos? What questions are they answering? Pay attention to the hashtags that you use and do your research. For example did you know that #valentinesday is a banned hashtag? A banned hashtag means if you are using the tag on your post Instagram will limit your reach and possibly flag your account for spam which will make it harder to gain traffic in the future. Check your tags and do your research, a quick Google search will give you a list of current banned hashtags. www.Impossibleacademy.org
ADDITIONAL NOTES How do you determine what your audience would be willing to buy? 1 ➜ Do your market research, you’re not the only person selling your type of content so what else is available in the market? You should not be trying to to reinvent the wheel pay, attention to what is already working. 2 ➜ Check out your competition. You should know at least 3-5 brands/businesses that share a similar audience. 3 ➜ Take polls or surveys. You can do this on your Instagram Story, in Facebook groups or through your email list. Take notes when other people make polls that have related content. 4 ➜ Ask questions. You’ll hear me say this at least once a day. Questions are always content! The way you can answer the question is often how you’ll find your product. You can’t just ask once or twice either this should be a consistent habit. 5 ➜ Check out blogs and Pinterest. What are recent popular topics that relate to the content or products you offer?
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ADDITIONAL NOTES Example of price points Ebooks - $9 - Sale Price - $19 - Regular Sales Price - $29 - Final Price Masterclasses - $29 - $49 Early Pricing - $49 - $99 Final Pricing If the early bird price is $29, final price is $49, if the early bird price is $49, final price is $99. I normally do 200-250 at early bird pricing, then regular prices. - Classes that are 60-75 minutes are my $29 to $49. - 90 minutes or more are my $49 to $99. Courses - $199 - First 200-250 - $299- Regular Pricing - $499- Final Pricing These are starter prices as your sales increase, so dose your value. Know your worth and add tax. Don’t make it complicated.
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ADDITIONAL NOTES Audit Challenge: Review the last 9 posts on your business page and answer these questions: 1 ➜ Did I teach my audience anything about my business? 2 ➜ Did I give them a tip or a tool that they can apply to get a quick win that's related to the content or products I offer? 3 ➜ Did they learn anything about me? 4 ➜ Have I shared a video, IG: Live or IG: TV? 5 ➜ Have I promoted my freebie to get them to sign up for my mailing list? 6 ➜ Have I given a call to action? 7 ➜ Have I shared something that establishes me as a qualified person?
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48 SOCIAL MEDIA POST IDEAS 1. A poll for your followers 2. Photos of your employees 3. A video promo for one of your products or services 4. Content that your customers have created (related to your business) 5. Case studies from customers 6. A link to your newest blog post 7. A behind the scenes video of your business 8. Company accomplishments and milestones 9. A link to an older blog post 10. An infographic 11. Valuable information from other inuencers 12. A tutorial video on a common problem 13. A tip or trick that will solve a simple challenge 14. Inspirational quotes 15. Inspirational images 16. Information about upcoming events 17. Giveaways 18. Customer reviews 19. Testimonials 20. Historical info related to your business (throwback photos, etc.) 21. Company culture posts (photos, behind the scenes, etc.) 22. Industry related news 23. A question for your followers to answer 24. Holiday-related posts 25. An answer to a commonly asked question 26. Links to free resources 27. Job listings 28. Hiring announcements 29. Live videos 30. Links to promote email signups
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48 SOCIAL MEDIA POST IDEAS 31. Inviting your customers to ask any questions 32. Asking for customer feedback 33. Product reviews 34. An industry-related statistic 35. Promotion of a partner business 36. A comment on a trending topic 37. Links to valuable tools 38. A day in the life post (CEO, COO, etc.) 39. Favorite product recommendations 40. Links to sales and specials 41. Photos from recent company events 42. Thank your followers for something 43. Expert insights into a topic 44. A weekly roundup of helpful resources you’ve found 45. A sneak peek at something that’s coming 46. An industry-related prediction 47. A creative use for one of your products 48. Promote your products and services
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BUSINESS BLUEPRINT
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TARGET MARKET CUSTOMER AVATAR
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PRODUCT PLANNING Now that you have all the tools you need and the knowledge you are ready to plan out your products and start selling them online
Top 5 goals
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Make S.m.a.r.t. Goals
Specific - Your goal should be clear, direct and detailed Measurable - You should be able to tract your progress Attainable - Is your goals realistic Relevant - Aligns with your mission Time Based - What is your deadline
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TAKE AWAY NOTES
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BRAINSTORM
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THANK YOU I hope you found great value in my Internet Marketing Possible eBook. I look forward to connecting with you. If you have questions or concerns or need further assistance with marketing your products go to impossibleacademy.org and schedule a strategy call today. Best Wishes, Sade Birdow
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