Your Irresistible Offer, Opt-in Offer, or Freebie (depending on what you call it) is your website's most important element; - it is the Eye-Capture element that:
a) Identifies your ideal client; let's your ideal client know they are in the right place and you have a solution for their burning need
b) Helps you connect with your ideal client; they enter their (name and) eMail address in order to receive the "powerful" irresistible FREE Offer they see on your website
The LEAST EFFECTIVE FREEBIES*
* for simplicity sake, let's just call them "freebies"
Before we explore the most effective freebies, let's first mention the ones that you should avoid in your lead-generation efforts:
→ "Sign up for my Newsletter (if you have this on your website, let me use my psychic powers and impress you with guessing how many subscribers you get every month. Ready? 7 - yes, I guessed it almost exactly, right? Ok, kidding asside - most people with this type of "lead-gen" vehicle on their website, get between 0 to 10 subscribers per month. You could be getting 30 to 100s per month; so read on...
→ "Enter your name and eMail to Get Updates" - oh, NO! Nobody signs up for "updates" - that's so "1990s" strategy
→ "Download my Free eBook is another weak relationship-builder freebie; as most people download them with the good intention that later they'll read it, but most never get to it. A Free Downloadable eBook, though, can be tweaked to be a great lead-generator, if you set it up with Follow-up AutoResponder messages, reminding your ideal client every few days (2 to 3 times a week) on what to do first - which chapter to read first, what actions to take... what to read next, actions to take... etc.
The key with any free downloadable content is to be structured in a way that it builds your relationship with your ideal client.
Make Your Offer Irresistible
The key is to make this Irresistible Offer so powerful and SO RELEVANT that your ideal client only has ONE CHOICE: Share their contact info in exchange for your offer.
Let's explore some of the most effective freebies. Notice that each of these can be structured in a way that they are easily consumable and get you regularly in front of your ideal clients, developing the Know, Like, and Trust factor.
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25 Most Effective Types of Opt-in FREEBIE Offers
* In no particular order
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- Free Self-Coaching eCourse – keep it simple, with each part of the course containing one or two paragraphs of text and two to three bullet-points of calls to action, telling the reader what exactly to do to move towards their goal.See a sample of one our Self-Coaching Courses, here: 90-Days Life Coaching Business-Building and Marketing Planner (opens in new window)
- eCourse – this, and the Self-Coaching eCourse, are probably the most utilized lead generators, and the most effective way to connect with your ideal clients.→ Create a 5, 7, 9, or 10-part course with each part of the course delivering one single implementable action step.
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→ Keep each part of the course short, with a clear call to action. Let them know what’s coming up in the next part – generate anticipation on the next cool value puzzle-piece that they’ll get (2 to 3 days later ) – be specific – let them know when the next part is coming.
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.→ Once your multi-part course is over, do not stop. Add more follow-up messages to your AutoResponder....In each of your follow-up messages, ask your subscriber how did the implementation of the course go? Remind them of a crucial tweak “in part one that could make all the difference…”→ In each message bring their attention to an important aspect that makes your course easier/more effective to implement.
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→ Starting in your 3rd or 4th message of your eCourse, start mentioning your Complimentary Session or other entry-level service, product, or whatever you got that’ll take your subscriber closer to your main offer.Here is a sample eCourse: How to Find a Profitable Coaching Niche (opens in new window)
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→ - Video eCourse – these days Video IS King(!) and it’s one of the most effective way to connect with your ideal clients. Given the choice between signing up for an eCourse or a Video Course with the same title & same description, video courses will outperform eCourses every time.
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If you have a little experience in front of video, a video course is not much harder to create than an eCourse. Keep each video at 3 to 5 minutes long; though, a little longer will work great too, if you provide excellent implementable content.
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The key, though, is not to overwhelm your subscriber, but rather give them one implementable nugget AND generate anticipation for the next part of the course.
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Many find it it’s easier to first create an eCourse, then based on that, create the Video Course. Create your outline, or the eCourse first, then put on FaceBook Live Events for each part of your eCourse; then use the recordings for your Video Course.
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This way you whack three birds with on stone:
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1) you are building your relationship with your ideal clients
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2) you are generating videos for your Video Course
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3) you are building content in FaceBook Business Page - potentially a crucial puzzle piece to your business-growth strategy - (Downloadable) MP3 Audio Course – use the similar concept as described above, for the video course - and, yes, can convert video recordings into MP3 files... and can add them to your Podcast, if you decide to make Podcasting part of your marketing mix
. - Easy to Implement GUIDE– here at ClientsEnrollmentFunnels we provide dozens of XYZ Made Easy type GUIDES - for example, LinkedIn Marketing Made Easy - Action Guide; or Instagram Marketing Made Easy - Action Guide; etc.
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The most effective guides contain exact steps on how to achieve something, with screen-shots, and info on related resources (your coaching, group coaching, home-study program, online coaching program, membership, etc.).
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Make sure to set up an AutoResponder series to remind your subscriber of each next step; OR deliver the guide in an eCourse format.Request one of our Guides if you'd like to see how ours are structured. Choose two or three topics from HERE, and mention which is your first and 2nd choice - click HERE to send a message!
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- Templates – Templates are another great lead-generator and relationship builder. This is probably not equally applicable to every coaching niche; but for us business and marketing coaches it's an excellent way to generate small business-owner leads, as everyone is looking for such "short-cuts."Same as with the Guide, set up an AutoResponder series to remind your subscriber how to implement and how to use each template.
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This freebie will be most effective if you can deliver a series of templates; or one template, but has a complex process in using it or implementing it, and your follow-up messages advise on how to best use the template.
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- FREE Access to Membership Area – another super-powerful way to generate leads and connect with your ideal clients. Give them full access to a (simple) membership program that focuses on a specific need your ideal clients have. Within the modules of your course/s, mention your coaching, group coaching, or your paid Online Coaching Program… or whatever your premium priced offer is.
. - Multi-Part Challenge – FaceBook Challenge or challenge hosted on your website, membership site, or 100% AutoResponder-delivered.See a sample challenge here: How to Create Your Online (Signature) Coaching Program, 9-Days Challenge.
. - Action Steps Planner or Action-Calendar – most people are overwhelmed by all the choices they have, and feel lost - don't know what to do next... Offer an Action-Steps Planner or Calendar that'll show them step-by-step how to achieve their goals.
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- Book Give-away – One of the most powerful type of Lead-Generator and Business-Generator, is giving away - yep, at NO COST - a physical book. You do ask for a shipping fee, though, and for most of us that fee (almost) covers the whole cost.When someone pulls out their credit card to pay for the shipping fee, they just expressed that they are a serious potential customer/client.Once they make their purchase, on the Thank You page you can offer them an entry level offer to your membership site, online coaching program, or an invite to join your upcoming group coaching, or to apply for a Complimentary Session.
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. - USB Memory Stick – this definitely is a costly freebie, but if it's used to generate very targeted leads - and if you can easily convert a good percentage of those leads into clients - this too is a very effective lead-generator. But, just like with any one-time downloads, this too can be very ineffective, unless combined with follow-up AutoResponder messages.
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This type of opt-in freebie is usually used by business or marketing coaches (and consultants) - and by "high-ticket, 6- or 7-figure" offer coaches; and on the memory stick they provide an entire course OR multiple courses with step-by-step instructions, templates, worksheets, etc. that address the ideal client's needs.
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Once the website visitor fills out the info requesting the highly valued physical freebie, they are redirected to the Thank You page where they are offered either an entry-level product, such as a membership-trial for $1.00 for 30 days; or a premium priced service ($995 and up, one-time fee OR monthly fee).
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* - memory sticks can be purchased in bulk from wholesalers, for under $1.00 per piece (www.Alibab.com, for example)
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** - up till recently we'd use CDs, which would still work, but it seems that these days fewer and fewer people use CDs as a giveaway freebie
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I would NOT recommend this to be used as a freebie for any newer coaches (or any service professional); though, I'd highly recommend it as part of your online program - when someone invests in your Online Coaching Program, as a bonus they also get it shipped on a Memory Stick, so they can access the courses, worksheets, templates, etc. even when they are not online. It's more of a perceived value than real value, but it'll increase your sales as a result of offering this cool bonus.
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- eBook – this can be one of the least effective lead-generator, IF used as an immediate-download, without follow-up AutoResponder messages; or with a little tweaking, can make it a great Lead-Generator and Relationship Builder with your Ideal Clients. Make sure to set up an AutoResponder series to remind your subscriber how to implement and how to use each Chapter of the Book. In each message sent to your subscriber help them implement one concept ONLY - one step - from your book.
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- (Automated) Webinar – this definitely is NOT a beginner strategy, but one that's used by many coaches, consultants, and all types of professionals and online marketers.→
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You offer your website visitor a webinar (or recording of a webinar) that addresses their #1 pain, frustration, or burning desire
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→ During the webinar you provide excellent value that they can implement immediately - content that positions you as an "authority" in the area you are presenting
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→ Towards the end of the webinar you build up towards your offer: paint a realistic picture of how hard it is to implement these concepts on their own, then introduce your offer as the solution
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One of the biggest complaints about webinars - live or recorded - that they provide lots of fluff (stories about the presenter on how cool they are; exacerbating the challenges associated with the topic - which is great, if the presenter doesn't get carried away and also provides solutions; etc.).→
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Become known as someone who delivers real value during your webinars! It's ok to keep your webinars shorter, 20 to 30-minutes, or whatever timeframe you need to deliver a few powerful wisdom-nuggets and have a clear Call to Action (CTA) to let your prospective client know what to do next.Webinars - just like public speaking - is the top way to provide your ideal client a real-life experience of who you are, what you are about, and how it'd feel if they worked with you. It is the top way to connect with potential clients AND sell your services or products!Automate Webinars - when implemented correctly - have the power to generate sales and clients 24/7, 365 days a year! For many, these webinars generate $10,000s in sales every month; and to some, every week(!) It's definitely something worth considering; though - my personal suggestion - don't pretend it's a live event, as that can anger some people and you lose any goodwill you might have built previously.
. - Webinar Recording – not many use this as a primary lead-generator; BUT, if the opt-in copy (promo text) is worded well and targeted specifically towards your ideal clients needs, it can work well. It'll definitely work like magic as part of your blog posts, articles, or on any pages where you talk about your clients' needs, then invite them to listen to your Webinar Recording on that topic.
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- Blog New Post – you can ad an opt-in box under your blog posts and invite your reader to sign up to be notified when you publish a new post. If your blog provides excellent value to your ideal clients, they won't want to miss your posts.
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Probably it's not a good idea to use this as your main opt-in offer on your home page - never seen it done, and that's probably because it'd be less effective than any of the other options in this list.
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- FREE Report – this most likely would not work as well as it did before 2010ish, but I still see it used by many - mostly business and marketing coaches. [It is still used by larger $million dollar$ companies]. I'd probably advise against using this as a freebie, unless you are targeting executives or other top-earner large business owners, managers, etc.
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- Contest – coaches don't seem to use this too often as a main opt-in offer, but used on the right pages, it can be an excellent lead-generator.
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Depending on your niche, and the types of clients your niche attracts, this would work great as a main opt-in offer as well (on your home page).
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These days there are free "spin the wheel" plugins and other free contest services (such as that'll allow you to easily implement such a lead-generator.
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We regularly use this as a lead-capture at ClientsEnrollmentFunnels to allow our website visitor to win access to a free course or free access to other paid programs. We use a "spin-the-wheel" plugin and KingSumo GiveAway service.
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- Quiz or Assessment – people LOVE Assessments and it is a great lead-generator and relationship builder.See how Dr. Thomassen, a relationship coach, uses this approach masterfully on his website - Click Here!Notice that the website visitor can fill in the answers instantly - NO opt-in required! But to submit their quiz for their answers to be evaluated, they have to enter their contact info.
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- Collection of Your Top XYZ Resources – For example "Get Access to My Top 21 Most Requested Public Speaking Checklists, Templates, and Cheat-Sheets"; or "Download my TOP 10 Relationship & Romance-Booster How-to Cheat-Sheets"Some go BIG with this and provide dozens or 100+ items in the download "Download my 99 How to Articles on Tear-Free Parenting "
. - Excel Worksheet – depending on your niche, this could be a great opt-in offer. In the past I signed up for excel sheets in all types of applications:- nutrition tracker / calories tracker
- marketing planner
- virtual assistants hours trackerAnd all types of other cool excel sheets. Think, "Would my ideal clients absolutely enjoy having a worksheet that I can provide them?" Could be a main give-away, or a give-away (freebie) that you provide on relevant pages or under certain blog posts.
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- Mobile App – these days more and more of us have our own app. It is a super-sexy giveaway and there are some affordable app-builders out there (or can outsource).
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I'm using www.AppsKitPro.com/ (though, I have not published my app yet - I'll post a link to my app in here as soon as it's published // not an affiliate link)
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*** CAREFUL ***
Having someone build you an app can cost $1000s and at the end the app might not even work properly. Proceed with caution. Better leave this for the time when you can surely afford it and perhaps invest in an app-solution that others successfully used.
. - Access to Private FaceBook, LinkedIn or other Support Group – this is another excellent lead-generator and relationship builder.
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You not only get the eMail Address and name of the new potential client, but you also get to connect on social media where you can further deepen the relationship by initiating a conversation and offering support... without jumping right to offering a complimentary session or other salesy chatter - instead, do realize that's a real person on the other end, who has challenges or goals - offer to support them resolve those needs.
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Check out our FB Clients-Enrollment Mastery Support Group Here; and our LinkedIn Coaches' Support Group, Here!
. - 2nd Half of an Article – post an intriguing, detailed, step-by-step article or blog post; but have to opt-in in order to get the 2nd (3rd, 4th, etc.) part of the process
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- 2nd Part of Video Tutorial – a very powerful strategy - similar to the one above - is to have a training video - a video with step-by-step instructions - and at the end of the video a call to action appears either under the video OR on the video itself, requiring to sign up for the next part/s of the video series. 8 to 9 out of 10 viewers will sign up, if the content is really relevant to your ideal client/viewer.
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- Resource Guide – one of the challenges for many, is deciding which online resources to use. For us - business and marketing coaches - our clients (and potential clients) always wander,→ what's the best coaching client management software
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→ which AutoResponder should I use
→ which Webinar solution is best - which one is FREE
→ what is the best Website Builder service
→ what is an easy-to-use video editor
→ what are the best plugins or services to create a membership program or an online course?
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Knowing your Ideal Clients' most burning questions will help you create such a resource sheet and provide it to them as a FREE Download.
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Check out our Resource "sheet" - NO OPT-IN Required - Click HERE!
- Free Self-Coaching eCourse – keep it simple, with each part of the course containing one or two paragraphs of text and two to three bullet-points of calls to action, telling the reader what exactly to do to move towards their goal.See a sample of one our Self-Coaching Courses, here: 90-Days Life Coaching Business-Building and Marketing Planner (opens in new window)
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What types of freebie - or freebies - are you using on your website?
Post a link to it in the comments.
OR,
What type of freebie would you like to use,
but unsure how to get started - post your question below: