How to Turn Targeted Prospects into Loyal Subscribers

You’ve created a blog or a niche website with quality content that your prospects want.  You’ve included a compelling sales page and an order button.

Now what?  How do you convince your prospects to become subscribers and customers of your niche business?

There are many creative and unique ways to do it, but often the tried and true proven techniques that other successful online business owners have used for years are the place you should start.

1. Specialize and Focus Like a Laser

It seems almost counter-intuitive – you’d think that if your site would appeal to as many people as possible, you’d get more members.  But usually it doesn’t work that way.  Instead, you’ll get more members once you focus your site’s topic and all your marketing materials like a laser on one niche only.

Example:  Let’s say your site teaches people how to build a website.  You should focus on one niche, such as “web design for ebook marketers” or “web design for private practice doctors.”

Think about it . . .

Let’s say an ebook marketer wants to learn how to build a site.  Is he going to go to “Joe Blow’s Web Design” membership site . .  or to the “Web Design for Ebook Marketers Site?”  That’s right, he’s going to choose your site because it’s geared specifically to his needs.

2. Give a Free or Low-Cost Sample

You can get more paying customers and members if you first give people a free or low-cost trial membership (such as $1 for one week).

Doing so gives people a chance to get a look at the inside of your site to see if it’s right for them.  Since you collected their credit card info before they joined the site, you can automatically start their paid subscription once the trial is over (of course begin fully transparent about how your offer works, when they will be charged, etc).

3. Share the Benefits

As mentioned previously, you’ll need a sales letter to help turn prospects into members.  While you’re sharing all the benefits of your membership content in general, don’t forget about the benefits of the membership site itself.  For example:

• Small price.  A monthly fee (such as $10 or $20 or even $50 per month) sounds small compared to a one-time fee such as $297.  As such, you can get more members by focusing on this small recurring fee.  You may even break it down further by reminding your prospects of the daily cost (e.g., “just 75 cents a day – about the price of a candy bar…”).
• Not overwhelming. If you have a training site and you’re tackling a big topic, let prospects know that they won’t get overwhelmed since you’re offering a step-by-step course in weekly installments.

4. Let People “Peek” Inside the Site

Whether you offer free trials or not, you can get more members simply by letting prospects “peek” inside the site.  There are multiple ways to do this, including (but not necessarily limited to):

• Providing partial content, such as the first paragraph of an article with a link or a description of report with a link.  When people click on the link, they’re encourage to become a member.
• Screenshots of the inside of the site, which shows the materials available, a listing or relevant content, the community forum, etc.
• Video of the inside of the members-only area of the site.  Just use screen recording software like Camtasia and record yourself “touring” the site.  It’s a very compelling way to introduce what you offer.

5. Create an Enticing Squeeze Page

You can’t just put up the words “free newsletter,” post your subscription form and expect a rush of new subscribers.

Instead, you need to create a squeeze page, which is sort of a sales letter for your newsletter.  This page should include the usual parts of a sales letter such as the headline, the bulleted benefit list and a strong call to action.

Here are two additional tips:

• Answer the “what’s in it for me” question (WIIFM).  From the second your reader lands on your squeeze page, he’s going to wonder, “what’s in it for me?”  Your headline should answer that question by promising a big benefit.  Every line of your copy should continue answering that question until your prospect is convinced he needs to join your list.
• Make it reader-oriented.  Your letter should use the word “you” as much as possible (otherwise the reader will lose interest).  If you have statements that include the word “I,” see if you can rewrite them using the word “you.”

Example:  “I’ll show you how to train your dog.”

Rewritten:  “You’ll discover how to train your dog.”

6. Offer a Freebie in the Form of a “Lead Magnet”

Yes, your newsletter is free.  But you need to offer a little extra bonus to entice subscribers to join right now.  This extra bonus might be something like:

• Free access to a membership site.
• Free ebook or special report.
• Free access to tele-seminar.
• Free audio recordings.
• Free video.
• Free software.
• A free multi-part e-course delivered by autoresponder. (This is one of the best freebies, because it trains your subscribers to read your emails!).
• Other free tools, help or resources.

7. Provide Social Proof

Your prospects may not believe or trust you if they don’t know you well.  If they don’t believe you, they’ll guard their email addresses and click the back button.  That’s why you should include proof such as endorsements, testimonials, screenshots, video, pictures and other evidence that your claims are true.

Examples:

• You might provide “before” and “after” pictures on a bodybuilding site.
• You might provide video proof of your Clickbank account to show that you know what you’re talking about in terms of affiliate marketing.
• You might add testimonials from your customers showing how you gave them expert training in your membership site.

8. Arouse Curiosity

One of the best ways to boost your conversion rate is by arousing your prospect’s curiosity about your newsletter and/or your freebie offer.  You can do this in your headline as well as in your list of benefits.

Examples:

• “Discover a sales letter trick that doubles your conversion rate overnight – see page 18 to learn this surprisingly simple trick!”
• “You’ll find out what five words you can say to a marketer that will virtually guarantee he’ll agree to your joint venture!”

9. List Your Policies (Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Earnings Disclaimer, etc)

You should include a link to your privacy policy on your newsletter subscription page.  Most people won’t read it; but, it can boost your conversion rate for those individuals who are concerned about how you’ll use their contact details.  Be sure to let subscribers know you won’t trade, sell or otherwise share their information.  You want to reduce the risk a prospect feels when volunteering his private information.

10. Make Individual Contact or Follow-up

Most marketers won’t do this . . . but if you can (especially if your list is small and in the early stages), it will endear your subscribers to you because most of them will never have another business owner personally follow-up with them without being asked to do so.  Personal contact is not “business as usual” on the Internet!  Don’t be afraid to show your customers that you’re a concerned and caring individual.

Well, there you have it – 10 proven ways successful marketers get more people to join their email list.  Naturally, just knowing these tips won’t grow your list.  So start applying them today, because the sooner you do, the sooner you can reap the rewards!

To your online business success,

Steve Browne

www.SteveBrowneDirect.com