The Simple 3-Step Process to Converting Paid Traffic Through Email Marketing Email autoresponders can help you convert paid traffic with almost no effort at all.
By Neil Patel Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Most entrepreneurs who invest in paid traffic make one very critical error: They don't know how to convert that paid traffic into profit!
Related: Alive and Kicking: Why Email Marketing Is Still a Huge Tool for Business
If this is you, then pay attention: You cannot expect a positive ROI or a sustainable advertising campaign unless you learn how to master the art of converting paid traffic. While there are dozens of ways to convert paid traffic into profit, I'm going to focus in on just one: email autoresponders, meaning a computer program that immediately provides information to prospective customers, then follows up with them at preset time intervals.
If you put in the work on the front end and create a high-quality email autoresponder sequence, you will be able to convert paid traffic with almost no effort at all. While this may sound like an impossible task (if you have never created an autoresponder sequence before), it is actually a lot easier than you think.
So, here are three simple steps to creating an epic autoresponder series that will allow you to generate massive amounts of income . . . while you sleep. Sound like something you are interested in? Here are the steps.
1. Make customers an offer they can't refuse.
The first step to converting paid traffic through your email autoresponder sequence is to make your audience members an offer they cannot refuse. Specifically, offer a high-quality, free giveaway. You want the giveaway to be a no-brainer. You want it to be irresistible.
Creating a giveaway like this is actually much simpler than you think.
The key is, first, to know your market, figure out what one problem they want solved more than anything else, then create a giveaway that solves that problem. There are dozens of places where you can find the information you need to create your offer. Browse through books in the Kindle store related to your niche. Check out Reddit or Quora to see what questions people in your target market are asking.
For example, if you are in the health and fitness industry for men, you may find some of the biggest problems your market is asking to be:
- How do I lose weight without losing muscle?
- How can I gain muscle without spending thousands on a crazy diet?
- I don't have time for the gym; how can I stay healthy?
The list goes on and on. Based off these problems, you could create any one of the following giveaways.
- A free video series titled How to Shred Belly Fat without Losing Muscle
- An ebook titled Bodybuilding on a Budget: How to Gain Muscle, Get Huge and Turn Heads without Expensive Diets
- A pre-recorded webinar titled Shredded in No Time: How to Get and Stay Lean for the Man on the Go
Pretty simple, right? Like anything in business, creating your irresistible offer is about identifying a problem and providing an effective solution.
Related: Email Marketing: There's a Good Chance You're Doing It Wrong
2. Craft compelling headlines.
Once you have successfully created a giveaway that people want and need, the next step is to create compelling headlines that actually generate a high open rate.
It doesn't matter how good your giveaway is. If people sign up for your autoresponder series and then receive emails with poorly crafted headlines, they will take their free resource and promptly run for the hills.
While writing amazing headlines is a skill that can take years to master, you can get started today by keeping a few things in mind. First, you want to make sure that your headline is neither too long nor too short. Six to ten words seems to perform best.
It is important to realize that you only have a few words to pique your reader's attention, get your message across and earn the open. Make sure that you utilize one or all of these six tips (in no particular order) to maximize open rates.
- Your headlines are specific and useful: People know what the email is about and what to expect.
- You clearly identify yourself: Make sure that in the first couple of emails the audience is very clear who is emailing them.
- Your headlines stand out: Use numbers, symbols and capitalization to grab the reader's attention.
- Your headline is timely: Relate your headline to a recent event or issue pressing on your audience members' minds.
- Your headline has a call to action: For some reason, people respond well when they're told to do something. Use your next headline to bark out orders.
- Your headline is tested: Always split-test headlines to see what clicks (no pun intended) with your audience.
3. Ask for the sale.
The final piece to the puzzle is to master the art of offering value and know when to ask for the sale. You want to make sure that (at least) the first week or so of your email series is dedicated 100 percent to giving value without asking for anything in return.
This will build trust with your audience members, increase the open rate on future emails and make them more likely to purchase from you whenever you actually do ask for the sale.
Providing value in your emails is pretty simple. Just continue to help your audience solve problems related to the problem that you solved in the giveaway. I recommend that you send at least four emails that are 100 percent value-based before you ask for the sale.
And when you do ask for the sale, it is important that the product you offer solve a problem similar to those you have been solving in the email series. If your series is all about how your audience members can grow their business through content marketing, but you then offer an online course devoted 100 percent to Facebook Advertising, you are going to lose sales.
Related: Autoresponder: "Thank You for Your Email, But You Are Breaking the Law"
Keep your emails congruent, and offer as much value as possible.
Conclusion
Converting paid traffic through an email autoresponder sequence is not easy. But it is one of the best ways to start generating passive/residual income while building your brand and creating customer loyalty. If you can master these three steps, your business, and your marketing will never be the same.
