Now here’s a summary of the second part of Chapter 5 – “The Four Core Areas Of Focus” – Capture.
“Once you have built an email list and created a connection between you and your subscribers, so that they have got to know, like, and trust you, you can, without further cost, begin to offer them products. You must have confidence that the products you are offering will prove to be of use to your subscribers and, of course, be products that you have signed up to be an affiliate for and have the requisite affiliate link so that you will be paid the agreed percentage when you make a sale.
To grow an email list you need three things:
- An Autoresponder. An autoresponder is an essential part of your arsenal as an Affiliate marketer, which you must invest in. It stores at least all of your subscribers’ email addresses as well as any other details you have asked them to provide. Don’t go overboard in asking for details, but I would suggest that capturing their preferred first name is a good idea so that you can make your emails more personal.
Two types of emails can be sent. The first are pre-written emails which are delivered in a sequence, separated by certain time delays. The second type are individual emails which are specially written when the occasion arises. These emails are often called “broadcast emails”.
- An Ethical “Bribe”. Very few, if any, people will give you their email address, or any other personal details, if they are not going to receive anything in return. I know that they are going to get to join your email list, but before the prospective subscriber knows you better he or she needs an ethical bribe to give their information to you a complete stranger. The “bribe” should be a digital asset of some kind. A short video, a PDF, or a webinar for example. It does not matter what form it is in, but it must be useful and immediately accessible to the new subscriber by clicking a link in the first email sent.
The most important thing, though, is that it must be relevant to the interests of the people who you want to join your list. Your initial free gift, whatever it is, must be of interest to the same group of people as the group of people who would be interested in the product or products you eventually want to sell to them after they get to know you better.
- Capture Pages. There are two web pages you need to create or have created for you to capture your traffic. An Opt-In Page and a Bridge Page.
The Opt-In Page, often referred to as “The Squeeze Page”, is the first page you send your traffic to in an attempt to capture them. It is normally a short, uncluttered page that describes the benefits the reader would gain by receiving the free gift, or bribe, on offer. There must be a space in which the prospective subscriber can input their email address as well, as other fields if you want to capture any additional information, for example, their first name. The final requirement is a “Submit” button which sends your subscriber’s details to be recorded within your autoresponder ready to be followed up.
The Bridge Page is where the new subscriber is taken immediately after they sign up to your list. Here, you thank them, instruct them on how to access their free gift, and give them an overview of what they can expect to receive from you in the future. The bridge page is an important page as it is the first occasion where you start to build a positive relationship with your new subscriber.
Cheers
Phil