Your professional web-writing website is a tool to help people know, like, and trust you enough to do business with you. Its basic job is to get you clients. Agree?
So, what if you could accomplish that same goal with a single landing page?
What if you could start developing relationships with prospects even before you have a full-blown website?
You can. And it’s quick and easy to do.
To do this, you need to publish a squeeze page that persuades visitors to opt in for a lead magnet that solves a problem they’re currently facing.
You’ll need the following items:
- The Lead Magnet
- Compelling Copy
- Hosted Landing Page Service
- Email Marketing Service Provider (optional)
Let’s look at each one in detail. And, for illustration purposes, let’s assume you’re a web copywriter specializing in writing email copy.
The Lead Magnet
For people to agree to give you their email address, your lead magnet needs to be something they actually want. It should solve a problem they currently have.
For example, a common problem your prospect could be facing is low email open rates.
So, your lead magnet could be something like, “How to Get More People to Actually Open the Emails You Send” (special report) or “Top 10 Words to Avoid in Your Email Subject Lines If You Want More People to Open Your Emails” (simple one-page list).
Your lead magnet helps establish your authority and credibility. It positions you as the expert who can solve the problem your prospect is facing. It proves you can help them… even before they hire you.
Compelling Copy
Next up, you need to write your landing page.
Copy for this kind of landing page should be brief and concise. Your headline must grab the reader’s attention by poking at their problem. Your subhead must then promise a solution.
Your body copy must show the benefits of opting in for your lead magnet. Remember, the opt-in is your only objective with this page.
Your call to action, then, is asking for the opt-in.
The challenge with such extremely short-form copy is also telling enough about yourself that your prospect starts to know, like, and trust you.
You can do so very effectively with video.
Record a one- to two-minute video of yourself talking to your prospect about their problem and how your lead magnet will help them solve it. You don’t need fancy equipment for this. Simply use your phone or a webcam. Look directly at the lens and have a virtual video chat with the person who will be watching it on your landing page.
You could also make a video with your voice narrating a PowerPoint slide presentation, if you prefer.
The purpose of the video is to get your prospect to connect with you as the person who is helping them. People get to know, like, and trust other people faster than they do a nameless, faceless brand or company.
And, video is proven to forge this sense of connection faster than the written word alone.
The copy for your landing page could look something like this:
Headline: People Not Opening Your Emails?
Subhead: Stop Using These 10 Words in Your Subject Lines Immediately
Body copy: Briefly build credibility by telling where/how you came up with these 10 words. Build on the promise that eliminating the use of these words will improve their open rate.
Call to action: Get the List Now
Your video goes in between the subhead and body copy.
Hosted Landing Page Service
You’ll need a place for your page to “live” online, and the easiest way to do that is with a hosted landing page service.
Most of these services have page templates, which makes the actual building of the page simple and quick. Some also have lead magnet delivery features, which are helpful if you don’t yet have an email marketing service provider.
And, they’re an affordable business expense. For example, I’ve used Leadpages for years. Their standard, month-to-month plan is $37/month (or $25/month, if you pay annually).
There are many of these hosted landing page services to choose from. Do your own research and find the one that has the features you need at a price that fits into your budget.
Email Marketing Service Provider
While you can follow up with the prospects who opt in for your lead magnet through your regular business email, you’ll want to upgrade to an actual email marketing service provider as soon as possible to ensure CAN-SPAM compliance.
There are many to choose from. Some that I’ve worked with — both for myself and/or on a client’s behalf — are Aweber, MailChimp, Drip, and Constant Contact.
Again, do your research and find the one that best fits where you currently are with your web-writing business.
Either way, you’ll need to follow up with your prospects who have opted in to receive your lead magnet. And, that means more than just one or two emails.
To learn more about what good follow-up should look like, check out this Digital Copywriter article on the subject.
Get the Opt-In
Remember, the one thing you want your landing page to do is get your prospect to opt in and give you their email address, so you can follow up and continue to build a relationship with them.
While it can’t be lengthy, your page does need to answer these three questions that will be running around in your prospect’s head:
- Why should I trust you?
- Why do I want this thing you’re offering? (Notice the word is “want” not “need.”)
- What is this going to do for me?
Answering these questions and getting the opt-in is the first step in getting that prospect to become a client.
Think about it… you can get this page published quickly and be on your way to getting clients in just a few hours. So, take action! You’ve got this!
Tell me how it goes in a comment below.
