Press Release Tip 41

Pull buyers into your sales funnel

The call to action I discussed in Tip 12 doesn’t necessarily have to “ask for the order.” It’s sometimes better to first pull visitors into your sales funnel by offering something for free like a special report or ebook, or a free list of tips they can download.

If they like what they see, it will encourage them to do something else, like sign up for your electronic newsletter or visit your blog. They might not buy until several months later, after they’ve had a chance to know, like and trust you. But that’s OK. Some of the people who buy will end up as lifetime customers. And if you’re patient, the time you spend courting them will be well worth it.

You can bring them into your sales funnel by including a link in your press release to a sign-up box on your homepage as long as it’s in an easy-to-see location like this one at Internet marketing expert Tom Antion’s website [affiliate link] or on a pop-up box. Notice the “More Info?” link that Tom includes under the sign-up box. This leads people to a page that explains in detail what they’ll get for free if they subscribe.

Another way Tom gets people into his sales funnel is by offering, in exchange for your name and email address, video replays of excellent training sessions he has hosted on a variety of public speaking and Internet marketing topics. You can see the entire list here.

These are affiliate links to my two favorites. 

How to Maximize the Value of Any Speaking Engagement

Copywriting 901: The Fast Track to Writing Words That Sell

Opportunity #41 to write a press release: A lawsuit you’ve filed or settled

Lawsuits are a public record. But don’t assume the media will report on them. Write a press release and publish it at your website or through one of the press release distribution services which you’ll learn about in Module 12.

Next:  Use landing pages.