Getting high quality, qualified leads into your sales funnel is on most business owners’ wish list. In fact if you google ‘How to get more leads’ there is a plethora of information – most require email marketing, SEO optimisation, referral strategies, guest blogging…etc., etc.,
However, there is one strategy which will work for you tirelessly and effectively and continue to provide you with high quality leads, ready for you to convert into high paying clients. In fact, once it’s done, you can then use it over and over, recycle and re-purpose, and it will keep on doing its job whilst you work on your email marketing, and SEO optimisation!
The strategy: write a book.
Now I’m obviously not talking about any kind of book, I’m talking about a book you can use specifically for lead generation.
Writing a book does many things for you, from elevating yourself from ‘just another service provider’ into the ‘expert’ domain and then being the ‘only logical choice’ in the eyes of your prospective customer or clients.
Here are 3 ways of using your book for lead generation – just remember whichever way you choose (and you could come up with a strategy of your own) make sure the process is simple. Explain why the prospect needs to read your book, and ensure the follow up sequence naturally leads the reader to the next step.
- Free download of book (provided as a PDF) – with an opportunity to get the physical book for free (just pay for P&P)
- Free download of the first 2 chapters (provided as a PDF) – with an opportunity to get the rest of the physical book for full price (or a special offer)
- Free download of the contents (like the ‘look inside’ feature on Amazon.com) – with an opportunity to get the full PDF download/book for a set price.
I have had clients that have used all three strategies and each of them work very well.
Before you dismiss this strategy – or think it’s just too difficult, let me answer some of the common objections I hear;
But writing a book will take years…?
This is not true. I’ve had clients write a book for lead generation in under 12 weeks. It just took proper planning – and the book pretty much wrote itself.
I don’t know how to write a book…
Most business owners have had to write emails, or blogs. In fact they have written reports and other bits of writing just sitting on their computers which can easily be up-cycled and used as a base for a book. With proper help and guidance it’s amazing what can be used.
It’s too expensive… and I wouldn’t know where to begin…
Well, to an extent, writing a book, and getting it published (printed, not just offered as an e-book) isn’t cheap – BUT once it’s written, it will work tirelessly to bring in highly targeted leads. On average, my clients have seen a return of investment 4 times that of the cost of the book, sometimes as high as five figures.
It all begins with a plan and defining what it is your target audience needs answering. Of course you don’t explain everything in your book, but you outline enough for your readers to need more information – and they do that by contacting you – or hiring your services.
I just don’t have the time…
Just like any other marketing activity, you will need to carve some time for this. However, most will be surprised at how little time they need. Just 2 hours a week for 12 weeks can produce a 64 page book – but most clients find they already have a lot of the information written, be it in emails, or reports or blog posts, it’s just a case of re-purposing it.
I wouldn’t know what to write about…
If you’re not sure what to write about, why not ask your audience. No doubt you have a list of people already so use them to get ideas for your book.
- Run a survey with your list of clients.
- Ask your clients what their most burning questions/biggest challenges are.
- Read relevant business publications and see what the common issue/problem is.
- Join specific business forums and listen to what they are having issues with.
Whichever you choose, just remember do your research.
Finding out what the audience wants to read is critical. Plus you may be surprised to see there are a few books you could write – a lot of my clients are on their second or third book as this tactic is so effective.
What is your call to action/desired response?
So, you have some ideas on what to write about and you’ve got the time carved in your diary to start. There is one more essential ingredient your book must contain, in order for it to be a successful and profitable lead generator.
This ingredient is: Your Call to Action.
It’s all very well writing over 64 pages, explaining a problem and how you are the ‘go to’ person to fix this problem, but if you don’t give a strong, easy to follow call to action – what you want the person to do, once they have read the book – then you’ve missed a great opportunity.
Don’t assume that just because you’ve outlined the solution to the reader’s biggest challenge, they will then pick up the phone, or find you on the internet. You have to tell them.
Tell them clearly and tell them more than once.
What do you want to readers to do once they read the book?
Do you want them to:
- Call you
- Visit your website
- Visit a specific website – like a lead page
- Get them into a sales funnel… if so, how?
- Up-sell to another product
- Any other call to action
So think about your call to action and this can be any number of things, depending on the complexity of your services, but make it clear and state it several times.
Just remember; your call to action must be clear and easy.
So I hope I’ve given you some inspiration on how writing a book is a really effective way of getting highly targeted leads into your sales funnel. Remember; have a clear plan, do your research before you start, and have a clear, strong call to action so that your book will help prospective clients and customers perceive you as the ‘expert’ and then inquire or buy from your follow on services (or products).
Planning your book for lead generation is simple when you know how. If you would like to become a published author in 2016, but feel you need some extra help, then get in touch. I can help you with your book, from the planning stage, to writing it and getting it published. Simply email me at alexa@thebookrefinery.com and let me know a bit about your idea. Then we can have a quick consultation and get your project started.
