Lesson 1 – Building Your List
List building is where all online marketing should start.
Such a prospect list allows you to build a relationship with your new list members. You can get to know them by asking them questions. In your first email to them, you welcome them and give them the download link to the gift (Lead Magnet) you promised them on your Lead Capture Page.
You can also introduce your main offer to them by giving them the opportunity to view the Bridge Page you created for it.
PRO TIP: Never send people directly to your affiliate link. First create a bridge page where you take one aspect of the offer and show them what is in it for them. Show them what results you got with it as well as testimonials of other users. Lastly you can also offer a Bonus to sweeten the deal for them.
In the second email you give them three links to choose from. This will show you immediately what they are most interested in. You then switch them to a different list according to their main interest.
Example of three links:
- List Building
- Getting Traffic
- Making More Sales
In future you will be able to hit their pain points much easier because you’ll know what their problems are. Most good autoresponders will have this feature to switch members to different lists when they click a link.
If your Lead Magnet is of high quality and solves a problem for your prospects, then they will start to trust you. In future they will be more willing to look at your paid offers.
Your prospect list will help you to build and grow your online business. It will soon become the most valuable asset of your business because it will always provide you with new customers.
Never stop building your list!
What Platform to Use for Your List Building
There are many paid options like Get Response or AWeber but for beginners these are way too complicated and expensive.
There are two excellent free options that I found:
- Systeme.io – created by Aurelian Amacker in 2017
You can build a list of up to 2,000 without having to upgrade and you may use all the built-in tools like page builder, tracking and affiliate program, at no cost.
You can earn a commission of 60%, even as a free member, when you refer your prospects and they take an update. This will give you a passive monthly income.
To update to the next level when you reach 2,000 members, will cost you only $27 per month. (AWeber will cost you $899 per month and Get Response will cost $134 per month.)
2. Leads Leap – created by Kenneth Koh in 2008
There is not much difference between these two options, and I suggest that you try both since they are free to use for as long as you like. In fact, I still use both even as a paid member.
I prefer Systeme because it is so easy to use and to set up your list and emails. I use Leads Leap because you can also get targeted traffic with it, and I create my funnels with it as well as tracking all my links.
When you subscribe to Leads Leap you can buy the upgrade for just $23 within three days. If you don’t take it, you can upgrade later at any time but then it will cost you $27 per month. I regret that I did not take the OTO (one-time-offer) when I had the chance.
Using Systeme to Build Your List
Step 1 – Create a tab for separating your lists.
Log in to Systeme here and then click on CRM in the top menu. Select Tags and then click on Create (top right of your screen). Enter a name for your first list like prospect, traffic, or sales. Then Save it.
You are now ready to create your first campaign. Systeme comes with handy tutorial videos for all of the features. Click on Help at the top and choose Video Tutorials.
You can work through all of these videos that are provided or just view the first one to get an overview of Systeme. Note that since these tutorials were made, several new features have been added to the system.
Don’t worry, I’ll take you through all of it step by step so that you can get the most out of this marketing system. It is not just an autoresponder!
Step 2 – Setting Up Your First List
Click on Websites in the top menu and select Sales Funnels. As a free member you can set up a list builder funnel as well as two sales funnels. We’ll start by setting up your list builder first. (I like to use Leads Leap to build my sales funnels because it is so easy to use and do the tracking of your affiliate links as well.)
Now click on Create at the top right and enter a Name for your List Builder Funnel. Example: My List Builder. Then click Save. The name will appear in blue under Funnels.
Just click on the blue name to set up your new funnel. The first page that you’ll create is called the Opt-in or Squeeze page. Also known as your lead capture page.
Click on Opt-in and you can then select a template. Select one that you like. Simple is Better.
Fill in the details like the Headline – what do you offer?
Sub-headline – what problem can it solve?
Add some bullets to highlight the benefits. You may also add a picture of yourself so that your prospects can see that they are dealing with a real person and it’ll immediately start to build trust.
The signup form should ask for the bare minimum like name and email address. You can always get more details when they decide to buy from you. End with a strong CTA or call to action.
Example: Click Here for Immediate FREE Download.
When you are done, click Save and then Preview your page to see if it looks right.
Next you create the Thank You / Download page. You do it in the same way as the Opt-in page. It should thank your new member for subscribing to your list. Give them the download link for your gift (Lead Magnet). You can also add a link to your main offer’s bridge page with a OTO for your Bonus.
You will create your Lead Magnet in a later lesson as well as the bridge page. Just leave space for it now and once you have created it, you can edit your Thank You Page. Save it for now.
At the top of the screen click on the blue View Funnel button. You can subscribe to your own list to see if everything is working fine. (Don’t worry about the Inactive page. Just leave it as it is.)
Important – Your Opt-in Link
You can find the link for your lead capture page in Systeme by clicking on Websites in the top menu and then select Sales Funnels. Then click on the blue name of your List Builder that you created above.
Ensure that Opt-in is selected and then click on Configuration above. You will see the URL Path under the name Opt-in. Just click on the link icon to the right, to copy the link to your clipboard.
You promote this link to get new subscribers for your list. In later lessons you will discover how to get targeted traffic. Those are people who might be interested in what you have to offer.
Step 3 – Creating Your First Campaign
Click on Emails at the top and select Campaign. Now click on Create at the top right and enter a Name for your first campaign and Save it. Example: My First Campaign – it’s for your eyes only.
Now click on the blue name you created under Campaigns. It will open a new page where you can start to create your new email series. The first email should be a welcome email where you tell your new subscribers how glad you are that they have joined you.
PRO Hint: Save the emails that you receive from me and other list owners that you have subscribed to. Use those emails to model your own. Always rewrite it in your own style and never copy emails as is.
You may enter as many emails as you like, but it is a good idea to have at least 5-7 to begin with. The system will show you how many opens you get as well as clicks. You can even see who clicked the links inside your emails and which links they clicked.
You get this info once you have sent some traffic to your opt-in link. Open Emails in the top menu of Systeme and select Campaigns. Then click on the blue link of your list builder’s name.
You’ll now see all the emails that you created. To the right of each email you’ll see three dots. Hover your mouse over these dots and a dorpdown menu will open. Select Stats.
You will now see a list of how many emails were sent so far, how many people opened the email, as well as the email address of the people that opened and clicked a link inside the email.
It is good practice to have a link in each email, even if it is just to a post in a blog. It will get your list members accustomed to clicking on your links, especially if you give them access to valuable information this way.
As a new marketer it is a good idea to contact these people that opened your emails directly and ask them why they opened or clicked any links. It will help you to find out quickly what worked and why.