Why you need a free offer and how to create one

We live in a sample culture – where it’s common for buyers to get a taste of what they’re purchasing, whether it’s a slice of ham at the bakery or a test drive in a Porsche. In today’s video I’ll share how you can use this cultural habit to get more followers, leads, and buyers in your own business. 

No matter what you sell in your business, your potential clients want to be confident in their choice to buy from you. This happens in so many industries, we hardly notice. Photographers have portfolios, so you can see the kind of work they do; bakers have cake tastings for an engaged couple; Apple lets you play with the iWatch on display before buying.

The challenge for entrepreneurs in information-based businesses is how you can display your knowledge on a subject without solving everyone’s problems for free. The easiest way is information marketing – exactly what I’m doing now in this video and in our blog posts.

Today I’m going to explain how you can create a free offer that someone must opt in to receive, often by giving their email address, so that you build a list of interested people, and they get a taste of what you offer.

6 simple steps to creating and sharing your free offer

Step 1: Decide the format for your free offer and what you’ll share
Step 2: Write 3 emails for your free offer nurture sequence delivering the offer
Step 3: Create your free offer itself including a great name
Step 4: Design any graphics, edit the video, get it lookin’ good
Step 5: Sign up for a CRM and add the opt-in on your website
Step 6: Test and refine

Now, it might be easy to run out and purchase the software and start designing, but the hardest part will probably be the content. You’ll save money and stress when you have the content ready first and then deal with the technology.

I also highly encourage you to outsource the set-up to a team member. Once you have your emails written, you can ask your VA set things up in a CRM.

What’s a CRM?

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management and it’s an interactive tool to keep in touch with customers or leads through email, physical mailings, or phone. The fancy ones can even send faxes, text messaging, and voice messages.

There are a lot of options out there but I want to highlight 2 that I’ve used (personally and with clients) that are fantastic when you’re starting out: MailChimp and Aweber.

Both will give you the options to design an opt-in form, create follow up messages, and broadcast messages for about $20/month.

Once you have this offer ready, you can share it on your website, in social media, and in your bio. Those who sign up for your free offer are now members of your list and can receive your weekly or monthly ezine.

Remember that you don’t have to start with 400 sign ups and can’t expect to get a list of 10,000 within months without serious work. But if you work consistently, then you’ll steadily grow a list of interested leads who want to hear from you.

The last thing I want to share is that yes, people may unsubscribe from your list, and that’s okay. Not everyone who takes a test drive is going to buy the car – but you’ve saved yourself a lot of back-and-forth questions, waffling, and worrying when someone chooses to opt out. It just simplifies the sales process when it’s all automated.

Your challenge is to create your free offer so you can build your list. Share with us in the comments what free offer you’d like to create.