I have built just over 15k social media followers, through my posting of success quotes and entrepreneurial thinking. I want to create and offer a mini-book on changing your thinking for success. What is the best way to convert my followers into customers?
Monetization is a FUN topic when you have a (1. targeted following who (2. wants what you have to offer (or is actively seeking it). You've already got people raising their hands but you need to move them from "rented space" (social media) to "owned space" (an email list that you own.)
Adding too many steps to the equation just spreads your workload wider and pushes your end goal into the future. There is a very tactical approach that will convert these followers to customers but you've got to convert them to email list subscribers before they can be converted into paying customers. This is basic sales funnel 101. ;)
My suggestion is to take snippets and offer those as a Free ebook or cheat sheet or even a practical guide with an end result in mind. It should be GREAT content, free content, that leads them to your email list. (Make this decision strategically --look at some data to see what converts best)
From there, you can upsell your paid offers/ product(s) to your email subscribers.
The Free offer can be posted directly on your social media updates (periodically ), you can also make custom Facebook tabs that push folks to your email list, and there are more options depending on the specific platforms you are using.
You can add a blog (later) and post relevant content that leads them to sign up for your email list/free offer as the "call to action" at the end of the posts. BUT I wouldn't focus on this first because it's counterproductive if you already have an active following.
Building trust and serving these people with valuable content will almost always guarantee they join your list and purchase your offers.
The real issue that holds people back is consistent execution. So just go execute. ;)
All the best!
Congrats on building up so many followers! The good news is: you already have a leg up since, by following you in the first place, these folks have expressed interest in what you're posting, and it sounds like your mini-book will tie in nicely with that content. Here are a few recommendations:
- Always Provide Value: When you begin promoting your book (and asking for money), stay extremely focused on providing value in EVERY way and every time that you communicate with your audience. This means tailoring the messaging around buying your book to show as much value as possible to THEM, and it also means continuing to post free, valuable, enjoyable content alongside your book promotions.
- Build Other Assets: Aggregate the most popular content you've shared on social media and put it elsewhere. Build a slideshare deck, start a blog, put together some sort of other offer, like a calendar with a daily inspirational quote. Then use these other assets to promote your book (at the end of the slideshare or blog post, or in an email nurturing series following a download of your offer).
- Design for Social Sharing: Let's not forget your big following is on social media right now. Keep growing that audience, and use that audience to do so! If these folks love your content, there's no harm in asking or encouraging them to share it. And make sure to include social share buttons on the landing page for your book, so people can spread the word about that too.
Hope this helps! If you want to hop on a call, I'd be happy to share more ideas.
Social media has not only revolutionized the way that people communicate and stay in touch; it has completely transformed business and marketing practices. Over the past five years, social media websites have become some of the largest and most meaningful pieces of the digital marketing puzzle. While many still maintain that social platforms are for communicating and not slinging products, others would vehemently disagree; just look at Facebook, Instagram, and other networks’ efforts to integrate e-commerce options. Generating revenue is, by many standards, the sole reason why many aims to accrue millions of followers; massive awareness often leads to either sponsorships or sales. Either way, cash is the ultimate goal.
There are several methods to monetize from social media following and there is nothing like best method, but a bunch of methods to try and see which one is best for you:
1. Create an online course that educates your followers: E-learning is a gargantuan industry that is poised to grow exponentially over the next several years, reaching $325 billion globally by 2025. Those who have been watching this trend know that now is the time to double down on their own expertise and create a course to offer their audiences. Kajabi, an e-learning platform that boasts a wide array of powerful features for marketing, selling, upselling and hosting digital learning courses to students, recently published a story on its blog about one of its “heroes” (a person who turned their passion into a profit through Kajabi’s offerings) that clearly shows anyone can turn their social audience into customers and advocates. Makeup and design artist Tiffany Bymaster was introduced to Kajabi by her mentor, who had already achieved massive success through the platform. Bymaster had no email list or social following at the time but knew her skill set was stellar. She began making videos on how to grow a person’s outreach process — mostly just to help herself become comfortable in front of the camera. Once she set up her Kajabi website, these videos became part of her course training materials. From there, momentum started to build as her social presence grew and her online training program took flight. Today, Bymaster has now launched three successful programs which have earned her $80,000 in the past six months. Bymaster is a perfect example of leveraging social to create revenue, as her method incorporates my next two points.
2. Unveil new products and services to your followers: In order to generate sales from your audience, you need to have something to sell. By posting about new products or services on social media, you are giving your offering a much larger platform to reach prospective buyers. If you want to significantly extend that reach, start running Facebook ads for your products using Custom Audiences and Lookalike Audiences. This will allow you to target the most relevant individuals to help boost your sales. If you want to add a layer of “exclusivity” to your product releases, you could give your social audiences early access to products and deals so as to create a sense of urgency and privilege.
3. Integrate video into your marketing stack: Video content is en fuego. Everywhere you turn there is video content, articles about video content, and even videos about video content; it is becoming inescapable. Nearly every social platform is currently generating billions of video views per day; even Snapchat has broken the 10 billion daily view marker. The point is that video content is becoming a marketing necessity — especially when you consider that explainer videos increase a prospect’s likelihood to purchase by 1.81 times. Videos help increase your chances of monetizing your audience, as the content is engaging, educational and often entertaining — the marketing trifecta. Leverage this by creating video content about your products and using live streaming services like Facebook Live to connect with your audience and explain exactly how your product will help them reach their goals and make life simpler.
4. Become an affiliate to market products to your audience: Affiliate programs are another sales model that is increasing in popularity. Becoming an affiliate advertiser for brands like Amazon is a relatively simple endeavour which allows entrepreneurial-minded folks to acquire advertising materials for various brands to market to their audiences. These adverts can be circulated across an individual’s blog, website, and yes, social media accounts. Affiliates are paid a commission based on the revenue their particular set of ads generates. Just be sure when you are promoting these links to your social followers that you are honest with them about your affiliate status and the items you are highlighting; pandering will get you nowhere, except maybe unfollowed. Create long-form reviews on products, and let your followers know your honest opinion; as a bonus, you can even create video content on these items to boost your engagement.
5. Create a Facebook shop and sell right through social: Social media platforms are integrating all sorts of shopping options for brands and consumers to take advantage of. One of the most comprehensive and in-depth social selling toolkits comes from Facebook. By using Facebook’s shop section, you can list physical products directly on the platform for followers to browse and buy. It just does not get any easier to reach so many people in such an efficient and effective manner.
Besides if you do have any questions give me a call: https://clarity.fm/joy-brotonath
