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Landing Page Question: "Free Report" in exchange for email VS. well written sales copy

by TrueStory
16 replies
I created a digital product.
I created website for it.
The product is a book (or series of books - pdfs) that have to do with relationships/dating/sex.
I am going to price this around 20-30 dollars - just one product.

My question is:

Do I create a "freebie" and give it out in exchange for subscription (aweber) and then try to sell the product later on?

OR

Do I create kick-ass sales landing page and just sell product directly on the front page.


I know all the benefits of having your own list, but in order to have a list, I will have to create at least good dozen of emails to follow up with "free content".

I also know that once I can get my visitor excited about my book, they will download it immediately, considering the price manageable and not that high.

Couple points to consider:

- This product probably will have limited sales-life before it will get pirated through torrent networks.
- This product will probably not have any product follow up or higher-end products. Which makes my sales funnel too short (email for free report => final product for money)
- I could potentially utilize some affiliate product marketing in my email however, I do not want to spend too much time on this product.

I am going to advertise through Adwords primarily at first and do some Internet Marketing through social networks, but I do not want this small project to consume a lot of time.

I know that by creating a list I am building relationship with the customer, but there isn't really much to offer him in "free" newsletters. My page wont even have a blog.

What in your experience is best?

Ask for email in exchange for free report then up sell them in email follow up?

OR

Just create kickass sales copy landing page and lower price around 20 bucks?
#copy #email #exchange #free report #landing #page #question #sales #written
  • Profile picture of the author Anthony Phillips
    Depends, if the product contains tons of valuable information and you worked a long time on it, go ahead and sell it.

    However, if it is a short report then I would create a squeeze page and collect subscribers with it.

    Anthony
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  • Profile picture of the author TrueStory
    I've been writing this product for about two month. I mean, I put a lot of hours into this.

    I could probably add more (product is never perfect, right ) and it could be sold as an actual book. Ideally that would be awesome if i could get it published.
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  • Profile picture of the author TrueStory
    From the top of the head (and i am doing my own research too) can anyone name some digital products you remember used landing-page as a sales page?

    Most ones (in IM, dating, self-help) i ran across had "subscribe"/"free report".
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  • Profile picture of the author TrueStory
    Anthony, am I missing something?

    Can Squeeze page be a sales copy too? I was under impression that squeeze page is something like this:
    How To Build Solar Panels At Home From Scratch - DIY Solar Panels

    These guys are selling their product on front page and it's long squeeze page?
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    • Profile picture of the author ajwilliams
      Here is another way to go. Use a squeeze page and your freebie should be something related to you product (teaser content etc) with this difference. Make the freebie available over a period of time where the subscriber to the list will have to receive several emails from you to get it all.

      In the meantime, you have all those emails to convince them to buy the premium product you actually want to sell. Besides that, you could include affiliate links in your emails to related products $$$

      Of course, if you want to make the squeeze page a sales page as well, have at it. The thing to remember is that most of the time it takes a few visits to convert the sale, not always. But, you will sell less if you only have one shot at it. The only other thing is to have kick-ass sales copy and a one time clock running offer.

      A J
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      • Profile picture of the author TrueStory
        Originally Posted by ajwilliams View Post

        .... have kick-ass sales copy and a one time clock running offer.

        A J
        AJ,

        Thank you! I am now leaning towards creating a email harvesting page, because, you are correct, why waste valuable contact information from the potential client.

        The reason I wanted to have sales only page, because, I wanted to be lazy and not funk with maintaining a list, writing follow up emails, and constantly working on this project. I guess, I wanted to make money yesterday and quick.

        Also, regarding to "clock" ticking:

        would limited number of copies be a good enticement?

        I feel awkward telling my customers that I am giving limited time offer, it just sounds counter intuitive and sounds very high-pressure to me. (I need IM inner game make over)

        But I can say that I am only licensed to sell 1000 or N-number of copies and they are going fast. Thus triggering "limited supply" to which people are used to.


        Your thoughts?
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by TrueStory View Post

      I was under impression that squeeze page is something like this:
      How To Build Solar Panels At Home From Scratch - DIY Solar Panels
      That isn't a "squeeze page". It's a sales page.

      A "squeeze page" is a page with an incentivised opt-in and no other content and no other exit-option apart from submitting your email address (and/or other information asked for) and submitting it.

      Nothing with a great long sales spiel and a stack of testimonials and an "add to cart" button is a "squeeze page". It can be a sales page. It can even be a sales page with an opt-in. But it's not a "squeeze page".
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  • Profile picture of the author siteline
    You can always capture emails post sale by having them redirected to a squeezpage before they download the product. Another option is to use an exit splash and when they leave the sales page you can either offer a discount or have them redirected to a sqeezepage and offer them a report or something else of value. Remember when you have subscribers you can market to them continuously.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Galt
    Truestory -

    First, congrats on finishing your first product.

    You might be looking at this wrong, brother. Using a squeeze for subscribers and using a sales page are not mutually exclusive. Why? Because each caters to buyers at different points in the buying cycle.

    Use your squeeze to grab prospects earlier in the cycle. Use your sales letter for those farther down the hill.

    If it isn't feasible to market to each section of the cycle, then your media costs should be your guide. Can you get cheap clicks? Use a squeeze page. If not, then go straight for the sale.
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    • Profile picture of the author adamj2
      Instead of offering a free report, you could try to put a clever hook on a squeeze page.

      So the heading will be the same sort of main hook you use on your sales page. And then when they enter their email address you set it so that they go straight to your sales page in a way that provides them with the information you promised in exchange for the email address.

      So the hook can be promising to give them the answer to "Find out why this is possible" or "Discover this cool technique that can achieve this".

      And then your sales copy answers that question for them by showing them the method they can use... which is your product.

      Would save you having to write a free report just for the sake of getting an email address.
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      • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
        Banned
        Originally Posted by adamj2 View Post

        Would save you having to write a free report just for the sake of getting an email address.
        But what about the effect it would have on your open rate when, having collected their email address, you use it by sending them email?

        How will they feel, having opted in to see what they know is a sales page?

        Will that increase or decrease the proportion of them who open and read your emails with great interest?

        What will they prefer - a report of obvious value, or a "clever hook"?

        The purpose of the "free report" is to ensure that they open your emails by providing something of value, to start building a trust-based relationship with them. I'm "just saying" ...
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        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          If you find the prospect of running/maintaining a long term list daunting, one way to get your feet wet is to create a limited follow up series.

          One successful model that has been copied endlessly (with varying degrees of finesse - and success) is Eben Pagan's "Double Your Dating" model.

          On the squeeze page, Pagan (as 'David DeAngelo') asks one very specific question and promises the answer in return for the email address. Once the email is in, the prospect is taken to a page that gives them that specific answer. Subsequent emails highlight benefits of the entry product, case studies, etc..

          While Pagan's email series seems to go on forever, you can cut it off when you run out of things to write about. Every email has useful content tied to what they can only get from buying your product.

          There's also the issue of whether you have a true either/or situation. With adwords, it's simple to set up rotating landing pages. You simply create two identical ads, each with a different landing page and set each to be shown 50% of the time. If one method proves to be clearly superior, go with it.

          You can use the same split testing method on multiple sales pages, etc.

          You probably won't be able to use a pure squeeze page with adwords, so you'll need some kind of useful content so that the reviewer accepts that the searcher will have a quality experience matching the content of the ad.
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        • Profile picture of the author TrueStory
          Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

          But what about the effect it would have on your open rate when, having collected their email address, you use it by sending them email?

          How will they feel, having opted in to see what they know is a sales page?

          Will that increase or decrease the proportion of them who open and read your emails with great interest?

          What will they prefer - a report of obvious value, or a "clever hook"?

          The purpose of the "free report" is to ensure that they open your emails by providing something of value, to start building a trust-based relationship with them. I'm "just saying" ...

          I can probably deliver MORE value in my "free report" than any free reports I've read in my life. I mean, at some point i was "free report junkie"
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  • Profile picture of the author TrueStory
    Let me briefly tell you about my product, maybe you can help me figure out what's best way to sell it.

    My product is a guide to a better sex life through erotic talk, fantasy role-play, with few sex tips thrown in the mix. I am targeting:

    Straight men ages 23-30
    Primarily in relationship (that's gone stale)
    Sexually inexperienced (or with limited experience)
    With predominantly lower self esteem when it comes to attracting opposite sex and pleasing them

    I am a big Frank Kerns and Eban fan, so here you go
    My ideal costumer profile is Joe Plaine. He is in monogamous relationship, has very limited experience with women, and haven't had much success meeting the special one. He got "lucky" and is now dating a wonderful girl. However, the following concerns arise a little later down the relationship road:
    • Am I good enough?
    • Is she getting bored with me?
    • How do I compare to her other lovers before me? Am I Better?
    • I cannot last long in bed, or sometimes I orgasm prematurely. I wish I could fix it.
    • She has problems orgasming (or she does not orgasm all the time)
    • I want to experiment sexually with her but too afraid to bring it up.
    • She asked me to talk dirty to her one night, I didn't know what to say, I felt awkward and embarrassed.
    • I want to try xyz but I am afraid she might not be into this, so I don't bring it up.
    • We don't have sex as often, and when we do it's mundane for both of us.
    • She might be (will) cheat on me if she's not satisfied.
    • Sometimes when we are apart due to work travel, we try phone sex, but it's awkward and weird.
    • I think she doesn't enjoy a lot of things she does for me.
    • I think i am pretty good lover but I want to do better.
    • My friends always tell these crazy stories they've done and I feel like I've missed out/missing out.

    Some of the personal insecurities my client can suffer:
    - lack of self confidence when it comes to performance and experience
    - comparing himself to other men, especially her previous lovers (imaginary competition)
    - has hints of Maddonna/Whore complex - believes that girls either too bad or too good.
    - consciously thinks that women are turned on same way men are, attempts to do the same thing he would find attractive/sexy
    - lack of understanding of female orgasm process
    - cannot engage his partner emotionally, mostly focuses on physical aspects of sex
    - shy, sheepish, submissive (by default) in the bedroom, does not feel confident enough to take charge and be appropriately dominant



    I HAVE PAGES of these, I wrote out my typical customer. However, not all of my customers fall into those generalities, but it's easier for me to write sales pages when I really step into his shoes.

    I spent hours researching various self-help, dating, and sex forums; reading re-occurring concerns men raise regarding sex.

    ________________________________

    I know probably too much information for some of you here, but isn't this the point of creating "Avatar" of your customer? To really really really really really really really be the customer and understand what he is thinking?

    I also went to female self-help, sex, and relationship forums and research all their concerns. I can write a whole book on differences between concerns women raise and men raise about sex. HUUUUUUUUUGE disconnect.

    My extensive personal experience pretty much confirms all that. but we won't get into my personal life hahaha
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