The easy way to creating a substantial monthly residual income using Linked In!

283 replies
I just came off a Skype chat with my friend who has recently set off travelling the world and is currently in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

He spent a lot of months saving before he went, so he's got a decent amount of cash but he wants to earn money through the internet while he is away, to extend his trip.

Luckily for him I was able to help. You see, I've been honing my new free give-away technique on Linked In, which has allowed me to bulid a significant monthly risudual, without cold calling! It has become so successful over the past few months that I am now about to make this strategy my primary focus because my goal from the outset has been to create a business that I can allow to run on autopilot, and this looks like it is going to do the trick.

So since I helped out Stu, I thought to myself this might be a good time to give something back to the community that has helped me leave my day job and work for myself full time for the past 8 months

So, for those who are unfamiliar, Linked In is the Business Facebook. There are around 115m users, a large number of whom are business owners. If you have ever been disappointed with the response you got from a direct mail or email campaign, you are going to be blown away by Linked In. Business owners will gladly speak to you, and best of all... NO GATEKEEPERS.

Without babbling on too much further, allow me to share the technique:

1. Create a fully fleshed out, 100% complete Linked In profile.

2. On Linked In, there are groups for every niche. Choose some Niches and join some groups. Try to choose groups with larger numbers of members.

3. Once in the groups select the "members" tab and filter to owners by entering something like "owner" or "director" into the search bar.

4. When you have done this you will now be looking at a list of potentially thousands of owners. Its time to make contact and you can do this by hovering your mouse over their entry and selecting the "send message" option

5. Before this though, you want to check out some profiles and find guys that either have no website or one that looks really crappy.

6. You now have a direct line of communication to the owner of said business, which could badly do with a new website. You are about to offer them something of great value free of charge, remember to make your first message conversational. Don't be spammy. Say hello, introduce yourself as a web designer who is looking to garner some recommendations, offer to do a website for their business with absolutely no charge for the design and development fee. Ask if they know anyone who this would benefit.

I usually send out about 50 messages in the early evening time. When I wake up the next day my inbox is usually bursting with all kinds of responses. Often you will get up to 10 people who want to take you up on the offer.

7. At this stage its up to you how much work you want to take on but what I do here is use the most simplistic but sharp looking Wordpress theme I can find (inkthemes or headway all the way for me) and rework some of the websites of those who have asked for help, and show them to the owner.

8. At this stage you will be heralded as a hero as long as the site looks fairly decent and its here that I like to get on the phone to the customer and build the value a bit more, explaining that they are saving themselves £800+ on design fees etc etc.

9. I then go on to telling them that the only thing I ask is that they allow me to host and maintain the site for a small fee of £35 per month. As long as you have done everything correctly and built the value of the site with the customer, you will have no problem at this stage.

Obviously not every customer goes for it, but the majority really don't mind the fee, because they are getting something HUGE that their business NEEDS and they are not paying for it.. The monthly fee is really insignificant, less than people pay for Sky TV over here. This is something their business needs to function properly.

10. Rinse and repeat this formula.

If you look at the Math, give away 5 free websites a week and you will be £700 a month after month one. £1400 after month 2. £4200 per month after 6 months.

I'd like to point out I'm not a technical whizz, I have a Hostgator package that allows me to host for the client and I use extremely simple but smart wordpress themes.

Anyone can do this.

The wordpress themes take me no more than an hour to set up and I have been doing this myself up until now because there isn't any substantial front end cash.

Going forward I intend to outsource most of this.

If you have any questions please feel free to holla at me and if you found this useful, please feel free to hit the thanks button :-)

**Edit: Wanted to add some proof the bottom of this post, so that first time readers can get some encouragement and hopefully more people will take action!

#creating #easy #income #linked #monthly #residual #substantial
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Parks
    I really like this method. Working with business owners by making connections with them online can have huge potential. Keep up the good work and thanks for the motivation!
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  • Profile picture of the author JillBryant
    Wonderful,It is really a good way.
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      [DELETED]
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      • Profile picture of the author Richard Tunnah
        Clever stuff and I have posted before about giving something free stuff (reports/service) to business owners on linkedin to get something in return (usually them to buy your product or service).
        I'm pleased more people are starting to see the power of linkedin.

        Rich
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        • Profile picture of the author Pobody
          Thanks for this. I was thinking similarly myself but you've helped me to flesh out my thoughts a bit more.

          I do have a question though: what do you do if the business owners request tweaks to the website to an extent not allowed by the theme options (I can't do CSS/PHP/whatever it is)?

          (Also, how do I thank you for your post? Can't see any large obvious buttons...)
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          • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
            Good question. Its important to remember what you are offering is a freebie, so don't overthink these types of things. Of course if a customer is going to be paying you £800-£1000 for a site, your gonna need to be able to provide a bespoke design but when your doing them this kind of favour, a nice sharp looking template is perfect.

            You'll get speaking to all different types of people, some are nice some are not so nice. I personally pick carefully who I work with on this, just focus on the guys who are extremely grateful and really friendly. You won't go far wrong
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          • Profile picture of the author J smith
            Nice way of using linkedin.

            But a question for your business model. What would you do if the accounts got hacked? I mean, that's always a possibility with a wordpress based sites. Especially if you have a whole bunch of them which increases the possibility that some will have a none up to date version of plug ins or wordpress itself.

            Hosting is a nice model (I mean, can't get any more "passive" income than that) but the "What if" scenarios always scared me.
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            • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
              Originally Posted by J smith View Post

              Nice way of using linkedin.

              But a question for your business model. What would you do if the accounts got hacked? I mean, that's always a possibility with a wordpress based sites. Especially if you have a whole bunch of them which increases the possibility that some will have a none up to date version of plug ins or wordpress itself.

              Hosting is a nice model (I mean, can't get any more "passive" income than that) but the "What if" scenarios always scared me.
              I use WPTwin and have backups of all my sites. If one was to get hacked, I would restore it and move forward

              I don't try to worry about that sort of thing too much, don't let the hackers win
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              • Profile picture of the author J smith
                Wptwin looks pretty awesome for this sort of stuff. What do you use to make back ups? Or do you do it manually?

                You are right, I should stop worrying, but I don't want to be in a situation where I have to tell a client I haven't got a clue how to fix some problem.
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                • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
                  Originally Posted by J smith View Post

                  Wptwin looks pretty awesome for this sort of stuff. What do you use to make back ups? Or do you do it manually?
                  WPTwin for backup and cloning
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                  • Profile picture of the author wings2341
                    How long does it take for you to filter through the owners and message each on a personal level. I would imagine it would take a long time to do this if your doing 50 a day. Is there a way to mass message them?
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                    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
                      Originally Posted by wings2341 View Post

                      How long does it take for you to filter through the owners and message each on a personal level. I would imagine it would take a long time to do this if your doing 50 a day. Is there a way to mass message them?
                      About an hour or so?

                      You can't mass message, no.
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                    • Profile picture of the author JBroyer44
                      Man i have to get on linked in. I mean I ahve a profile on their but never use it.

                      SO would your email say you will build them a new site free but just require a $35/mo hosting and maintenance fee before you make it go live? What I mean is that stated in the opening email?
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              • Profile picture of the author khill98
                Do you purchase a new domain for each site you give away? How do you show the client before you give it to them?
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            • Profile picture of the author bryson
              Originally Posted by J smith View Post

              Nice way of using linkedin.

              But a question for your business model. What would you do if the accounts got hacked? I mean, that's always a possibility with a wordpress based sites. Especially if you have a whole bunch of them which increases the possibility that some will have a none up to date version of plug ins or wordpress itself.

              Hosting is a nice model (I mean, can't get any more "passive" income than that) but the "What if" scenarios always scared me.
              I get your concern. But the thing is if a skilled hacker is going to target one of your clients i don't think it maters if you are using WP or whatever they will get in so why worry about it? If extra site security is important to the client then there are companies out there that offer this service and you just contract with them and take a cut of the fees.
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        • Profile picture of the author Jeremy James
          How much does it cost to get a full, flashy (with ability to send InMail) profile on LinkedIn?
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          • Profile picture of the author Richard Tunnah
            Originally Posted by Jeremy James View Post

            How much does it cost to get a full, flashy (with ability to send InMail) profile on LinkedIn?
            It costs nothing to join and have a linkedin profile. However it costs to send inmail - upto $99 a month to send upto 25 inmails a month.

            Rich
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            • Profile picture of the author 1TIME
              Originally Posted by Richard Tunnah View Post

              It costs nothing to join and have a linkedin profile. However it costs to send inmail - upto $99 a month to send upto 25 inmails a month.

              Rich
              Do I need to pay the 99 per month inmail fee to use the method positive vibe outlined?
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              • Profile picture of the author Daniel LaRusso
                Originally Posted by 1TIME View Post

                Do I need to pay the 99 per month inmail fee to use the method positive vibe outlined?
                I'm of course not the OP, but I would think you could use any of a number of free mail sites, like MailChimp or iContact, for example.

                Also, to the OP, THANK YOU for this thread and idea! Fantastic idea and twist on how to differentiate yourself!!

                I think people are getting caught up in the weeds here, as well, with how much do you charge for X, how do you set up Y, how much time do you spend on Z. The HUGE value of this idea is the idea itself. You can use this and modify it to whatever area of expertise you have. The relationships and contacts you make are the critical part of this, and I absolutely love this idea.
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                • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
                  Wow! This has blown up since I last checked lol.

                  Good to see people are taking notice of the potential of Linked In!!

                  Originally Posted by Carl Fridsjö View Post

                  How do you show them the website?
                  Subdomain attached to my main site.

                  Originally Posted by shami View Post

                  Hi
                  that was a great info thank you so much for sharing although i was familiar with the group options just one question though.?
                  you have host gator account right.? where do you host your client website.? under the same hosting account.? or you have a dedicated server where you can host number of sites.?
                  thank you
                  Shan
                  I use a hostgator account to host everything. Its a seamless option.

                  Originally Posted by neoo28 View Post

                  I have a question: Do you designs a demo website on your subdomain and after agreement transfer it to the clients domain or you ask a client to buy a domain first and then you do your work.?
                  Yes its designed on my subdomain.

                  Originally Posted by 1TIME View Post

                  Nice work positive vibe. I was wondering when you mention that you will be offering them a free website, do you also mention the monthly hosting fee in the first message?
                  I don't in the first message, but you could.

                  I wait till they are hooked on the site before mentioning the monthly charge, the rascal that I am.

                  Originally Posted by jacquic View Post

                  Great post, PositiveVibe - I do this, but hadn't thought of using LinkedIn.

                  Do you require them to accept the hosting package for at least a year?

                  Do you offer them the chance to buy the site from you at any point should they so wish? (Eg, straight away, after 6 mths, a year, two years, etc).

                  Well done, SpiralX - look forward to hearing your progress.

                  ~ Jacqui
                  Thanks. They already own the site when I set it up for them, hence the "you get all the design and setup free" part. They just pay me to host it.

                  Originally Posted by 1TIME View Post

                  Do I need to pay the 99 per month inmail fee to use the method positive vibe outlined?
                  No, its messages through groups which don't cost.

                  I think I remember someone else asking if I tie them in for a year. The answer to that is no I do not. Its a rolling monthly contract. I think trying to tie people into things for a year is kinda lame. If they no longer need the site, they can cancel and I'll take it down.
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    • Profile picture of the author katleo123
      nice way
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  • Profile picture of the author coredesign
    Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

    If you look at the Math, give away 5 free websites a week and you will be £700 a month after month one. £1400 after month 2. £4200 per month after 6 months.
    Well, how much response do you get usually? How much they keep you busy whole week? And how much you are earning after giving them some free work?

    Also, I know PHP, CSS, MySql, Joomla, Drupal so how it would be useful for me?

    I am sorry if I have blasted questions on you.
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by coredesign View Post

      Well, how much response do you get usually? How much they keep you busy whole week? And how much you are earning after giving them some free work?

      Also, I know PHP, CSS, MySql, Joomla, Drupal so how it would be useful for me?

      I am sorry if I have blasted questions on you.
      The response rate is great. I would find it hard to put a percentage on it but if I send 50 messages I generally get between 10-20 responses and 5-10 good responses you can run with.

      Yes you will absolutely get high maintenance people who want to take up all your time, but I weed them out at the start. You can see them coming a mile off

      If someone comes across as potentially problematic just apologise and tell them you are unable to help because you have already taken on your quota of work.

      You can establish this so easily at the start by gathering the content for the new site.

      1. If someone has a website currently and the content is fairly easy to extract, just ask them if its cool to use that. This is the ideal scenario.

      2. If they don't have a website or their current website is such a mess that you cannot decipher what they want their website to say, ask them to provide you with a word document with the content.

      I've found that if they are not willing to invest some time in putting together a word document, and expect you to do absolutely everything, they are not serious enough or want you to perform miracles for them.

      Either way, cut them loose

      I would say your web design skills would be an asset. I personally don't have any webdesign skills and do fine, but it can only help

      As for costs, as I said I charge £35 per month.
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  • Profile picture of the author rachelle123
    Also you are initially telling them your giving them a website for free. no strings attached.. (I know we mean just programming and design, not hosting) but what do you say to the customer when they ask you this? Also when they say no to hosting do you still give them the site and let them host it themselves?
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by rachelle123 View Post

      Also you are initially telling them your giving them a website for free. no strings attached.. (I know we mean just programming and design, not hosting) but what do you say to the customer when they ask you this? Also when they say no to hosting do you still give them the site and let them host it themselves?
      I'm offering them a really nice website, I build it up quickly for those who are really keen and I explain there is a hosting cost before it goes live for them.

      Sometimes people do say no to the hosting cost. Depends on how nice they are whether they actually get the site that is sitting there ready to go

      You've got to remember, most people have no clue about hosting so if they like the site, allowing you to host it and keep it up to date is a no brainer for them.
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      • Profile picture of the author More Ideas
        Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

        I'm offering them a really nice website, I build it up quickly for those who are really keen and I explain there is a hosting cost before it goes live for them.

        Sometimes people do say no to the hosting cost. Depends on how nice they are whether they actually get the site that is sitting there ready to go

        You've got to remember, most people have no clue about hosting so if they like the site, allowing you to host it and keep it up to date is a no brainer for them.

        I've found that ^ to be the actual problem: people have no clue regarding hosting, they don't realise it's a separate cost to having the website built.

        This is odd for those who already have websites, as they must have been paying someone for that, but either:

        1) they've got their "web guy" who handles all that, and they don't notice/feel the $9.99 or whatever they're paying out each month;

        or 2) they don't mind paying that ordinarily, but didn't expect to pay for it for a "free website".
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        • Profile picture of the author massiveappeal
          I really like your method and tried it myself... One issue I am having is that when I try to send a message to someone for a specific group it requires inmail... Do I need to upgrade my account or is there another way?

          Thanks
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          • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
            Originally Posted by massiveappeal View Post

            I really like your method and tried it myself... One issue I am having is that when I try to send a message to someone for a specific group it requires inmail... Do I need to upgrade my account or is there another way?

            Thanks
            You need to be sure you are sending the message via a group. If you are trying to use Inmail you are doing it wrong. Follow the instructions above and you will be fine
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            • Profile picture of the author John Durham
              Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

              You need to be sure you are sending the message via a group. If you are trying to use Inmail you are doing it wrong. Follow the instructions above and you will be fine
              Nick (Positive Vibe), !

              I have been meaning to go through your course, and start implementing this stuff. Since you started talking about this I have seen alot of people recommending linked in as a way to get business. Time to dig this back out and reread it.
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              • Profile picture of the author momwow
                Here's an idea - Wed. is 12-12-12.

                Why not offer to give away 12 free websites on that day, as a sort of promotion????

                Also - I've never used Inkthemes before, any particular theme of theirs that you like and use a lot?

                One last question - do you give the business owners access to the site to make changes/updates, like Editor access?

                I guess if you did that you could charge more - it's X amount for a static site, if you want to be able to blog on it or make changes it's Y per month.
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              • Profile picture of the author bwh1
                Originally Posted by John Durham View Post

                Nick (Positive Vibe), !

                I have been meaning to go through your course, and start implementing this stuff. Since you started talking about this I have seen alot of people recommending linked in as a way to get business. Time to dig this back out and reread it.
                WOW, the John Durham.

                I read several posts from you and understand that you are one of the first Marketers which entered the Offline Niche. Definitely a Pro under us.

                So my :confused: is , do YOU as a long term Offliner with existing clients do still need to give away Websites to get new leads??

                If I would have an existing client base, referral and affiliate marketing or hiring sales reps would be better.

                Or am I wrong here?

                G.
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  • Profile picture of the author Anthony
    Thanks. I have always thought of using this as another stream of making some income. Now that I read your thread, I think I will give it a try...
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  • Profile picture of the author jonnyq888
    This is great stuff. Thanks for sharing! I can think of a number of ways that you can add some backend services to this model.
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by jonnyq888 View Post

      This is great stuff. Thanks for sharing! I can think of a number of ways that you can add some backend services to this model.
      Absolutely
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  • Profile picture of the author sdentrepreneur
    I have been active LinkedIn user for year. I would tread lightly on messaging 50 people per day, even if you are giving something away for free. LinkedIn is a very professional Social Network and will not tolerate people scraping through groups and messaging people. You will eventually get shut down.
    Here is how I use LinkedIn, I first use it as my own online resume and send potential business owners my LinkedIn profile if they need any recommendations of my services.
    When I do find a business owner/decision maker I want to connect with. I will engage them in a conversation and build a relationship with them. If they are local, I will meet them for coffee, lunch or happy hour ;-)
    You can play a much bigger game on LinkedIn IMO
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by sdentrepreneur View Post

      I have been active LinkedIn user for year. I would tread lightly on messaging 50 people per day, even if you are giving something away for free. LinkedIn is a very professional Social Network and will not tolerate people scraping through groups and messaging people. You will eventually get shut down.
      Here is how I use LinkedIn, I first use it as my own online resume and send potential business owners my LinkedIn profile if they need any recommendations of my services.
      When I do find a business owner/decision maker I want to connect with. I will engage them in a conversation and build a relationship with them. If they are local, I will meet them for coffee, lunch or happy hour ;-)
      You can play a much bigger game on LinkedIn IMO
      Sorry, to be clear here, I didn't ever say to do 50 messages a day.

      More than anything else, you would be completely overwhelmed by the response, you would never have time to deal with that level of enquiry.

      50 once a week is more than enough to keep me real busy.

      So far I've had no issues with this
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    • Profile picture of the author JBroyer44
      Originally Posted by sdentrepreneur View Post

      I have been active LinkedIn user for year. I would tread lightly on messaging 50 people per day, even if you are giving something away for free. LinkedIn is a very professional Social Network and will not tolerate people scraping through groups and messaging people. You will eventually get shut down.
      Here is how I use LinkedIn, I first use it as my own online resume and send potential business owners my LinkedIn profile if they need any recommendations of my services.
      When I do find a business owner/decision maker I want to connect with. I will engage them in a conversation and build a relationship with them. If they are local, I will meet them for coffee, lunch or happy hour ;-)
      You can play a much bigger game on LinkedIn IMO
      That right there is how you land the big fish James, and what I would like to use Linkedin for.
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  • Profile picture of the author kymobilemedia
    This seems like a great method and model to follow.

    What do you think about calling local businesses, say that you are a new web designer starting out, and would like to build them a site with no design cost?

    Then introduce the monthly feefor hosting and maintenance.

    I am getting ready to start calling around my area using the pdf that was given here saying to call and say "I am a new web designer in town, and I am now open for business. Do you have a website, or planning any web projects? (or similar)"

    But that model points to a design cost.

    I wonder if this would work better for small businesses that only need a few pages of content, and minimal changes.

    I could give these sites away (design and domain free), and I would think I would get more business this way.

    Then, after I get some clients under my belt, start charging design cost....


    What do you think?


    Also, if they stop paying for the maintenance, do you take the site down since it is in your hosting account and the domain belongs to you?

    Thanks
    Jason
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    • Profile picture of the author Danielm
      Originally Posted by kymobilemedia View Post


      I wonder if this would work better for small businesses that only need a few pages of content, and minimal changes.

      I could give these sites away (design and domain free), and I would think I would get more business this way.
      I would be cautious with the idea that small businesses only want a few pages and a quick template with no changes. I know it gets pushed in the WSO forum all the time but from what I've seen of local clients they like changes, revisions, etc, and just adding their name and a photo to a stock template isn't that amazing in 2011.
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      • Profile picture of the author agonce
        Originally Posted by Danielm View Post

        I would be cautious with the idea that small businesses only want a few pages and a quick template with no changes. I know it gets pushed in the WSO forum all the time but from what I've seen of local clients they like changes, revisions, etc, and just adding their name and a photo to a stock template isn't that amazing in 2011.
        yeah , I assume you will get those clients who always look to get a lot for very cheap. Unless you specify that you will charge based on updates, ie 4 or more updates cost this much, and so on, these clients will be pain in the butt.

        Also, I joined 2-3 groups on linkedIn but when I searched for 'owner' all I got was owners of marketing, web design and other kind of online marketing companies. I was not able to find many local B&M store owners. am I doing something wrong?

        AB
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  • Profile picture of the author rachelle123
    Do you still give them the site if they don't want to host with you?
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  • Profile picture of the author Mike Grant
    To those that say no, send them to Host Gator with an affiliate link. It'll be cheaper for them, so the barrier of entry is much lower, but you'll also get $50+ each.
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  • Profile picture of the author zoro
    I guess you could use this business model for building Fan Pages too?
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by kymobilemedia View Post

      This seems like a great method and model to follow.

      What do you think about calling local businesses, say that you are a new web designer starting out, and would like to build them a site with no design cost?

      Then introduce the monthly feefor hosting and maintenance.

      I am getting ready to start calling around my area using the pdf that was given here saying to call and say "I am a new web designer in town, and I am now open for business. Do you have a website, or planning any web projects? (or similar)"

      But that model points to a design cost.

      I wonder if this would work better for small businesses that only need a few pages of content, and minimal changes.

      I could give these sites away (design and domain free), and I would think I would get more business this way.

      Then, after I get some clients under my belt, start charging design cost....


      What do you think?


      Also, if they stop paying for the maintenance, do you take the site down since it is in your hosting account and the domain belongs to you?

      Thanks
      Jason
      You can definitely do it by making phonecalls. It would probably speed up your progress somewhat as well.

      Originally Posted by rachelle123 View Post

      Do you still give them the site if they don't want to host with you?
      Depends how nice they are

      Originally Posted by agonce View Post

      yeah , I assume you will get those clients who always look to get a lot for very cheap. Unless you specify that you will charge based on updates, ie 4 or more updates cost this much, and so on, these clients will be pain in the butt.

      Also, I joined 2-3 groups on linkedIn but when I searched for 'owner' all I got was owners of marketing, web design and other kind of online marketing companies. I was not able to find many local B&M store owners. am I doing something wrong?

      AB
      Yeah I guess you must be Myself and anyone else I've spoken to have never had any problems. Make sure you are searching in the 'members' tab and in the search box in the left hand side.

      Originally Posted by Mike Grant View Post

      To those that say no, send them to Host Gator with an affiliate link. It'll be cheaper for them, so the barrier of entry is much lower, but you'll also get $50+ each.
      Great shout!

      Originally Posted by zoro View Post

      I guess you could use this business model for building Fan Pages too?
      Definitely.
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  • Profile picture of the author kymobilemedia
    Do you have a sample web design contract that you are using for these clients? I need something that will outline that they get the design work free, and will be billed each month $35 for hosting and maintenance. Then, I will need to say that maintenance will cover very minimal changes to the site that take no longer than 1 hour per month, and have a set hourly rate for bigger changes they need.

    Thanks
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      I just design the website using Ink Themes or Headway in the space of an hour then show them the finished article with their logo and all. Thats much more powerful than showing them examples
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      • Profile picture of the author serryjw
        Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

        I just design the website using Ink Themes or Headway in the space of an hour then show them the finished article with their logo and all. Thats much more powerful than showing them examples
        PV...I have never used WP. Which do you recommend for a total newbie?

        Thanks, Serry
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  • Profile picture of the author jonpaulm
    Hi Positive,

    You have a really good model going there. Would you mind sharing your opening email to the business owners?

    All the best,

    JP
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    • Profile picture of the author arkhamindustries
      Can you filter businesses by location with LinkedIn?
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      • Profile picture of the author jonpaulm
        What i have done in the past is look for a group with the ares in the title. to get it pin pointed to an area. However if you are looking for a gourd on an industry and then within in that looking for a location you can click on the members tab and then click advanced search if you scroll down you can search on location within the group.

        Give that a try..

        All the best

        JP
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  • Profile picture of the author reigovilbiks
    how can you send 50 inmails a week if theres a 25 monthly limit?
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    • Profile picture of the author unstoppableflow
      sounds good...I never knew you could do this with linked in!
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    • Profile picture of the author electronik69
      Originally Posted by reigovilbiks View Post

      how can you send 50 inmails a week if theres a 25 monthly limit?
      Yeah I want to ask the same thing, either your creating multiple accounts, or your connecting with the business owners, or is there a hidden way that we don't know about?
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      • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
        Originally Posted by reigovilbiks View Post

        how can you send 50 inmails a week if theres a 25 monthly limit?
        Originally Posted by electronik69 View Post

        Yeah I want to ask the same thing, either your creating multiple accounts, or your connecting with the business owners, or is there a hidden way that we don't know about?
        When you join a group, you can send unlimited number of mail to fellow group members. Its a very useful little trick

        Originally Posted by electronik69 View Post

        Then you can up-sell them onto a local seo package after you have created the value!
        Absolutely!
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        • Profile picture of the author electronik69
          Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

          When you join a group, you can send unlimited number of mail to fellow group members. Its a very useful little trick
          Oh I get it now!

          Have you become a paying Linkedin member so you can search for there seniority level or do you just manually do it.
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  • Profile picture of the author electronik69
    Then you can up-sell them onto a local seo package after you have created the value!
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  • Profile picture of the author reigovilbiks
    So the only cost for making these websites for you is paying for hosting and domain?
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  • Profile picture of the author iamchrisgreen
    HOLD ON ... HOLD ON ...

    What kind of websites are you offering here??
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    • Profile picture of the author rnjonjo
      Originally Posted by iamchrisgreen View Post

      HOLD ON ... HOLD ON ...

      What kind of websites are you offering here??
      Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

      7. At this stage its up to you how much work you want to take on but what I do here is use the most simplistic but sharp looking Wordpress theme I can find (inkthemes or headway all the way for me) and rework some of the websites of those who have asked for help, and show them to the owner.
      Chris,

      it seems he's offering fully fleshed out WORDPRESS sites to the biz owners. I also see you have a LinkedIn WSO out there.

      What is your experience on LinkedIn as regards to what the OP suggests here? Viable strategy or not?

      Thanks.
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      • Profile picture of the author iamchrisgreen
        Originally Posted by rnjonjo View Post

        Chris,

        it seems he's offering fully fleshed out WORDPRESS sites to the biz owners. I also see you have a LinkedIn WSO out there.

        What is your experience on LinkedIn as regards to what the OP suggests here? Viable strategy or not?

        Thanks.
        I must be being a bit slow. I need to go and read the OP again because i'm sure this is about doing loads of free work .... i'm not into that personally. Surely you should be charging for all the work you do?

        As I say, I may be wrong...
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      • Profile picture of the author jhuman
        Thanks for the great tip!

        I will have to try this method out.
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      • Profile picture of the author colinaudie
        Thanks for the great information, have you not offered to do fanpages,mobile sites etc If you need assistance I can help.
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        • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
          Yeah I offer all those services where appropriate. Glad you found this useful.
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      • Profile picture of the author connor1975
        smart guy, cheer!!!!!!!!!!
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    • Profile picture of the author dtaylor
      Very clever.

      I am looking at trying out a couple of variations of this in the next few weeks.

      Thanks for sharing.

      DTaylor
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    • Profile picture of the author magnoliamaven
      This sounds like a great idea. What kinds of industries does it work best in?

      Donna
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      • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
        Guys thanks so much for all of your comments, really liking the positivity and good vibes surrounding this.

        As has been mentioned, this is a tried and tested model which has worked for years.

        We are simply tweaking it and utilizing the social media juggernaut that is Linked In to make a system that is accessible to everyone, regardless of what level you are at.

        This is powerful stuff
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      • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
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        • Profile picture of the author gecko1
          What I'm doing right now is I just pick up business cards wherever I go and when I get home I see if the have a site or any kind of web presence.

          Perfect target = No website
          2nd target = Ugly small site

          other than that, I don't bother with bigger fish.

          great share on this thread, thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author Tsarina
    Looks like a viable concept, I like 100% online contacting. I would go for a narrow niche, like furniture stores for instance and have a pre-made website on my sub-domain and just have a their logo, info changed for each viewing. If the are game I would update rest of the site.
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  • Profile picture of the author cashmagnet
    So out of 50 inital contacts you can run with 5 or 10 out of 20 replies, out of those 5 or 10 how many have you been converting? @PositiveVibe
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by iamchrisgreen View Post

      HOLD ON ... HOLD ON ...

      What kind of websites are you offering here??
      iamchrisgreen! How dare you come onto my thread like a bull in a china shop having not read the OP!!!!

      I bill the websites as being very sharp, modern, minimalistic and up to 5 pages of client provided content (including home and contact page)

      Originally Posted by cashmagnet View Post

      So out of 50 inital contacts you can run with 5 or 10 out of 20 replies, out of those 5 or 10 how many have you been converting? @PositiveVibe
      It actually varies massively but of course, some will always fall off because they either wanted something that was going to be far too large a project or we couldn't work out terms or in 1 particular case the client looking for the freebie was being downright rude and obnoxious, which forced me to pull the plug on him...
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  • Profile picture of the author neoo28
    So If I understood right you do not need to pay to send messages if you use a groups. Your costs are :
    reseller hosting
    domain name
    wordpress theme

    Do you create a logo for business owner who does not have a website.
    where do you get a pictures for your design.

    Do you buy a domaine name after you got a deal on hosting .

    thanks
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Correct, those are the only expenses. Linked In costs nothing.

      I create a simple logo for each customer using photoshop. I have also purchased $5 logo's on Fiverr in some cases.

      Let the customer pay for the domain. The web design and setup is completely free of charge however we are not running a charity so extra costs obviously have to be assumed by the customer. I've never ever had anyone moan about paying for their own domain when its been required.

      Hope this helps
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      • Profile picture of the author iamchrisgreen
        Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

        Correct, those are the only expenses. Linked In costs nothing.

        I create a simple logo for each customer using photoshop. I have also purchased $5 logo's on Fiverr in some cases.

        Let the customer pay for the domain. The web design and setup is completely free of charge however we are not running a charity so extra costs obviously have to be assumed by the customer. I've never ever had anyone moan about paying for their own domain when its been required.

        Hope this helps
        How much are you making per client?

        Also, how long do you spend creating the site for them?
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        • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
          Originally Posted by iamchrisgreen View Post

          I must be being a bit slow. I need to go and read the OP again because i'm sure this is about doing loads of free work .... i'm not into that personally. Surely you should be charging for all the work you do?

          As I say, I may be wrong...
          Using this method doesn't mean you work for free Chris. Firstly you are building monthly residual income right off the bat then theres the potential for upsells and finally referral work. If you look at the big picture, this method has got some serious pro's

          Originally Posted by iamchrisgreen View Post

          How much are you making per client?
          £35 per month.

          Originally Posted by iamchrisgreen View Post

          Also, how long do you spend creating the site for them?
          I spend no more than 1 hour making the site, I do this by using set themes and templates that look impressive.
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          • Profile picture of the author iamchrisgreen
            Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

            I spend no more than 1 hour making the site, I do this by using set themes and templates that look impressive.
            Serious?? One hour?

            Help me out with this mate... (I'll get there)

            What about getting all the content, getting the pictures they want, making any changes they come up with.

            What about creating contact forms on the site?

            How do you get all this down to one hour?
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            • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
              Ok sometimes it might take more than an hour But never longer than 2 hours from start to finish.

              Inkthemes are so quick and easy that you just drop the text and images in the right fields and you've created a very smart website in no time at all.

              To start a site from scratch on Headway takes a bit longer, but I have some headway templates set up and can churn them out quick as well.

              Not sure whether or not the customers feel less inclined to ask for lots of changes because its free but I have noticed alot less requests than usual.

              Hope that was helpful mate
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              • Profile picture of the author iamchrisgreen
                Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

                Ok sometimes it might take more than an hour But never longer than 2 hours from start to finish.

                Inkthemes are so quick and easy that you just drop the text and images in the right fields and you've created a very smart website in no time at all.

                To start a site from scratch on Headway takes a bit longer, but I have some headway templates set up and can churn them out quick as well.

                Not sure whether or not the customers feel less inclined to ask for lots of changes because its free but I have noticed alot less requests than usual.

                Hope that was helpful mate
                I think my pushback on this is years and years of clients making changes and taking aaaages to get their content created.

                BUT ... like you say, if it's free you can get it sorted quick and they aren't expecting a top end site from this.

                You got me thinking now ...
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                • Profile picture of the author Jgregory
                  To PositiveVibe

                  My hat's off to you, Sir!

                  You seem to have tapped into a significant lead generation strategy that works well for the business model you follow... the "give away the freebie" on the front-end for a small recurring monthly income.

                  This model is used by 1000's of businesses in a thousand variations to lead to both monthly and also to big high-ticket sales as well. Offer real value to earn the right to do business with them... that resonates a positive vibe alright.

                  Best foot-in-the-door model for marketers who are not sales oriented too. And it sure fits today's economic climate of fear amongst business owners.

                  And kudos for sharing something of real value here, and working your tail off with helpful replies.

                  I actually read this entire thread... fascinating to watch you handle the replies so gracefully and with remarkable aplomb.

                  A recommendation, that those weighing your thread... consider staying with the model exactly as described... not letting it grow extra appendages and problems out of your own experience.

                  And yes, my past experience with website design clients is full of horror stories too ... but those were clients in an entirely different business model... high-end and high ticket clients. This model is not targeting those prospects.

                  What you are saying... take your best shot, only at the clients that fit the exact criteria for your Giveaway model. I would think your selection criteria when you view the prospects existing websites are the key element many will miss in this thread. There are some really crappy websites around, and the positive comparison offered by your 1 hour "free website" is huge. It's a starting point at the very least, and little resistance getting to a yes.

                  I am betting you stay with those slam-dunk candidates with really crappy sites. or no site at all. This is the art of lead generation... preaching only to the choir means finding and indentifying each choir member. Leave the congregation out of it.

                  And you have mentioned the golden advice to just let the problem prospects in your catch... swim back downstream, while you keep casting for the ones meeting your strict criteria. There is certain value is this sort of discipline. Working the numbers in this form of lead generation... means staying with your game plan without getting sidetracked. This almost guarantees high conversion ratios for your pitch.

                  Without a doubt, there is a big potential for more back-end profits once your relationship is solid with these customers. Mobile websites, SEO, perhaps SMS texting.

                  A few points worth noting... its much simpler to start with a new domain. Sorting out older domains on older websites does indeed bring up the dreaded "former webmaster". Usually that person is unavailable, and then you'll have to work through getting the user/pass for the domain registry for the old domains. That's always a delay and a hassle. The owners rarely know a thing about it. We provide that client with a copy-paste email to send to the Registrar holding his domain requesting access and user/pass. Once you have that user/pass, then you log in and set host records accordingly for the client.

                  We've also offered a few easy bonuses with the monthly fees to make them more digestible. For example, email address setup on the @domain so they can stop publishing their @gmail address and use their own domain. Orwriting them a simple annual press release and giving the resources to distribute that PR. Pick high-value low-effort options for yourself.

                  Best Regards,
                  Jan Gregory
                  .
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                  • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
                    Originally Posted by Jgregory View Post

                    To PositiveVibe

                    My hat's off to you, Sir!

                    You seem to have tapped into a significant lead generation strategy that works well for the business model you follow... the "give away the freebie" on the front-end for a small recurring monthly income.

                    This model is used by 1000's of businesses in a thousand variations to lead to both monthly and also to big high-ticket sales as well. Offer real value to earn the right to do business with them... that resonates a positive vibe alright.

                    Best foot-in-the-door model for marketers who are not sales oriented too. And it sure fits today's economic climate of fear amongst business owners.

                    And kudos for sharing something of real value here, and working your tail off with helpful replies.

                    I actually read this entire thread... fascinating to watch you handle the replies so gracefully and with remarkable aplomb.

                    A recommendation, that those weighing your thread... consider staying with the model exactly as described... not letting it grow extra appendages and problems out of your own experience.

                    And yes, my past experience with website design clients is full of horror stories too ... but those were clients in an entirely different business model... high-end and high ticket clients. This model is not targeting those prospects.

                    What you are saying... take your best shot, only at the clients that fit the exact criteria for your Giveaway model. I would think your selection criteria when you view the prospects existing websites are the key element many will miss in this thread. There are some really crappy websites around, and the positive comparison offered by your 1 hour "free website" is huge. It's a starting point at the very least, and little resistance getting to a yes.

                    I am betting you stay with those slam-dunk candidates with really crappy sites. or no site at all. This is the art of lead generation... preaching only to the choir means finding and indentifying each choir member. Leave the congregation out of it.

                    And you have mentioned the golden advice to just let the problem prospects in your catch... swim back downstream, while you keep casting for the ones meeting your strict criteria. There is certain value is this sort of discipline. Working the numbers in this form of lead generation... means staying with your game plan without getting sidetracked. This almost guarantees high conversion ratios for your pitch.

                    Without a doubt, there is a big potential for more back-end profits once your relationship is solid with these customers. Mobile websites, SEO, perhaps SMS texting.

                    A few points worth noting... its much simpler to start with a new domain. Sorting out older domains on older websites does indeed bring up the dreaded "former webmaster". Usually that person is unavailable, and then you'll have to work through getting the user/pass for the domain registry for the old domains. That's always a delay and a hassle. The owners rarely know a thing about it. We provide that client with a copy-paste email to send to the Registrar holding his domain requesting access and user/pass. Once you have that user/pass, then you log in and set host records accordingly for the client.

                    We've also offered a few easy bonuses with the monthly fees to make them more digestible. For example, email address setup on the @domain so they can stop publishing their @gmail address and use their own domain. Orwriting them a simple annual press release and giving the resources to distribute that PR. Pick high-value low-effort options for yourself.

                    Best Regards,
                    Jan Gregory
                    .
                    Jan, thanks so very much for your post my friend, I really appreciate your thoughts.

                    All the best.
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                • Profile picture of the author BizWebMan
                  Originally Posted by iamchrisgreen View Post

                  I think my pushback on this is years and years of clients making changes and taking aaaages to get their content created.

                  BUT ... like you say, if it's free you can get it sorted quick and they aren't expecting a top end site from this.

                  You got me thinking now ...
                  Hi Chris

                  I use a similar business model as PV and it works and works well.

                  It all comes down to the win win scenario with you and the client. They get a pretty darned good looking website and you get a customer who is paying you a recurring fee. They also see it as extremely good for them as they are not paying huge upfront fees.

                  The real kicker with this model is..... EXTRA FEATURES YOU CAN CHARGE FOR ie:-
                  Video
                  Autoresponder set up
                  Ecommerce
                  Mobile website
                  SEO services
                  Etc Etc...

                  Once you have a customer along with you, as long as you provide a great service they will love you bits and see you as their web expert go to guy or girl. No one else even gets a look in and it does not get better than that.

                  Grahame
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                • Profile picture of the author bryson
                  Originally Posted by iamchrisgreen View Post

                  I think my pushback on this is years and years of clients making changes and taking aaaages to get their content created.

                  BUT ... like you say, if it's free you can get it sorted quick and they aren't expecting a top end site from this.

                  You got me thinking now ...
                  Noooo, once you have completed your initial offer they pay for updates and changes. They don't even have to be large fees. For example if they want a bunch of content changes you can charge a very reasonable fee and then outsource it to a data entry VA for pennies on the dollar.
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  • Profile picture of the author gecko1
    I have been debating wether to offer the logo with the free website. What I do if they don't have one is just get their company name in to photoshop, add some drop shadow and a gradient with their choice of company color. It looks really clean and simple. However I do charge for a custom logo. Like PositiveVibe said, we are not running a charity.
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  • Profile picture of the author timpears
    Seems like you are taking almost two years to make up this 800 quid (I don't have a GBP sign on my yanky computer) you are giving them in free design fees. Don't you think you could get more for the monthly?

    If I didn't suck at design or I would do this. If I knew where to outsource them at a reasonable price, that would be the only way I could do this.

    Thanks for sharing, this is probably as good as any WSO I have seen.
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    • Profile picture of the author Lori Kelly
      Originally Posted by timpears View Post

      Seems like you are taking almost two years to make up this 800 quid (I don't have a GBP sign on my yanky computer) you are giving them in free design fees. Don't you think you could get more for the monthly?

      If I didn't suck at design or I would do this. If I knew where to outsource them at a reasonable price, that would be the only way I could do this.

      Thanks for sharing, this is probably as good as any WSO I have seen.
      You don't need to know design. WP is easy to learn. You need a logo? Go to fiverr and find someone who is good at designing logos.

      I'll do some free sites, but not many. I am going to charge $199 for the site (thanks John Durham for his incredible thread on homestead sites) and $24.99 a month for hosting.

      You can do this Tim.
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  • Profile picture of the author daryllau
    Totally blown away by this share. Inspiring and with a few tweaks, anyone can make it their own as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanmckinney
    Great thread!

    I like it, simple, easy to implement, and can be just one of those things you do at the end of your day.. you know brush your teeth, send a few linked inmails, get in your pj's .. go to bed.

    Nice. Thanks!

    Ryan
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    • Profile picture of the author SpiralX
      Thanks for the tips! I didn't have LinkedIn on my radar, but now it definitely is!
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  • Profile picture of the author Jessie Callaghan
    I really like this method. Working with business owners by making connections with them online can have huge potential. Keep up the good work and thanks for the motivation!
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  • Profile picture of the author SpiralX
    Ok Cool, I got in! Got accepted to a 5,000 person group of local professionals, and saw exactly how to contact a handful on a daily basis through your instructions. This is gonna be good... I just have a tiny bit more to finalize work on my campaigns and websites, then I am ready to prospect some local decision makers with your strategy.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Durham
    Awesome Thread Here! Love it. Can I use this in my new recruit training manual? JK, but not.

    Originally Posted by SpiralX View Post

    Ok Cool, I got in! Got accepted to a 5,000 person group of local professionals, and saw exactly how to contact a handful on a daily basis through your instructions. This is gonna be good... I just have a tiny bit more to finalize work on my campaigns and websites, then I am ready to prospect some local decision makers with your strategy.
    Nice. Cant wait to hear your results!
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  • Profile picture of the author phoenixseo
    Awesome!It is really a good way
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  • Profile picture of the author Jkhurramov
    Thanks for the tips! This method sure works for those who take action!
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  • Profile picture of the author hoangdinh
    That is very good, so you can make a decent amount of money for himself.
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  • Profile picture of the author localbusinessguy
    I never thought of this before so will be looking into it. Thanks for the info.
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  • Profile picture of the author shami
    Hi
    that was a great info thank you so much for sharing although i was familiar with the group options just one question though.?
    you have host gator account right.? where do you host your client website.? under the same hosting account.? or you have a dedicated server where you can host number of sites.?
    thank you
    Shan




    Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

    I just came off a Skype chat with my friend who has recently set off travelling the world and is currently in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

    He spent a lot of months saving before he went, so he's got a decent amount of cash but he wants to earn money through the internet while he is away, to extend his trip.

    Luckily for him I was able to help. You see, I've been honing my new free give-away technique on Linked In, which has allowed me to bulid a significant monthly risudual, without cold calling! It has become so successful over the past few months that I am now about to make this strategy my primary focus because my goal from the outset has been to create a business that I can allow to run on autopilot, and this looks like it is going to do the trick.

    So since I helped out Stu, I thought to myself this might be a good time to give something back to the community that has helped me leave my day job and work for myself full time for the past 8 months

    So, for those who are unfamiliar, Linked In is the Business Facebook. There are around 115m users, a large number of whom are business owners. If you have ever been disappointed with the response you got from a direct mail or email campaign, you are going to be blown away by Linked In. Business owners will gladly speak to you, and best of all... NO GATEKEEPERS.

    Without babbling on too much further, allow me to share the technique:

    1. Create a fully fleshed out, 100% complete Linked In profile.

    2. On Linked In, there are groups for every niche. Choose some Niches and join some groups. Try to choose groups with larger numbers of members.

    3. Once in the groups select the "members" tab and filter to owners by entering something like "owner" or "director" into the search bar.

    4. When you have done this you will now be looking at a list of potentially thousands of owners. Its time to make contact and you can do this by hovering your mouse over their entry and selecting the "send message" option

    5. Before this though, you want to check out some profiles and find guys that either have no website or one that looks really crappy.

    6. You now have a direct line of communication to the owner of said business, which could badly do with a new website. You are about to offer them something of great value free of charge, remember to make your first message conversational. Don't be spammy. Say hello, introduce yourself as a web designer who is looking to garner some recommendations, offer to do a website for their business with absolutely no charge for the design and development fee. Ask if they know anyone who this would benefit.

    I usually send out about 50 messages in the early evening time. When I wake up the next day my inbox is usually bursting with all kinds of responses. Often you will get up to 10 people who want to take you up on the offer.

    7. At this stage its up to you how much work you want to take on but what I do here is use the most simplistic but sharp looking Wordpress theme I can find (inkthemes or headway all the way for me) and rework some of the websites of those who have asked for help, and show them to the owner.

    8. At this stage you will be heralded as a hero as long as the site looks fairly decent and its here that I like to get on the phone to the customer and build the value a bit more, explaining that they are saving themselves £800+ on design fees etc etc.

    9. I then go on to telling them that the only thing I ask is that they allow me to host and maintain the site for a small fee of £35 per month. As long as you have done everything correctly and built the value of the site with the customer, you will have no problem at this stage.

    Obviously not every customer goes for it, but the majority really don't mind the fee, because they are getting something HUGE that their business NEEDS and they are not paying for it.. The monthly fee is really insignificant, less than people pay for Sky TV over here. This is something their business needs to function properly.

    10. Rinse and repeat this formula.

    If you look at the Math, give away 5 free websites a week and you will be £700 a month after month one. £1400 after month 2. £4200 per month after 6 months.

    I'd like to point out I'm not a technical whizz, I have a Hostgator package that allows me to host for the client and I use extremely simple but smart wordpress themes.

    Anyone can do this.

    The wordpress themes take me no more than an hour to set up and I have been doing this myself up until now because there isn't any substantial front end cash.

    Going forward I intend to outsource most of this.

    If you have any questions please feel free to holla at me and if you found this useful, please feel free to hit the thanks button :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author neoo28
    7. At this stage its up to you how much work you want to take on but what I do here is use the most simplistic but sharp looking Wordpress theme I can find (inkthemes or headway all the way for me) and rework some of the websites of those who have asked for help, and show them to the owner.
    I have a question: Do you designs a demo website on your subdomain and after agreement transfer it to the clients domain or you ask a client to buy a domain first and then you do your work.?
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  • Profile picture of the author Lori Kelly
    Great thread. Thank you for sharing your information. I just joined LinkedIn. I was aware it had potential but not using this method. Appreciate you taking the time to tell us about your venture. I wish you great success.
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  • Profile picture of the author 1TIME
    Nice work positive vibe. I was wondering when you mention that you will be offering them a free website, do you also mention the monthly hosting fee in the first message?
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  • Profile picture of the author jacquic
    Great post, PositiveVibe - I do this, but hadn't thought of using LinkedIn.

    Do you require them to accept the hosting package for at least a year?

    Do you offer them the chance to buy the site from you at any point should they so wish? (Eg, straight away, after 6 mths, a year, two years, etc).

    Well done, SpiralX - look forward to hearing your progress.

    ~ Jacqui
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  • Profile picture of the author DriftZ
    I want to know how to make a really good site. Sorry about it, but i'm a newcomer to IM
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    • Profile picture of the author StarkContrast
      good method using the existing Linked In framework. The best thing to do with LinkedIN is to just go explore. It's a great and powerful marketing funnel.
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  • Profile picture of the author FJM2010
    I just signed up for Linkedin and I have been using the method above but have not had any responses to my messages. Can you give me an example of the message that you use?
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    • Profile picture of the author Lori Kelly
      My site is almost ready to go. I've been working on a marketing business similar to this and your thread gave me the incentive (kick in the rear) to get it up and running.

      When I was talking with a local Realtor friend, I told her I was creating a new marketing business. As a Realtor myself, I asked her if she was aware that the biggest complaint customers and consumers have about Realtors is the lack of communication.

      She agreed.

      I asked her if she was keeping in touch with her clients, past and present.

      No, she isn't. Too much work.

      She has approximately 75 listings currently.
      She is working with over 50 potential buyers.

      Her website has a contact form but no automated response so sometimes it takes her days to return an email. You can't do this and stay competitive in the real estate market.

      So, this is what told her I would be offering:

      - A website - this Realtor has one so she won't be needing this part of my services. And Realtors are not my only target market.

      - A Twitter service - she knows nothing about Twitter (and she's not alone). I told her that in addition to setting up a Twitter account, that I would also tweet a certain number of tweets for her a day (as a ghost tweeter and of course, for an additional fee). Anytime she gets a new listing, I would tweet it with a link back to her website. We/I would also track statistics using the tiny url created to leave the link back to her site.

      - A FB fan page. She knows nothing about FB. This too, would be for a fee. I would help her get likes and make regular posts. Of course, for a monthly fee.

      - A blog for her site. She doesn't have time to blog. Perfect! I will ghost blog for her. A certain number of posts per week, an additional monthly fee.

      - An autoresponder. We would keep in contact with her clients. When a seller has not heard from his agent in sometime, he/she is not a happy camper. I explained to this gal that even if you sent an email that discussed current market conditions, and were working a marketing plan to get their property sold, that would keep her customers happy. $$

      I told my friend that I was not ready to launch the business and gave her some ballpark figures.

      She wanted to know how soon she could contract my services.


      You all see where I'm going with this, right?
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel LaRusso
      Originally Posted by FJM2010 View Post

      I just signed up for Linkedin and I have been using the method above but have not had any responses to my messages. Can you give me an example of the message that you use?
      Again, I'm not the OP, but would you consider posting the message that you sent to people on LinkedIn here for us to see?

      For me, I am really loving this method. Sheer brilliant, and fits my style perfectly because I love to network. It's partially a Southern thing, partially me, but when I meet someone, I talk to them, ask them questions, and learn about people we know in common and other things we have in common. That's what LinkedIn does on a much bigger scale.

      Again, the value of this method is in how you apply it, not exactly what you offer or say.

      Try getting to know people, learning more about THEM first, and seeing what they do. THEN, after you've developed a rapport and they trust you, THEN give them your pitch.

      I found about 10 groups in my general area with an average of about 400 people per group. That's a boatload of prospects, but I'd rather give some information, share value, learn about a lot of them, and become someone they trust (pretty quickly, too) so that they come to me rather than me chasing them.

      The absolute coolest thing I found was actually on one of the groups I joined. When you join a group, make some contributions to the group, and then start a GROUP discussion. Say this: "I am new to this group, and would love to learn more about you all. How would you feel about telling me what you do, in 75 words or less, without using the words "I" or "we".

      Then, start the discussion off by telling what you do, or sit back and wait and see how people jump all over this chance to promote themselves, and THEN chime in. By the time you chime in, you'll have learned a LOT of things about a LOT of potential customers, and they will know exactly who you are when you approach them with whatever it is you offer.

      Sound like a decent idea to try?

      I guess what I'm driving at is this method is FANTASTIC, and it's a lot like going to a bar to meet a lady (or guy I guess). You don't just walk up to somebody and say "hey baby, my name is Daniel. I do blah blah blah - would you like to go out with me?" (unless your name is either Beavis or Butthead). You gotta get to know folks, see if you are compatible, see what you can do for them and what they can do for you - see if there's any chemistry and timing. To me, that's what this method is all about, and it's working great for me.
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      • Profile picture of the author FJM2010
        Originally Posted by Daniel LaRusso View Post

        Again, I'm not the OP, but would you consider posting the message that you sent to people on LinkedIn here for us to see?

        For me, I am really loving this method. Sheer brilliant, and fits my style perfectly because I love to network. It's partially a Southern thing, partially me, but when I meet someone, I talk to them, ask them questions, and learn about people we know in common and other things we have in common. That's what LinkedIn does on a much bigger scale.

        Again, the value of this method is in how you apply it, not exactly what you offer or say.

        Try getting to know people, learning more about THEM first, and seeing what they do. THEN, after you've developed a rapport and they trust you, THEN give them your pitch.

        I found about 10 groups in my general area with an average of about 400 people per group. That's a boatload of prospects, but I'd rather give some information, share value, learn about a lot of them, and become someone they trust (pretty quickly, too) so that they come to me rather than me chasing them.

        The absolute coolest thing I found was actually on one of the groups I joined. When you join a group, make some contributions to the group, and then start a GROUP discussion. Say this: "I am new to this group, and would love to learn more about you all. How would you feel about telling me what you do, in 75 words or less, without using the words "I" or "we".

        Then, start the discussion off by telling what you do, or sit back and wait and see how people jump all over this chance to promote themselves, and THEN chime in. By the time you chime in, you'll have learned a LOT of things about a LOT of potential customers, and they will know exactly who you are when you approach them with whatever it is you offer.

        Sound like a decent idea to try?

        I guess what I'm driving at is this method is FANTASTIC, and it's a lot like going to a bar to meet a lady (or guy I guess). You don't just walk up to somebody and say "hey baby, my name is Daniel. I do blah blah blah - would you like to go out with me?" (unless your name is either Beavis or Butthead). You gotta get to know folks, see if you are compatible, see what you can do for them and what they can do for you - see if there's any chemistry and timing. To me, that's what this method is all about, and it's working great for me.
        Thank you so much for the advice!! What you said above makes total sense and will really help me with connecting with potential clients and help me to build relationships
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        • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
          Hey guys, thought I'd check back in to this thread to share some more info.

          Despite my good intentions when I wrote this thread, I have not had a chance to focus on my linked in method as much as I planned!! In fact, I've not even managed to send out another batch of emails...

          That being said, the true power of this method reveals itself again as on Friday last week and again this morning, I have recieved 2 seperate replys to the messages I sent out, several weeks ago!!

          These people are really keen to press on with sites and it looks like I will be banking a further £840 per year from these two alone starting next week.

          I have just finished a WSO so will be focusing on this more again over the coming weeks.

          I love this system

          If anyone wants to ask some more questions please fire away, I'm sure Daniel will pitch in with some more help as well as myself
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        • Profile picture of the author Dominica Alicia
          This is a great post. Thank you for sharing It's really a shame that I haven't been using Linkedin for so long... Your strategy is awesome. Let's the festive period finish and start implementing this from Monday onwords I will keep you posted...
          Or maybe I should even start today? It doesn't cost me anything

          And the upsell list is endless:
          - autoresponder set up & email management
          - seo
          - social media set up and management
          - mobile
          - sms marketing
          - video

          WOW => you really made my day today
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  • Profile picture of the author Lori Kelly
    I didn't do much since joining Linkedin. Thursday I changed my profile and joined a few groups. On one of the open groups, I was asked to say something about myself in 7 or 8 words. I did. I've already got a lead (someone sent me and email) and can see a tremendous potential here - helping people and increasing revenue for both business owners and myself.
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by Lori Kelly View Post

      I didn't do much since joining Linkedin. Thursday I changed my profile and joined a few groups. On one of the open groups, I was asked to say something about myself in 7 or 8 words. I did. I've already got a lead (someone sent me and email) and can see a tremendous potential here - helping people and increasing revenue for both business owners and myself.
      Awesome Lori, glad to hear things are in motion for you.

      Once you start to get results you'll continue to invest more time and your results will be doubled.

      I am planning to put together another 5 free websites tomorrow afternoon for people who have been asking for them
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    • Profile picture of the author iamchrisgreen
      Originally Posted by Lori Kelly View Post

      I didn't do much since joining Linkedin. Thursday I changed my profile and joined a few groups. On one of the open groups, I was asked to say something about myself in 7 or 8 words. I did. I've already got a lead (someone sent me and email) and can see a tremendous potential here - helping people and increasing revenue for both business owners and myself.

      Excellent. LinkedIn is a very very powerful tool if you have the right attitude, which is sounds like you have.
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  • Profile picture of the author iamchrisgreen
    Be honest with us PV, how many sites have you created with this system, and how many of them have been "no hassle at all, created in two hours max".

    (Sorry to be every skeptical)

    Chris
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    • Profile picture of the author SlowlyMan
      This system is quite intriguing. I've read the entire thread, but I'm still unclear on where you host these sites prior to getting a hosting commitment.

      In my rather simple mind, I see purchasing a "demo" domain and setting up the the site there. Send the customer a link, if they like the site, transfer it to there domain, or purchase one for them.

      Or do you buy the domain for them right out of the box, if they decline hosting, your out one month hosting fee?

      Am i understanding this correctly, or am i missing something?
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      • Profile picture of the author yamphy
        He won't be out of any hosting fees because he is a reseller of hostgator where he can host many websites for one fee. So once he gets the commitment, all he has to do is create there account.
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        • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
          Originally Posted by iamchrisgreen View Post

          Be honest with us PV, how many sites have you created with this system, and how many of them have been "no hassle at all, created in two hours max".

          (Sorry to be every skeptical)

          Chris
          Ok Chris, no problem. I am in the low teens with the number of websites I've done now so it is bringing in around £500 p/m. Not a collosal amount, but its substantial and this is with me only devoting half an hour to the system here and there at night when I get the chance, and of course building the websites.

          In all honesty, you do get people that demand too much of your time.

          The beauty of this is, you garner so many responses from your messages you can afford to just focus on the guys that are low maint. and do extremely well.

          I'm making good money from this, I know a good few other people who are also doing likewise.

          Originally Posted by SlowlyMan View Post

          This system is quite intriguing. I've read the entire thread, but I'm still unclear on where you host these sites prior to getting a hosting commitment.

          In my rather simple mind, I see purchasing a "demo" domain and setting up the the site there. Send the customer a link, if they like the site, transfer it to there domain, or purchase one for them.

          Or do you buy the domain for them right out of the box, if they decline hosting, your out one month hosting fee?

          Am i understanding this correctly, or am i missing something?
          Use a Sub Domain of your own website at the start and just build the index page for them. Then you can move on and get them a real domain from there or upload to an existing domain they own.

          You need an unlimited package for hosting which is very cheap in any case.

          Originally Posted by elizas186 View Post

          hello every one
          Hello there spam!
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          • Profile picture of the author iamchrisgreen
            Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

            Ok Chris, no problem. I am in the low teens with the number of websites I've done now so it is bringing in around £500 p/m. Not a collosal amount, but its substantial and this is with me only devoting half an hour to the system here and there at night when I get the chance, and of course building the websites.
            Thanks for sharing this. I think it gives some reality to the process.

            My only challenge is that you could get 1 client paying you £500 per month for SEO.
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  • Profile picture of the author whyeyeschoice
    Thanks for Sharing PositiveVibe. I have been using Linked In for some time now. I've Created New Business relationship and met some amazing people . I love helping others build monthly residual income and also learning as I meet new people. Linked In is definetely a great source for Networking and Making Money.
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  • Profile picture of the author Amod Oke
    This even works with local businesses, not necessary to go through linkedin, all you have to do is find some local niche businesses and approach them in a unique way, just like the OP has mentioned, something like "FREE website with ZERO design charges!"
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  • Profile picture of the author yamphy
    Okay, this was what the doctor ordered! I have been wondering the best approach in contacting "owners" without seeming spammy.
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  • Profile picture of the author perfectlovehere
    A very good idea. How do you set it up, though, so that they keep their login details separate and you make the income?
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  • Profile picture of the author Lori Kelly
    Checking out Linkedin more. In my opinion, it is similar to Twitter where it is important to first establish relationships. Find groups where you share a common interest, post replies to other peoples' posts and create relationships before pitching services.

    After researching this a bit, it is an incredible opportunity to get business. It's not just website creations that are the only resource, it would include just about anything in IM. Writers, great opportunity to get on LinkedIn, get your relationships established, read others blogs/sites and if the content is poor, send them a sample of what good content is. It could be just one paragraph for free and a type of upsell that offers the full article for a fee.

    Be sincere when you send an email to a potential customer. Don't make it a long boring offer to sell your services, rather something like: "You have a great blog. I particular like the part about _____________ [whatever you liked]. If I may, can I offer you a suggestion? [Then offer a free useful suggestion.]

    That's it. In your first contact, don't promote your services. Wait for the potential customer to send you back and email thanking you for the free advice. A savvy business owner will realize your potential after he clicks on a link taking them to your website.
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by perfectlovehere View Post

      A very good idea. How do you set it up, though, so that they keep their login details separate and you make the income?
      I just use the Hostgator unlimited plan. Everything is hosted on my account, the clients don't get to touch anything other than a blog I may set them up.

      Originally Posted by iamchrisgreen View Post

      Thanks for sharing this. I think it gives some reality to the process.

      My only challenge is that you could get 1 client paying you £500 per month for SEO.
      I love the sound of that, and that is definitely one way to go. I would say though, the entry level for my method is much lower. Pretty much anyone can do it. When you go down the road of askin for £500 a month, you better be coming strong with all kinds of proof that you can do the job because the people with this type of money to spend are not looking for anything but the best.

      Its easier to find lots of clients that will pay the smaller fee monthly for a free website and having a large number of small amounts coming into your bank is is much more secure than a small number large fees where losing a couple of clients could put you in trouble.
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      • Profile picture of the author iamchrisgreen
        Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

        When you go down the road of askin for £500 a month, you better be coming strong with all kinds of proof that you can do the job because the people with this type of money to spend are not looking for anything but the best.
        Ok, I get where we are at now. Yeah I agree that you have a good entry level plan. I'm glad it's working and my hat is off to you for taking massive action.

        If you can deliver a good product though, £500 a month is very achievable. I have got clients to commit to that time and time again. Sometimes a lot more. It's also worth pointing out that I don't do the SEO. My business partner does.

        My reason for saying this is that people shouldn't limit what they can achieve.

        So once they are using your method, encourage them to add more to the offering and get a higher monthly fee. As long as you can deliver (or get it delivered) you'll be good.
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        • Profile picture of the author Ethan F.
          Originally Posted by PositiveVibe
          When you go down the road of askin for £500 a month, you better be coming strong with all kinds of proof that you can do the job because the people with this type of money to spend are not looking for anything but the best.
          $500 is my bare minimum for SEO monthly, and have 3 clients over 1k per month. And I get no headaches at all from these people. You got to love charging higher prices. Don't undervalue your service, if you can get real results.
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          • Profile picture of the author iamchrisgreen
            Originally Posted by Ethan F. View Post

            $500 is my bear minimum for SEO monthly, and have 3 clients over 1k per month. And I get no headaches at all from these people. You got to love charging higher prices. Don't undervalue your service, if you can get real results.
            Absolutely!! One of my clients has brought me more clients which makes up about 6000 of our income.
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            • Profile picture of the author Ethan F.
              Originally Posted by iamchrisgreen View Post

              Absolutely!! One of my clients has brought me more clients which makes up about 6000 of our income.
              Exactly man, you just need to break past the naysayers in your life and the negative mindset and make it happen.

              Just picked up a referral from my remodeling client in LA. These guys have over 70 e-commerce websites, some of which they've had since 1993. They have a $20,000-30,000 per month SEO budget, as this is where all of their income comes from. I am doing a "test" run with them for 1k per month, and after that who knows how high that will go.

              Anyone on WF can do this, just outsource to really strong SEO players and keep getting more clients.
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        • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
          Originally Posted by iamchrisgreen View Post

          Ok, I get where we are at now. Yeah I agree that you have a good entry level plan. I'm glad it's working and my hat is off to you for taking massive action.

          If you can deliver a good product though, £500 a month is very achievable. I have got clients to commit to that time and time again. Sometimes a lot more. It's also worth pointing out that I don't do the SEO. My business partner does.

          My reason for saying this is that people shouldn't limit what they can achieve.

          So once they are using your method, encourage them to add more to the offering and get a higher monthly fee. As long as you can deliver (or get it delivered) you'll be good.
          Totally agree. This is a foot in the door that allows a good steady flow of cash to come in and then progression on to bigger things. Once the client is happy with the website its time to upsell and the natural need for a customer who's just got a shiny new website is...you guessed it SEO.

          The potential is massive.

          I have loads of SEO clients and a few of them pretty high value. I've been around and I've sold my SEO services to businesses of all shapes and sizes.

          I'm pretty savvy now as to what people want and I portray the image of an expert and can show examples of where I've done good work in the past. I'm sure you'll be much the same Chris.

          Thing is, most of the people looking to get started in this business are not at that stage.

          They need a foot in the door and this is a great way for them to get that.
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      • Profile picture of the author Carl Fridsjö
        Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

        I love the sound of that, and that is definitely one way to go. I would say though, the entry level for my method is much lower. Pretty much anyone can do it. When you go down the road of askin for £500 a month, you better be coming strong with all kinds of proof that you can do the job because the people with this type of money to spend are not looking for anything but the best.
        Hey, I love your system and everything but I just have to comment on this.

        £500 / month from one client is nothing and you certainly don't have to be a rocket scientist to charge that amount. I'm all for quality and everything, but £500 is probably the minimum someone would charge offline for a good SEO service.

        We have to understand that offline, we're playing with a different set of rules. People are paying thousands and thousands of pounds for services you could easily outsource for a couple of hundreds. However, that doesn't mean it's overcharging, they don't have the knowledge of what they need, how to get it and certainly not how to get over to oDesk and find a suitable worker.

        If we understand this and believe it, we can skip the natural progress which is starting very cheap and slowly raising the prices as we go along. See the prices from a business owners perspective and not from your own.

        Anyway, sorry for going a bit offtopic and thx again for sharing.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Morris
    I think this is interesting for smaller businesses. I would advise that you contribute to groups that you join as you will be seen less as a spammer.
    I have been on linkedin for a number of years and in the past found jobs on there and recently my last two opportunities have come through Linkedin (these are for outsourced marketing services).
    My advice would be to handle with care!
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  • Profile picture of the author Jgregory
    A few more cents to my previous reply...

    Firstly, I think we all agree that high-paying clients are great, and they tend to exhibit the least amount of "client management headaches" as well. But than is another market segment, not what the OP has referred too... as I recall he's not been targeting the high-paying client that is actually ready to benefit from major SEO work and willing pay for it.

    My recollection is... the OP is targeting prospects with really crappy websites or no website at all over on LinkedIn. So his method is not really concerned with potential prospects ready for large SEO contracts... a different market segment with a different profile making them ready to pay for large SEO.

    But his method certainly offers a starting point for forum members here with little of no experience with SEO. Even if you outsource your SEO work, you have to know what you are doing to sell the client and manage the outsourcers.

    So, his method allows new marketers to get in the game... lower down on the fruit tree, learn the ropes, get some fast cashflow, and still have upsell potential by building relationships that can lead to referrals to higher-paying clients.


    And actually this is the same relationship-selling model that is working for big dogs all over the place. "

    For instance, the mobile website market.

    A Restaraunt - High-end fine dining - "Oh, by the way, there's a glitch on your restaurant website... you see, Mr Woods, your main website does not have a URL setup for Smartphone users here in Dallas. See what this looks like for an iPHone user? So, let me have my technicians fix that for you at no charge... just to introduce your to my company and our internet services."

    And you can go ahead create the vanilla mobile website for free in about 30 minutes, go by there and explain it to the owner personally, then upsell to a $495-$795 snazzy mobile template, then sell them SEO services next week, then go back with your PPC campaign management service, and on and on.

    I'm not saying you should low-ball your SEO services, this is just finding some other simple proposition to get in the door easily... taking little effort from you but delivering big value to the owner. Go for the big deal later.

    Relationship Sales is based in building a solid relationship first, then doing business.

    I look at this way... technology is just the enabler. It is the quality of the relationships you create that will determine your success.

    And I should be more specific, and say that this philosophy fits with a long-term view, not smash-and-grab sales just to ring the cash register. Done well, you can become a trusted advisor and member of the business owner' inner circle. Part of the family. And doesn't that just bring on platinum testimonials and referrals

    So my hat's still off to PositiveVibe for pioneering a great prospecting method for small businesses on LinkedIn, and for sharing the method here so the less experienced folks can benefit.

    Regards,
    Jan Gregory
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  • Profile picture of the author milodigital
    Great thread that ties in what i am just starting to do. My approach is to rank local EMD sites for local companies in smallish towns, at the top of page 1 on Google.
    Then contact through Linkedin and offer ad space for up to 4 local businesses. I intend to charge £35 per week per business.
    Bought your WSO and OTO, looks good so far.
    Cheers PV.
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by Ethan F. View Post

      $500 is my bare minimum for SEO monthly, and have 3 clients over 1k per month. And I get no headaches at all from these people. You got to love charging higher prices. Don't undervalue your service, if you can get real results.
      Originally Posted by iamchrisgreen View Post

      Absolutely!! One of my clients has brought me more clients which makes up about 6000 of our income.
      Originally Posted by Ethan F. View Post

      Exactly man, you just need to break past the naysayers in your life and the negative mindset and make it happen.

      Just picked up a referral from my remodeling client in LA. These guys have over 70 e-commerce websites, some of which they've had since 1993. They have a $20,000-30,000 per month SEO budget, as this is where all of their income comes from. I am doing a "test" run with them for 1k per month, and after that who knows how high that will go.

      Anyone on WF can do this, just outsource to really strong SEO players and keep getting more clients.
      Originally Posted by iamchrisgreen View Post

      That's more like it !!

      Check out what Clay Collins says about charging what you are worth ...

      Don
      Just realising what a chest thumping session my poor thread had been turned into, was only skim reading last week!!

      Everyone knows that its possible to get multiple thousands per month from SEO clients, there are only about 2,000 other threads devoted to that on this very forum, so I'm not quite sure why we had to turn this into a p*ssing contest...

      This was about something different and I see it has provided value for alot of other members.

      Big congrats on being such awsum dudes tho
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve Holmes
    Hi,

    Do you have to click "connect" first before you can message the person in a group?

    If yes, what option do you choose for adding them as a contact? Do you say you do not know them and do you add anything to the note section?

    If you do not need to add them as a connection to contact them, I am struggling to see where I can send them a message other than inmail which as I understand it, is not the route to take.

    Best,
    Stephen
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  • Profile picture of the author DennisMc
    I just ran across this thread. WOW, I wish I would have seen it sooner. I haven't logged in to my LinkedIn account in months. I'm going over to it right now and start working on my profile. Thanks for the info!
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  • Profile picture of the author Zesh
    Nice post here. I will try this and see how this gets me clients...!!!
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  • Profile picture of the author Simon74
    Great system I will try it out for sure, well planned. I have been doing something similar but not with LinkedIn, I got prospect via yellowpages and work very well too.

    Simon
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by Steve Holmes View Post

      Hi,

      Do you have to click "connect" first before you can message the person in a group?

      If yes, what option do you choose for adding them as a contact? Do you say you do not know them and do you add anything to the note section?

      If you do not need to add them as a connection to contact them, I am struggling to see where I can send them a message other than inmail which as I understand it, is not the route to take.

      Best,
      Stephen
      You don't have to be connected to message them in a group no. Read through the OP and subsequent posts and you'll find out the exact method, I'm too tired to type more just now
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  • Profile picture of the author sitefurnace
    Sounds good on the surface but I tried contacting some people the other night and to be honest it was really time consuming.

    I joined a couple of groups and started sifting through. I found that nearly ALL people had a pretty good website already and it struck me that if someone is on top of their professional image enough to join and use Linkedin, then it is unlikely that they haven't got a website.

    Also the majority of the people there are doing the same as us - they are clearly marketers and are pushing their wares.

    I sat for about an hour and managed to find 3 people that didn't have a link to their website in their profile and sent them a message - I just don't see how you are messaging 60 people in a day!
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by sitefurnace View Post

      Sounds good on the surface but I tried contacting some people the other night and to be honest it was really time consuming.

      I joined a couple of groups and started sifting through. I found that nearly ALL people had a pretty good website already and it struck me that if someone is on top of their professional image enough to join and use Linkedin, then it is unlikely that they haven't got a website.

      Also the majority of the people there are doing the same as us - they are clearly marketers and are pushing their wares.

      I sat for about an hour and managed to find 3 people that didn't have a link to their website in their profile and sent them a message - I just don't see how you are messaging 60 people in a day!
      If you sat for an hour and only found 3 relevant people to contact you are doing something very wrong.

      What types of groups did you join?

      Another thing is, try not to be so negative, you don't know that everyone on Linked In is internet Savvy, You're jumping to that conclusion.

      The truth is, business owners feel they should be on Linked In. Its the business Facebook. Business owners at all levels are there.

      If you use a little initiative you can spot the inexperienced users by looking for the guys that maybe have between 10-50 connections. They are usually pretty new to the whole thing therefore there's a good chance they are not on Linked In because they are about to quit their job as a plumber to become the next Steve Jobs.

      You also mentioned that there are other marketers on Linked In peddling their wares. Of course there are. In life, when a lucrative market pops up, so too will businesses and individuals to serve that market.
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    • Profile picture of the author SlowlyMan
      Originally Posted by sitefurnace View Post

      Sounds good on the surface but I tried contacting some people the other night and to be honest it was really time consuming.

      I joined a couple of groups and started sifting through. I found that nearly ALL people had a pretty good website already and it struck me that if someone is on top of their professional image enough to join and use Linkedin, then it is unlikely that they haven't got a website.

      Also the majority of the people there are doing the same as us - they are clearly marketers and are pushing their wares.


      I sat for about an hour and managed to find 3 people that didn't have a link to their website in their profile and sent them a message - I just don't see how you are messaging 60 people in a day!

      I would look on this as a positive. if other folks are "pushing there wares" that means money is being made. Stick with it. If you put in the effort, the jobs will come.
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  • Profile picture of the author sitefurnace
    Didn't mean to sound negative. Had another go last night and things were a little better. I think it depends very much on the group. The first few I tried were really difficult but I found one last night that was quite different and managed to send 15 messages in around 20 mins.

    Gonna keep at this.
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Thats a bit more like it

      I know what you mean about the groups bit of trial and error at the beginning to find your groove!
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  • Profile picture of the author datemyride
    I like this advice. It takes some work and discipline but I can tell it worked in my case.
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  • Profile picture of the author Daniel LaRusso
    I actually just had an interesting idea for a variation on this that I learned from a true sales master when doing long term care insurance sales. With a bit of a twist related to LinkedIn, this could really open up the floodgates for you as far as leads and establishing yourself as an authority.

    I will test this idea and give you some feedback.
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by Daniel LaRusso View Post

      I actually just had an interesting idea for a variation on this that I learned from a true sales master when doing long term care insurance sales. With a bit of a twist related to LinkedIn, this could really open up the floodgates for you as far as leads and establishing yourself as an authority.

      I will test this idea and give you some feedback.
      Cool, would be interested to hear more about it!

      I've actually started using my own slant on this that involves 2 other very popular business models alongside Linked In.

      Still giving away something for free up front but charging large monthly sums after 1 month.

      From the results I've had so far I can say its extremely potent
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  • Profile picture of the author DNChamp
    When you do message them are any one here doing something for them thats NOT free but maybe half off your based selling price?
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    • Profile picture of the author SlowlyMan
      I have tried discounts rather then free, As soon as any money is involved, my prospects loose interest quickly.

      Free seems to open a lot of doors. i know it sucks to give something away, but if you get a foot in the door and do a good job, cash flow can only improve from that point on
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  • Profile picture of the author LiorN
    Awesome thread Positive

    what you write in the subject line?
    I just joind linkedin; joined about 5 groups with of 5000+ members & sent messages
    Have'nt got a reply yet

    p.s
    tnx to all the people commenting here I learned alot from your replies as well

    Happy Holidays
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by LiorN View Post

      Awesome thread Positive

      what you write in the subject line?
      I just joind linkedin; joined about 5 groups with of 5000+ members & sent messages
      Have'nt got a reply yet

      p.s
      tnx to all the people commenting here I learned alot from your replies as well

      Happy Holidays
      Can't believe I left that out. Try in the subject heading: "Seeking Solicitor" or whatever other profession you are dealing with.

      Works really well
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  • Profile picture of the author brownfl66
    Great idea...Im kind of new to the whole Marketing world...but I believe this is very interesting and (FREE)!!! Thanks for the information...hopefully I can implement this in some way.
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  • Profile picture of the author tupai
    What if the person already have a website. How do you charge the monthly for the hosting and maintenance? Do you get them to move over?
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    • Profile picture of the author LiorN
      Originally Posted by tupai View Post

      What if the person already have a website. How do you charge the monthly for the hosting and maintenance? Do you get them to move over?
      HI Tupai
      I offer the maintenance + hosting
      alot of prospects already has hosting & they could keep using whatever hosting services they have, but I won't sell just the web design

      this is the bread & butter, some months will be slow regarding your sales volume that's a given , & you may have additional costs with outsourcing jobs like tech support
      i'm also just starting out but i look ,down the line let's say that you have 20 clients, now you will need to provide service to those clients. that means tech support, customer suppport , va & other things , you need to try to structure a way that you can keep providng good support & services to existing clients without wory about how you gonna get the money to do it

      just my 2 cents
      hope that helps
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  • Profile picture of the author sitefurnace
    Do you have a system that you use to keep track of who you have contacted.

    When you go back to your group you are in the process of working through, its seems to be difficult to remember where you left off and I cant see it being very long before people are contacted twice by accident and get pissed off. The last thing you want is your account reported and banned for spamming!

    I'm sure it can be done with a little imagination but you don't really want to be cross referencing your outbox every single message.
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    • Profile picture of the author Lori Kelly
      Originally Posted by sitefurnace View Post

      Do you have a system that you use to keep track of who you have contacted.

      When you go back to your group you are in the process of working through, its seems to be difficult to remember where you left off and I cant see it being very long before people are contacted twice by accident and get pissed off. The last thing you want is your account reported and banned for spamming!

      I'm sure it can be done with a little imagination but you don't really want to be cross referencing your outbox every single message.
      I was a bit overwhelmed myself when I was beginning.

      I now belong to a dozen groups.

      I have an excel spreadsheet but you could use a simple word document with tables.

      By cell or columns:
      Date
      Group (group name on LinkedIn)
      Contact (name of person)
      Notes (type your notes)


      In my notes, I write down "sent first email".

      When I stop for the day, I make a note in the "notes" section, stopped in "___________ Group at page __, start with Mrs. Smith." I know exactly where I stopped in the list of members and where to pick up the next day.

      I am finding that the initial email without any reference to business, just a quick hello, etc. works the best.

      Then I "connect" with them.

      Then after a few days, I send them another email similar to the OPs suggestion of the free site - mine is a bit different. By then, I have posted on a few of the discussions and created a decent number of connections.


      Consider this a way to build a business from the ground up. You can't start at the top, right? I read the emails here about the guys doing SEO services and earning some good money. That's great.

      If you can start building a client base, you will get "word of mouth" - referral business.

      If you are offering free sites, there will come a point in time where you will no longer have to do so. Your referrals will understand that you offered the free services in order to build your portfolio (make sure you add your clients' sites to your website portfolio), however, you are now busy and not able to offer the free sites anymore. But if you offer a reasonable fee and have a reputation, you should have no problem selling your services.
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      • Profile picture of the author sitefurnace
        Thanks Lori,

        I did what you said about marking the position i left off in the group but found that when i came back several new members had joined messing it all up!

        I think you are right with the spreadsheet system and making a simple initial contact first before proposing anything.

        Can you say more about how many messages you send every day/week on average. And what kind of response rates you get.

        Thanks Paul
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  • Profile picture of the author appointmentscript
    yeah what kind of websiteS?
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by tupai View Post

      What if the person already have a website. How do you charge the monthly for the hosting and maintenance? Do you get them to move over?
      Yeah, get them to move over, if your designing them a cool website for free, the least they can do is give you the hosting and maintenance business

      Originally Posted by sitefurnace View Post

      Do you have a system that you use to keep track of who you have contacted.

      When you go back to your group you are in the process of working through, its seems to be difficult to remember where you left off and I cant see it being very long before people are contacted twice by accident and get pissed off. The last thing you want is your account reported and banned for spamming!

      I'm sure it can be done with a little imagination but you don't really want to be cross referencing your outbox every single message.
      Yeah, that is a good question actually. It is really important to make sure people don't get double messages. Personally I document everything on spreadsheets in every part of my offline business because I hate it when you call the same person twice and I've adopted the same thing for LinkedIn. (should probably invest in a CRM system but as yet, been too lazy)

      It does take a bit longer to do everything when documenting details but the response level you get is so high, you don't need to be sending out prospecting emails that often, so an extra 10-20 minutes overall to take the necessary precautions is well worth it.

      Originally Posted by appointmentscript View Post

      yeah what kind of websiteS?
      Explained in the original post.
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      • Profile picture of the author Patrick Burke
        What if I am trying to connect with insurance agents for example?

        Most group owners require that I am an insurance agent to get approved to the group.

        What do you suggest in this situation?
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        • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
          Originally Posted by Patrick Burke View Post

          What if I am trying to connect with insurance agents for example?

          Most group owners require that I am an insurance agent to get approved to the group.

          What do you suggest in this situation?
          I've never been denied access to a group so far and I've joined a broad range of groups.

          If there are groups that require you to be in a certain profession and your not, well I guess you're gonna have to look for another group to target.
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  • Profile picture of the author tupai
    Yeah I also find it tricky to find where I have left off in the group. I send messages to 2 pages/day which is 40 people. And take screenshot of the page to see where I left off.

    I hope LinkedIn doesn't shuffle the order where people come up.
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  • Profile picture of the author AZ-439
    This is very timely for my company, as we are just beginning to explore linkedIn leads more in depth. Thank you kindly for this useful post!
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  • Profile picture of the author chrisjenva
    Awesome, I like this method. I'm looking to add a few offline clients in addition to my online projects. Sound like using linkedIn will be a great way to get them.
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  • Profile picture of the author uppway
    Can't send a message, do you need to be paid member?
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by Lori Kelly View Post

      I was a bit overwhelmed myself when I was beginning.

      I now belong to a dozen groups.

      I have an excel spreadsheet but you could use a simple word document with tables.

      By cell or columns:
      Date
      Group (group name on LinkedIn)
      Contact (name of person)
      Notes (type your notes)


      In my notes, I write down "sent first email".

      When I stop for the day, I make a note in the "notes" section, stopped in "___________ Group at page __, start with Mrs. Smith." I know exactly where I stopped in the list of members and where to pick up the next day.

      I am finding that the initial email without any reference to business, just a quick hello, etc. works the best.

      Then I "connect" with them.

      Then after a few days, I send them another email similar to the OPs suggestion of the free site - mine is a bit different. By then, I have posted on a few of the discussions and created a decent number of connections.


      Consider this a way to build a business from the ground up. You can't start at the top, right? I read the emails here about the guys doing SEO services and earning some good money. That's great.

      If you can start building a client base, you will get "word of mouth" - referral business.

      If you are offering free sites, there will come a point in time where you will no longer have to do so. Your referrals will understand that you offered the free services in order to build your portfolio (make sure you add your clients' sites to your website portfolio), however, you are now busy and not able to offer the free sites anymore. But if you offer a reasonable fee and have a reputation, you should have no problem selling your services.
      Exactly. I was thinking about this the other day, you can easily use this method to build a strong offline business while still working a 9-5. Much easier than trying to meet prospects etc. If you devote at least an hour or so at night to speaking to prospects, working on sites and helping people, naturally you will start to get paid for jobs that the customer needs done.

      Because you have provided a cool thing for free, they absolutely love you, you can't really put a foot wrong (other than providing a crappy service)

      You have to keep a very close check on who you are messaging because sending the same message to someone who isn't interested twice would be very likely to land you in trouble!

      Originally Posted by sitefurnace View Post

      Thanks Lori,

      I did what you said about marking the position i left off in the group but found that when i came back several new members had joined messing it all up!

      I think you are right with the spreadsheet system and making a simple initial contact first before proposing anything.

      Can you say more about how many messages you send every day/week on average. And what kind of response rates you get.

      Thanks Paul
      You don't want to be sending a whole load of messages every week. When I send out 50 messages I have so much response that I don't need to do it again for a while.

      So, its a pain but you should absolutely be taking a note of where you left off and running a check that you're not contacting the same person twice.

      The bulk of the time spent with this method is dealing with the response you're getting and the time to set up websites etc. I'm trialing a new system at the moment that looks quite promising, to deal with set up time, which I will share at the bottom of this post.

      Originally Posted by tupai View Post

      Yeah I also find it tricky to find where I have left off in the group. I send messages to 2 pages/day which is 40 people. And take screenshot of the page to see where I left off.

      I hope LinkedIn doesn't shuffle the order where people come up.
      Always take notes of who you contacted, its not worth being banned by LinkedIn for messaging the same person twice. I know a scatter gun approach is easier but if you take the time, you can use this method safely which means you can run it as a long term business.

      ---

      So this week, Emma, one of my LinkedIn customers contacted me because her legal human resources business just doubled in size (there are now 2 of them). They are looking to push their services and get more customers.

      She Paypal'd me £500 to update the text and do the on page optimization. We will be having a conference call this week to discuss an ongoing monthly top to push them to the top of Google.

      Getting additional up-sells like this has happened a few times from my LinkedIn system but this is the most recent. Its always such a nice surprise when you see an email in your inbox saying "we need to do SEO for the site, can you call me?" or something similar.

      This is a sustainable business! Don't let anything hold you back...

      ---

      My latest addition to the system, which I am trialing right now, is once you get someone hooked, add an optional $99 fee at the very start to include:

      Domain Registration (if they don't want to do this, they can register their own)
      Full Email Setup (I used to offer this free at the start, but realized that was silly)
      Social Media Integration (all customers want to be seen to be current, meaning they need this)

      This is good because it means you can farm out the webdesign to someone one Odesk or here on the Warrior Forum.

      If that works well this becomes a fully outsourceable business.

      When I pull that off and automate the entire system by utilizing the power of a good VA along with my ace web designer who does sites for $99 I will document everything and perhaps release it as a WSO.
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  • Profile picture of the author Anoopchawla
    Has anybody made money using this system? Personally, I have sent almost 50 responses but I have not received any message from an interested client till now.
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by Anoopchawla View Post

      Has anybody made money using this system? Personally, I have sent almost 50 responses but I have not received any message from an interested client till now.
      Can you give us an example of what you're sending out to these people? Include the subject heading and body text please. From your results its clear your not sending out the right message, literally.
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      • Profile picture of the author Anoopchawla
        Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

        Can you give us an example of what you're sending out to these people? Include the subject heading and body text please. From your results its clear your not sending out the right message, literally.
        Okay sir, here is the message I am sending out:

        Hello I am Anoop Chawla,I am a web designer. I am looking for some genuine testimonials and reviews for my web designing business.
        I am planning to give away some beautifully designed websites for totally free (no strings attached) to some business owners or Individual who wants to have an online business. Do you know anyone who can benefit from this?
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  • Profile picture of the author positivemagic
    This is a great way to build your list. Especially if your niche is business owners. Thanks!

    Isabella Fiorentino
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  • Profile picture of the author Simon74
    Great system man well done

    Thanks for sharing.
    Simon
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  • Profile picture of the author profits4less
    I have tried this also with facebook, but I do see how using LinkedIn can be a powerful avenue for this marketing strategy. It is a good way to get targeted buyers and deal with the decision makers which makes it so much easier to optimize your efforts.
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  • Profile picture of the author alina75
    Hello,

    I like this your method is great.... wonderful way...
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  • Profile picture of the author prian
    I have had LinkedIn for almost three years, seems like its time to put my account into action

    Thanks for tips OP!
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  • Profile picture of the author Anoopchawla
    mate i am eagerly waiting for your reply. Am i the only who has not got the response from linkedin?
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by Terry Gorry View Post

      I would think you are in the majority.
      Terry old boy, do me a favour and take your negativity elsewhere, it's not helpful Away and be a grumpy old man in a different thread.

      Anoopchawla, what area of the world are you targeting? I think if you're targeting USA or UK its obvious that your location or nationality might be causing a problem I'm afraid to say!

      Even though you are offering something for free, they might doubt that you can deliver which means they won't reply. You need to find a way to build credibility in the first instance, with recommendations and a portfolio and then people may be more responsive, despite you not being in the same country or being of the same nationality.

      When I was sending out mails on LI, I was getting a lot of views on my profile which led to my website so people were able to see that I was running a real web design business which perhaps helped build credibility. If you could do something similar, that may help?

      I'm sorry I've not replied to your PM asking me to Mentor you but I honestly do not have the time for that. I have a full time business and now doing a lot of product creation stuff and list building as well, so my time is totally taken up with that.
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  • Profile picture of the author JadeDragon
    I can totally see the value in connecting via LinkedIn groups.

    How are you billing the clients? Paypal, credit card, emailed invoice or what? It seems you would want to automate this part.

    Are you buying a domain name to go with the website? Before or after they agree to host with you?

    As I read this you are just hosting all the sites together in your hosting acct.

    I'll need to get a lot faster to build a decent site in an hour!
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  • Profile picture of the author Anoopchawla
    positive vibe, i understand the nationality thing. So if i partner with a uk warrior it should help. Regarding the website i wil complete it within a day or two and i will show it to you. Let me know if there is something else i am missing out.

    One thing I noticed that even after sending so many messages my profile has been just viewed 5 times, what can it mean?
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    • Profile picture of the author JadeDragon
      Anoopchawla - Your message screams spammer to me. You missed the step of befriending and connecting with the person first. Don't just hit them with the "free site" offer because no one will believe you are offering a free site to random people you are not connected with. The race/location is also a problem for you if you are targeting western countries.

      If you do good designs, let's talk. I'm interested in this plan but lack some of the technical design skills to pull it off. I've got lots of existing connections and can get more connections if I need them, and I'm based in Canada.
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      • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
        Originally Posted by Anoopchawla View Post

        positive vibe, i understand the nationality thing. So if i partner with a uk warrior it should help. Regarding the website i wil complete it within a day or two and i will show it to you. Let me know if there is something else i am missing out.

        One thing I noticed that even after sending so many messages my profile has been just viewed 5 times, what can it mean?
        Probably that 5 people were semi interested and took a look at your profile.

        Sure, partnering with a UK or US Warrior would help, if you've got the web design skills and they bring the marketing. Sounds like a good JV setup to me!

        Originally Posted by JadeDragon View Post

        Anoopchawla - Your message screams spammer to me. You missed the step of befriending and connecting with the person first. Don't just hit them with the "free site" offer because no one will believe you are offering a free site to random people you are not connected with. The race/location is also a problem for you if you are targeting western countries.

        If you do good designs, let's talk. I'm interested in this plan but lack some of the technical design skills to pull it off. I've got lots of existing connections and can get more connections if I need them, and I'm based in Canada.
        As long as you don't sound spammy you can absolutely get business and a ton of great responses from just messaging, explaining your new in business, asking for them to help you out by letting you know if they know of anyone who would benefit from a free website, in return for recommendation.

        It works, I've done it on many many occasions and I have never had a single negative response.

        I have had a load of responses from people saying things like

        "Ah thanks, but we've already got a website, will let you know if we think of anyone you could help"
        "Yes we need a new website, here is what we need..."
        "I have a website for my xxx business but I also have another business that needs a website, can you help with that?"

        These are the types of things you get back and I still get at least a 20/50 response rate.

        Jade, thats a great idea to hook up with Anoopchawla, given the fact you already have a load of connections and he can bring the web design skill, you could do well.
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      • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
        Originally Posted by Anoopchawla View Post

        positive vibe, i understand the nationality thing. So if i partner with a uk warrior it should help. Regarding the website i wil complete it within a day or two and i will show it to you. Let me know if there is something else i am missing out.

        One thing I noticed that even after sending so many messages my profile has been just viewed 5 times, what can it mean?
        Probably that 5 people were semi interested and took a look at your profile.

        Sure, partnering with a UK or US Warrior would help, if you've got the web design skills and they bring the marketing. Sounds like a good JV setup to me!

        Originally Posted by JadeDragon View Post

        Anoopchawla - Your message screams spammer to me. You missed the step of befriending and connecting with the person first. Don't just hit them with the "free site" offer because no one will believe you are offering a free site to random people you are not connected with. The race/location is also a problem for you if you are targeting western countries.

        If you do good designs, let's talk. I'm interested in this plan but lack some of the technical design skills to pull it off. I've got lots of existing connections and can get more connections if I need them, and I'm based in Canada.
        As long as you don't sound spammy you can absolutely get business and a ton of great responses from just messaging, explaining your new in business, asking for them to help you out by letting you know if they know of anyone who would benefit from a free website, in return for recommendation.

        It works, I've done it on many many occasions and I have never had a single negative response.

        I have had a load of responses from people saying things like

        "Ah thanks, but we've already got a website, will let you know if we think of anyone you could help"
        "Yes we need a new website, here is what we need..."
        "I have a website for my xxx business but I also have another business that needs a website, can you help with that?"

        These are the types of things you get back and I still get at least a 20/50 response rate.

        At the end of the day, you're offering them an invaluable service. Your gonna do them a free website and in the end all they are going to pay is the hosting. I sell these websites for £500-£750 all the freaking time, and the client still has to pay hosting and maintenance.

        Jade, thats a great idea to hook up with Anoopchawla, given the fact you already have a load of connections and he can bring the web design skill, you could do well.
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by Terry Gorry View Post

      That you are wasting your time and people are just deleting your messages.

      Look through this thread and see how many people are reporting success..not those saying this is a great idea or I must crank up my LinkedIn profile etc.

      So ignore what I am saying here if you want but just do yourself a favour-read through the thread.
      Terry's just jealous because the websites he creates are not even of a high enough standard to be given away for free

      Terry's "web design" business: Web Design Dublin

      Here's his solicitors website: Business and Legal Ireland

      Since you've been in IM since at least 2009 and you are stuck at beginner level, maybe you should open your mind and try something new instead of just being a negative Norman.

      In all honesty, this awesome little system has netted me a ton of recurring payment clients and a few of them have turned into up-sells. I wanted to quickly capture some of this and post it up here to give anyone who is still thinking of taking action some encouragement. You will see below a page worth of replies to a mailout I did, you will also see the exact mail I sent out including header and you will then see a client that I signed using this exact method, which turned into an up sell.



      I really appreciate the thanks and kind comments from you guys on this thread, honestly thank you guys Now, I would really love to hear some success stories from this because the clients and money is out there waiting for you. If you don't take action, someone else will!!
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      • Profile picture of the author PeckhamPirate
        Positive Vibe.
        Leave him to it mate, he's entitled to his views, and if he can't maked LI work fair does.

        All the more for the rest of us.
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  • Profile picture of the author nycbroker
    I've been in the real estate business here in NYC for many years and I can tell you, I've met many prospects on LinkedIn...it's a powerful networking platform.

    I have many friends in IM and they've been testing out tons of crazy LinkedIn methods for lead gen!
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  • Profile picture of the author shuttercraft
    I apply this method to my SEO sales and it works wonders. I offer a Huge discount on my first month of service that attracts a lot of buyers. Great post man!
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  • Profile picture of the author maclennan
    Areally great idea,and explained in simple terms,THANKS
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    • Profile picture of the author omurchu
      PositiveVibe

      Great post and glad to see this is working for you. I have tried this strategy on LI though not offering a free website. Here is my take:

      You will get replies from people in the groups. But when I send a message back to them i.e. the second time, I have never gotten a reply back

      Have you found this? Or have you a method to retain the contact - I mean do you go to their profile/website and have to phone or email them subsequently.

      It does work or at least up to a point.

      Frank

      PS I even ended up doing research for them on their website, sending a report and recommendations - and no reply again!
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      • Profile picture of the author Cringer
        Originally Posted by omurchu View Post


        PS I even ended up doing research for them on their website, sending a report and recommendations - and no reply again!
        This is the exact reason why I stopped offering SEO analysis for prospects. They take time to make, you think they'll love it and then - nothing.

        Now, I use a simple program called seo scuttler which creates these reports in like 10 secs so if they dont reply back then I don't lose out. If they do then I can look to making them a more thorough SEO report.
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        • Profile picture of the author omurchu
          Originally Posted by Cringer View Post

          This is the exact reason why I stopped offering SEO analysis for prospects. They take time to make, you think they'll love it and then - nothing.

          Now, I use a simple program called seo scuttler which creates these reports in like 10 secs so if they dont reply back then I don't lose out. If they do then I can look to making them a more thorough SEO report.
          Tell us more - is that a free program? there's not a lot to go by on the site!
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  • Profile picture of the author Anoopchawla
    Hey Positive vibe, do you remember some time back I contacted you, and you advised me since I am an Indian I must gain more credibility by making a business website.

    SO here I am with a full fledged webdesigning business webiste --> www.Tecbazaar.com
    I have also made a fan page and twitter page for the business, and will also be adding them to my business website to look more credible, furthur I have got an ebook on seo that I will give to anybody who subscribe to my list.

    I am willing to do the work, please tell me how should I proceed now, should I keep on sending messages to people on Linkedin.

    I mean I must understand this thing, if my gut says you are legit and your method works for you that also without a website, then by all means it should also work for me, I mean I willing to take that extra step because of my nationality.
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    • Profile picture of the author kdm5157
      Anoopchawla - I'm no expert, but my advice would be to consider partnering with someone in a different country who is looking for someone to outsource and can use your services.

      I don't think anyone would doubt your skills or ability to do the work here. The problem is, the businesses you target offline are NOT those with IM minds. Quite frankly (hopefully this is not offensive), many business owners get a contact from someone overseas and they shut off, hit delete, and run away. They have a genuine fear of the unknown and they don't know that real talent can exist elsewhere. They've just heard horror stories of bad experiences from other business owners.

      That's why I suggest being one of the greatly needed talented workers that is "behind the scenes".

      Keep at it and be patient, friend. Try not to be discouraged. Focus on quality and hard work and continually develop your strategies and you will find success.
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  • Profile picture of the author fyyonn
    Thank you for the great info, I have been looking for clients to build websites for and this is one very easy way to go about it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Anoopchawla
    Gautab buddha said " Believe nothing, find your own truth", and my truth is much different than positive vibe, but I am in no mood to give up, so here is my offer to anybody from US or UK to PM me, he just has to send messages to people on linkedin.

    I'll do everything else.

    (PM me only if you are serious enough)
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    • Profile picture of the author Teez
      Originally Posted by Anoopchawla View Post

      Gautab buddha said " Believe nothing, find your own truth", and my truth is much different than positive vibe, but I am in no mood to give up, so here is my offer to anybody from US or UK to PM me, he just has to send messages to people on linkedin.

      I'll do everything else.

      (PM me only if you are serious enough)
      Hi Anoop

      An idea for you could be to go over to fivver and search linked in or twitter and you'll some of those peeps who offer to make like 100 connections or something for you for $5.

      (Now this might or might not work with PVs method or might be difficult if the client says I want to meet with or talk with first)

      But its an idea I thought off for you so basically you get with one of the peeps who offers these 100/500 connections gigs and explain to him that since he is in the UK he should do this for you and you'll pay him as the gig.

      Or probably a neater plan would be to find a warrior here who does telemarketing (just use wf search function )just sharing if this could be helpful.
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      • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
        Originally Posted by Anoopchawla View Post

        Gautab buddha said " Believe nothing, find your own truth", and my truth is much different than positive vibe, but I am in no mood to give up, so here is my offer to anybody from US or UK to PM me, he just has to send messages to people on linkedin.

        I'll do everything else.

        (PM me only if you are serious enough)
        As I said to you Anoopchawla, that is your best bet, hook up with someone who can be your PR person and you just do the technical stuff in the background. How are you getting on now?

        Originally Posted by buddy7 View Post

        "My latest addition to the system, which I am trialing right now, is once you get someone hooked, add an optional $99 fee at the very start to include"

        PositiveVibe, how did this addition work out for you? Are many people taking you up on it?

        Great thread.
        In all honesty? Not had a chance to find out! Been swamped with paying web design work lately so that takes priority.

        Will be testing this out soon though!
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        • Profile picture of the author candres79
          PositiveVibe... This is an AWSOME way to get more business on Linkedin! Great Post!

          I actually have a software that I am working on for Linkedin... it's called ...

          Linkedin Local Lead Bot

          I am looking for more thoughts, suggestions, and ideas to integrate into this if any has any feedback I would love to hear it!

          Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author buddy7
    "My latest addition to the system, which I am trialing right now, is once you get someone hooked, add an optional $99 fee at the very start to include"

    PositiveVibe, how did this addition work out for you? Are many people taking you up on it?

    Great thread.
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  • Profile picture of the author WayneMoore
    Hi There!

    I love your idea here! I am new to LinkedIn but not to online/ offline marketing. I just want to check something:

    -Do i need a a paid account with 'Inmail' to do this? How do I send the messages otherwise? Also, it says with a premium account you can only send 3 messages per month?

    Any help= MUCH appreciated!

    Cheers!
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    • Profile picture of the author khut
      Same concern as WayneMoore, maybe there have been changes with Linkedin since this was initially posted.
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      • Profile picture of the author Lori Kelly
        Join groups.
        Participate in discussions.

        "Connect" with people in the groups and after your connection is accepted, it's free to contact them/send them inmail.
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  • Profile picture of the author John K Glenn
    Too Much Info in this Thread..I started from First Post Till Last
    Gonna Start working with Linked In Soon. Thank you guys !
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  • Thanks for this - interesting stuff.

    Are you finding the price sensitivity to be higher for U.S. clients when it's communicated as $56 (when converted to us dollars)? Or are you only targeting UK clients?
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  • Profile picture of the author massiveray
    This is working for us, kind of.

    I find the most important part of it is getting the communication away from linked in as soon as possible. Either on to the phone or email to a lesser extent.

    I have a work experience kid sending the initial message using my account (which I don't like at all).

    Finding it pretty hard to automate but it's a good little addition to the doing the same thing by phone.

    Response rate is way higher than I expected.

    It might also be useful to note that asking if they have a budget for the project has got us a few full website sales.
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    • Are you mentioning they'll be free in the first email then, or are you opening them some other way? I suppose you could transition from the free offer to saying it would be a very basic site, but if they have a budget you can offer something more. Is that how you're presenting it?

      Originally Posted by massiveray View Post

      This is working for us, kind of.

      I find the most important part of it is getting the communication away from linked in as soon as possible. Either on to the phone or email to a lesser extent.

      I have a work experience kid sending the initial message using my account (which I don't like at all).

      Finding it pretty hard to automate but it's a good little addition to the doing the same thing by phone.

      Response rate is way higher than I expected.

      It might also be useful to note that asking if they have a budget for the project has got us a few full website sales.
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      • Profile picture of the author massiveray
        Originally Posted by Superior Content Creation View Post

        Are you mentioning they'll be free in the first email then, or are you opening them some other way? I suppose you could transition from the free offer to saying it would be a very basic site, but if they have a budget you can offer something more. Is that how you're presenting it?
        Yeah pretty much, my follow up message usually asks for contact details so I can speak to them in person as well as mentioning that we are willing to work to a budget if they have one, if they have a budget this will result in a more bespoke, professional (insert buzz words) site for them.
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  • Profile picture of the author dknyrob
    Just had a question in regards to the Linkedin Method. Curious what email do you guys send to them when they show interest in the free website offer? As I tried the method and had a good amount get back to me but just curious how you slide in the monthly hosting?
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  • Profile picture of the author Anoopchawla
    Guys, its not easy as OP makes it look further he never replies to any PM. I don't say that this is not doable but be realistic you have to put in a lot of effort before seeing any results and have to be flexible and make changes in your approach accordingly.
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    • Profile picture of the author mattverick
      Originally Posted by Anoopchawla View Post

      Guys, its not easy as OP makes it look further he never replies to any PM. I don't say that this is not doable but be realistic you have to put in a lot of effort before seeing any results and have to be flexible and make changes in your approach accordingly.
      No effort = No results
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  • Profile picture of the author lambkr01
    I just sent out 15 messages between last night and this morning and have had 1 person contact me so far... I'm a believer. Hopefully I'll be getting a few more soon so I can upsell my other marketing services.

    One thing I'm considering is setting up the site as a subdomain of my own site. If they want to buy a domain then I'll certainly set it up on there, but if they want to keep it as a subdomain then I'll get some good exposure. Any thoughts on this?
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  • Profile picture of the author Duc
    That's a great business model. I am going to try it for Germany. Thanks for sharing.
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  • Profile picture of the author InTh3Moment
    Anoop, I'm catching up on this thread and I see nobody has added anything in over a month, but I'm going to chime in here and all I want to do is help so please don't take this the wrong way.

    You're English is not perfect. Regardless of race or nationality or where you are actually located, the fact that your English is not PERFECT is going to immediately turn off and push away ANY American prospect, no question. Guys and gals pls tell me if I'm wrong on this one.

    If people are saying that they use the linked in message to transition to a phone chat, you may be further out of luck here. I looked at your websites and I am fairly new as well, but you might want to pay attention to some of the details the OP mentioned (Ink Themes and Headway etc).

    Best of luck to all of you I'm going to get on this and I will report back to everyone about how it goes and if I find any helpful tweaks. Thank you Positive Vibe for this awesome thread!
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  • Profile picture of the author Preeti
    This is a great thread and there's no doubt that LinkedIn works to connect with business owners and convert them into actual PAYING clients (I've experienced this myself).

    However, I believe a huge element that is at times missing for many offliner's trying to use LI is your credibility and use of value-add, authentic marketing.

    Don't spam LI members, hoping that somebody will respond--you need to take some time to build trust and offer a personalized message when you reach out initially.

    Secondly, work on getting your recommendations for your past/current work built up. People will read/check out your profile and trust me, recommendations are key here--it helps provide social proof to anybody interested in what you do, that you are trustworthy! There's setting that foundation for building trust with your clients..

    Good luck!
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Something weird is going on with my Warrior Forum notifications because I'm not getting notified any more when subscribed threads are being replied on... Weird.

      I agree with Preeti. Credibility is key. You can't just message with a blank account and expect to have lots of customers wanting to spend time working out if you are the real deal or not.

      You need to look like you mean business.

      That being said, you can do well with a standard initial message. I know because I do well with it

      The reason it works is because it isn't coming across as spammy. You are asking for help and offering something of immense value. People who get that message will go out of their way to be polite and if they want that website, you have a prospect.
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  • Profile picture of the author sweetdreamfactory
    Banned
    I like your method here, it's really impressive!
    I could do an experiment to this and let's see what I can get.
    Thank you LinkedIn fanboy!
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    • Profile picture of the author momwow
      I was just thinking - if you're NOT a new web designer wanting to build up a portfolio, but you want to try this strategy - you could tell people you're contacting that you've hired a new designer, and want to give them some practice - and that's why you're making the deal.

      Would be a legitimate reason to offer such a discount.
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  • Profile picture of the author Anoopchawla
    Hi positive vibe. I am noticing that most people stop replying after I tell them that they must allow me to host and maintain the website.
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    • Profile picture of the author ronr
      Are you saying it in a positive way?

      For example, "You don't have to worry about anything, we'll set up and take care of all hosting and maintenece for you"

      I would think most business owners would like that.

      Originally Posted by Anoopchawla View Post

      Hi positive vibe. I am noticing that most people stop replying after I tell them that they must allow me to host and maintain the website.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mark Andrews
      Banned
      Just read the entire thread right through, beginning to end, every single post.

      First, many thanks to PositiveVibe for providing this info, you've certainly given me a few ideas to work with. For this my appreciation and kindest regards are extended. Good on you mate! Well done. A very BIG well done.

      Originally Posted by Anoopchawla View Post

      Hi positive vibe. I am noticing that most people stop replying after I tell them that they must allow me to host and maintain the website.
      Anoopchawla...

      Upon reading all of your responses in this thread from your first to your last one, I can guarantee what the problem is for you.

      Not understanding all the nuances of the English language from a marketing perspective is going to let you down very badly.

      What you think is a good communication is probably just the opposite. If your replies here are anything to go by, riddled as they are with mistakes galore, I'm betting anyone reading your contact messages is taking one second to look at them, then throws their hands up in the air in abject despair before running as fast as their little legs will carry them in the opposite direction.

      No offense mate but if you want to garner more responses, you really must brush up on your written English skills. The key to this system, it's patently obvious, is to get a foot in the door first by starting out building a solid relationship first with these potential prospects.

      If you're not doing this, if you're not capable of doing this, if you're not able to write in perfect English, if you cannot communicate properly using acceptable marketing language from the get go - I cannot possibly see how this method will work for you.

      What you need first and foremost is to seriously brush up on your written English skills before taking this further. I say this purely to help you. It is not an attack against you.

      If you perceive this to be an attack against you, this merely proves my point.

      Smoking hot,


      Mark Andrews
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  • Profile picture of the author DesertSand
    Just joined quite a few groups for niches I already design websites for.. Waiting approval!
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  • Profile picture of the author jenness
    Hmm I was trying an offline model of something like this but thank you for sharing. If it's not too saturated by Warriors already, I'll have to look into it
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  • Profile picture of the author jherewini
    I like your post which is very informative, I sent a small sample out of about 40 messages inside the message I introduced myself explained the reason for my message and offered to build a website at no cost to them.

    My call to action is having a conversation with them about my proposal, it's during the conversation that I will answer any questions and concerns before moving forward. I'm believing it won't be hard to close them on the phone. Once again thanks for this informative post
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  • Profile picture of the author DesertSand
    I think that some of you are taking this the wrong way. I don't believe the Op just branched out and said, hey, blah blah blah, I can do your site for free!

    I think the key is to open the lines of communication, take an interest in what the other person is doing, become a friend, etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author jherewini
    Here's a quick update for encouragement, from my small trial send I have had 3 people review my profile and one enquiry. This is a pretty impressive thread once again thank you for this information and may you receive success beyond recognition for this gift
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    • Profile picture of the author jrobconsult
      There are a lot of fantastic suggestions about using LinkedIn. I get contacted all the time by various contacts and some are quite creative in their messages. Also, if you optimized your profile, it can get you a lot of traffic from SEO. The key is to offer value, join the right groups and to optimize your profile.
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  • Profile picture of the author Anoopchawla
    Thanks Mark I am not taking it in a negative way. I understand you are trying to help.

    Mate, I won't hide after reading your message I got a bit depressed so I read it again and again and again, after reading it for five times I realized that my messages have a rude tone to them, even though I am trying to help I.might be coming across as rude to my prospects.

    So one take away for me from your message is I will try to be more polite in my written communication.

    Thanks once again
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  • Profile picture of the author aident364
    Wonderful! I was almost stuck with linked In Campaign and really needed to know how it works to socialize a company. Your guide will help me a lot.
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  • Profile picture of the author DesertSand
    I wonder if it would beneficial to put up a message for the entire group to see.. about your website design offer.
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    • Profile picture of the author TheBoogieMan
      Originally Posted by DesertSand View Post

      I wonder if it would beneficial to put up a message for the entire group to see.. about your website design offer.
      I'd be VERY cautious and VERY reluctant to do that, Unless I was absolutely sure that my post to the entire group was worded VERY VERY carefully with a NON-salesmen tone or unless the group "EXPRESSLY" allows sales pitch posts. Otherwise, you might get tagged or publically accused by people as posting spam or something that is inappropriate.
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  • Profile picture of the author TheBoogieMan
    PROBLEM: LinkedIn seems to have a limit on how many profiles one can view, without upgrading ones LinkedIN account. I'm only able to view about 10 profiles (within any given group) and it seems after that LinkedIn says to me:

    "Full profiles for 3rd-degree connections are available only to premium account holders."

    I am members of these groups so why can't I access the profiles of all group members??? Am I missing something here??? Am I doing something wrong???
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  • Profile picture of the author aaallday2010
    While this sounds like a great idea, the problem with posting this strategy on a public forum like this is it will get over used by every Tom, Dick, and Harry.

    Eventually, this will get saturated to the point where it will not be as effective. In fact, as already mentioned, LinkedIn limits the amount of profiles one can see.

    Just like all the other "great ideas" that get posted here, it will only work for a short period of time IMO.

    Again, this could work (and probably still does) but when you post something like this here, you are only ruining it for yourself (and others that were already in on it) by giving away your secrets to the masses. Why would you want to do that and ruin a good thing? Ill never understand why!
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    • Profile picture of the author MarkJez
      Interesting comment, but it's like if you dip a cup (or a million cups) into the ocean, there is still an awful lot of water left.

      I'm guessing that 1% of Warriors will action what they read on this thread. (1% is probably being over-optimistic though) and there are millions of business owners registered with Linked -In who desperately need websites or website make-overs!

      IMHO, Saturation point won't come around this century, or probably not even next century either!

      Linked-In is constantly changing as new business owners join and older ones retire and pass on.


      Originally Posted by aaallday2010 View Post

      While this sounds like a great idea, the problem with posting this strategy on a public forum like this is it will get over used by every Tom, Dick, and Harry.

      Eventually, this will get saturated to the point where it will not be as effective. In fact, as already mentioned, LinkedIn limits the amount of profiles one can see.

      Just like all the other "great ideas" that get posted here, it will only work for a short period of time IMO.

      Again, this could work (and probably still does) but when you post something like this here, you are only ruining it for yourself (and others that were already in on it) by giving away your secrets to the masses. Why would you want to do that and ruin a good thing? Ill never understand why!
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      • Profile picture of the author marco005
        WOW!

        What is this an awesome thread!
        Linkedin is a big business community, here you can make business and money.

        But I think the devil is in detail, you must get your foot in the door, how you make that?
        Chat with other people who are in your business-start first an conversion or make the free offer to all people you find in your niche ?

        And when you say at the end each of email you send out like; I help you, I will refresh design up a new website for you free.

        When they answer back and ask whey you do that for free, what you ask them?
        What you say them why you make that for free- he?

        That is the devil in detail.

        And when you have make a website template for free and you linkedin customer is happy, what is best method to hook them to your other services you offer, like seo, hosting, and so on?

        How you hook them after you have made a template for free?
        So this so called "InMail" is available for premium member accounts, so you must be a premium member?

        Or should I look daily in linkedin to answer questions in the right groups as expert and then people will look at my profile and in my profile I have my offer?

        best wishes
        marco005
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        • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
          Hey guys,

          How's everyone getting on with LinkedIn lately?

          I've been back on their more than ever over the past few months and doing really well.

          Would love to hear how you guys are doing.
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          • Profile picture of the author mikeac
            Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

            Hey guys,

            How's everyone getting on with LinkedIn lately?

            I've been back on their more than ever over the past few months and doing really well.

            Would love to hear how you guys are doing.
            Hey PostiveVibe,
            Thanks for your report! Its some of the best stuff Ive seen on the Warrior Forum. But one question, I see that you have to pay for an Inmail subscription to send messages to other people in your groups. How do you get around that? Or do you just add all the business owners to your connections? Looking forward to your feedback.

            Thanks
            Mike
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            • Profile picture of the author Richard Tunnah
              Originally Posted by Mike Currie View Post

              Hey PostiveVibe,
              Thanks for your report! Its some of the best stuff Ive seen on the Warrior Forum. But one question, I see that you have to pay for an Inmail subscription to send messages to other people in your groups. How do you get around that? Or do you just add all the business owners to your connections? Looking forward to your feedback.

              Thanks
              Mike
              Hi Mike,
              I'll answer some of the above for you - hope Nick doesn't mind!
              There are many ways to contact people on linkedin or off linkedin. You can message people in the same group as you. You can look for an email address in their profile. You can do a google search with their linkedin in details to find a email address. Inmail in my view is an expensive way to try and contact fellow linkedin users as you are limited to how many you can send even on the top premium user linkedin in accounts.
              Please be very careful with throwing connection requests out to people you don;t know as linkedin are getting hot on this. I had a long conversation with one of their support guys last week over this. If too many of the people you are trying to connect with tick that they don't know you then linkedin will demand you imput the person's email address with all future connection requests. Any more possible connections say they don;t know you and your account could be removed from linkedin.
              Here's a tip to building your network quickly. Join open networkers. This are outside groups of business people that are open to connecting.
              Secondly join groups of likemind people or people you'd like to attract. You can then pm and ask if it's ok to connect.
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              • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
                Originally Posted by Richard Tunnah View Post

                Hi Mike,
                I'll answer some of the above for you - hope Nick doesn't mind!
                There are many ways to contact people on linkedin or off linkedin. You can message people in the same group as you. You can look for an email address in their profile. You can do a google search with their linkedin in details to find a email address. Inmail in my view is an expensive way to try and contact fellow linkedin users as you are limited to how many you can send even on the top premium user linkedin in accounts.
                Please be very careful with throwing connection requests out to people you don;t know as linkedin are getting hot on this. I had a long conversation with one of their support guys last week over this. If too many of the people you are trying to connect with tick that they don't know you then linkedin will demand you imput the person's email address with all future connection requests. Any more possible connections say they don;t know you and your account could be removed from linkedin.
                Here's a tip to building your network quickly. Join open networkers. This are outside groups of business people that are open to connecting.
                Secondly join groups of likemind people or people you'd like to attract. You can then pm and ask if it's ok to connect.
                Thanks Richard,

                You covered it like a pro

                Cheers!
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  • Profile picture of the author mikeac
    Thanks Richard, Great Info!
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  • Profile picture of the author zoro
    The OP's report offers up a great method for connecting with group members. I think the trick is to offer your help or IM assistance to businesses who have a problem, as you see it. Offer to help solve their problem in return for a testimonial.
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by workers24hdotcom View Post

      Thanks for this great post.

      Which plan did you choose on Hostgator? Aluminum to get started ?

      Thanks
      Hostgator baby plan

      Originally Posted by serryjw View Post

      PV...I have never used WP. Which do you recommend for a total newbie?

      Thanks, Serry
      Inkthemes.com is the best I've found
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      • Profile picture of the author serryjw
        Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

        Hostgator baby plan



        Inkthemes.com is the best I've found
        Thanks for recommendation. Can I use it with no HTML or CSS skills?
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  • Profile picture of the author JRidge
    Great thread PositiveVibe, and a great way to use LI.

    Can you give a quick idea of how much to build a LI profile quickly and effectively up to a point where your initial emails out have enough LI credibility?


    Cheers,

    JRidge

    p.s: First post - Hi everybody!
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by JRidge View Post

      Great thread PositiveVibe, and a great way to use LI.

      Can you give a quick idea of how much to build a LI profile quickly and effectively up to a point where your initial emails out have enough LI credibility?


      Cheers,

      JRidge

      p.s: First post - Hi everybody!
      Thanks

      Aim for 100% completeness of your profile. LinkedIn actually walks you through the process so there isn't any need to repeat it here.
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      • Profile picture of the author JRidge
        Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

        Thanks

        Aim for 100% completeness of your profile. LinkedIn actually walks you through the process so there isn't any need to repeat it here.
        Thanks. Will give it a go.
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  • Profile picture of the author massiveray
    What's your closing rate at the moment? For example, if you send 100 messages in a week then how many replies do you get, from those replies how many do you close?

    Just recently both replies and closes have decreased significantly for us.
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  • Profile picture of the author bkat52
    im currently treading the waters of linkedIn using this method. i'll report with any meaningful findings.
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  • Profile picture of the author marco005
    Hi,

    Now I have found, that you can only send maximum 50 messages at a time,
    so is this the maximum message limit for free linkedin members?

    How do you make that to send "1000 mails" om linkedin-manually? Or is this a linkedin paid service you must use?
    I see that in the business upgrade premium account I can have 3 inmails what is that?-I can only send 3 emails or what?




    marco005
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  • Profile picture of the author the h3rbalist
    Sent my first 50 messages the other day, and just had my account temporarily restricted for unsolicited mass mailing and promotional material.

    I used the same message as the OP, and made sure the message was personalized with the name and occupation. My profile is complete, and the people I sent messages to could all benefit from a free website.

    At this point I'm assuming this method has been saturated, and that someone had already sent the message within the group I had chosen - making it look like spam.

    EDIT: After getting unrestricted just now, I joined several other quality niche groups and did a quick search for "free website". They are all LOADED with people posting discussion topics offering free websites, website marketing consultations, mobile sites, etc. for "a select few".

    My advice is tread VERY carefully with this method.
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  • Profile picture of the author robbdogg30
    Thanks for sharing the tips PositiveVibe. I'm going to have to put this into practice right away!
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  • Profile picture of the author econnors
    I just sent out 60 messages this evening. I'll be back to report my results at the end of the week. In my report, I will include exact screenshots of everything I sent and what the response rate was.
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    • Profile picture of the author Sebastian Wilde
      Originally Posted by econnors View Post

      I just sent out 60 messages this evening. I'll be back to report my results at the end of the week. In my report, I will include exact screenshots of everything I sent and what the response rate was.
      That will be very useful.

      Look forward to your report and screenshots.

      Sebastian
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  • Profile picture of the author sham2
    Hey! Then you can up-sell them onto a local seo package after you have created the value.
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  • Profile picture of the author econnors
    If you've been thinking about trying this method, I wouldn't wait. I've had some fairly decent results so far (full details coming on Friday). It's a rather simple start - as compared to cold calling.
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by massiveray View Post

      What's your closing rate at the moment? For example, if you send 100 messages in a week then how many replies do you get, from those replies how many do you close?

      Just recently both replies and closes have decreased significantly for us.
      I've changed my gameplan on LinkedIn. I no longer do blanket mass messaging. I now create personalised videos which get a huge response rate and conversion into paying customers.

      I charge on the front end now, I give nothing away for free.

      That's the beauty of the personalised video message that I do, people will pay you right off the bat because they see what value you can bring to the table.

      I got really sick of giving away sites to the freebie seekers and it definitely became less effective last year as more and more products came out advising people to do what I gave you here for free.

      Originally Posted by serryjw View Post

      Thanks for recommendation. Can I use it with no HTML or CSS skills?
      Yeah, you can use InkThemes with no skills at all, as long as you can install wordpress you're good (and they even show you how to do that)

      Originally Posted by the h3rbalist View Post

      Sent my first 50 messages the other day, and just had my account temporarily restricted for unsolicited mass mailing and promotional material.

      I used the same message as the OP, and made sure the message was personalized with the name and occupation. My profile is complete, and the people I sent messages to could all benefit from a free website.

      At this point I'm assuming this method has been saturated, and that someone had already sent the message within the group I had chosen - making it look like spam.

      EDIT: After getting unrestricted just now, I joined several other quality niche groups and did a quick search for "free website". They are all LOADED with people posting discussion topics offering free websites, website marketing consultations, mobile sites, etc. for "a select few".

      My advice is tread VERY carefully with this method.
      This isn't a surprise. As I alluded to above, the blanket "send 50 messages" stopped working AS WELL AS IT USED TO because 100 WSOs came out last year telling people to do that.

      My recommendation is to go with a more targeted personal message and if you can shoot a screencast video to explain things to the prospect, it's very effective.

      Originally Posted by econnors View Post

      If you've been thinking about trying this method, I wouldn't wait. I've had some fairly decent results so far (full details coming on Friday). It's a rather simple start - as compared to cold calling.
      That's awesome that you've been getting results, nice one man. Look forward to hearing what's been going on.
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  • Profile picture of the author econnors
    Okay guys - sorry about the delay. Apparently that Friday became several Fridays and a few other days from then...

    At any rate, I got a total of 4 responses from the message. Only one of those turned into a potential for a conversation. I'm still trying to honker that guy down for a consult. He is more interested in marketing services, but his website is terrible so I'm hoping to help him with that as well. He is actually a dream but seems like he may be a bit difficult, so we'll see where it goes.

    I have to go back and do this again and see how it goes. I think that 100+ tries will give a more accurate view for the potential success of the campaign...
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  • Profile picture of the author DexterGallagher
    This is the method you were selling in Desert Island to offline website (mobi) sales, supposed to be no cold calling and you have to otherwise you waste your time!

    This is just a variant seeing your scam got caught out, by offering other products as bonuses that you had to subscribe for so no REAL bonuses! I do not believe anything you say after that!

    You are a scammer, you are drawing people in so you can market to them - by giving this info away you are trying to gain authority - Pathetic!
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by DexterGallagher View Post

      This is the method you were selling in Desert Island to offline website (mobi) sales, supposed to be no cold calling and you have to otherwise you waste your time!

      This is just a variant seeing your scam got caught out, by offering other products as bonuses that you had to subscribe for so no REAL bonuses! I do not believe anything you say after that!

      You are a scammer, you are drawing people in so you can market to them - by giving this info away you are trying to gain authority - Pathetic!
      LOL

      That's the funniest thing I've read this year!

      Yes, Dexter, whatever you do, don't give out value in your marketplace, don't build authority and definitely DO NOT try and make any money

      You'll do great.

      Best of luck to you.
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      • Profile picture of the author asiamaria
        DexterGallagher - LOL did you try the methods in desert island?

        You might wanna take off them "everyones a scammer" glasses mate with which you see the world. It can't be helping you.

        Matt
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    • Profile picture of the author SEO results
      Originally Posted by DexterGallagher View Post

      This is the method you were selling in Desert Island to offline website (mobi) sales, supposed to be no cold calling and you have to otherwise you waste your time!

      This is just a variant seeing your scam got caught out, by offering other products as bonuses that you had to subscribe for so no REAL bonuses! I do not believe anything you say after that!

      You are a scammer, you are drawing people in so you can market to them - by giving this info away you are trying to gain authority - Pathetic!
      Not sure why people have to hate on others who are successful.
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      • Profile picture of the author jaudet
        I wanted to bump this thread up and offer an idea to warriors.

        This is a pretty good way to build a passive income from the offline market. I like the approach.

        To positivevibe and others members:
        What about if you did the same thing for videos and ranking them, which would be piece of cake for the business name on google.

        We could for instance do the same approach, offering them a free video creation service where I would take some pictures of their business, make the video looks professional and ask them in return a small monthly fees just to maintain the videos in the first page of google, most likely in the top 3 position. And let be honest, there is not really any work to do when you get it up here.

        I did just a test yesterday on a business video optimized with the business name, and within 12 hours, it is top 3 results, where to other are the facebook page and yellowpage.

        What do you think about it?

        I just started ranking business videos for keywords like realtor + city. They rank pretty good but this approach would be even easier and could build a nice passive income after couple months like PositiveVibe mentionned
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Ten
    Fascinating strategy. I'll have to look into this more!
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  • Profile picture of the author SEO results
    This is excellent stuff. Thanks for sharing.
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  • Profile picture of the author IMStrategus
    It's a nice post.

    But why giving away a free website?

    Usually only really cheap people will take you up on the offer since more intelligent business people know that you get what you pay for and it's better to pay top dollar for a top product or service.

    So instead why not offer them $750-$1k website? It might take more time to get a client but you'll be making much more. And with the right targeting you can find a client for a $1k site as easy as a free website, maybe even easier.

    Just my point of view.
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      Originally Posted by jaudet View Post

      I wanted to bump this thread up and offer an idea to warriors.

      This is a pretty good way to build a passive income from the offline market. I like the approach.

      To positivevibe and others members:
      What about if you did the same thing for videos and ranking them, which would be piece of cake for the business name on google.

      We could for instance do the same approach, offering them a free video creation service where I would take some pictures of their business, make the video looks professional and ask them in return a small monthly fees just to maintain the videos in the first page of google, most likely in the top 3 position. And let be honest, there is not really any work to do when you get it up here.

      I did just a test yesterday on a business video optimized with the business name, and within 12 hours, it is top 3 results, where to other are the facebook page and yellowpage.

      What do you think about it?

      I just started ranking business videos for keywords like realtor + city. They rank pretty good but this approach would be even easier and could build a nice passive income after couple months like PositiveVibe mentionned
      Hey, not a bad idea, it can definitely work for video and numerous other services.

      The way I look at it is, LinkedIn is the ultimate way to contact clients through the internet because you get to interact directly with decision makers.

      In short, you're messages get read, unlike cold email messages etc, which often end up in the junk folder or being deleted by the secretary.

      Take that benefit and use it to your advantage in whatever way you see fit.

      Originally Posted by IMStrategus View Post

      It's a nice post.

      But why giving away a free website?

      Usually only really cheap people will take you up on the offer since more intelligent business people know that you get what you pay for and it's better to pay top dollar for a top product or service.

      So instead why not offer them $750-$1k website? It might take more time to get a client but you'll be making much more. And with the right targeting you can find a client for a $1k site as easy as a free website, maybe even easier.

      Just my point of view.
      I agree, that's why I've stated a few posts before yours that I have stopped giving away anything for free and started charging on the front end.

      That's not to say the method doesn't still work, it will, if you go about it in a helpful way.

      There is an immediate flaw with your idea of just charging 750-1000 for a website and that is, you can't just message people on LinkedIn trying to sell them things, you'll get banned.

      You have to offer something of value up front before you even think about talking money.

      What I've been doing is shooting a video review and showing them what we can do to help their business. It's a 5 minute video which is all the value you need to be able to charge them for the front end service.

      It gets a massive response.

      Originally Posted by WeavingThoughts View Post

      @OP

      You are awesome!
      haha... Very kind of you to say
      Signature

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      • Profile picture of the author wb_man
        Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

        I agree, that's why I've stated a few posts before yours that I have stopped giving away anything for free and started charging on the front end.

        That's not to say the method doesn't still work, it will, if you go about it in a helpful way.

        There is an immediate flaw with your idea of just charging 750-1000 for a website and that is, you can't just message people on LinkedIn trying to sell them things, you'll get banned.

        You have to offer something of value up front before you even think about talking money.

        What I've been doing is shooting a video review and showing them what we can do to help their business. It's a 5 minute video which is all the value you need to be able to charge them for the front end service.

        It gets a massive response.
        Hi PositiveVibe,

        Thank you for sharing such useful information.

        How effective is your video review method? What is the response rate? And conversion rate? How many of them respond to your message and how many of them become clients?

        Is it a general video or do you customize it for each business?
        What do you use to make the videos? Camtasia?

        I'm trying a few different methods to provide value and get my foot in the door so I'd like to know how effective is your video review method compared to other methods.

        Thank you for your help.
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        • Profile picture of the author JayBay
          Originally Posted by wb_man View Post

          Hi PositiveVibe,

          Thank you for sharing such useful information.

          How effective is your video review method? What is the response rate? And conversion rate? How many of them respond to your message and how many of them become clients?

          Is it a general video or do you customize it for each business?
          What do you use to make the videos? Camtasia?

          I'm trying a few different methods to provide value and get my foot in the door so I'd like to know how effective is your video review method compared to other methods.

          Thank you for your help.
          Seconding this. Do you offer to review their site and ranking or something and offer a custom video?
          Signature

          What can I do to be more helpful to you?

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          • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
            Originally Posted by Preeti View Post

            Just wanted to chime in and say this method MOST definitely works!

            Videos=effective, clients are able to comprehend the problem they have vs. how you can help solve it AND they remember you! (I still have clients who remember me based on the video that I created for them)

            It's also about the quality of people on LinkedIn=professional, ready to do business and open to networking! However, this also means that you have to position yourself in that same way--do NOT come across as spammy--position yourself as a leader, an expert and having genuine concern for their business and you will succeed with this method.

            Just "for fun" prospected the other day on LinkedIn, my time investment: about 40 mins, resulted in 3 hot leads (and they're still trickling in..sometimes they can take a couple of days to respond back).

            This works people--it's a goldmine--was in 2011 when PositiveVibe shared this strategy and still is today too!
            Thanks Preeti

            Originally Posted by wb_man View Post

            Hi PositiveVibe,

            Thank you for sharing such useful information.

            How effective is your video review method? What is the response rate? And conversion rate? How many of them respond to your message and how many of them become clients?

            Is it a general video or do you customize it for each business?
            What do you use to make the videos? Camtasia?

            I'm trying a few different methods to provide value and get my foot in the door so I'd like to know how effective is your video review method compared to other methods.

            Thank you for your help.
            Originally Posted by JayBay View Post

            Seconding this. Do you offer to review their site and ranking or something and offer a custom video?
            Do you think a separate thread where I talk in a bit more detail about the video method would be beneficial?
            Signature

            Precision beats power
            Timing beats speed

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            • Profile picture of the author wb_man
              Originally Posted by PositiveVibe View Post

              Do you think a separate thread where I talk in a bit more detail about the video method would be beneficial?
              Yes, please do. I'd love to know how effective it is compared to other methods.
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              • Profile picture of the author JayBay
                Originally Posted by wb_man View Post

                Yes, please do. I'd love to know how effective it is compared to other methods.
                Seconding this.
                Signature

                What can I do to be more helpful to you?

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  • Profile picture of the author Preeti
    Just wanted to chime in and say this method MOST definitely works!

    Videos=effective, clients are able to comprehend the problem they have vs. how you can help solve it AND they remember you! (I still have clients who remember me based on the video that I created for them)

    It's also about the quality of people on LinkedIn=professional, ready to do business and open to networking! However, this also means that you have to position yourself in that same way--do NOT come across as spammy--position yourself as a leader, an expert and having genuine concern for their business and you will succeed with this method.

    Just "for fun" prospected the other day on LinkedIn, my time investment: about 40 mins, resulted in 3 hot leads (and they're still trickling in..sometimes they can take a couple of days to respond back).

    This works people--it's a goldmine--was in 2011 when PositiveVibe shared this strategy and still is today too!
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  • Profile picture of the author lattlay123
    Thanks for all of this information! One question though, how do you do your monthly hosting invoicing? Do you have a service/software that takes care of this for you?
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    • Profile picture of the author StrategicCheetah
      I use paypal for that. You may have noticed the image on the original post in this thread? That shows one client who I got from LinkedIn setting up a subscription for me using paypal.

      Sorry I've not had a chance to do another thread for the video method, so busy right now but will try and get it done in the next few days.
      Signature

      Precision beats power
      Timing beats speed

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  • Profile picture of the author FA8891
    Yes, Linkedin is a great Network for business, but it takes some effort and time to get relations and connections with targeted peoples , you put a very detailed post, thanks for sharing.
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  • Profile picture of the author marco005
    Hi,

    whre I can find brokers, who can convey me clients?

    best wishes
    marco005
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  • Profile picture of the author marco005
    Hi,

    Ok you now make videos, but does this method works the same, when I answer questions of business owners in the linkedin group?

    Example webdesign; give good helping answers what the business owners need,help to answer their questions.

    Does this work the same with near same response?

    I find it a bit tricky to send to a mass of business owner a free charge webdesign offer or something.

    Answer questions in these groups- does this work same to get clients?


    best wishes
    marco005
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  • Profile picture of the author Knutsfordlad
    Why pay £35.00pm hosting when UK sites can offer £2.99 pm??
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  • Profile picture of the author Knutsfordlad
    How can you charge £35.00 pm hosting when other sites charge from £2.99pm??
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