If you ask nearly anyone business owner what their biggest struggle is with their online presence, and chances are, they’ll say they need more traffic.
It’s true.
You have to have traffic to build an email list.
You must have traffic to make sales online.
So, how do you get more traffic?
Sure, you could run digital ads, but if you don’t target your ads correctly, you might just fill your sales funnel with a less-than-ideal audience , and that won’t help increase your sales.
You could focus on SEO (Search Engine Optimization), but unless you’re going to spend thousands to have an expert do it, or you can spend a lot of time optimizing things yourself, then SEO can’t be your top choice. BTW, I highly recommend concentrating on SEO, but it’s something that requires special attention.
Thankfull, you have other options!
Be a Guest
Everyone needs more content. It’s one thing that remains constant among all content creators—there is never enough. That’s where you offer to help.
By being a guest writer on other blogs, you can “borrow” some of their audience.
Don’t simply regurgitate your old content and send it out in a dozen directions, though.
To get the most out of your guest post opportunity, you’ll want to:
• Create custom content you designed with your host’s unique audience in mind.
• Provide value with actionable ideas and strategies their audience won’t find everywhere else.
• Inject your personality into the piece so those who are new to you will be able to connect with you.
• Provide a compelling reason to click through to your website for more information.
Collaborate
Don’t have a list? Here’s a fast way to “borrow” someone else’s email list to jump start your own: Schedule a free event in collaboration with someone else.
Here’s what you do:
1. Since you’re the one with the small list, you create a compelling, free webinar that leads to a low-cost, no-brainer offer.
2. Install an affiliate tracking system such as aMember, Infusionsoft, or 1Shopping Cart.
3. Offer your biggest affiliates a higher percentage of profits in exchange for co-hosting your webinar and bringing along their traffic for the ride.
This is a win/win for both of you. As you gain more traffic, your affiliate gets a bigger payday. Be sure you have a good sales funnel in place so your new list members can benefit from all you have to offer.
Be Featured in an Interview
Would you like to elevate your expert status and bring traffic to your site at the same time? Get on the interview circuit! Just as authors with new books and actors with new movies, coaches and service providers can find new audiences just by answering questions about what they already know.
Even if you don’t appear on the Today Show or Good Morning America (although it’s not impossible), there are still plenty of publicity opportunities for coaches and consultants in every niche.
Look for interview and speaking opportunities on:
• Podcasts
• Facebook Lives
• Other blogs
• YouTube
• Blab
• Local events
• Industry conferences
• Webinars
Start by reaching out to colleagues and to podcast and blog hosts whom you admire. Tell them what you admire about their podcast/blog and what their audience can gain from your expertise.
Even if you don’t have a list of your own yet, it’s possible (and fun) to kickstart your own audience growth just by making yourself available for opportunities. Each guest post, podcast interview, and webinar appearance is another chance to be seen by a whole new audience, so take advantage of it!