I have always believed that email is the best tool to create relationships and nurture relationships… yes, even better than social media.
Challenge
The current challenge with the client was that we had a long list of subscribers, but the leads had come in through different sources. And because the leads had come through different sources, it was a challenge to nurture them. The leads that come from lead magnet A, need to have a different email sequence, then the leads coming from lead magnet B.
We realized that the email workflows were extremely chaotic and that we had to start off with a fresh approach and create an end-to-end email experience.
It matters how you collect the leads
Most of the email marketers try to get the leads as quickly as possible. They do so by creating an enticing lead magnet and then promoting it with urgency. The problem with this strategy is that even though the number of leads would be high, the quality is less.
In other words, the relationship that you have with these leads will be shallow. They will not open your emails or have meaningful conversations with your brand.
The solution
The solution was to build a way in which the leads are collected in such a way that the relationship is built, even before the user signs up for the email.
Read this carefully, as this is important.
The relationship is built, not through emails. It is built even before the individual fills up the lead form.
How do we do that?
I used Andre Chaperon’s method of building an MPPS.
An MPPS is an abbreviation of Multiple Page Pre-sell Site. Conversion optimization experts always suggest that the lead magnet should be right at the top of the page. This is to optimize the number of leads coming through.
The MPPS however, is different.
The MPPS does not have a lead form on the first page, In fact (brace yourself), the MPPS consists of multiple pages(3, 4 or 5 pages), and the lead is actually connected on the last page!
The execution
It is quite obvious, for the MPPS to hold the attention of users, it is necessary that the content is top class. The right audience will stay on your MPPS and move towards the last page, if and only if, you tell a story that is of high quality.
Tremendous value needs to be provided on these pages. The story has got to be so powerful, that the users are intrigued by it. Not all the readers of course. But the people you seek to serve. Your smallest viable audience.
The problem
It all starts with the problem that you are looking to solve for your target market. For this project, I was working for a very specific target market – Talent Acquisition Department of IT Services Organizations in the US, that had an employee strength of 1000 and more.
As I was considering the different problems that these guys face, I decided to address the problem of “Talent scarcity”
What is Talent Scarcity?
I will keep it very short. Good employees are hard to find. All the recruiters in the IT Services page, are fighting over the employees. The one who gets the employee is the winner of this Talent War.
The writing
After I researched the problem, I spoke to the experts(clients, prospects and also the internal stakeholders) about the solution. I had already conducted a few interviews with the HR experts in the industry, and the topic of Talent Scarcity had come up a few times. I already had sufficient insight into what the thought leaders are thinking on this topic.
It was essential that the lead magnet that I created had to be valuable. And for me to deliver value, it was necessary that I understood the problem and the solution well.
When I had sufficient data, the writing process began.
To maintain the user’s attention for 3 pages, I had to create a really compelling story, that would hold the user’s attention right till the end. I absolutely, in no case, compromise the quality of the story.
The email sequence
After the lead magnet, the next task was to write an email sequence. The theme of the email sequence was simple – It was about solving the problem of “Talent Scarcity”. I wrote a series of 6 emails.
The result
I cannot share the exact numbers. But the open rates of the emails were close 67%
Can you believe that?
Learnings/Things that I could have done better
- Even though I spoke to a bunch of experts, the quality of my content would have gotten much better, had I gone deep into this problem. The more you know about your target market, the better is your work.
- Think long-term. Don’t be greedy about the number of subscribers. Think about quality.
Intro music credits: Dan O songs.
I have always believed that email is the best tool to create relationships and nurture relationships… yes, even better than social media.
Challenge
The current challenge with the client was that we had a long list of subscribers, but the leads had come in through different sources. And because the leads had come through different sources, it was a challenge to nurture them. The leads that come from lead magnet A, need to have a different email sequence, then the leads coming from lead magnet B.
We realized that the email workflows were extremely chaotic and that we had to start off with a fresh approach and create an end-to-end email experience.
It matters how you collect the leads
Most of the email marketers try to get the leads as quickly as possible. They do so by creating an enticing lead magnet and then promoting it with urgency. The problem with this strategy is that even though the number of leads would be high, the quality is less.
In other words, the relationship that you have with these leads will be shallow. They will not open your emails or have meaningful conversations with your brand.
The solution
The solution was to build a way in which the leads are collected in such a way that the relationship is built, even before the user signs up for the email.
Read this carefully, as this is important.
The relationship is built, not through emails. It is built even before the individual fills up the lead form.
How do we do that?
I used Andre Chaperon’s method of building an MPPS.
An MPPS is an abbreviation of Multiple Page Pre-sell Site. Conversion optimization experts always suggest that the lead magnet should be right at the top of the page. This is to optimize the number of leads coming through.
The MPPS however, is different.
The MPPS does not have a lead form on the first page, In fact (brace yourself), the MPPS consists of multiple pages(3, 4 or 5 pages), and the lead is actually connected on the last page!
The execution
It is quite obvious, for the MPPS to hold the attention of users, it is necessary that the content is top class. The right audience will stay on your MPPS and move towards the last page, if and only if, you tell a story that is of high quality.
Tremendous value needs to be provided on these pages. The story has got to be so powerful, that the users are intrigued by it. Not all the readers of course. But the people you seek to serve. Your smallest viable audience.
The problem
It all starts with the problem that you are looking to solve for your target market. For this project, I was working for a very specific target market – Talent Acquisition Department of IT Services Organizations in the US, that had an employee strength of 1000 and more.
As I was considering the different problems that these guys face, I decided to address the problem of “Talent scarcity”
What is Talent Scarcity?
I will keep it very short. Good employees are hard to find. All the recruiters in the IT Services page, are fighting over the employees. The one who gets the employee is the winner of this Talent War.
The writing
After I researched the problem, I spoke to the experts(clients, prospects and also the internal stakeholders) about the solution. I had already conducted a few interviews with the HR experts in the industry, and the topic of Talent Scarcity had come up a few times. I already had sufficient insight into what the thought leaders are thinking on this topic.
It was essential that the lead magnet that I created had to be valuable. And for me to deliver value, it was necessary that I understood the problem and the solution well.
When I had sufficient data, the writing process began.
To maintain the user’s attention for 3 pages, I had to create a really compelling story, that would hold the user’s attention right till the end. I absolutely, in no case, compromise the quality of the story.
The email sequence
After the lead magnet, the next task was to write an email sequence. The theme of the email sequence was simple – It was about solving the problem of “Talent Scarcity”. I wrote a series of 6 emails.
The result
I cannot share the exact numbers. But the open rates of the emails were close 67%
Can you believe that?
Learnings/Things that I could have done better
- Even though I spoke to a bunch of experts, the quality of my content would have gotten much better, had I gone deep into this problem. The more you know about your target market, the better is your work.
- Think long-term. Don’t be greedy about the number of subscribers. Think about quality.
Intro music credits: Dan O songs.