7 Easy Ways to Make Sales If You Don’t Have a List
An email list is very important to any business; however, when you’re first starting out, everyone starts at zero subscribers. But you still need to make sales to call yourself a business and to pay your bills, right?
I encourage you to work on your list building process starting right now but interim, you could incorporate these techniques to start making sales.
The same is true if you’re a solopreneur who didn’t believe you needed a list; or who got frustrated at the list building process.
No matter where you are in business, you can use these sales techniques.
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “the money is in the list,” but the truth is there are tons of other ways to make money online that don’t require sending a single marketing email or creating a massive email list.
In this post, we’re going to cover the most effective ways to sell your products and services without an email list.
Keep in mind, for any of the following strategies to work, you’ll definitely need something to sell, either a digital product, a physical product or some kind of service.
You’ll also need a sales page with a shopping cart set up to accept payments.
With nearly everyone being internet savvy these days, giving your customers the option to purchase online makes sense — and makes it easy for the customer to say yes to your offer.
Your sales page can be designed to complement your website with branding colors and fonts. Many website platforms (such as WordPress) offer sales page layouts with their thousands of available themes.
If you want assistance setting up an actual sales funnel, you might consider using a platform such as ClickFunnels/Leadpages/Systems.io. They will walk you through the process of setting up a funnel and these pages are hosted separately from your website.
These page builders also give detailed analytics so you can track who is visiting your sales page.
If you’re selling digital courses, consider using a platform such as Kajabi/Teachable. For Kajabi, you can still create landing pages for each course, plus you can also store the courses on the platform instead of on your main website.
Naturally, both of these platforms cost money to use but if you’re dedicated to ramping up your marketing efforts, these platforms can pay for themselves once the sales start coming in.
If you’re in a business that depends on your in-person networking to make a sale, you may not need an online sales page and shopping cart. Instead, you can create an “offer information document” on Google Drive or a PDF if you’d like more design options. This would read much like a sales page but doesn’t require an actual website.
Just make sure this document also includes a call to action (CTA) — such as a link to book a call with you or another way to get in touch.
You’ll discover a variety of shopping cart options, such as SamCart, Stripe, or even Podia or SendOwl if you’re selling a digital product.
Shopping cart platforms are necessary to accept online payments and are more professional than simply having a PayPal payment button.
Most platforms have video tutorials for setting up and using their platform but if you’re confused, don’t be shy about reaching out to their help desk.
Your product, landing page and shopping cart are the bare bones necessary to start making sales. Now let’s get into some strategies. We have a lot to get through so grab some paper for notes and let’s get started…
Strategy 1: Leverage Existing Social Media for Easy, Peasy Sales
If you’re selling (or trying to sell) online, odds are you already have at least one social media presence. Even if you’re brand new to business, no doubt you already have a personal profile on one of the major social platforms. This will be your starting point without a list.
Let’s take a look at each platform & see how you could potentially make sales from each one.
1. Instagram
Posts: Instagram posts are one place you can sell your products and services. Create a post (or series of posts) that showcase your expertise and let your audience know you understand their problem and how you can help them. End each post with a CTA that leads straight to a sales page or asks them to DM you for more information.
2. Instagram Stories
Links: Instagram gives users the ability to add links to their Stories! This means you can include a link on a story slide no matter how many followers you have. That said, you can include a direct link to your sales page right from your IG Story. Done and done!
Polls: Use a poll to see whether your followers are interested in solving the problem you solve. Then, DM people who answer yes.
CTA to DM: You can create stories everyday about your specific offer, then include a CTA to Direct Message (DM) you for more information. Also, remember to focus the conversation on what your offer can do for them, and what problem it solves–not just what’s included or other logistics.
DMs: You can either start a conversation in the DMs with people in your network, people you’ve DM’ed with in the past, or by responding to people who DM you from one of your posts or stories.
3. Facebook
Facebook has 2.6 billion monthly active users as of 2021.
Technically, the only way to sell on Facebook is via your Facebook business page, or by paying for ads. Facebook really seems intent on changing their rules and their algorithms to make it as difficult as possible for sales posts to be seen if not on your business page.
You can post anything you want on your Facebook business page. You can share direct links to your sales pages, link to blog posts or other social media, etc. While the reach of Facebook businesses pages isn’t great these days, you can still keep it active by repurposing content you’re posting elsewhere.
You can also join relevant Facebook groups and look for “Promo” days. Most Facebook groups allow their members to promote their offers one day a week. This can be a great way to show people in the group what you’re currently offering.
4. LinkedIn
Posts: LinkedIn allows you to share content the same way Facebook does, in the form of posts. You can also share photos or videos, like on Facebook. On LinkedIn, you also have a few other options for content creation, including:
- Sharing documents–in this case, you might share a PDF with information about your offer, a document with testimonials, etc.
- Publishing articles (similar to your own “LinkedIn” blog)
Polls: This is a great way to engage people on LinkedIn. You can set up a poll asking if people are interested in a particular topic or if they’re looking for a solution to a particular problem (aka the problem you’re solving with your offer). You can see how others vote, and then DM the people who answered yes.
LinkedIn is a more professional, business-centered atmosphere so sales posts are not uncommon. However, nurturing the know-like-trust factor first will help you establish relationships with your connections who will recognize you as an expert in your field. Also remember that LinkedIn doesn’t have any limits to the connections you can make. While you certainly don’t want to become a spammer, the more people you connect with, the more people will see your posts and your offers.
No matter which social platform you use, the main point is that you’re going to use the connections you already have on these platforms and drive sales directly from the platform–no email list required.
This means all your posts will need to have a CTA that either takes them to a sales page, checkout page or asks them to DM you for further information (and you can then take them through the rest of your sales process, by signing them up for a discovery call, sending them an email with a PDF with more information, etc.). The price point of your offers will determine if you send them to a sales page or a discovery call. Traditionally, people want to meet and interview a person they’re going to spend thousands of dollars with, so a high-ticket item is best sold on a 1:1 call.
Strategy 2: Encourage Your Viewers to Snap Up Your Offers via Video
Experts have been raving about how powerful video is for reaching consumers and the proof is here: Video is not going anywhere anytime soon! In fact, video seems to get more powerful as marketers and solopreneurs fine tune their use of this medium.
A New York Magazine survey found that 80% of users that follow brands on social media prefer to watch a live video than read a blog post, and 82% would rather watch a live video than even look at a social media post.
There are a variety of ways to make sales via video, without a list.
- Facebook Lives
Facebook Live continues to be a fantastic way to reach your audience on the platform. Any type of live video allows you to interact directly with your viewers. You can answer questions or simply feed off their energy. Unless you already have a responsive audience of followers on Facebook, it’s best to promote the fact that you’re going live. Include the date and time so your interested followers can be on the lookout for your live notification.
What can you sell in a Live video?
- Tips, tricks and hacks: Teach your audience how to overcome one of the problems your offer solves, then offer your product or service. Include the URL of your checkout page in your Facebook Live description so those watching the replay know where to go to redeem your offer.
- Product/service announcement: Go live to announce your offer, or to offer a special discount. Create a sense of urgency to redeem the discount, such as the discount expires on a certain date or time. Or, add in a bonus for the first 100 people and then take that away to encourage action. This way you’re not discounting your price; you’re adding extra value with your bonus.
- Live “webinar,” but via Facebook Live: Teach your audience something and pitch them your offer at the end (like a traditional webinar, but no follow-up emails required). You can set this up as an event in a Facebook group of your own, or even as an event on your business page. (If they have email notifications turned on, they’ll get their own email notification from Facebook–no email list from you required!)
- Interview other experts or host a summit. You can bump up your credibility by hosting a summit. Even if you don’t have all the answers, you know how to bring in the experts who can help solve your audience’s problem — or at least offer alternative solutions. The brilliance of summits is that you’ll be exposed to a new audience — that of your guest. Summits can be pre-recorded or done live (still record it!). Afterward, you can sell the recordings of your summit. Voila…instant product and sales!
For all of these ideas I just mentioned, be sure to include a CTA with a link to your sales page or checkout page in your video description.
- Instagram Lives. IG Lives can be used a lot like FB Lives. One important difference is Instagram Lives expire after 24 hours and will not live on in your feed like they do on Facebook. However, you can save IG Lives and repurpose them on other social media platforms. Since they are so timely, you can offer IG Live viewers bonuses or extra incentives (like discount codes) that they can only use within that 24-hour period on your sales page.
During your IG Live, ask a viewer to comment the URL to your sales page. When they do, you can tap the comment to “pin it” to the top of comments section. This way, the link is the first thing new viewers see, and you can direct people to the page as many times as you want during the video.
- YouTube. After uploading your video, be sure to include information about your offer and a CTA with a link to your sales page in your video description. Without that link, your viewers will feel slighted or wondering why you’re sending them on a scavenger hunt. Make it as easy as possible for your viewers to click on your CTA.
The description is also a great place to add a discount code or create urgency by letting them know when they’re able to purchase this specific offer. You can also then share your videos on other social media — no list involved.
Don’t be shy about going on YouTube. You can find freelancers who can set your channel up quickly, so all you have to do is start recording. Create a one-off announcement or content series around topics specific to the problem your offer solves.
- Personal video invites. Another way to sell is to go directly to your potential customer–in their inbox–but not via an “email list.” Invitations like this are used to personally invite people into your offers and work especially well for higher end offers or group programs.
Who should you send a video invitation to? People who reached out to you in the past but didn’t buy. Past clients who could use your current offer. People you’ve been meaning to pitch your services or offers to (or just people you think would make a great fit for your offer).
Try Bombbomb for creating personalized video invitations that you can send via email.
You can also record videos with the Loom extension. The free plan allows you to have 25 videos before you have to upgrade. Loom also has a maximum duration of 5 minutes, so that should help you stay focused on your message without going off on tangents.
What should you say in these video invitations? Make sure you open with their name, so they know it’s actually a personalized video. Re-introduce yourself, if needed, especially if it’s been a long while since you last connected. Reference something you’ve talked about in the past.
Explain what you’re offering and why you think THEY would make the right fit. Offer them CTA with a next step — such as heading to the sales page or booking a call with your calendar link.
Contrary to popular belief, you do NOT need a full production studio to record effective videos. Find some natural light, think about what you want to say, then hit the record button on your smartphone.
Strategy 3: Pitch Yourself to the Perfect Podcasts & Make a Profit
Even if you don’t understand the technology behind how podcasts work, there’s no denying that podcasts are continuing to grow in popularity. No matter what niche you can think of chances are high that there’s a podcast serving those listeners.
According to BuzzSprout and Edison Research, 41% (116 million) of Americans have listened to a podcast within the last month, and 27% (80 million) tune in weekly. Podcasts are a great way to get in front of audiences already interested in your topic or area of expertise.
Reports also show that 64% of Americans say they’d bought a product or service they heard about on an audio show.
So, how can you use podcasts to sell your products without an email list?
Get interviewed on podcasts. While you can obviously start your own podcast, you’ll see sales much faster if you simply get interviewed on other podcasts. When you’re interviewed on another person’s podcast, you can market yourself and your offers.
You’re also more likely to be seen as credible since most podcast listeners will already trust the podcast host (and by extension, you, their honored guest).
The key to making sales — and making your pitch to the podcast host — successfully is to carefully pick and choose the podcasts to approach. Your business acumen will be wasted on a show about pets, so don’t waste your time making a connection if you’re a business coach.
Keep in mind that the podcast host will likely have a litany of qualifying questions to ask you. They have earned the trust of their audience and they don’t want to ruin their own reputation by inviting guests on who are irrelevant to their topic. That’s like a minor league baseball player going on a podcast about the NFL. Just because they are both part of the professional sports family doesn’t mean their conversation will be relevant or interesting to their listeners.
Start doing your research first by creating a list of podcasts with a similar audience to yours, that also talk about topics related to your brand. Try searching Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or another online podcast directory for ideas. I suggest keeping a brainstorming list of show titles but prioritize at least 5–10 podcasts to start pitching.
Next, visit each show’s website to find contact information. Many podcast hosts are independent but you’ll also find PR firms handling some famous podcasters. Your pitch should include why you want to be a guest and what value you can bring to the audience. Only after you get a phone call to iron out the details, ask if you’re allowed to mention your product or service directly. Consider offering a discount code only for this audience to make them feel like it’s an exclusive offer.
What do you say to sell when you’re on a podcast? As I just mentioned, you’re doing podcast interviews for more than just selling your products. It’s a way to build your own credibility to the subject matter, so be open to engaging with the host during the interview process. At the very least, the host will give you some bullet points of what they want to cover. Sometimes they might ask you what topics you’re comfortable speaking about. Either way, go into each interview with the sole purpose of serving their audience. Making your pitch afterward is the cherry on top.
Once the interview is winding down, you can direct the listeners to your sales page where they can learn more about your offers. Make the URL as easy as possible to remember and to say to avoid getting tongue-tied yourself but for listeners who may not have a pen and paper handy to write it down.
Offer a discount code or a limited time only offer to listeners. Be careful with limited time offers, however; people can listen to podcasts at any time and might want to access your products and services at a later date, like after your coupon expires.
If you find yourself on several podcasts in the same timeframe, you can change up what you offer the listeners, especially if you’re not launching one specific product. Also consider giving each podcast a different code to use to monitor how many listeners found you through each podcast. This is good data to use in the future.
If you get squirrely or nervous at the idea of giving an interview, just remember that you’re having a simple conversation. Don’t pay attention to the audience size. Many interviews are pre-recorded so you’re literally having a 1:1 conversation before the episode is released to listeners.
Strategy 4: Get Seen (and Get Paid) as a Guest Blogger
If you feel more comfortable writing instead of being in front of a camera or microphone, guest blogging might be a better fit for you. Guest blogging is still another great way to get in front of other people’s audiences.
The same criteria apply as approaching podcasters. Do your research. What value can you bring the blogger’s audience? Are you a direct competitor or do you offer a complimentary product/service the audience will find useful?
Again, keep a brainstorming list of possible blogs but prioritize the top 5–10 to pitch.
Be sure to check the website for a “Write for Us” or “Submissions” page–sometimes there are additional steps you need to take to be deemed serious candidate. You’ll also want to make sure that this particular blog allows you to share a direct link to your sales page and not a freebie.
Don’t be intimidated by the bigger blogs! Dream big but if your audience is not as big as the blog host’s, work harder to describe the value you’ll bring. Also remember that bigger blogs are inundated with these types of offers, so it might take a while to hear back or you may get moved to the spam folder without a second thought.
There are a few things to consider when guest blogging, to ensure it’s worth your time and energy:
- You’ll want to create custom content that’s tailored to the guest blog’s audience. A previously published article is a big no-no as is anything plagiarized from the internet. If you’re an expert, showcase that in your original article.
- Include actionable ideas and strategies rather than just repeating information. Share original processes, stories, case studies, or strategies. Don’t give away all your secrets but make the audience want to learn more from you.
- Adhere to any writing guidelines, but also inject your own personality so people can “get to know you” through the post. Internet writing is more casual in tone than a PhD thesis, so approach it that way. Pretend you’re writing to your best friend. However, even though it’s a casual conversation, avoid using texting abbreviations.
Lastly, craft a compelling CTA to add at the end of your guest article. Some blog hosts will allow a couple of sentences that act as a bio to explain who you are and what you help people with. You will likely be able to insert a link to your product, and that’s where you can get creative with tantalizing copy.
For example, here’s an example of a benefit-packed statement about your offer: “Shelly is a business coach who helps creatives earn a living online. Her signature course, Create a Living Online, will help you go from idea to income in 90 days flat. Click here to learn more.”
You can also use a blog to sell to people even when you don’t own a list. Instead of capturing emails addresses, you’ll simply market your blog to your target audience, driving traffic to your landing pages or blog posts that have purchase links.
Pinterest is a wonderful tool for driving traffic to your site. Pinterest users actually spend more money per day than users of ANY other platform and the majority of users make over 50k per year and 10% of users make 125k per year.
Pinterest is really a search engine versus a social media platform, which means blogs perform very well there–especially longer-form blog content. Keep in mind, gaining traction with Pinterest can take time. However, a pin you create in 2022 that brings traffic to your blog post with purchase links or affiliate links can still be making you money in 2024.
In order to ‘make money’ from your own blog — without a list! — you’ll just need to include a CTA that directs people to your sales page at the end of your blog post. If you are an affiliate for products you use regularly, you can also embed affiliate links throughout the blog post. This way, you have the option of people clicking on the affiliate links AND your CTA link.
Pins are long lasting and can certainly be discovered years down the road from a single pin. For this reason, pin only content that is evergreen with offers that don’t expire or have coupon codes.
Remember, this is only one side of Pinterest. Once you write your post, create a pinnable graphic and submit it to your Pinterest board. Now you’re on Pinterest.
Strategy 5: Collaborate with Colleagues to Create a Revenue-Boosting Referral Program
Another fabulous way to get in front of new audiences quickly is to create a referral program for your offer. If you have an amazing offer for sale, create a referral program that allows your biz besties and other colleagues to sell it FOR you.
A referral program works best for solopreneurs offering services where your friends will simply keep you in mind when they’re networking with someone who needs your services. It’s your choice whether you want to offer a finder’s fee, which is a flat rate compensation given to the one who referred the new client. This is completely optional as networking is a natural part of the business networking game.
An affiliate program is best if you’re selling digital products. In this case, you can recruit affiliate to market your products to THEIR audience in exchange for a small commission of each product sold through their unique affiliate link. The win for YOU is that you now have a sales team working on your behalf. The win for THEM is that they can earn extra money simply by promoting your products.
One key factor: Be nice to your affiliates and make it easy for them to sell your stuff. Stay in touch with them regularly (often via email so you can let them know when new products are launching) and pay your affiliates on time. Nothing will scare affiliates away more than not getting paid.
The best affiliates are successful because they have an engaged audience that trusts them. By default, your affiliate’s audience will trust you more quickly and easily, simply because you’re linked to their trusted expert.
Once again, you don’t need an email list of CUSTOMERS to run your affiliate program. However, I do highly suggest using an affiliate program that collects your AFFILIATE email addresses so you have an easy way to stay in touch. Your colleague can simply promote your products using their own referral link to their own email list and/or on social media.
What’s a referral link? It’s a unique code that directs their people to your sales page and credits them with the commission if someone from their audience buys. When you choose a proven software, a one-time setup is all that’s needed for you to reward your affiliates. There are lots of ways to set this up. You’ll have to pay for the software or the plugin but it’s a nominal fee if you really want to use affiliates to your selling advantage.
- WordPress plugins, like Affiliate Managers plugin, AffiliateWP Plugin
- Software like Referral Factory, Teachable, Ambassador, Referral Candy, aMember, Infusionsoft or 1Shopping Cart.
Once you have your program setup, you can also provide them with marketing materials, like pre-written email copy, social media posts, graphics, etc. so it’s less work on their part. Make it easy for affiliate to promote you!
Joint Ventures (JVs)are another option for selling your products without a list. This would include creating something WITH your referral partner that’s different from your current offer. Here are a few things to think about:
1. What could you create together?
2. Or could you bundle two complimentary offers of yours together?
JVs will likely want to know how you plan on promoting this partnership and a lack of email list might be a warning sign but if you partner with someone else in the same position as you or if you propose a comprehensive social media plan and/or paid ads campaign, you can still convince your partner to agree.
Strategy 6: Leverage Your Biz Bestie’s List for a Quick Profit Boost (for You Both!)
Have you ever seen some instances where someone takes over their friend’s social media account? Usually these are famous friends with huge followings but for 24 hours the friend posts funny stories and ‘takes over’ the account.
The same can be done by commandeering a biz bestie’s social account or email list. Some people might prefer the term “borrowing” their friend’s platform to promote their newest service or product.
Yes–this is really a thing! If you’ve created a referral program (like I mentioned in the last step), you can ask your colleague if you can “borrow” their list and use their referral link for your product so they receive a portion of sales from their list.
Your friend can either email their list as themselves to explain what’s happening or you can send out the next email with your own name, images, and message and play up the humorous aspect of surprising your friend’s readers. Either way, this gives you a fun way to promote your new product or service to a new audience.
Why would someone agree to this tactic? It’s fun and humorous! Besties often have their friend’s best interests at heart and would want to help promote their friend’s business. All of this is done with permission — quite the opposite of being hacked by complete strangers — and it’s also for a short period of time, like 12–24 hours. Then things return to normal.
If hijacking your friend’s email list doesn’t sit well with you, ask your colleague to host a joint webinar with you, where you both bring your expertise to the table around your topic (or adjacent topics), and then you get to pitch your product at the end.
Since you’re taking my advice to grow your email list while using these strategies (hint hint) holding a webinar is a great way to grow your email list. When interested prospects register, they leave their email address to receive updates. Speak with your partner in advance to decide how the list will be split up or suggest that you take the list since you’re just beginning and you offer the use of their affiliate link during the product pitch.
If a referral code isn’t an option, you can also negotiate a one-time fee for you to borrow their list. How do you come up with a fee? You’ll want to take both the size of their list and also how engaged their list is into account. Sweeten the negotiations by offering to create a unique free training for their audience. When the training is complete, sell your (generally, low-cost) offer at the end.
Since they’re allowing you to do a free training (and not just sending an email), you can offer them a higher percentage commission than other referral partners. This winds up benefiting you both — you have access to a borrowed audience and they earn some commissions for allowing access to your list.
Take Note: Take an objective look at your friend’s list and how they promote offers. Put on your sleuthing hat and sign up for your friend’s list so you can check out the messages and learn how to nurture a relationship. Can you see how having a responsive list that likes, knows, and trusts you can improve your business?
Here are a few other ways to “borrow” another person’s audience, beyond the few we’ve already talked about, including:
1. Participating in telesummits. These are interviews from multiple guest speakers on a particular topic that’s important to the host’s audience. Telesummits are list builders for the host because people will register to get the reminders but it also benefits the speakers because they can either give a free gift or make an offer. The speaker’s website is part of the promotion so speakers can get new list subscribers, too.
2. Be a guest expert. If your friend is in search of a guest expert for their mastermind or membership program, offer to be available if you can make a pitch or promote your product.
3. Find local speaking opportunities. Industry conferences and local events are publicized to the hilt to attract the greatest number of attendees so naturally you’ll be introduced to new prospects. Confirm if you’re able to make a sales pitch. If not, certainly you’ll be allowed to offer your contact information to book calls. And as old school as this may sound, have business cards handy — or at least a digital card on your smartphone.
Borrowing someone’s list might seem like a foreign concept but when approached with humor and goodwill, can be a really fun experience. But I ask again…if you’re borrowing someone’s list, do you see the value in creating your own list?
Strategy 7: Generate Mad Sales Directly from Paid Ads
If you have the budget to pay for ads, you can quickly get in front of the right audiences and see a return on your investment all without an email list. You’ll want to hire an ads expert because there are plenty of nuances with setting up your campaigns, primarily in choosing your audience. You don’t just want to put up a broad demographic because you won’t be targeted enough. Sure, you may reach a million people but how many of those people will actually care about your offer?
The trick of the trade is niching down your audience — much like you niche down to your ideal client. It boils down to: Do you want to attract the greatest number of people, like Walmart? Or do you want to attract a smaller number of people who appreciate the value you offer, such as a trendy clothing boutique? Be like the boutique and niche down your audience for your ads.
1. Facebook ads. While you’ll see a lot of business owners using Facebook ads for top-of-funnel free offers, you can sell paid products directly through Facebook ads. You can do this a few ways:
· Direct to a sales page. This works well for lower-priced offers with little risk.
· Through a written blog post. Turn a proven piece of content into an ad, then ensure you have a CTA to buy your product somewhere in the blog post. This link redirects to a sales page.
· Re-targeting advertising. Remind people who have abandoned their shopping cart with targeted offers or reminders to checkout and complete the purchase.
2. Instagram ads. Instagram ads are similar to Facebook ads, and you can even promote the same ads on both platforms since they’re owned by the same company now.
While lots of people advertise free offers via Instagram, you can also direct your ads straight to a lower-priced digital product. Again, if you’re looking for sales, paid ads work very well for low-risk, low-priced digital products. Higher priced items require more nurturing and most likely a discovery call before a commitment.
Much like Facebook Ads, you can also direct them to blog posts, or use a retargeting campaign.
3. LinkedIn ads. Of course, LinkedIn offers paid advertising; they are all about business and certainly don’t want to be left out of this money-earning endeavor.
- “Sponsored Content” are LinkedIn ads that show up in the feed and look (almost) like regular LinkedIn posts. They get great visibility on LinkedIn, and great engagement generally.
- “Sponsored messaging” are paid LinkedIn messages that show up in users’ LinkedIn inboxes. They’ll be marked as “sponsored,” and they’ll also have a CTA buttons. These have a high open rate and stay in a user’s inbox even after they’ve opened the message
- There are two types of LinkedIn ads: message ads and conversation ads.
— Message ads include one CTA and conversation ads allow one or more CTAs to allow people to “choose their own adventure”.
— For example, you could include one CTA that goes directly to your sales page and another that gives them the option to email you or message you back for more information. With this format, you’re allowing the prospect to choose what’s best for them.
- There are also text-based sidebar ads on LinkedIn. They’re generally more affordable, albeit less visible and less appealing to users but they can be a cost-effective way to get started with paid advertising on LinkedIn.
I hope you can see all the possible ways to sell your product or service without depending on your email list. As I mentioned earlier, every business owner starts with zero subscribers and with creative marketing and consistent lead generation they have the ability to grow their list and their business at the same time!
If you’re stuck in analysis paralysis, it’s time to break free of doing this right and just get started. Drop your idea of the perfect time to launch your business or announce a new product and just do it. Perfection is a fleeting idea and impossible to achieve. Your audience will benefit much more from having your product or service, even if it’s imperfect.
If you’re wondering which comes first, your email list or your sales, the answer is: There’s no clear answer. Again, it’s better to take any kind of action than to sit and wait for your email list to grow. Lead generation and sales can — and should — occur simultaneously so you’ll always have a steady stream of prospects knocking at your door. But you can’t get those prospects’ attention without starting your marketing campaign and sales strategy.
