Message marketing is a great strategy for generating high quality leads for free. I’ve been using it for years. It is part of our team’s training too. In this post, I’ll break down how to do it so you can be more effective at list building.
Message marketing is prospecting and list building using text messages or Facebook Messenger. The procedure is the same for both. It is super-powerful when done correctly and it’s free!
If you’ve become frustrated with email marketing and continually falling open rates (the percentage of emails that actually get opened and read), messaging will be a breath of fresh air. Not only do almost all texts get opened and read, on average it happens in just minutes!
Many successful marketers use this method almost exclusively and have built huge teams. Most of us have forgotten how many contacts we have in our phones or how many Friends we have on Facebook.
New marketers usually find it’s easier to start with people they know. This post will focus on that strategy. In a later post I will explain how to use this strategy with complete strangers.
Message marketing golden rule…never send your link to someone until they have asked for it first!
The majority of marketers blow it here. Few things turn people off faster. Don’t waste time blindly texting your link. It works about as well as spam email.
Message marketing is really just communicating with people. Strike up an everyday kind of conversation. Share a couple messages back and forth. Always wait for a reply before sending another message.
If your message is in the form of a question, it usually brings a reply. Take your time. It almost always leads to a question about you and what you are up to.
I share some example messages below. Be sure to use them in your own words so it sounds like you. Add these to a swipe file so you can access them on the fly.
Try these examples in your messaging
What’s new?
OR
Haven’t talked in a while. Barbara and I were thinking about you.
Just checking to see if you and your family are well?
Then when they ask what you’ve been up to, select an appropriate reply such as:
We’re good. Kids are both off to school.
Started an online business recently. It’s really taking off.
Most will ask what it is. Reply with something like this:
I’m not sure this would be right for you…
But would you be open to checking out some information on a way to make significant money on a real part time schedule?
After they reply yes (again, most will):
I’ll send you a link to my website. The short video there can explain it better than me.
Always send a link to a landing page, not directly to your company site.
If they don’t ask what it is, that’s OK. Message something like this:
Wondering if you could do me a huge favor…
Who do you know would like to supplement or replace their income?
If they reply: “Me” (and most do – who wouldn’t like more money?), use the follow up above.
If not, try a message similar to this:
Can I send you a link to a video that shows what I do.
I’m sure you will think of people who it would be just right for?
After they reply yes, send your link. Again…do not send your link without an OK.
It works so well because it’s so simple!
All you are doing is getting people to look at your website. You do no selling. You are making it clear the system does the work.
One of the reasons message marketing works so well is that prospects see how simple it is. It’s something they can see themselves doing if they join your business. And that’s a big relief. Very few people want to be sales people!
As soon as a prospect fills out the form at your landing page, your follow up online marketing system goes to work just like leads generated the old school way.
No matter what your primary marketing strategy is, I highly recommend making message marketing part of your daily routine. What I like best is that you can generate more highly responsive free leads any time you want!
Now that you understand how powerful yet simple it is, I encourage you to start using message marketing.
To your success,
Joe Barclay