You’ve felt it before, right? That sinking feeling in your stomach when nobody’s biting on your offers. (I have, and it’s so not fun!)
You’ve done your research. You know what your audience wants, you’re using their language, and you know you’re offering something they need.
So you create a new opt-in or bite-sized offer and publish it to your website. Then, you wait.
And… crickets.
Here’s where many business owners go wrong when nobody bites: they go at their offer with a machete. They rewrite the copy, play around with images and colors, or maybe even start from scratch and create a whole new offer.
Here’s the good news: Your offer isn’t the problem! Especially if you’ve taken the time to figure out your ideal client and create an offer just for her.
Here’s what you need to know: The reason you’re not getting bites is because people aren’t seeing your offer. In other words, you’re not getting the right traffic.
To reach the next level of online business success, you must increase traffic to your website.
But how the heck do you do it?
Today, I’m sharing the #1, totally free way to get the traffic you need to make money online.
Not Just Any Traffic Will Do
Before I get into my proven strategy for getting the traffic you need, let’s talk about why you should find the right kind of traffic.
When it comes to growing your online business, it’s essentially a numbers game. The more site traffic you have, the more people are likely to sign up for your email list, and the more potential clients you’re able to reach out to.
But there’s one important thing to keep in mind when it comes to increasing your site traffic: more isn’t necessarily better.
Rather than focus on a high amount of traffic, it’s best to focus on high-quality traffic.
What do I mean by high-quality traffic? Essentially, your goal is to filter out the wrong people and attract only those who are best for your services. This means you hang out where your right people hang out and provide valuable content that solves a problem your right people are facing.
There’s one proven way to find your right people online, but before I give you the details, it’s important to know a common traffic-building mistake to avoid.
Forget About Facebook Ads (for Now)
Many newer business owners believe that Facebook ads are the answer to traffic, clients, and sales. In fact, I hear it from my clients ALL THE TIME.
But Facebook ads aren’t the answer!
Before you spend a nickel on ads, you must first know the exact language your clients is using and have a proven process for turning prospects into clients. Without these, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll lose all of your money.
I’m not saying that you should never use them. Facebook ads will likely work for you someday, but buying them isn’t the the first step you should take when trying to build your list. It’s a more advanced strategy that you can put into place after you’ve nailed down a predictable conversion rate.
Make sense?
Okay, so now you know what not to do. You’re probably thinking, “Jenny, what should I do to lead the right traffic to my site and build my email list?”
I’m glad you asked!
The #1 Totally Free Way to Get More Traffic
After you have figured out where your ideal clients are hanging out, your next step is to meet them there!
The best way to do that? Guest blogging.
Now, before you get a bad case of the jitters, take a deep breath. Yes, guest posting can feel like you’re taking some scary steps like reaching out to a stranger to pitch your ideas and writing for a bigger audience than you’re used to.
But you know me, and I’ll give you everything you need to stretch your wings and fly.
First, why guest blogging? Guest blogging helps you get in front of the right people and drive quality traffic to your website.
And that’s exactly what you’re looking for.
My Personal Recommendation for YouSteal This! A 3-Step Plan for Putting Yourself Out There4 things to look for in a site you want to post on:
Although guest blogging is one of my favorite free ways to build an email list, not just any site will do. You must be strategic about which sites you approach.
Make sure the site(s) you’re reaching out to fit this criteria (side note: these strategies apply to podcasts as well):
- Your ideal audience hangs out here, meaning that the people who visit the site are the same people who would get the most out of working with you
- The site has a high number of engaged readers who leave comments and share the posts regularly. This is especially important if you’re looking for more traffic.
- The site owner is active on social media and generously shares content with his/her followers
- The site accepts guest posts (not all do). Usually sites are very clear about whether or not they accept submissions.
Finding the right sites to guest post on is something I get asked about often, and I have a lot to say about it (more than I could fit here!). So I created a free guide where I go more in depth, which you can download here:
Click to DownloadFree Guide! How to Find the Perfect Site for Your Guest PostA quick tip: keep a spreadsheet of sites that fill all the requirements above, so you can track who you’ve reached out to and what the outcome was.
After you’ve found the right site to reach out to it’s time to brainstorm some content ideas.
How to create quality content for guest posts
Before you reach out and pitch your ideas to a site, you should first spend some time coming up with content that would be a great fit for your audience.
Doing this doesn’t have to take a lot of time but it does require some research on your part.
First, notice the types of questions your right people are asking. What can you write that will answer that question?
Second, make your post stand out from the crowd by saying something original. Your content shouldn’t rehash what exists elsewhere.
Third, set aside time to think of one or two click-worthy headlines, and be sure to include your headline ideas in your pitch.
It’s only after you’ve done these three things that you’re ready to reach out to a site and make your pitch to write for them.
My Personal Recommendation for You6 No-Fail Strategies for Having Endless Blogging IdeasAfter You Get the Yes!
If a site agrees to let you guest post for them, there are a few things you can do to ensure you get invited back.
- Follow their submission guidelines. Make sure you include everything that they ask for (links, headshots, image credit, etc.). You’d be surprised how many people don’t follow the rules! Doing so could set you apart.
- Provide relevant, useful content that adds to the conversation, rather than that which echos someone else.
- Share the guest post on your social sites and give your host site some love.
- Reply to any comments you receive.
Have You Tried Guest Posting?
I’d love to hear what’s worked for you and what hasn’t. So tell me…
What has your experience been like with guest posting?
If you struggle with it, what’s holding you back?
If you’ve had success, what are some tips you can provide?
Leave a comment below, and if you have questions, ask away! I’d love to help!
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