The rust is off and nowit's time to go from $x,xxx/day to $xx,xxx/day (25)
The rust is off and nowit's time to go from $x,xxx/day to $xx,xxx/day
Hey guys,
I had such a great response to my original post here on STM and the feedback/input I received from you guys was instrumental in getting to where I am today. So I thought it would be fun to do another follow along, with a campaign focused solely on gaining more direct clients and specifically for generating inbound phone calls (pay per call, managed campaigns) for these clients.
I am going to build out an entire funnel, to maximize my ad spend on reaching the tricky B2B prospects. I have never build out an extensive conversion funnel, so I am hoping some of the more experienced STM funnel experts will help me or possibly join forces! I may need to hire someon to help me build this out, as it may be too big of an undertaking to create this funnel and manage my existing clients and campaigns.
Here is my gameplan:
1) Target market - Target specific B2B verticals (attorneys, cosmetic dentists/surgeons, Insurance agencies, Financial services), with higher CPAs/marketing budgets ($10k/month+) >> Mid-size to Large Businesses >>> Biz owners, CEOs, CMOs, Inside Sales Managers
2) Traffic - Business Insider - sponsored stories, LinkedIn - advertising targeting my ideal prospects, Email - Solo ads with people who have email lists comprised of my target prospects, Adwords - Display, targeting Attorney trade sites, Business sites (retargeting!)
3) Landing Pages - Landing pages, tailored specifically to the industry niche. This is a generic landing page/video that I created that can be tailored/tweaked for each industry vertical (attorneys, dentists, insurance agents, lasik surgeons).
4) Email capture - Auto responder series with weekly videos, ebooks to help them understand "click to call" and the importance of targeting mobile devices, both for local and national businesses, to generate inbound phone calls.
5) Webinar - Specific to setting up multiple marketing campaigns, aimed at driving inbound calls, along with call tracking. This is a new area for me and probably need to enlist the help of someone who has more experience.
6) Call & Close - just as it sounds. I have a very high close rate after talking with someone on the phone, so the goal is to have a conversion funnel that educates the prospect to the point where when we get on the phone, it is to close a deal and move forward.
I am going to limit my offerings to the following two options:
1) Branded, managed campaign - $1,500 setup, 20% of monthly ad spend (min of $2,000/month)
2) Non-branded campaign/Cost Per Call/Cost Per Lead - $500 setup, Cost Per Call - TBD
Frankly, I would prefer they choose Option #2, as I make substantially more going that route, when compared to the managed campaigns.
It's a pretty big task (time/money/resources) to setup this type of a funnel, but I am confident that once established, I can leverage it to bring in 5 clients per month, that each generate an average of $3,500/month in NET profit.
I look forward to sharing my progress and if anyone has any advice/feedback or suggestions, fire away! Thanks!
thanks for sharing, I've been wondering what you've been up to since you last follow along 
Awesome T-bone, good to see you're back have missed you greatly haha!
Keep us updated with your endeavours
Good stuff, your other follow along was excellent. This is the direction I'm heading in for the UK so I'll be interested to see how it goes.
Sounds like a very solid setup. Incorporating a personal call at the end is particularly smart rather than trying to make the thing 100% automated. Webinars are a really good idea too.
Have you split-tested the lander? Having a quick look at it, I'd maybe suggest some generic tweaks - the font's not what I'd choose for conservative clients (all your target markets), and you might want to look at a slightly different colour scheme. I'd be tempted to use some gradients and a less saturated blue, probably some blacks or greys.
It's also not 100% mobile-friendly and my guess is that at least some of your potential clients will visit on mobile. That's something that is surprisingly easy to fix these days, so probably worth doing.
VERY interested to hear how this one goes!
Originally Posted by caurmen
Thanks for the feedback on the "look and feel." This is definitely an area where I can use some help, which is why I am tempted to just go the LeadPages route. Any other suggestions on where I can get some paid design help with this lander?
You are also right with your mobile friendly observation....working on that as well!
Thanks!
Depending on how much time you want to spend on it, either running a design contest through 99designs or similar (note - overpay compared to the market in order to attract better quality) or contacting designers through Dribbble (https://dribbble.com/) is probably the way to go.
You could also look at the themes available through WrapBootstrap or similar and choose one that's appropriate for what you're doing, then customise if needed. That'll be faster (static HTML) than a Wordpress-based solution.
However, LeadPages isn't a terrible idea for this sort of lead gen, particularly because you can combine it with a bigger site rather than using the classic affiliate single-pager approach. Just be very careful about load times - they're still an issue, particularly on mobile. I'd go with a high-quality managed WP host if you're going to go with Wordpress - my go-to is WP Engine.
T Money!
Great follow-along idea.
Regarding LeadPages, the templates and designs are great starting points. But whichever one you go with, I think you'll want to code up cleanly and host it raw (non-wordpress). I haven't had much luck getting fast load times while using their LeadPages+WordPress plugin. For comparison, below are some pages I built. They're both using the same LeadPages template. And, they're both are on the same hosting account.
LeadPages+WordPress: http://1800chatnow.com/
LeadPages raw html: http://designedconversions.com/
Put them both into Google's page speed test and see the difference. https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights
Also, LeadPages just launched their own designer marketplace. I hate going to oDesk or Elance to find designers. So, this should make getting customized LeadPages so much less painful.
Anyways, you've inspired me to start my own pay-per-call follow along. Look out for it this weekend!
^ Good call. Design in LeadPages then port to HTML is a pretty solid way to go. Although some good WP hosts can make WP reasonably fast (400ms or so load time) raw HTML will always be faster.
@caurmen - Thanks! I didn't know about Dribble, but just signed up for Pro.
@mr zoom - great advice. I have had issues with LP page loads in the past, but being a non-techie, I didn't know how to fix. Are you saying to find the LP setup, then have my guys code a raw HTML version of the site and host outside of LP?
Originally Posted by mr zoom
Originally Posted by tbranley
Leadpages allows you to publish your landing pages to your own server. Without wordpress if you choose. You can also design your pages for mobile.
From what I understand, if you're a customer you can use "the builder" they include to customize a Leadpages template, then simply upload the html file to your own server.
https://support.leadpages.net/hc/en-...-my-own-server
From what it sounds like you can also build a funnel by linking pages together.
Even if the template you like is for gathering opt-ins, you can change the "subscribe" button to link to another page, your offer, ect. (and the opt-in form dissapears.)
I was happy to hear that when they rolled out that feature.
Originally Posted by mr zoom
Interesting... Maybe that's the reason I don't get my click to call ads approved... Google rep told me they have some issues right now that they are trying to resolve
Originally Posted by taewoo
Time for an update, at the very least to keep this thing on track. Here is what I have done sine my initial post:
1) Hired a kick-ass designer from 99designs, who made a MUCH better version of the crappy powerpoint I made - cost $299 (Well worth it!)
2) Renewed my LeadPages Pro membership - cost $480/year (Best split-testing platform on the market)
3) Infusionsoft platform license - cost $750/setup, $299/month (Top tier marketing automation platform)
Here is one of my new landing pages (with new, kick-ass powerpoint design):
https://click2callmarketing.leadpage...click-2-call-/
I am going to start sending some traffic from Adwords/PPC, LinkedIn PPC and Facebook PPC to a couple of different landing pages to determine optin rates, as well as having some initial phone conversations to get a feel for quality. Then, I will start to build out the funnel with Infusionsoft and see if I can figure out some different ways to monetize optins that don't become clients. Infusionsoft has always been a pricey platform that I didn't consider, but they have some special pricing plan for SMBs right now and was able to get it for 50% of what it usually costs. I really feel like this platform will help me automate my marketing funnel and allow me to build a list, market affiliate offers and gains some high paying clients, by feeding targeted traffic into the top part of the funnel.
My next set of goals is to send traffic to various landers, determine initial optin rates, get a client or two and then start building out the funnel (email auto-responders, more videos, webinars and perhaps launch an e-info product). As always, if you have feedback, advice or suggestions don't hold back.....let me have it!
hey Terry
I've been reading your awesome posts. Got me inspired to do my own pay per call.
I ran a lead gen. company for solar vertical (solar one media), and I pretty much did everything you're doing .. so here's what I would focus on
1) I don't know how you feel about doing local but I would stay away from it. You spend as much time doing local as you are doing national. Bigger volume = bigger net profit.
2) Stay away from verticals with "insane" qualification. One of the reasons why outsourced lead gen doesn't work for a LOT of verticals is that they have some ridiculous lead qualification that makes it very un-interesting for performance marketers like us. Example, in solar.. people want all kinds of ridiculous qualification: income, home ownership, fico score, debt level, utility district, etc... But probably the most stupid one I've heard was shading. Houses w/excessive shading obviously won't benefit from solar. But how the hell am I supposed to know what 'excessive' shading is?
Even if you do end up qualifying, "what's left" in terms of volume is so damn low that it's not even worth pursuing.
3) Live webinars work well. I would pursue that. Automated is a complete waste of time. Hybrids are good. But as with anything.. test it yourself.
4) Once you have a working optimized funnel, you don't need to pay for these softwares... especially leadpages. You can hire someone in india / PH to rip the pages and host it yourself.
we should start a Pay Per Call mastermind (there is one already.. i think started by RingPartner... but it's too huge and too much chatter) for a smaller group of people.
@taewoo - Thanks for the advice and feedback!
1) I don't know how you feel about doing local but I would stay away from it. You spend as much time doing local as you are doing national. Bigger volume = bigger net profit. ( wrote about it here)
I feel the same way you do! Local, unless a high margin/high CPA niche (attorneys, surgeons, etc), I am shooting for regional and national companies. You can make a nice chunk of change on high volume, low margin and if in the right nice, some longevity to boot!
2) It seems to me that the more "filters/requirements" comes back to Econ 101 (supply/demand). I do my best to generate calls/leads from targeted prospects, but at the same time, I cannot deliver the "perfect prospect" and tee it up for sub-par salespeople to close every single deal.
3) I just want to automate the top part of the funnel and then progress to more "high touch" (webinar, phone calls) towards the far end of the funnel.
4) Agreed. LeadPages is GREAT for split-testing, but once you have your winner(s), you can always get the landers coded and host for less. Then again, $500/year is a drop in the bucket if you are going to continaully come up with new landers/offers/products.
Thanks again for the feedback and advice!
Terry, one thing I wanted to ask was.. ever split testing w/call only and "standard" campaign ( w/ phone number extension and bid 300% higher on mobile)? Every time I do this.. the second "copy" campaign almost always tanks in QS so I am not comparing apples to apples.
Originally Posted by tbranley
2nd Thought: Oh man, that's what I'm competing against! Let's get it in gear!!
Regarding your growth strategy, have you ever come across the guys @ digitalmarketer.com? They advocate a sales and customer development strategy called "growth hacking". I'm sure you don't need any sales process help, but it's an interesting read. http://www.digitalmarketer.com/custo...-optimization/
@taewoo - I am not sure I understand your question. I have only recently started running Google's "Call only" test campaigns, but don't have enough data yet to compare. Remember that on 300% overbid campaigns, QS has more to do with bid and CTR.
@mr zoom - Thanks for the kind words! I appreciate it. We are only competing against everyone else who isn't a member of STM ; ) - I can ALWAYS use more sales process help! It looks interesting and kind of what I have in mind...I am a big believer in not re-inventing the wheel so it should come in handy when I start mapping things out. Thanks for passing along!
Originally Posted by tbranley
how do you plan on finding those clients?
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