This Is The Perfect Blog Post For Authors, Writers, And Self-Publishers
In this blog post we’re going to brainstorm more about Product Launch Funnels, and how Authors might strategically deploy them in order to promote their books.
I just want to warn you, that some marketers would believe that a Product Launch Funnel would be total overkill to sell a tiny book!
That may be true in some situations, however, I’m going to try my best to make my case for why a Product Launch Funnel might be a cool strategy for Authors if they are willing to add some cool upsells, and to of course have the courage to sell additional products to their prospects! (I’ll elaborate on these ideas and also reveal my honest two cents on these thoughts later on in this post).
Because, in my honest opinion, it’s awfully tough to afford advertising if you’re selling a book for just a couple of dollars.
Let’s pretend that you’re promoting a book for $5. How much advertising can you afford if you only sell a book for $5? You can’t really afford to spend that much on Per Click Advertising, if your product is only $5, right? Your conversion rates would have to be pretty perfect in that case!
So, are there tricks that a clever marketer could deploy to potentially increase the average value per book buyer? This is something I’d like to discuss, and I honestly think this is a brainstorming session quite worthy of any Author who wants to promote their books.
But first, before we brainstorm this topic, let me ask you a very important question.
Have you ever been frustrated because you want to promote your books, but you’re just not sure how to start?
Maybe the idea of writing a book just seems like a waste of time, because you figure that nobody is even going to bother reading it?
If that’s the case, then hey, I totally get it.
I’ve published a ton of books over the years, and I know how sad and depressing it can be (lol) when nobody ever reads your content.
Especially when you strive to write awesome stuff. Have you ever been sad when you finally hit publish, only to have your dreams shattered when nobody buys, or even reads your book?
These Days Anyone Can Publish A Book. But Getting People To Read That Book Can Be Tough!
Face it.
These days, it’s relatively easy to publish your book. This is especially true when compared to many years ago, when there weren’t several different digital marketplaces where you can publish your book.
And what about all of the other apps and services that make it easier to publish and share our content; arguably, it’s never been easier to design really cool book covers, snazzy landing pages, and there’s also a massive boatload of nifty word processing apps so you can even work on your books from the cloud if you want to.
The point to all of this, is that it’s easy to publish content. But getting people to actually sit down and consume your content, can be a tad trickier.
Especially if you’re writing content in a relatively small niche, and doubly so if you have absolutely no audience and if nobody knows who you are.
Can You Relate? Do You Know What It’s Like When Nobody Reads The Content That You’ve Worked So Hard To Write?
This can be something that’s truly depressing, loathsome, and stressful.
Not just for Authors, but for Teachers too and anyone who publishes any type of information based product, be it a course or a book.
Because we as writers, often put ourselves out there for the entire world to see. We exert ourselves and put forth boatloads of exertion in order to share our content with an audience who hopefully appreciates our grand efforts.
That’s why I want to brainstorm more about the art and science of Product Launch Funnels, and how they might be a cool way to promote your books.
What’s A Product Launch Funnel, And How Can It Help To Promote Your Book?
A Product Launch Funnel is a very specific type of sales funnel where the main purpose is to launch, promote, advertise, and sell your product.
To be honest, a Product Launch Funnel has many different moving parts, and there are different ways you can change up the variables so you can split test things and also express your own individuality.
That being said, just about all Product Launch Funnels have a few things in common.
Usually a Product Launch Funnel contains a series of videos that help to provide valuable content, and to also build anticipation to the eventual revealing of your “Add To Cart” button so your end users can buy your book.
The thing that I like best about the Product Launch Funnel, is that you are essentially sharing a series videos with your audience. The reason this is cool, is because those videos present an opportunity for you to promote a call to action.
In other words, underneath each video, you can have a cleverly placed “Call To Action” that could either be a direct “Add To Cart” button, or otherwise a link to your sales page.
So, the way I look at it, is that a Product Launch Funnel allows you to strategically share video content, that can help to pre-sell your book on multiple different occasions. (The way I look at a Product Launch Funnel, is that each video you share can have a call to action under the video, thereby allowing you to either advertise the future launch of your book, or you could even promote it outright).
In this way, you are hopefully sharing content that can either entertain your audience, educate your audience, or at the very least you can use the Product Launch Sequence to build anticipation for your book.
Why ClickFunnels Is The Perfect Platform To Build And Launch Your Book Funnel
It’s important to note that ClickFunnels makes it very easy for you to create and launch all types of marketing funnels.
- Book Funnels
- Lead Magnet Funnels
- Product Launch Funnels
- Squeeze Page Funnels
- Membership Funnels
- Affiliate Bridge Funnels
- Tripwire Funnels
- Automated Webinar Funnels
- And more!
So, if you’re an Author, or if you’re selling a book, then a Product Launch Funnel isn’t your only option. In fact, there are other options that might be even better, like a traditional Book Funnel!
However, that being said, I’m personally a huge fan of Product Launch Funnels, especially because I love to create cool tutorials and promotional content in the form of videos.
In any event, and rant aside, ClickFunnels makes it super easy to list your books for sale using either a Product Launch Funnel, or a traditional Book Funnel.
And, there are so many creative ways that you can customize your funnels.
There are a bunch of different Sales Funnel Templates, and each template is super easy to customize.
So you can customize the call to action button, the URL that it promotes, the headlines of the documents, and of course the different variables like the text, background color, and other details.
The main point to me mentioning this, is because many of the sales funnels are “ready to go” and you need only customize them to match your brand, your style, and of course your own promotional messages.
You don’t have to be a marketing or a graphic design expert to get your very own sales funnel setup, and ClickFunnels indeed makes everything “Drag and drop easy”, so yes, I’m personally a huge fan.
Let’s Imagine A Hypothetical Product Launch Funnel…
So let’s pretend that you’re promoting a book on the topic of “How To Grow Juicy Red Tomatoes That Are Totally Delicious”.
Instead of simply building a sales page and promoting your book sales page directly, you could instead setup a Product Launch Funnel that generates a lead, and then goes on to share your series of videos.
Let’s pretend that you want to have a 3-day Product Launch Sequence. You could even brainstorm your Product Launch so that it offers massive value.
How could your Product Launch deliver massive value? Well, you can try your best to entertain the heck out of everyone by creating awesome videos! Your videos could also be designed so that they pre-sell your book, or, you could alternatively pitch your book in every single video.
Let’s Talk About The Funnel Pages For Your Product Launch Funnel
Depending upon how your Product Launch Funnel looks, it might have a bunch of pages.
Usually a Product Launch Funnel will have a Lead Capture Page, a Confirmation Page, several Video Pages, and of course a Sales Page, a Download Page (or a membership page of some type), and any accommodating Upsell (one time offer) pages.
Maybe you could have a lead capture page that says the following “Free 3 Day Course Teaches How To Grow The Perfect Juiciest Tomato”.
After your end user subscribes, I would recommend having a very special confirmation page that thanks your end user for subscribing, reminds them to check their email, and also promotes something.
The reason I would say that it would be wise to promote something to your subscriber immediately on your confirmation page, is because advertising costs money! And, since the average book sells for relatively cheap money these days, it’s important that you at least try to sell something so you can afford advertising, right?
So maybe you could try to sell one of your other books, one of your other products, or even a relevant affiliate product immediately after your end user subscribes.
You can give this a try simply by creating a video that reminds your end user to check their email for their videos, thanks your end user for subscribing, introduces yourself, and then simply saying something like: “If you want to learn more about XYZ topic, then simply click the button below to learn more.”
At the same time that your end user is watching this welcome video, they should start receiving your automated email sequence containing their first video.
So maybe on Day 1 you share a video called “The Top 10 Biggest Mistakes That Novice Tomato Growers Make”.
On Day 2 there could be another video called “The Only 3 Tools You Need To Grow Amazing Tomatoes That Won’t Cost You More Than $30”.
Finally, maybe on Day 3 you could have another video tutorial entitled “Let Me Show You My Exact Tomato Growing System, Revealed!”.
The thing I love the most about this type of Funnel, is that you can include a call to action under each and every video. So hopefully, if your end user enjoys the content, they can then click the call to action and hopefully be enticed to purchase your Book.
What Type Of Call To Action Should Your Videos Promote?
The thing about a Product Launch Funnel, is that the entire sequence is usually designed to sell the idea that your product is launching soon. Each video and step in the entire process is designed to build anticipation, and to promote the idea that your product is coming soon!
That’s the traditional way, and I think there are many benefits to doing that, especially if you have some type of “hard date” where your product is open, and eventually closed.
But, what happens if you’re selling a super tiny product, like a book? And, what if this is an evergreen launch, so there is no set in stone “cart opening date?”.
Well, if that’s the case, one thing you might want to try, is to simply have a call to action under every video in the Product Launch that promotes your book.
That way, every single time that you send the new video to your subscriber, there’s a big fat call to action under the video reminding your end user that your book is ready to buy.
That way, you’ll hopefully be sharing super powerful content with them, and your call to action could say something like the following:
“If you want more powerful tomato growing tips, be sure to click the button below to learn more about my brand new book that reveals my entire tomato growing strategy!” (or something along those lines).
This is just one option, and I think that it’s a cool idea and at least worth considering!
What About Upsells? Do You Offer Any Other Products Or Services?
Usually, the most popular Product Launch Funnels that I see are geared toward more premium priced products.
Obviously, a book launch isn’t the highest priced product launch in the world, right? Because maybe you only have a short 100 page book that you want to promote.
The problem with this, is that it can be very difficult to afford advertising if you’re only promoting a tiny $7 e-book.
Because, as you know, cost per click advertising can be super expensive, in fact, some niches in the big advertising networks cost much more than $7 for a single click! If you do the math, you’ll see that it’s impossible to make these numbers work. The feasibility just isn’t there.
That’s why it might be a great idea, and necessary to have some type of one time offer upsell.
So, ask yourself, do you have any other products that you could promote?
Could you turn your book into a course, or a workshop that you could offer as an upsell? Would it make sense to offer coaching to your readers as an upsell? Or… Can you think of any other services that you might offer to your readers?
At the very least, can you think of any awesome affiliate programs that exist in your marketplace that you could promote and hopefully earn some commission?
What additional products or services could you offer in order to enhance the proposition of your book, or the value that your end users get?
These are all awesome questions to ask, and, I think that offering an upsell is a genius idea, especially for Authors, because as you know, it can be difficult to afford advertising when you’re selling a tiny $7 book.
By including upsells and one time offers, you can hypothetically increase the potential value of each customer, making it easier for you to afford advertising, which is huge.
How To Promote Your Product Launch Funnel Using Pay Per Click Advertising
Pay Per Click Advertising can be one of the fastest ways to drive targeted website visitors to your Product Launch Funnel.
In my honest opinion, one of the main reasons that Authors don’t sell more copies of their book, is simply because they cannot afford advertising!
That’s why I honestly believe, that having a fully fledged Product Launch Funnel complete with upsells and one time offers can be a tremendous asset to not only Authors, but just about any information product publisher who wants to be able to advertise their own product.
So if you have an awesome funnel setup, you can at the very least test for feasibility by trying to send website traffic.
Eventually, you’ll figure out how much your average buyer (or subscriber) is worth, thereby allowing you to calculate how much you’re able to afford on advertising.
How To Promote Your Product Launch Funnel Using Your Own Affiliate Program
Attracting affiliates can be super difficult, though can probably be easier if you have an awesome product that converts, right?
I always think that the “earnings per click” is super important when you’re trying to attract affiliates.
Whenever you look at offers in popular affiliate marketplaces, the EPC is usually one of the most important things because it lets the potential affiliate know how much (on average) clicks are worth for that campaign.
That’s another reason why having a Product Launch Funnel might be a good idea, because once you start testing your funnel, you’re going to eventually have statistics that reveal how well your stuff is converting.
You’ll know how well your funnel converts, and if it converts well, then this can be a great carrot to wave in front of potential affiliates (lol).
These days, there are tons of commendable affiliate marketplaces you can join, however, if you’re going to be using ClickFunnels to create your marketing funnels, then you may as well consider using their built in affiliate program function.
This way, you can spend time trying to contact potential affiliates in your niche to see if there would be any interest in some type of joint venture relationship.
Don’t let anyone ever convince you that attracting affiliates is easy, but at least with ClickFunnels, from a technical perspective, that part is indeed easy.
How To Promote Your Product Launch Funnel Using Solo Ads
Solo Ads are easily one of my favorite ways to promote and build my email list!
If you’re not familiar with the world of Solo Ads, the main thing to remember is that a Solo Ad is essentially an email advertisement where an Email Newsletter Publisher agrees to promote your advertisement.
In other words, a Solo Ad is simply an email advertisement, where you typically pay per click. The number of clicks is typically agreed upon in advance. So maybe you could buy 100 clicks from a solo ad vendor for fifty cents per click. So that 100 click advertisement would cost you roughly $50.
Usually, and in my opinion, the best thing to promote in a Solo Ad is your own lead capture page, so that you can generate an email lead and then followup with them, share valuable content, and build rapport with them over time.
There is one huge caveat with solo ads, and that caveat is that most Solo Ad lists are in very mainstream niches, such as “Health”, “Internet Marketing”, “Business Opportunity”, “Self-Help”, “Weight Loss”, and “Make Money”. Always remember that the majority of big email newsletter publishers, are usually in very mainstream niches.
One thing is for sure, always ask your potential solo ad vendor if your product, or email marketing funnel, or in this case, if your product launch funnel is a good match for your product.
If your book is in a very narrow niche, or a very specific niche, do NOT consider solo ads, because in my opinion solo ads are most ideal for very mainstream niches.
Another huge solo ad tip, is to ensure that you have a followup game in place!
Make sure that your Product Launch Funnel is rock solid, and ready to followup with your leads via email. Because, if you don’t earn any sales right away after your solo advertisement, hopefully, your email followups can help to close more sales in the future. (This actually goes without saying, however I think is particularly important for solo ads).
How To Promote Your Product Launch Funnel On Your Blog
Content marketing, and blog publishing is one of my favorite ways to generate traffic!
But, don’t let anyone fool you. Blogging, and publishing blog posts on a regular interval requires a boatload of effort, grit, courage, work, inspiration, and passion.
That being said, if you love to write about marketing, small business, entrepreneurship, teaching, affiliate marketing (these are the topics that I love lol), or any other topic, then having a blog might be a genius idea.
Many of my students ask me about blogging, they ask me if blogging is truly a good idea, and a wise investment.
My honest answer, is only if you’re passionate about your topic!
Never start a blog for the wrong reasons!
If you love to write, and if you could brainstorm topics regarding your niche on an ongoing basis, then I would say that heck yes blogging is a worthwhile endeavor.
But, if you do NOT like to write, then I would absolutely suggest that you don’t start a blog.
Because, I know from personal experience that many of my IT related friends have started blogs, and then they eventually got bored, and just tired of writing and maintaining their blog.
So, only start a blog if you’re passionate about your topic, and are willing to invest your effort, time, and passion into creating content.
I personally have the motto, that I would write content and publish it even if NOBODY ever read it.
Even if my blog never got one single website visitor, I would still publish content.
That seems deranged, and even a little sad, right? Lol. Well, I think that type of dedication is a huge indicator that blogging is for you. If you love to write, then blogging rocks, and you will never regret starting your blog.
If creating content and blogging seems redundant, boring, and like a waste of energy, then you’ll regret starting your blog shortly after launching it. (Lol, this isn’t meant to be harsh, however, is just my honest two cents).
In the event that you love to write, and if you are considering launching a blog, then the good news is that publishing your content has never been easier.
These days there are so many awesome WordPress plugins that will allow you to insert calls to action, so you can promote your Product Launch.
Maybe you could have a “Welcome Bar” at the top of your blog that promotes your Product Launch registration link.
Or maybe you could have a sidebar widget that promotes your link. Maybe you could find a plugin that could insert calls to action at the end (bottom) of every post.
Or, maybe you could even promote your email newsletter prominently on your blog, and simply rely on promoting your Product Launch within your newsletter content?
I hope, that after spending these few minutes brainstorming with me, that you can agree that there are so many awesome ways that you can promote your Product Launch Funnel, or indeed, just about any offer within your blog.
Of course, the secret is being passionate enough to write awesome content in the first place!
(In fact, just about all of these self-publishing methods require passion, and desire! Without those two things, I think that it’s very difficult to be of valuable service to others, this is especially true in the self-publishing world, where developing an audience can be difficult to say the least, right?).
Why I Love ClickFunnels And Why They’re Perfect For Product Launch Funnels Of All Shapes And Sizes
The best thing that I love about ClickFunnels, is that they don’t just create Product Launch Funnels.
ClickFunnels has a ton of different marketing funnel templates that you can use to generate leads, to promote your products, to house and store your digital downloads (books and courses), and you can even help to promote and sell your e-commerce products using ClickFunnels.
The main thing that I love about ClickFunnels, is that it’s super easy to use.
You don’t have to be a computer programmer to launch awesome marketing funnels with ClickFunnels.
You can simply select from their list of marketing funnels, and then you can customize that funnel to match your own style.
This is so important to me, because I have experience in the IT world, I know for a fact how frustrating technology can be. (Lol).
ClickFunnels truly makes it easy to publish awesome marketing pages for your business, and I encourage all entrepreneurs to at least learn more about it.
How To Go Forward With The Utmost Confidence
In this humble document, I tried my best to brainstorm some super cool Product Launch Funnel marketing ideas.
One final idea that I’d like to relate, and probably the single most important idea, is to be of service to your end users.
Strive to create awesome content. Try to help people!
Try to be valuable, entertaining, insightful, and/or educational.
These days, your end users want to be entertained, and educated! The problem is that information is everywhere, so try your best to deliver the best content, and the most value possible so you can stand a chance at sticking out.
Remember that you and your experiences on this planet are truly unique, and hopefully, you have a skill that you want to share with the world, and you also have the desire to share it.
I think that if you strive your utmost, to provide valuable content, in every single email, and every single video that you ever produce, that at the very least, your end users will have benefited from your content, and hopefully, you can help to change the world one reader, and one piece of content at a time.
That way, your Product Launch Funnel, will hopefully be comprised of content that rocks. No matter how you construct your funnel, or where you want to insert your calls to action, or how you want to promote it, at the very least, you’ll be confident that your content is awesome.
I think that confidence, is a huge variable to consider, and I hope that this content helps you in some way, or at the very least, it serves as a useful brainstorming tool.
I also hope that this content finds you well, and I wish you the absolute best in all of your endeavors!
Cordially and humbly yours…
Mike “The Writer” DeVincen
MrComputerScience.com
