Below is my latest Oregon Eagle newspaper article.
The Oregon Eagle being a newspaper founded by one of my long time customers Richard Emmons I bought ownership in to have at least some kind of “say” in the future of this state. I also figured it is something that can be passed down to Willis some day, so he has at least some kind of say, too.
Here it is:
If you want to drive free leads to your business’ website that are both free and are often all but “in heat” to buy your products or services when they arrive, then this article will show you how.
Here’s how it works:
Best-selling author of the “NO BS” book series Dan Kennedy teaches about what he calls “upstream leads.” These leads don’t find you from Facebook/Google ads, banner ads, magazine ads, newspaper ads, TV ads, radio ads, direct mail ads, or any other paid ads. Instead, they work their way “upstream” to you – swimming against the tides of mass advertising and distractions to find your business online. They often show up with a credit card in their hot little hands, can’t wait to get on your website’s mailing list (see my last Oregon Eagle article for how to build an email list), and don’t waste your time haggling over price or with ticky-tack complaints.
In other words, you don’t chase upstream leads, they chase you.
And when they come to you, they come correct.
This flips the script on the usual business/customer dynamic. And in my nearly 25 years selling online, I’ve yet to see a more rabid (to buy) lead than the upstream variety.
The good news is, there are many ways to acquire upstream leads, including:
* Lead swaps – where you make a deal with a business adjacent to yours (i.e., not direct competitors but serve the same “gene pool” of customers and clients, like an accountant/ insurance agent, or a plumber/electrician, or mechanic/car detailing service) to tell your mailing list, social media followers, and customers/clients about their website, and they do the same for your business. These leads show up pre-qualified, pre-sold, and likely pre-ready to buy.
* Joint venture with businesses – similar to list swaps, except you directly sell their offers to your list, social media followers, and customers & clients, and they do the same for your business.
* Barter your service to adjacent businesses in exchange for access to their customers – you provide your service to them and they then tell their mailing list, social media following, and customers/clients about your business website.
* Send press releases with valuable tips to the media to entice them to want to interview you – including to local radio stations (and podcasts), TV programs, and newspapers. This makes you a mini celebrity and lets you tap into the “halo effect.” This is when merely being interviewed by the media automatically makes you the “go to” business for people who trust that media.
* Post about problems your business solves to local social media groups – do this enough and people start assuming you’re the best option for fixing those problems, go to your profile, and look for a link to your website. The trick is to be like a doctor. Many of the most renown doctors aren’t the best at treatment, they’re the best at diagnosis. Thus, “diagnose” via regularly writing about problems your product or service solves.
There are many more ways to generate upstream leads.
But just picking the one or two above you like most can get you a steady flow of eager-to-buy leads coming to your website day after day, week after week, month after month, and even year after year.
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Ben Settle
