Top 7 Marketing Strategies To Increase Sales

When you’re trying to grow your business, marketing and sales go hand-in-hand.

With the right marketing, you can get more of the right prospects onto your team’s calendars.

With the wrong approach, though, you’ll end up bogging your team down with tire kickers, prospects who aren’t serious, and customers end up costing you more time, money, and energy.

In this guide, we’re going to break down the differences between the two marketing strategies.

We’ll also help you set the stage for bringing in new customers with the right marketing approach.

Since only one of these strategies is enough to generate revenue, we’ll show you 7 key marketing strategies you can use right now to start increasing your sales.

Use Abandon Cart Emails to Bring Shoppers Back to Your Website

In today’s digital world, it’s insanely easy for people to get distracted.

When they’re visiting your business online, though, that’s the last thing you want happening.

For most businesses, when someone gets distracted during the process of ordering something, chances are, that customer is lost forever.

For savvy businesses, though, there’s a strategy you can implement to bring people back to their shopping cart if they get distracted while they’re ordering something.

An abandoned cart sequence can help you remind people what they were doing before distractions started taking over.

Then, if they’re still interested, you increase the chances they come back to finish their order.

This is an incredibly simple strategy to implement, too.

All you need is a simple email campaign that gets triggered when someone’s cart is left behind without making a purchase.

Here’s an example of an abandoned cart email from Ikea:

The key to making this strategy work, though, is being timely.

If you wait until the next day to send someone an abandoned cart email, there’s a good chance they’ve either changed their mind — or, worse, have purchased another product from a different business.

That means you’ll want to send these out within an hour or two after the cart has been abandoned.

To make the strategy even more effective, you can offer an incentive in your abandon sequence.

For instance, when someone may be on the fence about purchasing your products or services, you can sometimes give them a gentle nudge to help complete the decision.

Sometimes, though, you might want to incentivize their decision.

In your abandoned cart sequence, you could provide an incentive like free shipping, an extra service, or even a discount to help nudge them across the finish line.

Here’s how Teabox helps finalize potential sales with an abandoned cart incentive:

If someone has already added products to their shopping cart, the chances of them converting if you bring them back to their shopping cart are higher than they would be with a brand-new visitor.

Implementing an abandoned cart sequence is a simple way to re-engage them and save what would have been a lost sale.

Launch a Customer Win-Back Campaign

A customer win-back campaign is another great campaign to run when you’re looking to increase sales.

If you’re not familiar with a win-back campaign, it’s a series of communications you send to inactive customers in an attempt to re-engage them with your business.

These are also referred to as re-engagement campaigns or reactivation campaigns.

They’re primarily conducted using email, push notifications, text messaging, and in some cases even paid retargeting campaigns on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

The goal with these campaigns is to remind your past customers that you still exist, have possibly updated your offers, improved previous products, or are currently running new specials.

Since it costs more to obtain a new customer than it does to bring a past customer back into your business, these win-back campaigns can be incredibly profitable.

The key to making them work, though, is to make sure you’re acting quickly and are providing enough value to make the person want to re-engage with your business.

Winning back these customers requires a few steps, though.

First, you need to identify who your inactive customers are.

This can be as easy as pulling up your customer database and sorting it to find any customer who hasn’t purchased within the last 30 days.

There are also a few questions you’ll want to ask yourself to make sure you’re re-engaging them at the right time, with the right message.

• Have you changed your products or offers and put off a particular segment of customers?
• Is it possible your past customers had a bad experience with your business?
• Do your inactive customers only purchase when you’re offering discounts?

Once you understand the answers to those questions, you can start segmenting your list down to ensure that you’re re-engaging the right people — the ones who are most likely to convert.

Second, you need to understand why they haven’t purchased again.

Sometimes, this may reveal issues about your product, customer service, fulfillment process, or any combination of those.

Other times, though, you’ll realize that it was simply because they received your products and forgot to check back in with your business again.

Understanding these reasons, though, can provide some amazing business growth opportunities.

Things to consider when you’re identifying these reasons are:

• Is there a particular product or service that they enjoyed?
• What caused them to convert into a new customer in the first place?
• Was there a specific message or campaign that resonated with them?
• Who would make up the top 10% of your revenue based on inactive customers?
• What would they need to see in order to purchase from you again?

Take a good look into your business, products, customer service, and fulfillment to understand whether people quit engaging because they had a bad experience — or because they simply need to be reminded that you exist to serve them.

Finally, you need to personalize your approach with them.

After you understand why they’re inactive, you can customize your messaging to show that you truly understand what they want and need from your business.

Different segments will require different approaches but, as a general rule, you’ll want to let them know what’s changed since they were last active, especially if it falls in line with the answers you’ve uncovered.

To help get your creative wheels spinning, here’s a great message from Sleepy Owl Coffee:

These simple messages are incredibly effective at getting people re-engaged with your business.

And, remember, it’s easier to bring a customer back to your business than it is to go out and acquire a new customer — more profitable, too.

But if you aren’t selling a product or service and want to re-engage subscribers so they start opening your emails, you can use these campaigns to achieve that goal.

Here’s an example from Product Marketing Alliance:

These emails, especially if you aren’t actively selling products and services, work incredibly well for re-engaging email subscribers.

Then, when you do want to sell products or services, you’ll have higher engagement rates so you know more people are seeing your offers.

All of this can be automated with a tool like ClickFunnels, too.

With the built-in automation editor, you can pick and choose which messages you want to send and who you want to send them to:

Then, once you’ve created the automation flow, you can start editing the messages that will be included inside of it:

You can do this without having to be a tech wizard or higher an expensive web developer.

To see how easy it is to create your win-back campaign, click here to start your free 14-day ClickFunnels trial now.

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Offer Free Trials, Free Audits, or Samples

One of the most effective ways to drive increased sales for your business is by offering a freebie.

This can be anything from a free trial, to a free audit, a sample, or any other variation of something you can offer to customers that doesn’t cost you a ton of money.

This strategy is sometimes referred to as a “loss leader” — wherein, you may take a small loss at first in order to obtain a new customer that will generate a profit for you later.

By leading with this approach, though, you’re building upfront value with your prospects and allowing them to experience your product or service before committing to a purchase.

The key to making this strategy work is ensuring that whatever you’re offering will help incentivize people to take you up on your full offer.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is by giving away too much upfront.

For instance, software developers give away the entire program and then ask for donations on the backend.

A smarter approach would be to offer the full-featured software for 7 days and then require a full payment in order to continue using it once the 7-day period has ended.

Now, when it comes to actually offering a freebie in exchange for an opportunity to convert the person into a new customer, there are a few different ways you can do it.

Free Trials

Free trials are most commonly used when it comes to subscription-based products or services.

This can be anything from an online course, a piece of software, a membership program, or any other type of continuity-based recurring offer.

With a free trial, customers are given access to either the full or limited version of the product for a specific period of time.

The time period typically ranges from 7 days to 14 days, or even 30 days but ultimately depends on how long you believe the person will need to experience the product before making a buying decision.

At ClickFunnels, free trials are one of our key growth strategies.

Here’s an example:

Which, if you aren’t already a member or haven’t given ClickFunnels a try, click here now to [start your free 14-day trial].

You can use ClickFunnels to implement each of the strategies we’re giving you in this guide without being a tech wizard, or web developer, or having to hire one to help you set it up.

Free Audits or Reports

Free audits and reports are another great way to increase sales in your business.

This strategy is most commonly used with service-based businesses, like marketing agencies, SEO consultants, and financial advisors.

Professional businesses like these can offer a complimentary assessment or consultation to provide a client with insights into their current situation.

These insights can be incredibly valuable and help build trust with prospects.

Offering recommendations for improvement or showcasing areas of opportunity gives you the chance to show you know what you’re talking about while the prospect gets to understand you know how to address their biggest concerns and problems they’re facing.

Here’s an example from a local SEO agency:

Samples

Samples can be used to give people a taste of your products or services in an effort to entice them to become full-paying customers.

There are two strategies you can use with samples, too: either free or lower priced.

Free samples are commonly used for physical products, such as food items, beauty products, or household goods.

Customers are given a small portion of the product to try before making a purchase decision.

Lower-priced samples are typically a smaller portion of the full-priced product or service. They give customers just enough to decide whether or not they want to commit to purchasing the full-priced offer.

Here’s an example of a lower priced sample:

Here’s an example of a free sample:

Once you’ve decided which type of sample you want to offer, you can start building a squeeze funnel inside of ClickFunnels to begin capturing your audience’s attention.

If you aren’t already a member, click here now to start your free 14-day trial.

Then, you can log in to your dashboard and start building your funnel.

In this instance, we want to use a squeeze funnel.

It will help you start capturing people’s details — like their name and email address — so you can offer them a sample while following up with them in an effort to convert them into a full customer.

Here’s what it looks like:

To build this funnel, there’s only 2 steps you need.

A squeeze page where you’ll collect information and a thank you page where visitors will be redirected after they submit their information.

Once you have the funnel flow ready to go, you can start editing the landing pages using the built-in ClickFunnels drag-and-drop editor.

You can also add more pages in, if necessary, as well as conditional flows so certain actions are triggered based on how your visitors interact with the funnel.

You can do this all without the complicated tech.

Sell Bundles

Over the past decade, or so, bundling products together has become an incredibly popular way to grow your sales.

Bundling products and services revolve around combining two or more products or services and selling them as a single package at a lower price than if the items were purchased separately.

The bundle usually consists of complementary or related items that enhance the overall value proposition for the customer.

One area you may recognize this strategy from is in the insurance industry.

Large insurance companies will bundle together different policy types to help policyholders save money.

For instance, you may bundle your auto, home, life, and boat insurance together.

Then, instead of purchasing each policy separately, you’re able to save money by bundling them together.

The insurance company generates more revenue by saving their customers money that may have been spent with another insurance provider.

The customer gets the benefit of having all of their policies organized under one company while saving money at the same time.

If you sell physical products or services, though, you can use this strategy to generate more sales.

Here’s how it’s used to sell kitchen spices:

This strategy works so well because it increases the perceived value that people are receiving.

When they’re purchasing a bundle they feel like they’re getting a better deal than they would if they were to purchase the items separately.

As a business owner, though, it generally costs less for you to sell the bundle than it would to obtain a new customer for each individual product.

This makes the strategy a win-win for you and the customer.

Here’s an example of bundling being used to sell coffee:

Bundling products together also increases your average order value.

By enticing customers to purchase multiple items, you increase the amount each customer is spending per transaction which can dramatically improve your ROI on your marketing campaigns.

Then, bundling tends to be more convenient for both you and your customers.

Since it simplifies the buying process for customers by being offered a complete solution instead of just a single item, they don’t have to shop elsewhere.

For your own business, this means you can save on shipping and handling costs.

It works for a wide range of products, too:

To get started with this strategy, you’ll want to analyze purchase patterns and preferences to help you identify products that are frequently purchased together or that complement each other.

Then, ensure that the bundle includes a mix of both high-value and low-value items to help maximize its perceived value while helping you maintain profitability.

Finally, create a dedicated landing page that promotes your bundles.

You can use ClickFunnels to achieve this:

With ClickFunnels, you can sell your bundled items directly from your landing pages.

Each landing page can be customized using our drag-and-drop editor so you can make them perfectly match your business’s branding:

Then, all you have to do is drive targeted traffic to your landing pages, collect people’s emails, deliver the products they’ve purchased, and follow up with them to remind them about other products and services you offer down the road.

Sponsor Niche Newsletters & Influencers

If you read any newsletter today or watch a video or read a post from any niche influencer today, chances are you’re going to see a sponsored placement.

These sponsored placements are partnerships between businesses and the newsletter owner or influencer where their products and services will be promoted in exchange for a fee.

By sponsoring newsletters or influencers, you are essentially paying to have your message, such as an advertisement, a product review, or sponsored content included with their message.

Then, when the newsletter is sent to their list or the influencer creates new content, your message gets put in front of a new, targeted audience who are more likely to be interested in what you have to offer.

Here’s an example of someone sponsoring a newsletter:

In this example, a company is offering their marketing services inside of the newsletter.

Since the newsletter’s audience is filled with people who are either business owners or are interested in marketing, the audience is highly targeted to the sponsored placement.

Here’s another example from Mark Manson’s newsletter:

In this example, 80,000 Hours is sponsoring a placement that helps drive traffic to a free career guide they’re promoting.

Since Mark Manson’s audience is focused on personal development and accomplishing more in life, this is a great placement that will drive new people into 80,000 Hours.

When it comes to sponsoring newsletters, there are quite a few benefits.

Targeted Audiences

Niche newsletters cater to specific interests, industries, or target demographics.

By sponsoring a placement inside these newsletters, you align with your target audience and reach potential customers who are more likely to be interested in your products or services.

This targeted approach helps increase the likelihood of conversions and sales.

Engaged Readers

Newsletter subscribers are typically highly engaged and have opted-in to receive content they already find valuable.

This means they are more receptive to sponsored content and product recommendations contained within the newsletter.

Engaged readers are more likely to take action, such as clicking through to your website or making a purchase when they see something that interests them.

Measurable Results

Newsletter sponsorships also typically include trackable links or unique discount codes that allow you to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns.

This data can help you optimize your marketing and sales strategies by identifying which newsletters drive the most sales.

Once you have that data, you can adjust and allocate your budget according to the highest producers.

How to Find Niche Newsletters

When it comes to finding these niche newsletters and influencers, you can start with social media.

Start by following influencers, thought leaders, and brands in your niche on platforms like X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Many of them promote their newsletters through their social media channels.

You can also search for relevant hashtags or keywords to discover niche newsletters.

Here’s an example:

Here’s another example:

You can also use services like Farnam Street.

They consolidate niche newsletters and help you land sponsorship spots.

If you’re in a competitive industry, chances are that your competition is already running paid sponsorships. 

By checking out who they’re sponsoring you can start building a list of newsletters and influencers who may be open to working with you, too.

There are also directories you can use to find newsletters:

Each of the newsletters in that list will let you purchase spots inside of their content to help you reach a new audience.

Here’s another directory:

When you’re considering a newsletter or influencer to sponsor, there’s certain things you want to look for.

You want to ensure that their content and messaging is in alignment with your target audience and your brand’s values.

You also want to make sure they have high engagement rates and a loyal subscriber base.

You can check for opportunities for creative and compelling sponsored content where you’ll work together with the influencer or newsletter owner to custom-tailor your content to their audience.

You’ll also need to make sure they are offering transparent reporting and metrics so you’re able to effectively track your ROI on the campaigns.

Finally, you want to verify that they are responsive and professional newsletter owners or influencers who are open to collaborating with you.

If a potential opportunity exists and checks out with each of these criteria, it’s worth testing to see if sponsoring a message in their content can turn a profitable ROI for you.

Upsell & Cross Sell Your Products and Services

There’s a rule when it comes to marketing: it’s significantly cheaper to sell an existing customer more products and services than it is to go out and find a new customer.

With upselling and cross-selling, you can offer your existing customers more options while working to increase your average customer lifetime value.

Upselling, if you aren’t familiar, is the practice of offering the next product or service in your lineup that would be the natural next step for a customer.

For instance, if you offer email marketing services, your initial offer may be templates that your customers can plug into their business to start booking appointments or making sales.

An upsell to that offer may be a customized done-for-you package of emails that are built specifically for the customer’s business.

A cross sell, though, is a bit different.

Instead of selling someone the next level of product or service, you’re instead offering them products and services that complement the original offer they purchased.

In our example for email marketing services, a cross sell may be a free trial to an email marketing platform that your customers can use to stay in touch with their audience.

To see what this looks like in action, take a look at this example:

In this example, a visitor is booking a hotel room.

The hotel chain is then showcasing the potential in upgrading to a better, more luxurious room.

When someone who is attempting to book their room sees this advertisement, the chances of them wanting the better room for only $10 more per night is fairly high.

Here’s another example of an upsell:

In this example, members are being offered to upgrade to a paid subscription with a message that includes all of the benefits of being a paid member.

Using an upselling strategy can help you increase your sales and average order volume by encouraging customers to spend more on each transaction.

This also has a side effect of enhancing customer satisfaction by providing them with a better, more comprehensive product or service.

Upselling is different from cross-selling, though.

Here’s a good way to look at the differences between the two strategies:

To understand cross-selling, let’s assume you sell merchandise like t-shirts, boxers, and socks.

If a customer visits your online store and purchases a t-shirt, you can cross sell them matching socks and boxer briefs, as well.

Since the items complement each other, you’re making more money on each transaction when a customer decides they want all 3.

Likewise, here’s a great cross-selling example from Pipedrive:

Then, when someone chooses a plan, Pipedrive cross sells other offers:

This strategy helps introduce customers to products or services that they may not have already considered, increasing the likelihood they want more.

It also provides a convenient, one-stop-shop experience and increases average order value, resulting in higher overall sales revenue.

To effectively implement cross-selling and upselling strategies, you’ll want to ensure that your recommendations are relevant and valuable to the customer.

You also want to use data and customer insights to help build those personalized suggestions.

When you’re making the offers, provide clear information about the benefits of the additional or upgraded products and consider offering bundles or package deals to make them more appealing.

Then, train your sales and customer service teams to identify cross-selling and upselling opportunities.

Create Product-Led Content

Now, when you hear about “product-led” content, you typically hear people talk about creating content, doing SEO, getting ranked on Google, and then hoping people eventually find you.

When people find that content, they’ll need to be convinced that the problem they’re trying to solve can be solved with your product or services.

This can happen with product-led content.

The key to making it work, though, is making sure the content you create is valuable and informative and that it engages and showcases your product’s features, benefits, and use cases.

By demonstrating how your product can solve their problems, you have a higher likelihood of converting them into paying customers.

To give you an example, I was searching for fertilizer for my plant.

I found this on Google:

Then, when I clicked the first link, I landed on this blog:

After I started reading, I realized that the product I was reading about was something that could help me with the problem I was having.

I’m inclined to purchase the fertilizer because it solves my problem and I found it at the right time — while I was searching for a solution.

Here’s another great example from Ahrefs:

In this example, Ahrefs mentions their product or a feature of their product in every blog post.

No blog post is written without mentioning some aspect of their offer.

This is a strategy we use at ClickFunnels, too.

With each blog post we create, we’re providing insane value and helping you learn new strategies (like the ones you’re reading in this guide) but we also mention how to implement each of the strategies you learn inside of ClickFunnels itself.

Here’s an example:

But when you implement each of the strategies we’ve given you in this guide, you can dramatically improve the sales and revenue of your business.

And when you use a tool like ClickFunnels to help you implement them, you can have them up and running in less time, without having to deal with a tech team or hiring expensive developers.

To see what we mean, click here now to start your free 14-day trial.

Then, start working back through each of the strategies we’ve laid out for you to see how simple it can be to increase your sales and revenue.

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