Thinking about starting a blog?

Maybe you have a passion for writing. Or maybe you’ve seen the thousands of bloggers who turn their websites into side hustles and full-time incomes.

These bloggers are living the dream: working remotely, traveling the world, and answering only to themselves.

But as you can imagine, a small percentage of people who start blogging actually succeed in making a living from it.

We’re here to make sure you fulfill your dream.

Below, we’ll walk you through seven steps to create a blog and start making money – literally within hours.

Let’s get into it!

How to Make a Blog That Actually Earns Money

The majority of websites and blogs never see much success. 

Most are abandoned, fail to attract meaningful traffic, or don’t make enough to justify the time and effort. 

Here are some eye-opening statistics:

• Only 8% of bloggers make enough income to support their family
• About 81% of bloggers never make more than $100 from their blogs

If you’re reading this, it’s likely you want to make more than $100 from this.

You’re here to make a blog that works for you – one that grows in both audience and income over time.

Why Most Blogs Don’t Make Money

There are many reasons why most blogs fail to earn anything substantial.

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest pitfalls:

• Not considering monetization from the beginning: Many bloggers jump in without a strategy, which can make it harder to introduce paid products later.
• Not picking the right niche: Broad, unfocused blogs are harder to monetize. A well-defined niche helps attract a specific audience willing to pay for targeted products or services.
• Not picking a topic they enjoy: Blogging requires persistence, and if you don’t enjoy the topic, it’s easy to lose interest before you see results.
• Choosing a complex website builder: Difficult-to-use platforms can create unnecessary barriers, eating up time and energy.
• No ongoing training in how to monetize blogs: Blogging requires continual learning, especially as trends and strategies change.
• Not having easy monetization features: Without tools that make it simple to introduce sales funnels, memberships, or lead captures, many blogs struggle to convert visitors into income.

While these factors are important, there’s one more core issue.

And it’s this:

Most website builders are designed to make blogging or website creation easy, but they aren’t built to make monetization easy.

If You Want to Monetize Your Blog, Read This

ClickFunnels was launched in 2014 by Russell Brunson and Todd Dickerson to solve a specific problem.

They needed an easier way to create web pages that could convert visitors into customers. 

Every time they wanted to promote a new product or service, they had to rebuild the whole website from scratch.

It wasn’t sustainable.

So they created ClickFunnels to serve as a powerful monetization platform they could use themselves.

Since its launch, ClickFunnels has attracted over 100,000 active users. 

Today, more than 2,000 of those users have generated over $1 million each using ClickFunnels websites – they’re members of the “2 Comma Club”.

And here’s how they did it. 

The platform introduced the concept of “sales funnels” which allow users to guide potential customers step-by-step toward a purchase. 

Funnels are particularly useful for bloggers who want to monetize because they offer clear pathways to sales without the need for advanced tech skills.

ClickFunnels might not be your traditional blogging platform.

But that’s its strength. 

Unlike standard website builders, ClickFunnels is a dedicated monetization platform that you can also use to create and manage your blog content. 

Below, we’ll go through seven easy steps to build a profitable blog using ClickFunnels.

Try ClickFunnels For 14 Days For Free!

How to Start a Blog and Make Money in 7 Steps

Below we’ll go over the 7 main steps to help you start a blog that generates income.

There’s a lot to cover so consider bookmarking this article or saving a link somewhere so you can revisit it.

Ready?

Let’s go!

1. Choose a Niche for Your Blog

Starting a blog and monetizing it involves time and dedication.

But it becomes much easier – and rewarding – when you’re writing about something you enjoy.

This is why picking your blog’s niche first is crucial.

• Choose the wrong niche and you’ll start making excuses and eventually give up the idea altogether.
• Choose the right niche and you’ll have an endless source of motivation.

The “1,000 True Fans” Concept

Your blog’s success, however, relies on more than just your preferences: it’s about what matters to your readers.

• What can you bring to the table that readers would value?
• What would keep them coming back for more?
• What would they pay you for?

In his book Expert Secrets, ClickFunnels co-founder Russell Brunson introduced a powerful concept called the “1,000 True Fans”.

The concept is simple:

You don’t need millions of followers to make a successful blog – you need only about 1,000 dedicated true fans to make good money.

A “True Fan” is someone who consumes everything you produce.

They don’t just passively read your blog: they engage with your content, buy your products, and share your message.

But here’s the thing.

A lot of new bloggers make the mistake of trying to appeal to everyone.

Instead, be an expert on a subject that a small group of people care about, and you’ll find your blog ends up being highly profitable.

The “Two Years Ahead” Concept

What do you know that others would find valuable?

Here’s another useful concept:

You don’t need to be a world-renowned expert in your field to create life-changing content; you just need to be about two years ahead of where your audience is.

Ask yourself:

• What do you know now that you were desperate to know two years ago?
• If you were struggling with something, what content would you have loved to read about?
• Are there others experiencing the same challenges you also experienced?

This concept of teaching someone who’s only a couple of years behind you is powerful because it makes the idea of being an “expert” more accessible.

You don’t have to be the world’s best.

Being just a few steps ahead of someone is enough to make your content engaging, authentic, and valuable.

For further inspiration on selecting your niche click below to grab a free copy of Expert Secrets.

Otherwise, let’s move on!

Click Here To Read Expert Secrets For Free!

2. Consider How You’ll Monetize Your Blog

Many bloggers dive into creating content without a clear monetization plan.

They focus on getting traffic.

While it’s not a bad approach, if your goal is to make money then you’ll save time thinking about monetization from the beginning.

Why?

Because the niche and audience you choose will impact how easily you can introduce paid products, services, or other monetization strategies.

So, how do you start thinking about monetization right from the start?

The Three Markets

In Expert Secrets, Russell Brunson explains a powerful way to approach monetization by focusing on the “Three Core Markets.”

These are the overarching themes that nearly every successful blog or business falls into:

• Health
• Wealth
• Relationships

Start by asking yourself which of these markets best fits your expertise.

Identifying this core market will give you a solid foundation for building a blog that can make money – because everyone wants better health, increased wealth, or stronger relationships.

Next, dig deeper to find your submarket.

For instance, if you choose the health market, possible submarkets could include diet, fitness, mental health, or skin care. For wealth, it could be investing, real estate, or online business. And in relationships, you could focus on dating advice, marriage counseling, or parenting.

Then go out and look for other successful bloggers in that same submarket.

This approach can benefit you in three ways:

• Focus on Core Desires: By tying your blog to one of the big three – health, wealth, or relationships – you’re aligning with things that people universally value.
• Discover What Sells: Checking out successful bloggers in your niche will give you insights into what kinds of products or services actually make money.
• Create a Unique Selling Point: By finding a fresh angle or unique offering within your submarket, you can carve out a new space, making it easier to monetize.

This might seem like overkill when you’re just starting.

However, researching other blogs in your niche is a real-world lesson in monetization.

Subscribe to their newsletters, explore their products, and even make a few purchases if you can.

Notice what happens after you buy: are there upsells to coaching, communities, or premium products?

Could you offer something similar?

Could you offer something better?

Taking these steps will provide insight into how other bloggers turn their audiences into income and give you ideas for crafting a monetization strategy that works.

For further inspiration on monetizing your niche, you can click below to grab a free copy of Expert Secrets.

Otherwise, let’s move on!

Click Here To Read Expert Secrets For Free!

3. Choose Hosting and Website Builder

Once you’ve chosen your niche and thought through your monetization strategy, the next logical step is choosing a platform to actually build your blog.

Most people who start blogging aren’t web designers or tech experts.

To launch a blog you’ll need to:

• Get a domain name
• Purchase hosting
• Find a website builder
• Choose a template
• Add basic design elements
• Review for a professional look
• Hit launch!

The sheer number of steps can feel intimidating and, honestly, can even prevent people from getting started.

So why not make it easy for yourself?

Building Your Blog the Easy Way: With ClickFunnels

With ClickFunnels, creating a blog is simple. 

The platform is designed to support both beginners and experienced marketers and allows you to build beautiful, high-converting blogs without needing any coding knowledge or third-party plugins.

It’s literally “drag-and-drop”.

All you need to do is pick a theme, customize the layout, and add your content and you’re ready to go live. 

Plus, ClickFunnels is much more than a blogging tool.

It’s an entire business platform that ties together your blog, website, products, CRM, email marketing, and more. 

Here’s a breakdown of what makes blogging on ClickFunnels so easy:

• Establish Authority: Build credibility and establish yourself as an expert with valuable, engaging blog content.
• SEO Optimization: ClickFunnels blogs are optimized to rank well on Google, helping you attract long-term organic traffic.
• Content Repurposing: Easily turn blog posts into social media content, giving you omnipresence across platforms.
• Convert Visitors to Leads: Use exit popups, lead magnets, and sales funnels directly from your blog to capture leads and drive sales.
• Integrated Business Growth Tools: Instead of patching together multiple tools, ClickFunnels offers an all-in-one solution for building and growing your business, including email marketing to nurture readers into customers.

Using ClickFunnels for your blog means you’re not just building a blog; you’re building a fully integrated business platform.

Here’s what the back end of ClickFunnels looks like when creating your blogs:

And here’s how easy it is to later monetize your blogs with products or service offerings:

Try ClickFunnels For 14 Days For Free!

4. Brainstorm Blog Topics

Your blog topics will depend on how you’re planning to promote your blog. 

If you already have an audience to tap into, then focus on creating compelling, transformative content.

To help you tell these stories in a powerful way, check out the Epiphany Bridge script in Russell Brunson’s Expert Secrets. 

This script walks readers through your journey so they become invested in both your story and your products.

But what if you don’t have any audience at all?

Google Hacks to Find Blog Topics

If you’re starting out with no audience, don’t worry.

Many bloggers build their first audience through search engines, bringing in traffic (and sales) directly from Google.

The advantage of this approach?

It’s free.

By creating blog posts targeting specific search keywords, you can attract readers who are actively searching for information so they’re already primed to engage with your content.

But of course, you need to choose keywords relevant to your niche.

And… that won’t take you years and years to rank for.

So how can you find the right keywords?

In the book Traffic Secrets, Russell Brunson explains a practical, actionable method to uncover high-impact keywords through the “Dream 100” exercise.

Here’s a quick overview:

1. Start with Your “Dream Keywords”: Think about the phrases your dream audience would type into Google to find the kind of solution your blog offers. Russell’s “Dream 100” keywords for ClickFunnels included terms like “sales funnels,” “digital marketing,” and “growth hacking.” Make a list of 10-20 phrases that match the products, services, or solutions your blog is about.
2. Find Long-Tail Variations: Instead of focusing solely on these popular keywords (which can be competitive) look for longer, more specific versions that are easier to rank for. To do this, type one of your dream keywords into Google, and note the autocomplete suggestions that pop up – these are highly relevant, frequently searched terms related to your topic.
3. Explore Related Searches: After searching, scroll to the bottom of Google’s page to see “related searches.” This list gives more ideas for closely related, long-tail keywords.

For example, if your dream keyword is “sales funnels,” you might find suggestions like:

• “Sales funnels for Shopify”
• “Sales funnels explained”
• “Sales funnels for real estate”
• “Sales funnels templates”

Following this approach, you can build a keyword list that includes specific terms your target audience is actively searching for.

And if you expand each dream keyword into 10 long-tail keywords, you’ll have a solid list of blog topics – just like Russell’s examples above – giving you a roadmap for targeted content that can attract organic traffic.

For even more depth, you can explore software tools (Russell shares a list at TrafficSecrets.com/resources) to assess monthly search volume, competition, and other metrics for each keyword, helping you further refine your list for maximum impact.

Click Here To Read Traffic Secrets For Free!

5. Setup Your Blog

In this section, we’ll walk you through setting up your ClickFunnels account, customizing the look and feel of your blog section, and getting everything ready to write your first post.

And all this in just a few minutes!

No other platform makes it this quick and easy to get your blog up and running.

Follow along with the screenshots below as we guide you step-by-step through the setup process.

Sign Up for Your Free 14-Day Trial

The first step is to sign up for your free trial of the ClickFunnels platform.

You can do this by visiting clickfunnels.com.

Then enter your email address and you’ll be taken to the page below, where you need to introduce your personal details and a card – don’t forget you won’t be charged!

Navigate to Your New Blog Section

Within seconds you’ll receive a welcome email with a link to sign in to your new ClickFunnels account.

If you click it, you’ll be taken to the ClickFunnels dashboard.

From here, find the “Site” in the menu and then click “Blog”.

Click “Open in New Window”

Your account comes preloaded with two blog posts.

By clicking on the button that reads “Open in new window” you’ll be taken to your actual website and one of the pre-loaded blogs.

Edit Your Blog Design

The default blog template looks like the screenshot above.

But… customizing it to suit your preferences takes minutes!

Go back to the dashboard and under “Site” click the button reading “Overview”.

From here, you’ll see a button reading “Edit Site”.

Click it.

Welcome to the ClickFunnels Drag-and-Drop Editor

Now you’re inside the famous ClickFunnels drag-and-drop editor!

Later on, you can come back here to edit the homepage of your website and other elements like the header, logo, menu, products, funnels, and more.

But for now, we’re looking at the blog design.

Find the page called “Blog post” under “Blog home” in the left-hand menu and click it.

Starting Editing Elements

You’re now looking at your blog post template.

You can hover over any element to start editing it.

Just click the cog icon that appears in a colored box around the element, and you’ll find an editing window appears.

Welcome to the Editor

This new window will let you edit elements such as spacing, styling, sizing, colors, fonts, formatting, layout, and more.

For example, let’s look at editing fonts.

Just click the button reading “Edit Style”.

Editing Font Styles

You’ll now get a pop-up in the center of your screen.

This pop-up is called your “Style Guide”. You can edit the fonts for your headlines, subheadlines, and content here to any you like.

The changes will be reflected instantly across your website.

Editing Colors

To edit color schemes, simply hover over a colored element and click the cog icon.

You’ll find the side menu popping up again.

This time, click on “Edit style colors”.

Change the Color Scheme

Here you can change the colors of major elements in your site such as backgrounds, headings, content, icons, and more.

The changes will be reflected instantly across your site.

The theme colors will always come in handy when making quick changes in the future that you want to reflect the overall design and branding of your website.

A Peek at Monetizing Your Blog

The ClickFunnels blog template comes pre-loaded with a CTA to sell a product.

You can quickly edit the text and styling of this CTA box.

But here’s where the magic happens.

If you hover over the button element and click the cog icon, you’ll see the option to change the button actions.

To start selling your own product or services, all you’d need to do is create a product in the ClickFunnels dashboard and link to it here – and you’re done!

That’s the beauty of ClickFunnels.

You get a blog, drag-and-drop website builder, sales funnel, online store, payment processor, CRM, customer center, email marketing platform, and more all in one place.

Try ClickFunnels For 14 Days For Free!

6. Write Your First Blog

At this stage, you’ve already laid a solid foundation by defining your niche, understanding your audience, planning your monetization strategies, and brainstorming topics.

Now, it’s time to create your first compelling blog post.

So, how do you do it?

How to Create an “Instructional” Blog Post

Most people search on Google with the goal of solving a specific problem, answering a question, or learning something new.

BuzzSumo, after analyzing over 100 million article titles online, found that “instructional” headlines generated the highest engagement and shares on Facebook.

In other words, these are headlines that suggest action or provide essential information.

BuzzSumo found that:

• Instructional phrases like “how to” “you need to” and “why you should” were among the top-performing headlines.
• These types of headlines communicate urgency and clarity, offering readers a direct “need to know” approach that implies important or exclusive information.

For example, popular articles included headlines like:

• “What You Need to Know About Toxic Plants”
• “What You Need to Know About the COVID-19 Vaccine”
• “Why You Should Stop Using Plastic Bags Immediately”

The key? 

These headlines use “you” to speak directly to the reader, emphasizing the essential nature of the information. 

They also tap into FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), implying that readers could miss out if they don’t read the article.

An Instructional Blog Post Headline

BuzzSumo also discovered that some of the most popular blog headlines use numbers.

These headlines promise specific, actionable information, which makes them highly clickable.

Out of the top-performing headlines, six out of the first twenty started with a number, with phrases like “X things to,” “everything you need,” or “X reasons why” also ranking high.

Here’s why numbers work:

• Clarity and specificity: Numbers in headlines tell readers exactly what to expect, and a “listicle” format makes information easy to digest.
• Curiosity and FOMO: Headlines with phrases like “X reasons why” or “everything you need” spark curiosity by promising useful or exclusive insights.

The type of blog post that includes a number in the headline is often called a “listicle”.

Listicles are perfect for creating actionable steps – like “7 Steps to Start a Blog” – and also happens to be easy to follow and retain.

For inspiration, check out popular blogs in your niche and see how they structure their posts.

Find examples you enjoy or that are already engaging readers and consider recreating their style to fit your own topic.

Finally, remember that blogging is all about practice.

Your first posts may not be perfect, and that’s okay – the goal is to keep writing, publishing, and improving.

And with ClickFunnels, it’s easy to edit your posts anytime, so you can update your content as you learn more and grow your blog.

7. Promote Your Products or Services

The strategy we covered above is all about writing content that ranks on Google.

Many successful bloggers generate six-figure incomes relying solely on Google traffic, making it an excellent starting point.

Of course, there are many other ways to promote your blog posts (social media, paid ads, email marketing, influencer partnerships, video marketing, and more).

But we’re not going to get into that here.

Instead, we’ll focus on how to use your blog as a tool to promote the products or services you’re monetizing.

By strategically placing promotions within your content, you can drive conversions and revenue directly from your blog.

Here are a few ideas that you can set up within minutes using ClickFunnels.

5 Ways to Monetize Your Blog

ClickFunnels is the ideal platform for monetizing your blog thanks to its features for turning readers into leads and sales. 

Below, we explore five ways to leverage ClickFunnels’ tools to monetize your content.

Each of these features is included in your 14-day free trial.

They are:

1. Selling a digital product with a sales funnel: ClickFunnels makes it simple to create a sales funnel tailored to a digital product, such as an eBook, templates, or downloadable guides. Relevant calls-to-action in your blog can guide readers seamlessly into your sales funnel for conversions.
2. Selling an online course: If you’re an expert in your niche, consider creating a course. With ClickFunnels, you can direct readers from blog posts into an online course funnel. Offering a free introductory lesson or mini-course as a lead magnet can be especially effective.
3. Selling a membership: For ongoing value, a membership or subscription service can be a great choice. ClickFunnels enables you to set up a members-only area with exclusive content. Just ensure the membership content aligns with the topics you’re already blogging about to attract the right subscribers.
4. Using landing pages to generate leads: Not every reader will be ready to purchase immediately. Capture leads by directing traffic from your blog to a targeted landing page with a lead magnet, such as a checklist or mini-guide related to your post’s topic.
5. Generating leads and selling through email marketing: With ClickFunnels’ email marketing features, you can collect email addresses from blog readers and nurture them with relevant offers. Create an email series that builds trust and highlights the benefits of your products or services.

Final Thoughts: Make Money Blogging With ClickFunnels

Starting a blog requires strategy, dedication, and the right tools.

In this guide, we’ve covered essential steps – from selecting a niche and monetization strategies to setting up and promoting your blog.

But one factor stands out:

To turn a blog into a source of income, you need a platform built for monetization.

ClickFunnels is uniquely designed to help bloggers not only create compelling content but also seamlessly monetize it through funnels, lead capture, and more.

With its 14-day free trial, you can start building your blog with powerful tools that drive real results – without needing a tech background.

Ready to start a blog that works for you?

Try ClickFunnels today and take the first step toward a profitable blogging journey.

Try ClickFunnels For 14 Days For Free!

Thanks for reading How To Start A Blog And Earn Money which appeared first on ClickFunnels.

Marketing a new business can feel overwhelming – especially when you’re just starting out.

You have so many other challenges that finding fresh, effective ways to promote your business feels like an impossible mountain to climb.

But here’s the good news.

With just a handful of genius ideas, creating a marketing strategy that drives leads and boosts online sales is possible… and even fun!

In this blog, we’ll explore innovative marketing strategies tailored for new business owners like you who are looking to build something sustainable, impactful, and ultimately profitable.

At least one of these tips will be just the thing you’re looking for.

Let’s get into it.

Is Marketing a New Business Harder Than Marketing an Existing One?

Marketing an established business has some obvious advantages.

One of the biggest is referrals.

Existing businesses often rely on referrals from satisfied customers, which provide trust and credibility.

In fact, studies show that leads generated via referrals have 3-5x higher conversion rates than leads generated via ads or content.

For online businesses, dedicated referral programs (i.e. leveraging past customers to create new customers) can account for 35% of total online purchases when implemented effectively.

As a new business, you can’t tap into referrals.

Marketing a new business is like starting a race from a standstill, whereas established businesses begin with a running start.

4 Advantages in Marketing New Businesses

But established companies face their own hurdles too.

At least 65% of businesses cite generating leads and traffic as their biggest challenge, proving that consistent marketing remains essential for growth​.

So if you can master getting leads and sales right at the beginning you’re conquering one of the most challenging aspects of scaling any business.

And you have some advantages in your favor:

• Flexible Branding: You can experiment with bold, fresh branding and pivot based on early feedback.
• Focus on New Clients: With no need to appease an existing customer base, you can design offers and messaging that appeal directly to your target market.
• Time to Build Loyalty: With more flexibility to invest in client relationships, you can create a strong base for future referrals.
• Creative Freedom: No established brand guidelines mean you can be as innovative as needed to capture attention.

For ongoing success both new and established businesses leverage traditional channels like social media, SEO, email marketing, and even outdoor advertising or direct mail.

But in this post, we’ll focus on agile, guerrilla tactics that deliver immediate results.

We’re looking for rapid visibility, leads, and sales.

A new business may start from zero, but with the right approach, you’re setting the stage for long-term success.

23 Genius Ways to Market Any New Business

Genius Urban Marketing Ideas

1. Stickers

Stickers are a simple but highly versatile marketing tool that can quickly capture attention and create buzz for a new business. By designing bold, memorable stickers with your logo or an eye-catching slogan, you can make your brand visible in unexpected places: from laptops and water bottles to lampposts and community boards. Stickers work well for businesses targeting younger audiences, creatives, or anyone who values unique, shareable items.

NOTE: Be aware of the legal repercussions for where you place stickers in public places.

Bonus Tip: Distribute them in popular public spaces or add them to packaging to expand your reach naturally and encourage loyal customers to share your brand.

2. Chalk Writing

Chalk writing is a playful, cost-effective way to get your brand noticed, especially in high-foot-traffic areas. By creating colorful, eye-catching chalk messages on sidewalks or walls, you can turn everyday spaces into your advertising canvas. This strategy is ideal for businesses that want to reach local audiences, such as cafes, small retail shops, or service providers.

Bonus Tip: Use clever, memorable phrases or your website URL to leave a lasting impression and drive curious passersby to your online presence.

3. Paint a Mural

Creating a mural is a powerful way to build brand awareness and add value to your community. A vibrant mural featuring your brand’s name, logo, or unique messaging can turn any blank wall into a memorable visual experience, attracting social media shares and local attention. This approach is particularly effective for brands wanting to connect with their local community, as well as businesses in creative industries or visually-driven niches.

Bonus Tip: Work with a local artist to give the mural a unique, community-focused touch – boosting goodwill while also showcasing your brand’s creative side.

4. Leaflets and Flyers

Creative leaflets and flyers can be an effective way to capture interest, especially when they break from the traditional flyer format. With unique designs – like unusual shapes, bold colors, or interactive elements – flyers can become engaging pieces that people actually want to hold onto and share. This tactic works especially well for new businesses trying to build a local customer base or attract attention at events like markets and festivals.

Bonus Tip: Consider adding a QR code that links to a special offer or exclusive content, making your flyer a multi-dimensional tool that encourages immediate engagement.

Real-life example

The Crust Pizza restaurant in Pristina in Kosovo became famous for its innovative leaflet campaign. The business designed a leaflet that, when folded, looks like a wallet with euro bills sticking out of it. Passersby picked up the wallets and the campaign quickly entered news articles across the world for its ingenuity.

5. Poster Campaign

A poster campaign can be a high-impact, low-cost way to build brand awareness and intrigue, especially in targeted areas like busy streets, cafes, and community boards. By designing visually striking posters with bold messaging and a clear call to action, you can create a lasting impression that encourages people to engage with your brand. This tactic is especially effective for new businesses wanting to quickly capture local attention or for brands looking to drive event attendance.

Bonus Tip: Use QR codes or social media handles on the poster to drive traffic to your online channels and create a seamless offline-to-online journey for potential customers.

6. Billboards

Billboards offer bold, unmissable visibility that can create massive brand awareness in a short amount of time. Strategically placed along busy highways, popular streets, or in high-traffic urban areas, billboards can capture the attention of countless passersby and make a strong statement about your brand. This method works especially well for brands with eye-catching logos, memorable taglines, or creative visuals that stick in viewers’ minds long after they’ve driven by.

Bonus Tip: Use a short, punchy message and a simple design to ensure the message lands fast. Incorporating a QR code on digital billboards can make it easy for viewers to interact with your brand immediately.

7. Door Hangers

Door hanger adverts are an effective and direct way to reach customers right at their doorstep. By placing door hangers with engaging designs and clear messaging, you can make your brand memorable while bypassing crowded digital channels. This tactic works particularly well for local businesses or service providers looking to target specific neighborhoods, such as home service companies, real estate agents, or restaurants offering delivery.

NOTE: Be sensitive to homeowners and where you choose to place your door hangers, to avoid any angry repercussions.

Bonus Tip: Include a limited-time discount or special offer on the door hanger to motivate immediate action and make the most of this direct touchpoint.

Real-life example

Scotch Pools in Austin, Texas, used a door-hanger campaign that targeted only homes with swimming pools. The hanger offered the company’s weekly pool maintenance services. It was a success and helped the business pull in new clients who hadn’t heard of them before.

8. Business Cards

Business cards remain a timeless and highly personal marketing tool that can leave a lasting impression. Unlike digital messages, a well-designed card is a tangible reminder of your brand, especially effective for creating connections at events, networking meetups, or local businesses. Business cards are ideal for professionals and businesses looking to make a direct, personal connection with potential clients or collaborators, such as consultants, freelancers, and small business owners.

Bonus Tip: Consider adding a QR code linking to your website or portfolio to make it easy for recipients to connect with you online. A unique material or design, like a matte finish or embossed logo, can also make your card stand out.

9. Van Wrapping

Van wrapping is a powerful form of mobile advertising that turns your company vehicle into a traveling billboard. With eye-catching designs, branded logos, and memorable contact information, wrapped vehicles can build brand recognition and attract attention wherever they go. This approach is particularly effective for service-oriented businesses with local routes, like plumbers, landscapers, or food delivery companies, allowing them to maximize exposure while traveling to jobs or delivering goods.

Bonus Tip: Include a QR code or website URL on the van to encourage viewers to learn more about your services, even when they’re on the go. A bold, memorable color scheme can also help your vehicle stand out on the road.

10. Scavenger Hunts

Hosting a scavenger hunt is a creative way to engage your audience, build brand awareness, and encourage foot traffic to specific locations. By hiding clues, products, or branded items in various spots and sharing the hunt details on social media, you can spark excitement and generate buzz around your business. Scavenger hunts are ideal for brands with a local presence or those aiming to drive interaction and engagement, especially in the retail, entertainment, or hospitality industries.

Bonus Tip: Partner with other local businesses to expand the scavenger hunt footprint, adding value for participants and fostering community connections while boosting visibility.

Real-life example

The Old State Saloon bar in Eagle, Idaho, created a month-long scavenger hunt that brought in over 100 participants. The hunt asked people to find unique posters of legendary outlaws scattered around town. As a reward for finding all the posters first, one winner won a giant teddy bear – but you can customize your reward to promote your business.

Genius Lead Generation Ideas

11. Picture Contests

Picture upload contests are a fun and highly engaging way to encourage customer interaction while building brand visibility. By inviting users to send themed photos and offering a prize for the best entry, you can generate leads. This tactic is great for brands looking to grow leads fast – and you can choose your medium of distribution based on where your target audience is.

Bonus Tip: Offering a creative or valuable prize can encourage more participation and motivate people to share widely.

Real-life example

The marketer John Dwyer ran a picture contest in Australia that netted in three years’ worth of business for a new fencing company. The competition was called ‘The Ugliest Fence in Australia’. It was promoted via radio ads, and asked listeners to send in photos of their ugly fences with the worst example winning a free fence makeover. The business then followed up to make personalized offers for each participant who hadn’t won.

12. Tiny Challenges

Tiny Challenges are mini 5-day coaching sprints designed to deliver a valuable outcome in a short timeframe, making them highly effective for attracting clients to a service-based business. Pioneered by Richmond Dinh and used with great success by ClickFunnels co-founder Russell Brunson, Tiny Challenges offers prospective clients a taste of your coaching or services without the commitment of a long-term program. These mini-sprints work well because they focus on solving a specific pain point or achieving a quick win, giving participants immediate value and confidence in your expertise.

Bonus Tip: Offer a Tiny Challenge that directly addresses a pressing issue for your target audience, like increasing productivity or gaining clarity on a goal, and provides a meaningful result that leaves them wanting more.

13. MIFGE

The MIFGE, or “Most Incredible Free Gift Ever,” is an unforgettable lead magnet designed to grab attention by offering an irresistibly valuable, free gift to potential leads. This type of offer generates excitement and buzz, drawing in a large audience eager to claim the exclusive item and engage with your brand. The MIFGE is ideal for businesses looking to quickly grow their email list, promote a product, or make an upsell opportunity with future follow-ups to keep the audience engaged. The MIFGE concept was invented by veteran marketer Dan Kennedy, whose business Magnetic Marketing was acquired by ClickFunnels.

Bonus Tip: Make your MIFGE something truly valuable and relevant to your audience’s interests – whether it’s a tool, resource, or exclusive access – to boost conversion rates and maximize long-term engagement.

Real-life example

Click Funnels co-founder Russell Brunson is an expert in using squeeze pages and free offers to turn leads into sales via upsells and cross sells. One perfect example is how he bought Dan Kennedy’s company Magnetic Marketing and created $1 million in sales in the first 30 days with a MIFGE. You can watch the video of Russell’s MIFGE offer here.

Want to build a sales page just like this? It was built using ClickFunnels.

Try ClickFunnels for 14 Days for Free!

14. Gated Video

A gated video is a highly engaging way to capture leads by building curiosity and requesting an email address at a key moment in the content. Developed initially by Voomly (later acquired by ClickFunnels), this tool allows viewers to access the first part of a video for free and prompts them to enter their email to continue. This strategy works well because it creates suspense and leverages the viewer’s interest, making them more likely to subscribe. Gated videos are particularly effective for educational content, webinars, and demos, where your audience is eager to gain valuable insights.

Bonus Tip: Incentivize lead generation further by offering a free e-book, cheatsheet, or other valuable resource alongside the gated video. This doubles the perceived value and gives subscribers an extra reason to engage with your brand.

15. Lead Magnets 

Lead magnets are valuable, free resources you offer in exchange for a user’s contact information, such as an email address. By giving away something of real value – like an e-book, template, or exclusive guide – you can attract qualified leads who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer. This strategy is particularly effective for online businesses, educational platforms, and service providers, as it encourages engagement and builds your email list for further marketing opportunities.

Bonus Tip: Ensure your lead magnet addresses a specific pain point for your target audience and delivers a quick win, making them more likely to see your brand as a go-to resource and continue engaging with your content.

Genius Social Media Marketing Ideas

16. Viral Content Upgrades

Viral content upgrades take the classic lead magnet to a new level by encouraging users not just to subscribe but to share your content to receive a valuable resource. Instead of simply asking for an email address, you request that the reader shares the post on social media in exchange for the lead magnet, turning every download into a potential new source of visibility for your brand. This strategy is especially effective for blog posts, guides, and how-to content, where readers are likely to find the lead magnet highly relevant and worth sharing.

Bonus Tip: Offer a lead magnet closely tied to the content’s main topic – such as a detailed checklist, cheat sheet, or template – so readers feel it’s a natural extension and worth sharing with their networks. This way, you increase both lead generation and reach simultaneously.

17. TikTok Trends

Leveraging TikTok trends is a powerful way to build brand visibility by tapping into popular content that’s already generating high engagement. By participating in trending challenges, audio clips, or hashtags and creatively weaving in your products or services, you can catch the attention of a massive audience in a way that feels natural and entertaining. This approach is particularly effective for brands targeting younger audiences or anyone looking to increase their social media following quickly, as TikTok’s algorithm favors fresh, engaging content that aligns with trending topics.

Bonus Tip: Choose trends that naturally connect with your brand’s message or personality, and use engaging captions or calls to action to encourage viewers to follow your account or visit your site for more.

Real-life example

South Florida repair shop Clancy’s Auto Body got 6.3 million likes, 156k followers, and interviews on NBC and Business Insider within a week of posting their first-ever video on TikTok. The video was a trending type of TikTok video with a cartoon cat and a caption reading: “Guys I lied on my resume and got a job doing the social media of this body shop, please blow this up so I don’t get fired.”

18. Contests to Grow Followers

Running a contest is a proven strategy to grow your social media following while creating excitement around your brand. By offering a prize in exchange for following your account, tagging friends, or sharing the post, you can quickly boost engagement and expand your audience. This approach is especially effective on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, where followers can easily spread the word through tagging and sharing, bringing in more potential followers with each entry.

Bonus Tip: Offer a prize that resonates with your target audience, such as a product sample or a service discount, to attract followers who are genuinely interested in your brand and more likely to engage long-term.

19. Leverage Influencers

Partnering with influencers is a powerful way to tap into a new, highly engaged audience that already trusts the voice behind the recommendation. By working with influencers who align with your brand’s values and appeal to your target market, you can quickly build credibility and awareness while reaching potential customers who may not be familiar with your business. This strategy works particularly well for lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and tech brands, where influencer recommendations can drive traffic and encourage purchases.

Bonus Tip: Look for micro-influencers (influencers with a smaller, highly engaged following) in your niche to gain authentic engagement at a lower cost and focus on building long-term relationships for consistent exposure.

Genius Content Marketing Ideas

20. Write a ‘How to’ Guide

Creating a “how-to” guide blog post is an effective way to showcase expertise while providing real value to your audience. By addressing a specific problem and breaking down a clear, step-by-step solution, you can attract readers who are actively searching for answers and build trust with them as an authority in your field. This strategy works particularly well for service-based businesses, educational sites, or any business targeting people interested in skill-building, as it engages a motivated audience looking for practical advice.

Bonus Tip: Use images, examples, and clear subheadings to make each step easy to follow, and consider adding a downloadable checklist or template for added value.

21. Repurpose an Interview as Content

Conducting an interview with an expert in your field allows you to gather unique insights and first-hand knowledge that can be repurposed into highly engaging content. By transforming the interview into an actionable article, podcast, or social media series, you can provide your audience with valuable tips or strategies while boosting your brand’s authority. This approach works especially well for businesses in consulting, coaching, or education, where expert perspectives resonate deeply with audiences.

Bonus Tip: Break the interview into multiple pieces of content, such as key takeaways, quotes, or “top tips,” and distribute them across platforms to maximize reach and engagement.

Real-life example

In the video below, ClickFunnels co-founder Russell Brunson tells the story of his first $1 million sales funnel. Russell interviewed Vince James, author of The 12 Month Millionaire, who packaged the recording up as a product, and sold it for $37. He also sold a physical copy of Vince James’ book as an upsell.

Want to build a sales funnel just like this? It was built using ClickFunnels.

Try ClickFunnels for 14 Days for Free!

22. Write a Case Study

Case studies are detailed accounts of your past successes, showing how you solved specific problems for clients and achieved measurable results. By demonstrating your expertise through real-world examples, case studies help potential clients understand the value of your services and envision similar success for themselves. This approach works particularly well for consultants, agencies, and service providers, as it builds credibility and offers concrete evidence of your impact.

Bonus Tip: Include visuals like charts or before-and-after comparisons to highlight key results, and focus on outcomes that address common challenges faced by your target audience.

23. Leverage the Public Domain

Utilizing public domain works is a creative way to offer valuable content without creating it from scratch. Since the copyright has expired on books, stories, and even some historical guides, you can repurpose these texts into lead magnets, like downloadable e-books or free guides, for your squeeze page. This approach is especially effective for education, literature, and self-help brands looking to attract a readership interested in classic insights, wisdom, or foundational knowledge.

Bonus Tip: Customize or update the content with modern commentary or additional resources, making it more relevant and attractive to your target audience while preserving the original value.

Real-life example

In 2023, ClickFunnels co-founder Russell Brunson launched a membership site focused on republishing works from the New Thought movement. These are authors like Napoleon Hill, Charles F. Haanel, Orison Swett Marden, and more. Most of these works are no longer under copyright so there is no cost to re-use them. The Secrets of Success membership starts at $97/ month. You can check out the sales page here.

Want to build a sales page just like this? It was built using ClickFunnels.

Try ClickFunnels for 14 Days for Free!

Final Thoughts: Experiment With High-Impact Tactics to Grow Your Business

Each of these marketing ideas offers a creative way to generate leads or boost sales quickly.

They’re especially useful for a quick impact.

By experimenting with these tactics, you can discover what resonates most with your audience and keeps them coming back for more.

But what if you get clicks, shares, and visibility but no real results?

For turning eyeballs into engaged leads and sales, ClickFunnels is the ultimate platform.

With powerful tools to capture leads, create upsells, cross sells, and nurture customers all in one place, ClickFunnels is built to help you grow your business efficiently.

Take your best ideas from visibility to conversion in our free 14-day trial.

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Thanks for reading Smart Strategies To Market Your New Business which appeared first on ClickFunnels.

As Gabriel Weinberg, the founder of DuckDuckGo, put it in his book “Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth”:

“Almost every failed startup has a product. What failed startups don’t have are enough customers.”

According to him, the number one cause of failure isn’t the product, it’s the poor distribution. 

He argues that many entrepreneurs who build great products simply don’t have a good distribution strategy. 

In his view, when it comes to startup success, the only essential thing is growth. Everything else follows from that.

We agree with this perspective because you can have the best product in the world but it won’t matter if you can’t get enough customers to keep your business afloat.

That’s why today we want to share our complete guide to customer acquisition for startups…

Niche Down as Much as Possible

Founders often make the mistake of going after the largest possible target audience when they should be doing the opposite and zeroing in on the smallest possible niche.

For example, Facebook, which had over 3 billion monthly active users in the last quarter of 2023, started out as a social network for Harvard University students in 2004.

It then gradually expanded to other Ivy League universities, then to all universities in the United States, and then finally became available to the general public in 2006, two years after its launch.

Facebook almost certainly wouldn’t have been able to gain traction if the company had gone after everyone in the world who had Internet access right from the get-go.

So figure out the smallest possible niche that you could target that is still large enough for you to generate enough revenue to keep the lights on. Once you dominate that initial niche, you can start gradually expanding your target audience!

Conduct Extensive Customer Research

We’ll be blunt:

You probably don’t understand your dream customers as well as you think you do. And the further removed you are from your target audience, the more likely that is to be the case.

That’s why we recommend conducting extensive customer research before you start thinking about customer acquisition:

1. Figure out where your dream customers are hanging out online and join those spaces.
2. Figure out who your dream customers are following and start following the same influencers, thought leaders, and content creators.
3. Figure out what content your dream customers are consuming and start consuming it yourself.

You want to immerse yourself in the online world of your dream customers as much as possible because that will give you the context you need to create effective marketing campaigns and write persuasive sales copy.

Pay special attention to the exact words, phrases, and metaphors that your dream customers use to describe the problem that your product can help them solve. You want to use the same language when selling your product!

Take Stock of the Resources at Your Disposal

As our friend Alex Hormozi loves to say, the first rule of entrepreneurship is “Use what you have”. 

That’s why we want you to take stock of the resources that you have at your disposal. 

Marketing strategies that we are going to discuss in the next section all involve a trade-off between time and money to some extent: the less money you are willing to spend, the more time you will need to invest.

Choose a strategy that will allow you to capitalize on the resource that you have more of, whether that’s money or time. 

Beyond that, you want to look at everything else that you have that you could use to your advantage, including your talents, skills, and connections.

Ideally, you want to go with a marketing strategy that will allow you to play to your strengths and won’t require learning completely new skills from scratch because that will enable you to hit the ground running.

Of course, that isn’t always possible, but try to make the most of what you already have!

Choose a Marketing Strategy

We recommend choosing one of these marketing strategies and focusing on it exclusively until you hit the point of diminishing returns:

Marketing Strategy #1: Cold Email

Cold email is the most accessible marketing strategy but it is also extremely time-consuming and best suited for B2B as opposed to B2C.

It’s impossible to predict conversion rates in advance but you should be prepared to send 100 cold emails per day to schedule 10 sales calls and make 1 sale. 

And just to be clear: we are talking about personalized cold emails where each message is customized for that particular recipient.

Don’t send potential customers low-effort copy-paste spam. Not only does it not work, it can also get you in legal trouble!

Set Up a New Domain Name and Email Address

Start by setting up a new domain name that is similar to the main domain name of your startup and then create a new email account associated with that new domain name.

This is a precautionary measure in case your cold emails get marked as spam and you end up getting blacklisted by email service providers like Gmail. It’s best not to put your main domain name and your main email address at risk.

Also, before you start your cold email campaign, use a service like lemwarm to simulate back-and-forth email activity. That should make you look more legit in the eyes of email service providers and hopefully help you avoid spam filters.

Find a Lead Generation Expert and Buy 100 Leads

After that, go on Fiverr, find a B2B lead generation expert, and order a spreadsheet with 100 leads based on your dream customer criteria.

That spreadsheet should include a list of target companies, a contact person for each of them, and their full name, job title, and email address.

If that lead generation expert does a good job compiling leads, you can order a spreadsheet with 1,000 leads the next time.

Start Cold Emailing Leads

It’s best to start slow – perhaps with just 3 cold emails per day – because a sudden spike in your email activity can seem suspicious and might get you blacklisted by email service providers.

Gradually increase the cold email volume until you are sending 100 cold emails per day. Don’t go beyond that because that may be crossing into the spam territory.

Use Justin McGill’s QVC Framework

We recommend following the QVC framework that Justin McGill, the founder of LeadFuze, used to go from zero to $30k in monthly recurring revenue in just one year:

• Question – In your subject line, ask a question related to the problem that your product addresses. Ideally, it should hit the key pain point. That will help you get the potential customer’s attention and hopefully prompt them to open your email.
  
  In the body copy, ask a similar question that hits the same pain point, but use a more detailed phrasing. That will hopefully get them interested enough to continue reading.
• Value proposition – The intro question should be followed by a few value proposition sentences that explain what your product is about. You want to present it as a solution to their problem.
• Call to action – End the email by asking the potential customer if they would be interested in a demo. Make sure to phrase it as a yes or no question!

Here’s a sample template that follows this framework:

Continue Following Up Until You Get a Response

The odds are that the people you are reaching out to are pretty busy so you may not get a response straight away.

That’s why it’s so important to follow up with them. Justin McGill said that he has seen a lot of success with this four-email email sequence:

1. QVC cold email that we just discussed.
2. Case study email – It should showcase how your product helped someone just like them.
3. Value add email – This can be another case study but it can also be a blog post link, a relevant news article, or something else that they might find interesting.
4. Break-up email – Let them know that you won’t be following up anymore and encourage them to reach out to you in the future if they ever want to learn more about your product.

McGill would also add this “P.S.” section to all his emails, starting with the initial QVC one:

This is a great idea because it enables you to continue following up while also being respectful and providing that person with a way out if they don’t want to hear from you anymore. 

Make Sure to Stay Organized!

When you are only sending a few cold emails per day, keeping track of everything is easy.

But once you start increasing the volume, it can get out of hand really quickly as the replies, the back-and-forth, and the scheduled demo calls start piling up.

That’s why we recommend setting up some sort of customer relationship management (CRM) system right from the start.

Our software includes a CRM functionality that can be really helpful here!

Marketing Strategy #2: Cold Calling

Cold calling is similar to cold email in that it’s an accessible but time-consuming marketing strategy that works best for B2B businesses.

All you need to get started is a list of leads that meet your dream customer criteria, your phone and a cold call script.

We recommend using Patrick Dang’s five-step cold calling framework:

1. Research the prospect because that will make everything else much easier.
2. Build rapport with the prospect by bringing their attention to something that you have in common.
3. Explain why you are calling, set the agenda for the call, and ask them for permission to get started.
4. Ask questions to uncover the pain points related to the problem that your product addresses.
5. Leverage the pain points you uncovered to position your product as a solution to their problem and ask them if they would be interested in a product demo.

If they say yes, ask them for their email address and tell them that you are going to send them a calendar link with available times, then thank them for their time and end the call.

Once you hang up, send them that calendar link immediately and then continue following up once a week, the same way you would if it was a cold email instead of a cold call.

Factors like energy level, tonality, and cadence of speech matter a lot in cold calling. You might want to record your cold calls and then listen to how you sound so that you’d have a better understanding of how you are coming across.

Just make sure to check whether that’s legal where you live because the laws regarding recording phone calls vary between jurisdictions.

Also, just as with cold email, it’s important to stay organized when you are making a lot of cold calls every day, which you can do with our customer relationship management (CRM) system!

Marketing Strategy #3: Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is about getting other people to promote your product to their audiences and then paying them a commission from each sale.

It’s another affordable but time-consuming marketing strategy, though a big difference between affiliate marketing and cold outreach is that affiliate marketing can work well for B2C as well.

If you do enough customer research, you should already know who your dream customers are following online. Make a list of these influencers, thought leaders, and content creators, find their email addresses, and start cold emailing them.

For example, you can create a webinar funnel for your product, reach out to potential affiliates, and pitch them a partnership that looks like this:

1. They promote your webinar to their followers
2. You organize and host the event
3. You split the sales proceeds with them

That’s what our co-founder Russell Brunson did during our first year in business and it worked really well!

Also, once you have success with one affiliate partnership, you can use it as social proof in your cold emails and leverage it to get more affiliates on board!

Marketing Strategy #4: Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is super affordable and less time-consuming than cold outreach. However, it will likely take you a few years to gain momentum.

As such, this marketing strategy is perhaps best suited for people who have full-time jobs and are working on their startups on the side.

Pick a social media platform that allows you to play to your strengths, which is going to boil down to the choice between the text medium and the visual medium.

Then, create a content schedule that you can keep up with indefinitely. Ideally, you want to post at least once a day, but quality is more important than quantity.

You should also incentivize engagement by rewarding it. If someone leaves a comment under your post, like it and reply to it. That will serve as positive reinforcement.

Be warned that social media marketing can be demoralizing because, in the beginning, your follower growth is likely going to be extremely slow.

However, if you stick with your content schedule, keep the content quality high, and reward engagement, eventually, it will start accelerating!

Marketing Strategy #5: Video Marketing

Video marketing is similar to social media marketing in the sense that it will likely take you a few years to gain momentum. However, it is also both more time-consuming and more expensive.

That being said, a YouTube channel has more staying power than a social media following, which makes it a more valuable asset from a business perspective.

This marketing strategy is best suited for people who not only have full-time jobs and are working on their startups on the side but who also either have video production skills already or are genuinely interested in learning them.

You want to publish one YouTube video per week, target a keyword that your dream customers are searching for, and make sure that your video is better than all the other videos that are currently ranking for that keyword.

Production quality doesn’t matter much as long as the audio is decent so no need to overthink it. What’s important is content quality. Your video needs to meet the search intent of its target keyword.

Once you publish your video on YouTube, cut it up into shorts and then publish those shorts both on YouTube and on TikTok.

Video marketing can be demoralizing at first due to slow channel growth, but if you continue publishing one video per week and make sure that it’s good, your channel will eventually start gaining momentum.

Also, if you want to grow your channel faster, we recommend watching this video by Vanessa Lau where she shares a bunch of tips and tricks that can help you accelerate growth:

Marketing Strategy #6: Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization can still work well in 2024.

However, we wouldn’t recommend this marketing strategy unless you either have previous experience with it or are targeting a niche where your competition is clueless about SEO. Why?

Because getting organic traffic from Google Search is becoming increasingly difficult and this trend is likely going to continue in the foreseeable future.

Here are some factors that you might want to consider:

• There are only 10 spots on the first page of search results.
• The top search result has an average click-through rate of 27.6% and is 10x more likely to get a click than the tenth search result.
• The top three search results get 54.4% of all clicks.

Realistically speaking, this means that in order to get organic search traffic, you need to not only reach the first page but also rank in the top three search results.

It’s unlikely that you will be able to do it by creating high-quality content alone since backlinks play an important role in search rankings. And link building can be difficult if you don’t have any connections.

Also, now that anyone can use large language models like ChatGPT to produce content at scale, the Internet is getting flooded with “AI slop”. This has sparked a lot of discussion on whether SEO as we know it is dead.

All this makes search engine optimization an uphill battle that may not be worth it, especially considering that you could be investing those resources into growing a social media following or building a YouTube channel instead!

Marketing Strategy #7: Paid Advertising

Paid advertising is the best marketing strategy for those who have more money than time.

It can work really well for startups that have a substantial war chest as well as for solopreneurs who have high-paying jobs and don’t mind spending money on growing their side hustles.

Of course, it’s still a skill: you’ll need to invest time in learning how to run ads on your platform of choice, testing various campaign ideas, optimizing your campaigns, etc.

The learning curve can be pretty steep but the feedback loop is fast. You’ll know whether your campaign is working or not within a few days.

Mastering paid advertising is empowering because it gives you the ability to drive traffic wherever you want, whenever you want, which you can then use to promote anything.

If you have no previous experience with it, Udemy is probably the best resource for learning the basics because it has paid advertising courses for all major social media platforms.

Wait until the next sale and you should be able to get a course for less than $20!

All of These Marketing Strategies Can Work Well!

First-time founders often spend too much time obsessing over which marketing strategy they should choose.

The truth is that all of the strategies listed above can work well if you are willing to put in the time to master them and have the patience to play the long game.

So pick one that makes the most sense considering the resources that you have and get to work!

Build a Sales Funnel

We believe that the best way to grow a startup is to build a sales funnel for it and then drive traffic to it with your marketing campaigns.

What is a Sales Funnel?

A sales funnel is a system designed to convert visitors into leads, leads into customers, and customers into repeat customers.

How to Build a Lead Magnet Funnel

A lead magnet is a freebie that you offer to the potential customer in exchange for their email address.

The most straightforward sales funnel that you can build is the lead magnet funnel which consists of just two pages:

1. A squeeze page where you present your lead magnet and encourage the potential customer to type in their email address to get it.
2. A thank you page where you thank the potential customer and explain how to get access to your lead magnet.

Once you have their email address, you can use email marketing to pitch them your product.

For example, you could have a lead magnet that teaches them how to solve a specific problem and then use email marketing to pitch them your product as the best tool for implementing that solution.

This is what we do: we use our lead magnets to teach people how to build sales funnels and then pitch them our funnel builder software!

Once you have your sales funnel set up and ready to go, you can start driving traffic to it by using the aforementioned marketing strategies to promote your lead magnet.

Launch a Weekly Email Newsletter

Just because someone gave you their email address doesn’t necessarily mean that they are ready to buy your product. And that’s okay!

Continue building trust by providing free value via email and make sure that you stay top of mind with them.

The best way to do it is to launch a weekly newsletter. Send your subscribers an email that follows the same template every week on the same day at the same time.

Link roundup newsletter format can work really well for this. Share links to interesting content from around the web: blog articles, YouTube videos, podcast episodes, etc.

You can model it on Tim Ferriss’ “5-Bullet Friday” newsletter. Obviously, don’t copy his exact template. Instead, come up with something similar that makes sense for your industry.

Add a “P.S.” section at the end of every newsletter issue and use it to promote your product. Say, if you run a software startup, you can encourage people to sign up for your free trial.

Once you launch your newsletter, you can use it as a lead magnet and create a marketing campaign for it.

Follow the 50% Rule!

In his book “Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth”, Gabriel Weinberg discusses what he calls “The 50% Rule”.

The idea is simple: you should spend 50% of your time working on your product and the other 50% of your time working on customer acquisition.

We highly recommend adopting this approach, especially if you are someone who is great at creating products but not so great at marketing and selling them.

Otherwise, it’s easy to fall into a trap where you stay in your comfort zone, endlessly tinkering with your product, and then have to shut down your startup because it isn’t making any money!

Want to Learn How to Build Sales Funnels That CONVERT?

Our co-founder Russell Brunson used sales funnels to take ClickFunnels from zero to $100M+ in annual revenue in less than a decade.

He is now widely considered to be one of the top sales funnel experts in the world. Want to learn from him?

His best-selling book “DotCom Secrets” is the best place to start because it covers everything you need to know in order to build sales funnels that convert.

This book is available on Amazon where it has over 2,500 global ratings and a 4.7-star overall rating.

But you can also get it directly from us for free…

All we ask is that you pay for shipping!

So what are you waiting for? 🧐

Get “DotCom Secrets” for FREE!

Thanks for reading Customer Acquisition Guide For Startups which appeared first on ClickFunnels.

Entrepreneurship has become so glamorized in our culture that it’s easy to underestimate just how hard it is to get a startup off the ground.

We are constantly bombarded with success stories of founders who have made millions – or, in some cases, billions – of dollars with their startups.

It’s important to remember survivorship bias here: if we only look at the successes without also looking at the failures, we will develop an inaccurate perception of reality. And the reality is that 90% of startups fail.

However, if your dream is to build a successful startup, you shouldn’t let that statistic demoralize you. It’s not something that is completely outside of your control like winning a lottery.

In the world of entrepreneurship, your behavior has a significant impact on your outcomes. You can increase your odds of success by taking the right actions.

That’s why today we want to share the seven key strategies that can help you overcome common startup challenges…

Strategy #1: Bootstrap Instead of Seeking Funding

VC-funded startups that are coming out of Silicon Valley get the most media attention so it’s understandable if you believe that the only way to succeed is to get funding.

However, we encourage you to examine that assumption. There’s an entire subculture of software entrepreneurs who are bootstrapping their startups without bringing in outside investors.

These software entrepreneurs call themselves “indie hackers”, have an ethos of scrappiness, and aim to build self-sustaining, profitable businesses.

Typically, indie hackers either have regular jobs and build their startups as side hustles or save up money from their salaries and then use it as a “runway” to focus on their startups full-time.

There’s also a huge overlap between the indie hacker subculture and the digital nomad subculture: indie hackers often move to low-cost-of-living countries in order to extend their runways.

The most successful entrepreneur in that scene is undeniably Pieter Levels. At the time of writing, he’s generating over $350k/month in revenue. That’s more than $4.2M per year!

Levels is an extreme outlier but there are plenty of indie hackers out there who are making six figures with their bootstrapped startups.

Of course, survivorship bias applies here as well. If you start following the indie hacker scene on Twitter, seeing all those success stories can make you believe that everyone except you is making tons of money with apps that they built over the weekend.

That’s why it’s important to temper your expectations. “Ask HN: Starting a business is way harder than Twitter-bros claim. Any advice?” post on Hacker News is probably more representative of the average aspiring software entrepreneur experience than what you see on Twitter.

Also, some people who pursue this dream develop severe mental health problems and burnout.

You might want to read “I am done. I give up” on Hacker News. This post was written by an aspiring entrepreneur who gave up after three failed attempts at building a startup and spending some time institutionalized.

All that being said, the indie hacker approach is the least risky way to build software startups. If that’s what you want to do, it might make sense to explore this path instead of seeking funding.

Of course, if you have an idea for a hardware startup or a biotech startup, then it’s an entirely different situation. It might not be possible to build it without raising capital. You will need to seek funding in that case.

Strategy #2: Focus on Something That Already Has Proven Demand

The startup world is obsessed with “innovation”, “disruption” and “going from zero to one”. But we would argue that it’s leading aspiring entrepreneurs astray.

If you already have a big idea that you want to pursue and you know that you will regret it if you don’t, then by all means do that if you are willing to take on the associated risks. Who are we to tell you that you shouldn’t?

But if you want to build a sustainable business in order to create a better life for yourself and your loved ones, innovation is not the best path towards realizing that dream.

You’ll have much higher odds of success if you take something that already has proven demand and figure out how to make it better.

For example, when Nathan Barry launched ConvertKit back in 2013, there were plenty of email marketing apps already.

However, the big players in that space like MailChimp and Aweber were offering generic solutions. They were okay tools that got the job done but left much to be desired when it came to specific use cases.

That’s where Barry saw an opportunity. As a blogger, he knew what the popular email marketing apps lacked for that particular use case, so he decided to focus on making ConvertKit the best email marketing tool for bloggers. Over time, he expanded his target audience to all kinds of online creators.

Now, more than a decade later, his company is generating eight figures. At the time of writing, its monthly recurring revenue is $3.5M+, which adds up to $42M+ in annual recurring revenue.

We recommend following a similar strategy: pick something that has proven demand, niche down to a specific, clearly-defined demographic, and then focus on creating the best product for that particular use case. You can always expand your target audience later if there’s a need for that!

Strategy #3: Sell Painkillers, Not Vitamins

Marc Louvion, an indie hacker who makes nearly $60k/month with his apps at the time of writing, explained the difference between “painkiller” products and “vitamin” products on his blog.

He shared that once he spent an entire year working on a gamified habit tracker called Habits Garden. Despite having 10,000 accounts and a ton of happy users, this app was making less than $400/month.

Meanwhile, one of his other products, his now-discontinued escape room marketing tool called VirallyBot, was making $600/month, despite the fact that at the time, Louvion hadn’t touched it for several years.

According to him, the key difference between these two apps was this:

•  VirallyBot was a must-have “painkiller” product that addressed a painful problem (escape rooms need marketing).
• Habit Garden was a nice-to-have “vitamin” product (it’s cool to track habits). 

He argued that if you want to reach profitability faster, you should focus on building painkiller products instead of vitamin ones!

Strategy #4: Understand That the Only Way to Validate Your Product is to Build it and Charge for it

Dan Norris’ article “Is Startup Validation Bullshit?” is well worth a read.

In that article, Norris questioned some of the approaches to idea validation that were popular at the time when it was published.

He also shared his experiences with his app Informly and what he learned from them.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• People saying that they like your idea doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea. Dan got a ton of positive feedback from those around him.
• Thought leaders saying that they like your idea doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea. Dan got positive feedback from a famous venture capitalist.
• Building a pre-launch email list doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea. Dan had a pre-launch email list with more than 1,000 subscribers.
• Getting free users doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea. Informly had 4,000+ free users but only 15 of them converted into paying customers.
• Favorable media coverage doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea. Informly was covered by several popular tech websites, including Mashable and The Next Web.

At the time, everything was seemingly indicating that Informly was destined to be a success but it still failed despite all that.

In our view, the most important lesson here is that ultimately, the only product validation that counts is people paying for your product and using it!

Strategy #5: Build MVPs as Fast as You Can

The concept of a minimum viable product (MVP) was popularized by Eric Ries in his 2011 book “The Lean Startup”.

An MVP is supposed to be the minimum viable version of your product that only has the core functionality needed to provide value to the user.

One of the most notable differences between how VC-funded entrepreneurs approach creating software and how indie hackers approach it is the speed at which they build MVPs.

VC-funded entrepreneurs tend to take months to launch their MVPs while indie hackers do it in weeks, days, and in some cases, hours.

For example, once Nico Jeannen saw a tweet where someone said that they would pay for an app that allowed them to enhance the picture quality of old photos.

Jeannen already knew how to do it because he had previously edited old photos for his mom using AI. So he decided to build an MVP for an AI photo editing app.

He saw that tweet early in the morning and challenged himself to launch an MVP by 7 PM because he already had plans for that evening. Guess what?

He started working on it at 7.45 AM and managed to not only launch PhotoRestore but also make the first sale by 1.40 PM!

Jeannen’s MVP was a landing page advertising a photo editing service where he would edit the customers’ photos himself and send them the HD version within 24 hours.

He intended to turn PhotoRestore into a software product if he saw enough demand for it. In around two weeks, this service made $39.78. It has since been discontinued.

While PhotoRestore did not become a success, it’s a great example of how indie hackers build and launch MVPs at breakneck speed.

The reasoning behind it is simple: if you keep building products, eventually some of them will take off.

This approach does seem to work:

• Pieter Levels built 70+ products in the last decade
• Marc Louvion built 23 products in the last few years
• Nico Jeannen built 17 products in just one year

We should once again remember survivorship bias here. There probably are quite a few people out there who built a bunch of products in a short period of time and still failed.

However, if you want to make it as an indie hacker, this seems to be the best way to go about it. Luck is an important factor and the more times you roll the dice, the more likely you will be to succeed!

Strategy #6: Get Your First Users With Cold Outreach

The greatest challenge for any new startup is customer acquisition. So how can you get your first users?

We would argue that the best way to do that is cold outreach:

Cold Calls

If your startup is in the B2B space, cold calling probably makes the most sense.

Go on Fiverr, find a lead generation expert, and ask them to compile a list of 100 leads based on your criteria (industry, company size, annual revenue, etc.)

That list should include the phone number and the email address of each company’s founder or CEO.

(Unless you want to target a different decision-maker. For example, if you are selling something super technical, it might make more sense to cold-call the CTO).

Once you have your lead list, start calling the decision-makers. You can use this cold calling framework:

It’s impossible to predict what your conversion rates are going to be but a good initial target that you can aim for is 1 sale for every 100 cold calls!

Cold Email

Cold email can be another great way to acquire customers in the early stages.

For example, Justin McGill used cold email to grow his startup LeadFuze from zero to $30k in annual revenue in one year.

His cold email template was based on a “QVC” formula:

1. Question – Lead with a question that is somehow related to your business.
2. Value proposition – Explain how your product can help make their lives better. What’s in it for them?
3. Call to action – Ask them if they would be interested in seeing a product demo.

Here’s a sample cold email that follows this formula:

A few days after that initial cold email, McGill would follow up and then continue following up once a week until he got a yes or no answer.

It’s worth noting that he would add this P.S. section to all his emails to provide the prospect with a way to opt out:

Cold Social Media DMs

All major social media platforms allow their users to send direct messages to other users, which means that you can also do cold outreach via social media DMs.

That being said, you’ll probably have more success if you use social media marketing to build a following and then DM people who already know who you are.

Strategy #7: Build a Sales Funnel for Your Product

Our co-founders Russell Brunson and Todd Dickerson launched ClickFunnels back in 2013.

In just five years, they bootstrapped their software startup to $100M+ in annual revenue. So how did they do it?

Their secret was the Value Ladder sales funnel that was developed by Russell:

If you have already validated your product idea by getting your first customers, we recommend building a Value Ladder sales funnel for your business.

We believe that this is the best way to sell software. It can help you grow your startup faster than you ever thought possible!

Want to Learn How to Build Sales Funnels That CONVERT?

Our co-founder Russell Brunson used sales funnels to take ClickFunnels from zero to $100M+ in annual revenue in just five years.

He is now widely considered to be one of the top sales funnel experts in the world. Want to learn from him?

His best-selling book “DotCom Secrets” is the best place to start because it covers everything you need to know in order to build sales funnels that convert.

This book is available on Amazon where it has over 2,500 global ratings and a 4.7-star overall rating.

But you can also get it directly from us for free…

All we ask is that you pay for shipping!

So what are you waiting for? 🧐

Get “DotCom Secrets” for FREE!

Thanks for reading Tips To Tackle Common Startup Problems which appeared first on ClickFunnels.

Imagine waking up, checking your bank balance, and realizing you have enough money to see the whole month out – and then some.

You haven’t even gotten out of bed yet.

The best part?

You don’t have to.

You could take the day off if you really felt like it and the money would keep rolling in. You’d have no boss calling and asking where you are.

This lifestyle isn’t just a fantasy.

Traditional 9-5 jobs are no longer the only path to financial stability. But while making money without a job is possible, it’s not easy.

If you want to be successful, you need to do it right.

Below, we’re going to go over 8 ways to make money without a job with real-life examples of how people used each of them to make $1 million or more.

How to Make Money With No Job

Here’s a quick story about Russell Brunson, the co-founder of ClickFunnels.

He got married while at Boise State University trying to make it as a wrestler, but his passion for wrestling didn’t pay the bills.

His wife had to work to support the both of them.

That didn’t sit right with him.

Russell wanted to start making money but in a way that would let him keep wrestling and be in charge of his own schedule.

So, he tried everything:

• Selling on eBay
• Selling on Craigslist
• Getting into affiliate marketing

But nothing worked.

The First ‘Online Course’ That Made Russell Brunson $3,000

Then one day during spring break, Russell and his friend built a potato gun just for fun.

They had a blast.

And suddenly it hit him: what if he could turn building potato guns into a business?

He filmed himself and his friend assembling the potato guns and turning it into a DVD. They sold it using Google Ads and made $3,000 in the first month. When they added extra products, like the actual materials to build the guns, they started making even more.

The process of turning ideas & information into online money set the foundation for the ClickFunnels platform.

Today, it helps over 100,000 people the world over to:

• Have financial security
• Earn money without a 9-5 job
• Spend more time on their passions & interests

Having a job is no longer the only way to achieve these goals.

The potato gun story is a bizarre product to sell. But it demonstrates the fact that you can sell almost anything online and make enough money without a regular 9-5.

How do You Choose What You Should Sell Online?

If you’ve gotten this far, you’re probably excited about the idea of making money without a job. 

But you might also feel overwhelmed. 

Maybe you’ve tried something before only to see it fail. Or maybe you’re worried about picking the wrong path and wasting months going in circles.

And it’s a valid concern. 

Think about Russell Brunson’s potato gun story. 

He eventually made thousands of dollars selling that course, but that success didn’t come overnight. 

So, the real question is: how do you make sure you start in the right place? 

You need to pick something that will work and keep you motivated through the inevitable challenges.

The Secret to Making Serious Money Online – Without a ‘Regular’ Job

The potato gun story comes straight from Russell Brunson’s book Expert Secrets.

In the book, he explains how info products are one of the most profitable ways to make money online today.

The info product or digital education market is expected to explode to a valuation of $67 billion in 2028 – and is one of the fastest growing in the world.

Russell Brunson says there are two ways info products can work in a business

1. You can either sell the info product itself 
2. Or you can use the info product to generate leads for an existing business

Since you’re likely starting from scratch without a pre-existing business, we’ll focus on creative ways to sell info products from the ground up.

Below, you’ll find 8 proven methods to help you start making money with info products, and each one is backed by real-life ClickFunnels users who turned it into $1 million or more.

No job required.

Just creativity, dedication, and the power of selling info products online.

Now, let’s dive into these methods and start building your path to financial freedom.

1. Online Courses

Product

A series of videos that teach a skill or provide niche information, delivered via an online platform.

Business Model

Sell access to the online course via a one-time payment or subscription.

How it Works

Online courses are typically priced anywhere from $50 to $2,000, depending on the complexity and value of the subject matter. These courses are often sold through funnels, where free content (like webinars or free lessons) leads potential customers to purchase the full course. You can promote the course through advertising or by leveraging social media or a blog. Also, courses can lead to upsells like coaching services or advanced workshops. To succeed, it’s important to have expertise in something that other people want to learn. Popular online courses include business training, personal development, fitness, and technical skills.

Example

Russell Brunson, co-founder of ClickFunnels, launched his How to Make a Potato Gun course as one of his first ventures into info products. He created video tutorials that taught people how to build their own potato guns. As a college student, he and his friend made $3,000 in their first month. The original course was actually a DVD – i.e. not a digital product – but it shows how you can make money without a job selling almost anything.

2. Public Domain Products

Product

Repurposed content from the public domain, such as old books or manuscripts, converted into new formats like audiobooks or eBooks.

Business Model

Sell access to repurposed public domain content via a one-time fee or as part of a package.

How it Works

Public domain products can be created by finding content that no longer has copyright restrictions and transforming it into new formats. Pricing can range from a few dollars to several hundred depending on the uniqueness and value of the product. Public domain products can also serve as bonuses, lead magnets, or upsells for other offers. Leveraging your knowledge of a particular field or era can help create a more appealing product. Examples include republishing classic literature, creating new commentaries, or producing audiobooks.

Example

Russell Brunson also ventured into public domain products with his Secrets of Success books. Since 2023, he’s been republishing works from the New Thought movement, including authors like Napoleon Hill, Charles F. Haanel, Orison Swett Marden, and more. Although it was just launched in October 2023, Brunson paid over $10,000 to acquire a rare edition of just one book. The potential for profit in the public domain niche is vast as you can, in theory, get the original content free. You don’t even need to be an expert yourself – but you do need to understand what might be appealing to your target audience.

3. Podcasting

Product

A digital audio show is available to listeners through platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your own website.

Business Model

Monetize through sponsorships, paid subscriptions, or by promoting your own products/services.

How it Works

Podcasts usually generate income through sponsorship deals: brands pay you to mention their product during the show. However many podcasters offer premium episodes or memberships for access to exclusive content. Building a loyal audience is key, and this can be done through consistent, high-quality content. It’s important to build on your expertise to provide value in a specific niche, whether it’s business, personal growth, or entertainment.

Example

John Lee Dumas created the Entrepreneurs on Fire podcast, where he interviews successful entrepreneurs and offers value-packed content. The podcast, launched in 2012, has generated over $27 million through courses, books and sponsorships. The website has an ongoing income report which shows a breakdown of income sources. In August 2024, the podcast had made $1.2 million in the year to date with 86% coming from sponsorships, and the rest from info products & affiliates. John Lee Dumas is one of hundreds of entrepreneurs who’ve earned a ClickFunnels 2 Comma Club Award for generating $1 million on the platform.

4. Licensing

Product

Selling the rights to use your intellectual property (such as your course, brand, or materials) to others.

Business Model

Generate income by licensing your content or brand to other companies for a fee or percentage of sales.

How it Works

Licensing allows you to monetize content or intellectual property you’ve already created by allowing others to use it, in exchange for payment. For example, you could license your course content to be taught by other trainers. Or you could productize a unique business model and sell it to someone else, for them to implement just like you did. Licensing agreements can provide a steady stream of passive income, but they require strong expertise and a proven product or brand that others would want to use. This model is particularly popular in fields like education, software, and creative works.

Example

Alex Hormozi, founder of GymLaunch, built a business around licensing a model that helps gyms scale their revenue. He sold advertising templates, meal plans, sales scripts, and other niche-specific tools to over 4,500 gyms across 13 countries. In its first 12 months, GymLaunch made $17 million in profit. Hormozi is another ClickFunnels 2 Comma Club Award winner, as he used the platform to sell his licensing deals.

5. Tiny Challenges

Product

Short-term challenges that guide participants through a transformation, such as fitness goals or productivity boosts.

Business Model

Charge a one-time fee for joining the challenge, and sell additional products through upsells after the challenge ends.

How it Works

Tiny challenges are designed to create a small but significant transformation for participants in a short time. They’re a great entry-level offer for new online coaches. Challenges build trust and demonstrate results, which makes participants much more likely to buy higher-ticket offers like coaching programs or premium courses afterward. But you can make an income just from the tiny challenges themselves. As a coach or expert, your challenge should align with your area of expertise to attract participants. Popular examples include fitness, diet, or business growth challenges.

Example

Richmond Dinh built his online coaching business by teaching others how to run 5-day ‘tiny challenges,’ positioning them as an entry point to full coaching programs. His method has been highly successful, earning him a 2 Comma Club “X” Award for generating over $10 million through a ClickFunnels funnel. This proves that tiny challenges can create large revenue streams with the right strategy.

6. Ebooks and Audiobooks

Product

A digital book or audiobook providing detailed knowledge or insights on a specific subject.

Business Model

Sell eBooks or audiobooks as standalone products directly to customers.

How it Works

Ebooks and audiobooks are relatively easy to create and can be priced anywhere from $5 to $100, depending on the niche and value of the content. After selling an eBook or audiobook, you can upsell higher-priced products like coaching sessions or digital courses. To succeed with eBooks, focus on leveraging your expertise to provide deep insights on topics you know well or have researched thoroughly. Popular eBook topics include personal finance, self-help, fitness, and business strategies.

Example

Russell Brunson turned a transcript from an interview with Vince James, a businessman who made $100 million in 23 months, into an audiobook titled The 12-Month Millionaire. He sold the audiobook along with an upsell for a physical copy, generating his first $1 million sales funnel using ClickFunnels. This demonstrates the potential of repurposing existing content into profitable e-books or audiobooks.

7. Membership Sites

Product

A platform offering exclusive content or services to members who pay a monthly or yearly subscription fee.

Business Model

Generate recurring income through subscription payments.

How it Works

Membership sites provide ongoing value in exchange for a recurring fee, typically ranging from $20 to $100 per month. The key to success is consistently delivering fresh, high-quality content or services, such as courses, webinars or downloadable resources. You can create multiple tiers of access, with higher-paying members receiving more personalized support. Membership sites work best when you leverage your expertise to attract an audience looking for continual learning or guidance. Popular examples include fitness coaching, business mentorship or specialized training communities.

Example

Liz Benny, known as ‘The Queen of Kapow,’ created The Kapow Club, a membership site offering weekly calls on marketing and mindset for $97 per month. Through her life coaching business, she attracted people looking to advance their careers and has earned over $1 million using ClickFunnels, proving that membership sites can generate significant recurring revenue.

8. Templates, Guides or Planners

Product

Digital or printable templates, guides, or planners for various tasks, such as budgeting, planning or design work.

Business Model

Sell templates or planners as one-time purchases or part of a bundle.

How it Works

Templates, guides, and planners are quick to create and can be sold for $5 to $100 each. They save customers time by providing ready-made solutions, whether it’s a financial planner, social media content calendar, or design presets. To succeed, use your expertise to create highly functional, well-designed solutions that save your target audience time or money in their day-to-day work.

Example

Cole Humphus started with a photography blog and scaled it into a successful business by selling photography guides, tools, and presets. His templates and tools helped photographers improve their craft. Cole is another ClickFunnels 2 Comma Club Award winner as he earned over $1 million through this niche. Later, Cole sold his blog to a photography software company, showing the potential of niche templates and planners as profitable info products.

What Platform Are You Going to Use to Actually Sell Info Products?

So, you’ve had a spark of inspiration. 

Maybe you know exactly what kind of info product you want to sell, or you’re still weighing your options. 

But one big question is probably hanging over your head: How are you actually going to sell your info products?

This is where many people get stuck.

Luckily, platforms like ClickFunnels exist to make the process a whole lot easier.

ClickFunnels is a tool designed for people like you – people who want to build a business fast, without getting bogged down by technical details. Whether it’s an online course, eBook, or subscription-based membership site, ClickFunnels provides plug-and-play funnels that you can customize to sell all of the info products we’ve just talked about.

Here are some benefits of using ClickFunnels:

• Quick setup with no coding required: Build your sales funnel in minutes using ready-made templates.
• Optimized for conversions: Every page is designed to lead customers step-by-step toward purchasing your product.
• Seamless integration: Connect payment gateways, email marketing tools, and membership sites with just a few clicks.
• Scalable for growth: Start small and add upsells, cross-sells, and additional products as you grow.
• Start for free: ClickFunnels offers a free trial, so you can test out the platform before committing to a paid plan.

With ClickFunnels, you have everything you need to turn your idea into a full-fledged online business.

Try ClickFunnels For Free!

Final Thoughts: How to Make Money With No Job

In today’s world, making money without a job is not only possible, it’s becoming more profitable than ever.

From online courses and eBooks to public domain products and membership sites, there are countless creative ways to build a business that earns you real income – all from the comfort of your home.

 And the best part? 

You can be your own boss, working on your own schedule with unlimited earning potential.

We’ve looked at several examples of people who have taken these ideas and turned them into six- and seven-figure businesses, using platforms like ClickFunnels to make it all happen.

Whether you want to:

• sell a digital course
• start a podcast
• create a 5-day challenge
• republish a niche book from the public domain
• teach people to make potato guns

ClickFunnels is a tool that makes it easy to launch and grow your business. 

With plug-and-play funnels, optimized pages, and the ability to start for free it’s the perfect platform for turning your ideas into profit.

So, if you’re ready to stop relying on a job for financial stability and start building your own future, there’s never been a better time.

Dive into the world of info products, and create a new boss-free life for yourself!

Try ClickFunnels For Free!

Thanks for reading Making Money Without A Job which appeared first on ClickFunnels.

Have a business idea that you’re dying to get out into the world…

… but don’t know where to start? 

Russell Brunson’s Your First Funnel Challenge is a 5-day online boot camp where you’ll launch your first (or next) business idea side-by-side with real-world entrepreneurs… without taking on a mountain of debt or getting stuck in “analysis paralysis”. 

Here’s everything you need to know.

The Gameplan

Here’s the 5-day game plan…

Day 1 – Funnel Hacking

Each day is jam-packed with lessons to learn and actions to take.

Day 1 is no exception.

We’re going to unveil the most successful types of sales funnels in the online world today (this is changing all the time… so you’ll learn something new even if you’re uber familiar with sales funnels).

We’ll then help you determine which of these killer funnels is best for your specific business idea (whether it’s in finance, eComm, coaching, info products, biz opp, or some other niche) — and you’ll “ethically steal” the perfect funnel for your own purposes.

Additionally, you’re going to work with two superheroes in the funnel building world on Day 1.

Jamie Cross went from selling her soap at local farmer’s markets to building an online eCommerce empire, entirely bootstrapped — she even joined our Two Comma Club.

Stacey & Paul Martino are saving marriages with coaching funnels. And you’re going to learn exactly how they maintain a steady stream of high-paying clients (this is critical info for coaches).

Join The ‘Your First Funnel’ Challenge!

Day 2 – Your First Funnel

On Day 2, we’re going to show you the first funnel that every business (no matter your industry) should start with. And then we’re going to plug stuff into your funnels so it’s ready to go live ASAP.

We’re making it super simple… so you can take action and get real results.

We’ll also talk about how you can craft irresistible headlines and the five core follow-up emails that every funnel requires on the back end (you can write all of them in a single sitting).

Plus, you’re going to work with a few more amazing people on Day 2.

Garret J. White is a legend in the ClickFunnels community. He’s our most requested speaker by far because he spits fire whenever he takes the stage. On Day 2, Garret will teach you how he uses funnels to transform men’s lives all around the world.

Annie Grace has built an online empire helping people overcome their dependence on alcohol. On Day 2, she’s going to show the “hourglass funnel” she uses to attract her dream customers… so she doesn’t have to chase them.

Join The ‘Your First Funnel’ Challenge!

Day 3 – Hook, Story, Offer

Day 3 is a doozy.

We’re going to show you the secret behind how ClickFunnels went from a simple idea inside of Russell’s head… to the multi-million $$$ empire it is today.

It’s all about storytelling.

We’ll teach you how to find your unique hook, tell a compelling story that resonates with your core audience, and position your offer so that you can make as many sales as possible.

You’ll get to work with…

Stephen J. Larsen started as a freelance funnel builder learning the ropes. Now he’s got a massive funnel-building empire. He’s going to teach you how to transform your funnel-building skills(that you learned the previous days) into a massive profit-generating opportunity.

Kristine Mirelle (a.k.a. the “music hustler”) is a professional musician, 2-Comma Club Winner, and founder of Laugh My Ads Off. She teaches businesses how to create hilarious ads that grab attention and get conversions. And that’s what she’s going to show YOU how to do.

Join The ‘Your First Funnel’ Challenge!

Day 4 – Irresistible Ads

What’s a killer funnel without high-quality traffic?

On Day 4, we’re giving your our most closely held secrets about how to drive hordes of dream customers to your funnel.

You’ll unearth a “honey hole” of golden customers who are LOOKING for your offer, learn how to bring in customers like clockwork, and create high-converting, low-cost ads.

Plus, you’re going to work alongside…

Stephen J. Larsen started as a freelance funnel builder learning the ropes. Now he’s got a massive funnel-building empire. He’s going to teach you how to transform your funnel-building skills(that you learned the previous days) into a massive profit-generating opportunity.

Eileen Wilder had no idea what a funnel was just two years ago… and now she’s a multiple 2-Comma Club Winner! She’s going to teach you how ANYONE can add a virtual high ticket offer to their funnel for a MASSIVE boost in sales!

Join The ‘Your First Funnel’ Challenge!

Day 5 – DO it NOW!

Now we’re crossing the finish line.

On Day 5, we’ll help you eliminate your limiting beliefs, teach you how to stack your offer to increase your average order value, and tell you a story that will inspire you to keep taking action.

You’re going to hear from…

Daymond John, shark tank legend, is going to go LIVE and share his own story on how he “bootstrapped” his way to success!

Join The ‘Your First Funnel’ Challenge!

Here’s What to Expect From Your First Funnel Challenge 

So… what is this challenge going to require of you? What results can you expect to get from it?

Here’s what you can expect.

Your Mind is a Sponge…

You’re going to be taking in a LOT of information over these 5 days. You’ll be learning from some of the best minds in the entrepreneurial world… and it’s important to attend every session ready to take notes!

Take Massive Action…

You’ll need to put in the work to get results from this challenge. But don’t worry, we’ll be there with you every step of the way to help you take massive action and get results!

Get Everything You Need…

You’re going to get everything you need to build and bootstrap your business idea from scratch. The know-how, the mindset, the tools, and tactics — all of it, from real-world entrepreneurs who are living the life you want to live!

Funnel Hackers UNITE…

By signing up for this challenge, you’re going to be joining a community of entrepreneurs who are committed to taking their businesses to the next level.

Change Your Life…

It might sound cliche… but this challenge has the potential to change the trajectory of your life. More freedom. More impact. More fun making money the way you want to make money. We’ve seen it happen time and time again, and we know it can happen for you, too!

Who is Your First Funnel Challenge for? 

The Your First Funnel Challenge is for anyone who wants to build a business online.

If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur with an idea for a business, but you don’t know how to get started… this challenge is for you.

If you’re struggling to get traction with your online business, and you’re looking for a way to get things moving in the right direction… this challenge is for you.

If you’re fed up with your 9-to-5 job and you’re ready to take control of your life and your income… this challenge is for you.

The Your First Funnel Challenge is for anyone who is ready to take their business (or sapling idea) to the next level. 

If that’s you, then sign up!

Who is Your First Funnel Challenge NOT for?

If you’re the type of person who likes to sit on the sidelines and watch others take action… this challenge is NOT for you. 

If you’re not willing to put in the work to see results… this challenge is NOT for you. 

The Your First Funnel Challenge is NOT for people who are not ready to change their lives. 

If you’re happy with where you’re at in life, and you don’t want to rock the boat… this challenge is NOT for you. 

But if you’re ready for a change, and you’re ready to take massive action to see results… then sign up for the challenge now!

How Long is Your First Funnel Challenge? 

5 days. 1 hour each day.

Why?

Because we didn’t leave any fat on the bone (most long challenges could easily be cut down to less if they focused on action and execution).

It’s going to be an exciting and thrilling five days.

Make sure you set aside the necessary time and energy to take action!

But Wait! There’s More…

You know us…

At ClickFunnels, we love to blow your socks off with mind-boggling bonuses. We want to make the Your First Funnel Challenge an absolute no-brainer, value bomb.

So…

Here’s the other cool stuff you’re going to get!

Bonus #1: The World’s Greatest Funnel Builders

What if you got to sit at the feet of some of the world’s greatest funnel builders as they told you their deepest secrets of success?

That alone would be worth tens of thousands of dollars!

Dean Graziosi

Dean Graziosi is a multiple New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, trainer, and infomercial legend! For over 25 years, Dean has dedicated his life to helping entrepreneurs create the life and freedom they crave.

Grant Cardone

Grant Cardone is a best-selling author of The 10X Rule and If You’re Not First, You’re Last, as well as a marketing trainer, entrepreneur, and real estate mogul.

Grant will show you how to apply the 10X Rule to every part of your life so you can live a life of freedom, happiness, and wealth!

Myron Golden

Myron Golden, Ph.D. is one of the most in-demand speakers and trainers in sales, marketing, and business development in the world— helping men and women get what they’re actually worth!

Todd Brown

One of the top funnel builders and marketing legends in the world, Todd Brown has worked and consulted with titans of direct response marketing, including businesses such as Agora. 

He’ll be teaching how to develop YOUR “big idea” so you, your brand, and your offer can stand out even in a saturated market!

Russell Brunson

Hey, that’s our founder! Now that you have a funnel live, Russell will show you the “One Funnel Away” process that can help take your funnel to the next level and potentially break through the 1 MM in sales and achieve a 2-Comma Club Award at Funnel Hacking LIVE!

Bonus #2: No Product? No Problem

Wish you could build a baller business… but don’t have a great product idea?

This bonus is going to solve that for you.

Attend this exclusive one-day event where you’ll learn the secrets behind how serial entrepreneurs come up with an endless stream of great business ideas. Specifically, you’ll learn from…

Keala Kanae & Anthony Morrison

Keala Kanae and Anthony Morrison are two of our top ClickFunnels super affiliates who have won multiple 2-Comma Club Awards and continue to generate thousands ClickFunnels trials per day.

They’ll show you how they use funnels to promote other people’s products for big, fat commissions, and how you can ethically steal their secrets for your own funnel and start producing sales practically overnight!

Bonus #3: Your Winning Funnel

Every industry is different. Every niche is different. Every offer is different.

So how would you like to get THE BEST funnel that works for your specific business idea?

That’s what we’re going to give you — all you have to do is plug in your copy and offer, then flip the switch.

We invited the TOP EXPERTS of their field to show us the exact funnel that CRUSHES it for them.

And the crazy part is, they’re going to GIVE YOU their highest performing funnels.

Here’s the line-up of funnel experts coming to teach…

Jeff Walker

Jeff Walker is the KING of the product launch funnel. He’ll show you the “dos and don’ts” of this type of funnel, and how to win big every time you launch a new product.

Trey Lewellyn

Trey Lewellyn is a Jedi Master when it comes to high-converting eComm funnels… and he rarely allows anyone to see what goes on behind closed doors. He’ll show us how he uses advertorials to test and find winning offers… and when it’s time to scale scale scale!

Pedro Adao

Pedro Adao is an 8-figure business owner and the #1 go-to industry expert when it comes to “challenge funnels.” He’ll show you how to “niche down” and create a challenge funnel that attracts YOUR TARGET BUYERS to your offer!

Dan Henry

Dan Henry is a multiple 2-Comma Club Award winner and 8-figure business owner that has helped THOUSANDS of everyday entrepreneurs charge more!!! He’ll be showing you how to easily create high-converting webinar funnels.

Gabe Schillinger

Gabe Schillinger is a 2-Comma Club Award winner and music producer that’s worked with names like Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar. He’ll show you how to expertly craft contest funnels to grow your business, no matter the type of business you’re in!

Stephen J. Larsen

Stephen Larsen will join us once again, but this time, he’ll show you how to build an affiliate/networking marketing funnel that can help scale your business to the moon! (THIS type of funnel is level 10 critical to learn if you want to go from 0 to FAT STACKS OF GREEN in as little time as possible!!)

Perry Belcher

Perry Belcher is an 8-figure business owner, investor, coach, trainer, consultant, and marketing LEGEND! He’ll show you how to use “trip-wire funnels” to gain an AVALANCHE of ready-to-buy customers!

How Much Does the Your First Funnel Challenge Cost?

The Your First Funnel Challenge is only $47. We don’t want anything to stand in your way of having a successful funnel business, so we’re giving you access to everything you need to get started.

What’s the catch? 

Well, you are going to have to put in the work to watch the lessons and do the homework if you want to see results — there’s no way around it. 

Also, there’s an add-on option where you can buy a VIP seat for $29. This gives you recordings, a coach to help you implement, answer your questions, and NOT procrastinate. It’s a fantastic deal if you want the upgrade… (usually coaching like this costs hundreds)… we probably should have charged more. But, hey, we’re here to see you succeed! And we know that this will give you your best shot.

Awesome results require awesome action. 

But we’ll be there with you every step of the way, cheering you on and supporting you as you build the business (and life) of your dreams. 

So what are you waiting for?

Join The ‘Your First Funnel’ Challenge!

Thanks for reading What Is The Your First Funnel Challenge? which appeared first on ClickFunnels.

Have you ever had an amazing business idea?

So many people come up with great ideas, share them with friends or family, and then talk about what life could be like.

For most people, talking is where the journey ends.

But you’re different.

If you’re reading this, you’re the 1% who are serious about making your business idea more than just a conversation. You want to take action. You want to change something in your life.

In this post, I’ve listed out the 5 most powerful tips to launch a business and start getting customers or sales.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it – building a business from scratch requires hard work. But if you’re serious about your business idea, this blog post is your fast track for actually making it happen.

So, let’s dive into our top 5 tips for starting a business from scratch as a beginner!

1. Identify Your Dream Customers

The 5 tips in this blog post come straight from Russell Brunson, the co-founder of ClickFunnels.

If you don’t already know, ClickFunnels has over 100,000 active customers and many of them started from scratch to build multi-million dollar businesses.

So there are fewer people more qualified on this subject than Russell.

The #1 Mistake Entrepreneurs Make

In Russell’s book Traffic Secrets, he talks about the biggest mistake that entrepreneurs make. 

Here it is.

Too many entrepreneurs get so excited about their business idea or vision that they forget the people who actually make a business successful: the customers.

Hear me out.

I’m not saying you should get rid of your vision. In fact, I’m about to teach you how to harness that vision and turn it into the life-changing business you’re dreaming of. 

And that starts with identifying your dream customers first.

Here’s Russell:

“[Entrepreneurs] believe that if they build a great product, or create an amazing company, the customers will automatically follow. I see entrepreneurs who will invest every last penny they have to create the products and services they think will change the world without ever considering who their dream customers are or how they’re going to reach them.”

And it’s not just Russell who believes this.

Check out these quotes from some of the most successful business people in the world.

• Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon:
  
  “We’re not competitor-obsessed, we’re customer-obsessed. We start with what the customer needs and we work backwards.”
• Sam Walton, Founder of Walmart:
  
  “There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.”
• Steve Jobs, Co-Founder of Apple:
  
  “You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work back toward the technology – not the other way around.”

Instead of diving headfirst into building a product or service, you need to ask yourself one critical question:

• Who is your dream customer?

A lot of the time, your dream customer is someone who’s just like you. 

They’re people you understand deeply or they’re members of a community you’re also a part of. 

If you’ve come up with a business idea yourself, it’s likely a solution to a problem you’ve faced in your own life. 

And that’s the best kind of business to start – one that solves a problem you know intimately.

Creating Your Customer Avatar

So, how do you figure out who your dream customer is?

Start by filling out the ClickFunnels customer avatar template below.

This tool will help you clarify who your dream customers are, what they care about, and where you can find them. 

The more specific you can be, the better your chances of reaching and connecting with the people who will become the lifeblood of your business.

If your business idea is more like a brick-and-mortar business, where your customers are only going to be those in a local area, the same applies. 

Perhaps instead of looking at magazines or blogs & websites you can think about:

• NextDoor communities
• Local Facebook Groups
• Local newspapers
• Restaurants, bars, or coffee shops where they hang out
• Neighborhoods where they live

Building out a customer avatar may seem like a tedious place to start.

But I promise you this is the best foundation block to build your business on – and will help you nail Tip #2 way faster.

Click Here to Get Traffic Secrets for Free!

2. Find an Unmet Desire

All businesses, whether they sell a product or service, exist for one simple reason: to solve problems. 

Usually, the problem manifests because someone has an unmet desire in their life.

That’s the driving force behind why people want to buy. 

Yet, many businesses fail because they only look inward at their products or services, never truly understanding the people who will buy from them.

So, how do you figure out what your dream customers really want?

As Russell Brunson explains in Traffic Secrets, there are only three core desires that drive every purchase:

• Health
• Wealth
• Relationships

Here’s Russell:

“When people purchase any product from anyone, they’re hoping to get a certain result in one of these three areas of their lives.”

So, how does this apply to your dream customers?

First, you need to determine which of these three core desire buckets your dream customers are focused on. Is their primary desire to improve their health, increase their wealth, or enhance their relationships?

To illustrate how powerful these core desires are, let’s look at five famous slogans from businesses that sell billions of dollars by marketing to one of these desires:

• Gillette – “The Best a Man Can Get”: This iconic slogan isn’t just about shaving; it’s about relationships. It speaks to the desire for men to look and feel their best, which ties directly into their relationships with others.
• Apple – “Think Different”: This campaign appeals to the desire for wealth – not just in terms of money, but in creating and being part of something innovative and revolutionary, which can lead to greater success.
• Nike – “Just Do It”: Nike taps into the desire for health. It’s not just about selling shoes; it’s about inspiring people to take control of their physical well-being and push themselves to achieve more.
• L’Oréal – “Because You’re Worth It”: This slogan is about relationships, particularly the relationship one has with oneself. It encourages self-confidence and self-care, which resonates deeply with consumers looking to feel good about themselves.
• De Beers – “A Diamond is Forever”: This classic slogan appeals to the desire for relationships, symbolizing eternal love and commitment through the purchase of diamonds.

While your product or service may touch on multiple desires, your marketing message should focus on just one of these core desires. 

This laser focus ensures that your message resonates deeply with your dream customers.

Joining Your Dream Customers in Their Own Conversations

Not sure which of the three desires your dream customers want?

Do some research. 

Go back to your customer avatar document and search through forums, websites, social media groups, or other sources of information where your potential customers hang out. 

Make a list of at least a dozen things they’re saying or thinking.

For example, in Traffic Secrets, Russell provides examples of phrases people use that reflect the pursuit of their desires. 

He splits the phrases into two columns:

• Moving away from pain
• Moving toward pleasure

This is one of the most powerful uses of your time if you’re looking to start a business from scratch.

It might seem tedious, but trust me, it will pay off in the next section as we delve deeper into crafting a message that grabs your audience’s attention.

Click Here to Get Traffic Secrets for Free!

3. Throw Out Hooks

One of the most powerful concepts in Traffic Secrets is Russell Brunson’s Hook, Story & Offer framework.

 Whenever Russell hears someone say their business isn’t making any sales, he almost always traces the problem back to one of these three areas. 

Most of the time, it’s an issue with the hook.

Often, the root cause is that the business owner hasn’t done their homework in the first two sections—identifying their dream customer and finding an unmet desire. 

But now that you’ve done that, you’re ready to create compelling hooks that grab attention and drive engagement.

Understanding the Hook

So, what exactly is a hook? 

A hook is the first sentence that pulls your audience in. 

The purpose of the hook is to get someone to stop what they’re doing and pay attention to your message. 

Without a strong hook, even the best stories and offers will go unnoticed.

Let’s look at some examples of hooks in different formats:

• Emails: A subject line that piques curiosity, such as “The one thing that everyone gets wrong when starting a business…”
• Instagram posts: A bold opening line like, “Ever wonder why your morning routine is ruining your day?”
• Facebook posts: An eye-catching statement, “I doubled my income in 30 days—here’s how you can too.”
• YouTube thumbnails: A thumbnail with a shocking image and text overlay like, “This mistake cost me $10,000!”
• SMS: A quick, attention-grabbing text, “Limited time offer—Don’t miss out on 50% off!”

In addition to these online hooks, businesses have been using offline hooks for decades. 

Think about the end-cap displays in supermarkets that showcase “limited time” products, or the giant banners you see in stores promoting a flash sale. 

These hooks are designed to catch your attention as you walk by, making you stop and take notice.

Basically, anything that grabs your attention is a hook.

Creating Your Own Hooks

Now it’s time to create hooks of your own. 

The key is to base your hooks on the exact sentences your dream customers are saying, which you identified in the previous section. 

Whether they’re moving away from pain or towards pleasure, your hooks should speak directly to these emotions.

Here are five examples of ads from successful businesses where the hook clearly taps into one of the three core desires (health, wealth, relationships) and aligns with the customer’s movement away from pain or towards pleasure:

1. Sabri Suby – “This FLOODED my business with clients”…**: This Facebook Ads hook from leading Australian marketer Sabri Suby speaks to any business owner trying to move away from the pain of having not enough clients and sales. This clearly taps into the ‘wealth’ desire bucket.

2. Russell Brunson – “Want to learn the #1 secret you’re probably missing when it comes to launching your online business”: This hook from Russell Brunson, the ClickFunnels co-founder, talks to anyone looking to start an online business. Another hook tapping into the ‘wealth’ desire bucket.

3. MindValley – “So many of us are drenched in stress and we don’t even realize that there could be any other way to live a life.”: Mindvalley is a nine-figure business in the online health and wellness industry. This hook speaks directly to anyone experiencing stress or anxiety in their lives and taps into the ‘health’ desire bucket.

4. Kayla Itsines – “Short workouts you can do AT HOME, so that you can get on with your busy day!”: Kayla Itsines is the co-creator of the Sweat app, which offers a variety of online fitness programs and is one of the highest-grossing fitness apps globally. This hook speaks to dream customers who struggle to find the time for exercise but still want to improve their health.

5. Matthew Hussey – “Afraid you’ll stay single for the rest of your life?”: Matthew Hussey is one of the biggest in the relationship industry online. This hook taps into the desire for better relationships, but talking about the pain someone feels that they’ll be single for good.

Practicing Your Hooks

The hook is everything when it comes to grabbing attention.

 A strong hook also filters out anyone who isn’t your dream customer and speaks directly to the people you’re looking to help. 

So how to get started?

To practice creating hooks, go into forums or groups where your dream customers are active and start engaging with them. 

You don’t even need to sell anything at this stage.

Just start a conversation. 

See if you can get likes or comments on a post. 

Once you can grab your dream customers’ attention, you can lead them through the story and ultimately to the offer. 

But it all starts with a great hook.

4. Tell a Story

After you’ve caught someone’s attention with a compelling hook, you can’t just jump straight into making your offer. 

That’s like proposing marriage on the first date.

It’s too much, too soon. 

Instead, you need to warm your dream customer up with a story to get them into the right state of mind to consider buying.

Russell Brunson explains exactly how to do this in his book Expert Secrets with the Epiphany Bridge script.

The core idea is simple but powerful: people don’t buy on logic—they buy on emotion. 

To get someone to understand your big idea or vision, you can’t just show them the product and expect them to feel the same way you do. 

You need to create an emotional connection.

Let’s say you’ve thrown out a hook that appeals to a specific dream customer who is moving towards something they really want.

You need to tell a convincing story about how you, or someone they can relate to, achieved that same outcome. 

This story acts as a ‘bridge’.

Here are five examples of businesses that have effectively used an Epiphany Bridge story to sell a product or service:

1. Subway – Jared Fogle’s Weight Loss Story: Subway famously used the story of Jared Fogle, who lost a significant amount of weight by eating Subway sandwiches. His personal journey resonated with many and made the idea of eating healthier with Subway sandwiches relatable and achievable.
2. Proactiv – Celebrity Success Stories: Proactiv has used the stories of celebrities like Jessica Simpson and Kendall Jenner, who struggled with acne and found success with Proactiv. These stories make the product relatable and demonstrate its effectiveness through real-life experiences.
3. Peloton – Customer Transformation Stories: Peloton frequently shares stories of its users who have undergone significant physical and mental transformations using their equipment and classes. These stories create an emotional connection with potential customers who are looking for similar results.
4. Apple – “Think Different” Campaign: Apple’s “Think Different” campaign didn’t just sell computers; it sold the idea of being innovative and revolutionary, telling the stories of iconic figures like Albert Einstein and Mahatma Gandhi. This connected with customers who saw themselves as visionaries or disruptors.
5. TOMS – One for One Movement: TOMS used the story of its founder, Blake Mycoskie, and his mission to provide shoes to children in need. Every time a customer bought a pair of shoes, TOMS would donate another pair to someone in need. This story resonated with consumers who wanted to make a difference, driving both sales and social impact.

To practice this, start adding a story to the hooks you’ve been making. 

Talk about how you, or a believable character, achieved the result your audience is looking for in a way that gets them emotionally invested. 

If you start getting responses like “How can I do that?” or “Can you show me more?” then you know you’ve successfully connected with your audience.

Now you’re ready for the final stage of starting a business from scratch!

5. Make an Offer

The last piece of the puzzle is making an offer. 

This is the third step in the Hook, Story, Offer framework.

• The hook grabs attention
• The story keeps the person engaged and gets them emotionally invested
• The offer is what gets them to take action

In his book Traffic Secrets, Russell Brunson says that if people are engaging with your hooks and stories but aren’t buying or doing what you want, then you need to increase the value of your offer. 

As the legendary marketer Dan Kennedy used to say, “Make an offer so good that people feel stupid saying no.”

There are several ways to increase the value of your offer:

1. Pricing Strategies: You can create tiered pricing options that provide more value at different levels. For example, offering a basic package, a premium package with extra features, and an exclusive package with one-on-one coaching.
2. Guarantees: Offering a money-back guarantee or a satisfaction guarantee can reduce the perceived risk for your customers, making them more likely to take action. For example, a 30-day money-back guarantee if they’re not satisfied with the results.
3. Bonuses: Adding additional bonuses can make your offer more attractive. These could include extra resources, access to a private community, or a free consultation. For instance, if you’re selling an online course, you might include a bonus eBook or a series of follow-up webinars.
4. Scarcity and Urgency: Limited-time offers or exclusive deals create a sense of urgency, encouraging people to act quickly. For example, offering a special discount for the first 100 customers or a bonus that’s only available for the next 48 hours.
5. Testimonials and Case Studies: Showcasing success stories and testimonials from satisfied customers can significantly increase the perceived value of your offer by providing social proof.

To practice making offers, start small. 

Your offer doesn’t have to involve money at first. 

You could try to get someone to sign up for a free call, fill out a survey, download a lead magnet, or join your newsletter. This will help you understand what works and refine your approach.

But don’t be discouraged—many successful entrepreneurs started by offering their services for free to build experience and rapport. 

Here are a few examples:

• Alex Hormozi: Alex Hormozi, now a successful entrepreneur and author, started by offering free fitness consulting services. He provided his expertise to gyms for free, which helped him build a track record and eventually scale his business, Gym Launch, into a multi-million-dollar company.
• Tony Robbins: Tony Robbins, one of the most famous life coaches in the world, initially started by offering free coaching sessions. He wanted to practice and refine his techniques, which eventually led to paid clients and the launch of his global personal development empire.
• Gary Vaynerchuk: Before becoming a well-known entrepreneur and social media guru, Gary Vaynerchuk offered free advice and consulting to build his personal brand. He spent years providing free content and advice on wine and social media, which helped him grow his following and eventually led to lucrative business opportunities.

If you can’t even get someone to take up an offer that costs nothing, you’ll have a hard time convincing people to buy your paid offers. 

Oh, and by the way…

If you want a quick and easy way to do any of the things mentioned above, then check out ClickFunnels. 

With ClickFunnels, you can quickly build a professional-looking website, create landing pages that capture leads, and set up automated email sequences to nurture your prospects—all without needing any technical skills. 

It’s the perfect tool for entrepreneurs who want to start a business from scratch and grow it into something profitable.

Try ClickFunnels Free for 14 Days!

Final Thoughts on Starting a Business From Scratch for Beginners

A lot of content out there makes starting a business seem incredibly complex and daunting. 

You’ll hear about all the regulations, the need for investments and capital, patents, and business protection. 

While these things are important, they aren’t what truly builds a business.

Building a business is simple at its core. 

It’s about throwing out a good hook, telling a compelling story, and making a strong offer. 

That’s it.

These are the only three variables you really need to focus on to start a business from scratch. 

Get these right, and you’ll be well on your way to building something successful. 

So don’t get overwhelmed by all the noise—focus on mastering your hook, story, and offer, and the rest will follow!

Thanks for reading Beginners – Your Guide to Starting a Business from Scratch which appeared first on ClickFunnels.

Launching your own business is one of the most exciting adventures you can have in life. 

It’s not just about making money; it’s about creating a better life for yourself and your loved ones. 

But the journey is not easy. 

Studies suggest that 87.7% of entrepreneurs struggle with mental health issues due to the stress and pressure of running a business. 

So what if there was a smoother path to success? 

ClickFunnels co-founder Russell Brunson discovered exactly this after years of exhaustion as an entrepreneur. In his book DotCom Secrets, he talks about finally finding success and fulfillment by asking four key questions before launching any new product or service. 

These questions form what he calls the ‘Secret Formula’. 

Below, we’ll explore these questions and provide actionable tips to help you launch a successful business you’ll also love working on. 

Get ready to unlock the secrets to building a business that transforms your life!

What is the ‘Secret Formula’ to Launching a Business?

After Russell created the Secret Formula, he began using these four questions with his private coaching clients. 

These were high-level clients who invested $25,000 a day to work with Russell.

Luckily for you, we’re diving into these questions today and it won’t cost you a cent!

The four questions that make up the Secret Formula are: 

1. Who is your dream customer? 
2. Where are they congregating? 
3. What bait will you use to attract them? 
4. What’s the result you want to give them? 

That’s it.

That’s the secret formula.

The answers to these questions will literally determine the success or failure of your business launch. 

In the sections below, we’ll explore each question in detail, offering practical and actionable tips to help you answer them effectively and keep your business on the path to success.

Step #1: Who is Your Dream Customer?

Most people who start a business begin with an idea for a product or service. 

Let me guess — that’s exactly how you started, right? 

But here’s the thing: it’s the wrong way to begin.

Instead, you need to start by thinking about your dream customers and considering what they want. 

Take a quick look at a few examples of businesses that initially launched a product or service and completely failed – until they shifted their focus to understanding their dream customers and how best to serve them.

Post-it Notes: From Failed Adhesive to Office Essential

Post-it Notes began as a complete failure.

It was originally developed as a weak adhesive that no one seemed to need. The product only found success when 3M realized that their dream customers were office workers who needed a simple way to organize and communicate. 

By repositioning the product as a tool for note-taking and reminders, Post-it Notes became indispensable in offices worldwide, leading to annual sales exceeding $1 billion.

Slack: From Failed Video Game to Workplace Communication Powerhouse

Slack started as a failed video game development project called Glitch.

The game found a small group of raving fans. But the majority of players didn’t like the game and the creator, Stewart Butterfield, and his team, struggled to grow revenue.

But while working on the game, Butterfield created an in-house communication tool that helped streamline their workflow. His team realized that their true dream customers were not gamers, but businesses that needed better internal communication tools. 

After pivoting to focus on workplace messaging, Slack became a massive success, growing to over 12 million daily active users by 2020 and generating $902 million in revenue that same year.

Starbucks: From Coffee Bean Retailer to Global Coffeehouse Brand

Starbucks originally failed to gain traction as a coffee bean retailer, with customers uninterested in brewing high-quality coffee at home.

The company pivoted when it realized that its dream customers were actually looking for a social experience around coffee.

By transforming into a coffeehouse that offered a “third place” between home and work, Starbucks grew to over 30,000 stores worldwide and reported $32 billion in revenue in 2022.

The ‘Magic’ of Launching Your Product to an Audience You Know Will Buy

Quick note.

I’m not saying that you should scrap your business idea.

What I’m saying is that defining your dream customer, figuring out the problems they want to solve, and matching your product to the solution will help you reach success faster.

When you get this right, magic literally happens right out the gate.

Here’s a couple exams of businesses who built their product or service idea around their dream customers first, and then experienced miracles when launching their business.

Airbnb: Helping Homeowners Make Extra Cash and Revolutionizing the Rentals Industry

Airbnb began with a clear focus on their dream customers – homeowners looking to earn extra income. 

The co-founder, Brian Chesky, understood the audience’s problems because he had rented out an air mattress in his shared flat to make some money. His guests loved the experience, and the business grew organically from there.

AirBnb struggled to get investors interested at first. They thought the idea posed safety issues — at first, the idea was to rent out a room while owners were still there.

But Airbnb quickly gained traction among its target audience.

This customer-first approach helped Airbnb grow rapidly, reaching over 6 million listings in more than 100,000 cities by 2020, with the company valued at over $100 billion by the time it went public.

Peloton: Catering to Fitness Enthusiasts With a Premium Home Workout Experience

Peloton identified their dream customers as fitness enthusiasts who craved the energy and community of live workouts but wanted the convenience of exercising at home. 

By developing high-quality exercise equipment paired with live-streamed and on-demand classes, Peloton created a unique, tailored experience that resonated deeply with the target audience. 

This focused approach led to rapid success, with Peloton reaching over 1.4 million subscribers and generating $1.8 billion in revenue by 2020, just eight years after launching.

Dropbox: Simplifying File Storage for the Everyday User

Dropbox was founded after Drew Houston, the company’s founder, grew frustrated with not being able to access important files while commuting by bus.

He kept forgetting his USB stick.

This led him to create a cloud storage solution that would allow people like him to access their files from anywhere.

Dropbox was built with a clear understanding of its dream customers – everyday computer users frustrated with managing and sharing files across different devices.

Within just two years of launching, Dropbox reached 50 million users. By 2017, the company was generating over $1 billion in annual revenue and made its place as a leader in the cloud storage industry.

How to Shape Your Business Launch Around Your Dream Customers

So…how can you get your business off to a successful launch like that?

The easiest way is with a customer avatar.

In the video below, one of ClickFunnels’ top affiliates John Lee Dumas talks about how defining his customer avatar helps him create products that sell.

It really helps you to map out your dream customer in a document you can come back to for reference.

Here’s an example of what a customer avatar document, based on John Lee Dumas’ insights, might look like.

This is just a random example. 

But you can expand upon this basic customer avatar to tune in to your dream buyer.

Now let’s move on to step two, where we figure out where our dream customers hang out online.

Step #2: Where are They Congregating?

Now that you’ve identified your dream customer and matched your product to their pains and dreams…

You need to actually find your dream customers online.

Too many businesses have failed because they launched a great product or service that solves the real problems of a group of people… but they just couldn’t get in front of them.

Take a look at these examples below.

Juicero: A Premium Product That Didn’t Reach Health-Conscious Consumers

Juicero was a high-tech juicing machine that failed to succeed.

It was probably a great product… but it never effectively reached its intended audience of health-conscious consumers who valued convenience and fresh produce. 

Instead of targeting digital platforms where this audience congregates – like Instagram and health-focused blogs – Juicero focused on general media coverage and high-end retail placements. 

This disconnect never reached the kinds of people who would see the value in spending $400 on a juicer, which would save them time in their own daily juicing routines.

As a result, Juicero shut down in 2017 after failing to generate sustainable sales.

Quibi: Missing the Mark With Mobile-First Millennials

Quibi was designed to provide high-quality, short-form video content for mobile users.

But it struggled to reach its target audience of millennials who are already engaged on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.

Quibi was instead advertised on traditional media channels like TV and billboards. Had it targeted its ideal audience where it actually was… it could have been a better success.

However, after spending nearly $2 billion on the project, Quibi shut down just six months after its launch in 2020 due to low subscriber numbers.

Google Glass: Failing to Engage Early Adopters in Tech Communities

Google Glass was an amazing product that displayed information through a device resembling eyeglasses.

It had new features like augmented reality and voice control.

But instead of focusing on digital platforms where dream customers congregated – like tech forums, Reddit, and specialized tech blogs – Google Glass was marketed through mainstream media and high-profile public demonstrations. 

This approach didn’t work. The mass-market consumer didn’t really see the value in the fancy features.

Google Glass was discontinued in 2015 after poor sales and privacy concerns.

How to Find Your Dream Customers and Advertise Only to Them

Step two to launching a successful business is finding out where your dream customers are, so you can get in front of them.

You’ll not only get sales more easily…but you’ll avoid wasting money on failing ads.

This is important. In the examples above, it probably wasn’t the product that flopped – it was because the product wasn’t put in front of dream customers.

We wrote about finding where your customers are in this post about the Dream 100.

To help you target your dream customers, start by finding the digital spaces where they are right now. I recommend you list out these spaces one by one and find the following:

• 10 websites and forums
• 15 active Facebook groups
• 50 influencers on Facebook & Instagram
• 30 podcasts
• 40 email newsletters
• 20 blogs
• 20 YouTube Channels

Here’s a cheat sheet you might want to use to help you get there.

I know it sounds like a lot.

But this is an exercise that will pay off in huge rewards when you come to actually launch your business.

Take a look at how the businesses below leveraged pre-existing communities online to launch a successful business.

Craftsy: Harnessing the Power of Communities for Rapid Growth

Craftsy quickly found success by targeting its dream customers – craft enthusiasts – on platforms where they were already active. 

To gain their first 1,000 customers, the company focused on Facebook groups dedicated to popular categories like quilting. They also partnered with sources running quilting newsletters, helping them monetize by introducing Craftsy to their audiences. 

Craftsy rapidly expanded its reach, growing to over 8 million people segmented across various clubs, and turning into a $24 million business.

HelloFresh: Leveraging Podcasts to Reach a Hungry Audience

In 2020, while other meal kit companies like Blue Apron were struggling with the pandemic, HelloFresh added 1 million new customers in the first quarter alone. 

How?

HelloFresh’s success was driven by a strategic focus on lifestyle, motherhood, and cooking influencers, as well as targeted podcast sponsorships. 

The company offered special discounts and shared personal experiences of cooking with their kits on podcasts their dream customers listened to – busy individuals who valued healthy and convenient meals.

This strategy led to a 50% increase in new customers during the campaign, proving the power of targeted marketing to an engaged and loyal audience.

MVMT: Harnessing Instagram Influencers for Explosive Growth

MVMT, the stylish watch and accessories brand, skyrocketed from $0 to a $100 million exit in just five years by strategically partnering with Instagram influencers. 

By focusing on their dream customers – young, fashion-conscious individuals – MVMT used influencers to advertise their products.

This approach allowed them to grow their influencer channel 7X, resulting in over 100,000 discount codes and affiliate conversions. During the campaign, their partner influencers created more than 39,000 pieces of content. 

This influencer-driven strategy helped move MVMT to rapid success, transforming the brand into a social media sensation and a leader in the direct-to-consumer market.

See how powerful this can be?

When you find out where your target audience congregates, then you don’t need to focus on building a platform yourself.

You just advertise on a platform someone else has built.

Now let’s move on to the third step, where you’ll learn how to attract customers on these platforms and launch your business successfully.

Step #3: What Bait Will You Use to Attract Them?

The next step is to consider the bait you’re going to use to bring your dream clients into your world and get them interested in your products or services. 

You’ve probably heard of this type of bait referred to as a lead magnet. 

But before we dive deeper, let’s take a step back. 

You might be wondering: if you’ve already defined your dream customer and know where to find them, why not just get them to buy your product or service right away? 

The truth is, it’s not always that straightforward. 

Even some of the most established companies with well-known products still use some form of bait to attract potential customers, get them to explore their offerings, and ultimately make a purchase. 

Let’s look at a couple of examples.

McDonald’s: Baiting Customers With Free or Discounted Food Items

McDonald’s usually offers free or heavily discounted items, like free fries or a $1 coffee, when customers download and use their mobile app. 

These offers encourage customers to try the app and place orders through it, where they are exposed to additional menu items and deals. 

The convenience and savings often lead to repeat purchases, increasing customer loyalty.

Amazon Prime: Free 30-Day Trial to Reel Customers in

Amazon offers a free 30-day trial of its Prime membership as its own lead magnet.

The 30-day trial includes benefits like free shipping, access to Prime Video, and exclusive deals. 

The trial is designed to showcase the value of Prime membership, making it hard for users to give up these perks once the trial ends.

And this converts them into long-term paying members.

Dyson: Risk-Free Trial Period & Free Returns on Expensive Appliances

Dyson also offers a risk-free 30-day trial on their high-end home products, such as vacuum cleaners and air purifiers. 

Customers can purchase a product, use it at home, and return it within 30 days for a full refund if they don’t like it.

This is a powerful lead magnet. There’s no risk for the consumer to spend money.

And while it’s a potential risk for Dyson…it allows consumers to check out the quality and performance of Dyson products firsthand.

This leads to increased sales and customer confidence in the brand.

Warby Parker: Selling Glasses With a Free Home Try-On Program

Warby Parker allows customers to select up to five pairs of eyeglasses to try on at home for free for five days. 

This is a creative lead magnet.

It makes it easy for customers to test different styles and fits without any obligation to purchase. 

The convenience and personalized experience often lead to customers buying at least one pair after the trial period, increasing sales and customer satisfaction.

Levi’s: Generating Leads With a 20% off First Purchase for Email Sign-Up

Pretty much all e-commerce websites offer you a discount just by signing up to the mailing list.

Levi’s does the same, offering new customers by offering 20% off their first purchase when they sign up for the brand’s email newsletter. 

This lead magnet makes it easier to get a sale off first-time customers.

Additionally, by signing up, customers receive regular updates on new products, sales, and exclusive offers, keeping them engaged with the brand and encouraging future purchases.

15 Different Kinds of Lead Magnets for You to Use

See how the lead magnet works?

Using a lead magnet helps you increase the number of sales you get from the same number of people, and that’s important for a successful business launch.

So how can you get started building a lead magnet?

There are many different types of lead magnets, and the best one will depend on the product or service you’re looking to sell.

Here’s a breakdown of 15 different kinds of lead magnets to help you choose the right one for you.

1. Free Trial

Example: A SaaS company offers a 14-day free trial to let users explore premium features of their project management tool.

2. Discount Code

Example: An online clothing retailer provides a 15% off coupon for first-time buyers who sign up for their newsletter.

3. Free Shipping

Example: A home goods store offers free shipping on all orders for customers who join their loyalty program.

4. Ebook/Guide

Example: A digital marketing agency offers a free ebook on “10 Ways to Boost Your Website Traffic” in exchange for an email address.

5. Webinar/Workshop

Example: A financial consulting firm hosts a free online workshop on “How to Invest Wisely During Market Volatility.”

6. Free Sample

Example: A skincare brand offers a free sample of their best-selling moisturizer with sign-up for their email list.

7. Exclusive Content

Example: A news publication provides access to a special report on “Emerging Trends in AI” for users who subscribe to their email updates.

8. Template/Checklist

Example: A productivity app offers a downloadable daily planner template to help users organize their tasks effectively.

9. Quiz/Assessment

Example: A fitness brand provides a free “Find Your Ideal Workout Plan” quiz that recommends products based on the results.

10. Contest/Giveaway Entry

Example: A fashion brand offers entry into a giveaway for a $500 shopping spree in exchange for following them on social media.

11. Free Consultation

Example: A real estate agent offers a free 30-minute consultation to discuss home buying or selling strategies.

12. Access to Exclusive Sale

Example: A luxury fashion retailer offers early access to a seasonal sale for customers who join their VIP email list.

13. Early Access to Products

Example: A tech gadget company provides early access to new product releases for users who sign up for their email notifications.

14. Recipe Book or Meal Plan

Example: A health food brand offers a free downloadable recipe book featuring meals made with their products.

15. Video Tutorial Series

Example: A home improvement store offers a free series of video tutorials on DIY home renovation projects to email subscribers.

You can read more about creating a lead magnet here.

So how do you know what lead magnet is best to bait your dream customers?

Most of the time, if you’re not clear on your lead magnet, it’s because you’re not clear enough yet on your dream customer.

So go back to step 1.

In fact, in the book DotCom Secrets, Russell Brunson describes the power of the bait to attract only dream customers…and finds out that the more you define your dream customers, the easier it becomes to get them to purchase your products or services.

Here’s Russell:

As my company moved away from selling to beginners and toward attracting dream clients, our first step was to create new bait that would attract “Mike” or “Julie.” So we created a book called DotCom Secrets Labs: 108 Proven Split Test Winners. This bait worked great for us, because most beginners don’t know what a split test is. But we KNEW that Julie and Mike (our DREAM customers) would know what these terms mean and they would be hungry to get their hands on the book. Within days of launching this new offer, we had thousands of dream clients lining up to work with us. When you find out what your dream clients want, it becomes very easy to attract them.

If you want to check out DotCom Secrets in full, then you can currently get the book for free (just handle shipping).

Check the offer out below

Get DotCom Secrets Here For FREE!

Step #4: What Results do You Want to Provide for Them?

One of the most powerful insights in DotCom Secrets is this sentence from Russell Brunson:

“A business is NOT about products and services. A business is about what result you can get for your clients.”

Ultimately, a successful business is not so much about the product or service itself.

It’s about the transformation the products or services create for customers.

Think about it.

Some of the greatest products and services place more emphasis on the ultimate transformation than on the product itself.

Take a look at these examples…and you’ll instantly understand this in a new way.

Nike: “Just do it.”

Nike’s slogan doesn’t mention shoes, apparel, or sports equipment. 

Instead, it speaks to the transformative power of motivation, empowerment, and the ability to overcome challenges. 

The message is about achieving personal greatness and pushing beyond limits, with Nike products being the tools to help you do that.

Apple: “Think Different.”

Apple’s iconic slogan doesn’t describe the features of their computers, phones, or other devices. 

Instead, it promises a transformation in the way you think, create, and interact with the world. 

Apple products are positioned as enablers of innovation and creativity, appealing to those who see themselves as trailblazers or visionaries.

L’Oréal: “Because You’re Worth it.”

L’Oréal’s slogan focuses on the customer’s self-esteem and confidence, rather than the cosmetics themselves.

It suggests that using their beauty products is a way to affirm one’s self-worth and embrace personal beauty, making the purchase feel like an investment in yourself.

Red Bull: “Gives You Wings.”

Red Bull’s famous slogan doesn’t directly reference the energy drink itself. 

Instead, it conveys a transformation, promising that the drink will energize you and give you the metaphorical “wings” to achieve more, be more alert, and take on challenges with greater vigor.

Coca-Cola: “Open Happiness.”

Coca-Cola’s message isn’t about the soda’s taste or ingredients.

It’s about the emotional experience it promises. 

“Open Happiness” suggests that by drinking Coca-Cola, you’re unlocking moments of joy, connection, and satisfaction.

How to Give Your Dream Customers What They Want

Defining the end result ultimately comes back to step 1: the customer avatar.

You should deeply understand the pains of your dream customer…and be able to see what their dream future looks like.

But how do you actually use this desired result to help launch your successful business?

Ultimately, this last step will help you most when writing copy that brings people into your lead magnets, funnels & higher priced products & services.

For example, you’ll make promises of the results in your:

1. Headlines
2. Subheadlines
3. Hero Image/Video
4. Ad Copy
5. Benefit Bullets
6. Customer Testimonials
7. Before-and-After Photos
8. Call to Action (CTA)
9. Value Proposition
10. Landing Page Copy
11. Email Opt-In Offer
12. Lead Magnet
13. Guarantee/Promise
14. Sales Video or Explainer Video
15. Success Stories/Case Studies
16. Social Proof
17. Product Page Description
18. Exit-Intent Popup
19. Onboarding Emails
20. Follow-Up and Upsell Messages

Feel a little overwhelmed?

Don’t be!

ClickFunnels actually just released Marketing.AI, an AI-powered marketing platform. It helps ClickFunnels users use AI to write their sales copy and content in seconds.

All you have to do is click this link to start building an AI-powered sales funnel.

You then input some basic details about you, your products or services, your dream audience and the results they want to get.

Then, you can choose from different funnels you want to build, based on your lead magnet and end product.

Then, you can quickly build your funnel using the drag and drop interface.

On each page, you can use AI’s help to get the right message across.

You can also choose a specific writing voice to speak the kind of language that your dream audience understands.

And that’s it!

Within minutes, your funnel will be ready.

On the last page, you’ll be asked to sign into your ClickFunnels account. 

If you don’t have one, you can create a new trial via our 14-day free trial.

Try Our AI Funnel Builder for Free!

Final Thoughts on Successfully Launching a Business

​​A lot of the content you come across about launching a business online tends to focus solely on administrative tasks.

The structure is something like: 

1. Choose a business structure
2. Registering your business 
3. Get a federal and state tax ID 
4. Obtain licenses and permits
5. Open a business bank account

While these steps are necessary for launching a business, none of them can guarantee your success.

It’s like expecting a gym membership to get you in shape by itself.

Unfortunately, success is never guaranteed.

That’s why this blog post focused more on the psychology behind launching a business, because this is where the real determinant of your business success lies. 

These four steps might seem time-consuming right now. But they will save you weeks, months, and even years of hardship by helping you get a head start. 

Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later. 

Good luck with launching your successful business!

Try Our AI Funnel Builder for Free!

Thanks for reading Essential Steps For Starting A Business which appeared first on ClickFunnels.

So you launched a startup.

Now it’s time to start promoting your product. 

But what if you don’t have much of a marketing budget to speak of?

Today we are going to share three low-cost marketing ideas that can help you reach your dream customers!

Build a Sales Funnel First!

A sales funnel is a system designed to convert visitors into leads, leads into customers, and customers into repeat customers. If you haven’t built one for your startup yet, we recommend doing that first. 

Ideally, you want to create a lead magnet and use low-cost marketing strategies to drive traffic to its landing page.

Then, once potential customers give you their email addresses, you want to use email marketing to convert those leads into paying customers.

Finally, once they buy your product, you want to continue providing free value via email. This can do wonders for customer retention. 

That is the approach that we used to grow ClickFunnels from a bootstrapped startup to a nine-figure SaaS company. 

We are confident that it can help you grow your business as well!

Low-Cost Marketing Idea #1: Cold Email 

You may be familiar with Paul Graham’s essay “Do Things That Don’t Scale” in which he argues that founders have to be willing to do things that don’t scale if they want to get their startups off the ground.

We agree with his key points and would like to add that in our view, cold email is the best way to acquire your first users if you can’t afford paid advertising. 

Here’s what we recommend:

1. Define your target audience using specific, clearly articulated criteria. 
2. Hire a lead generation expert on Fiverr and ask them to compile a list of 100 leads that meet your dream customer criteria. 
3. Set up a new email account and warm it up using Lemwarm. This will help you avoid spam filters. 
4. Create the cold email template. You want to introduce yourself, summarize your value proposition and ask if the potential customer would be interested in scheduling a quick 15-minute call. Make sure to provide a link to your calendar so that they can book it immediately without having to engage in email back-and-forth with you. 
5. Create the follow-up email templates. After your initial email, you want to follow up three times, then send a “breakup” email if you don’t get a response. In the breakup email, you should say that you won’t be following up with them again, but if they ever want to learn more about your product, they should feel free to reach out to you. Wish them all the best!
6. Start cold emailing the leads on your lead list. Once you contact someone, send them a follow-up email once a week, and then after three follow-up emails send them the breakup email. If you send 10 cold emails per day, it should take you 38 days to go through your list of 100 leads, including the follow-up and breakup emails. 
7. Make sure to track your cold email campaign. You can either do it with a spreadsheet or use a tool like Lemlist. What percentage of cold emails get responses, what percentage of those responses lead to calls, and what percentage of those calls result in sales?

Once you are done with your initial lead list, get 100 more leads from Fiverr and repeat the process, but change one variable, say, your cold email subject line. 

That will allow you to see what impact that variable has on your conversion rates. Keep in mind that systematic experimentation can help you optimize your email templates. 

Eventually, once you streamline the process, you want to gradually increase the number of emails that you send per day to 100. 

Generally speaking, if you send 100 cold emails with follow-ups, you should get at least 10 responses and at least 1 sale, so sending 3,000 cold emails per month should result in at least 30 sales. 

You probably won’t be able to scale cold outreach past 100 cold emails per day, but that should be enough to start generating some revenue, which you can then reinvest in more scalable marketing strategies.

Learn More

If you want to learn more about cold email, we recommend reading the “Cold Email Manifesto” by Alex Berman and Robert Indries. This book provides tons of helpful advice and includes several proven email templates!

Low-Cost Marketing Idea #2: Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing can be a great way to reach your dream customers, build trust with them, and direct them to your lead magnet landing page.

What’s more, you don’t need any money to get started, although investing in some social media marketing tools might be a good idea. 

We recommend building a following on one platform and then gradually expanding to other platforms over time. 

Regardless of the platform that you choose, the general principles that you should follow remain the same:

Promote Your Lead Magnet in Your Bio

You want to use the space in your bio to explain what your free offer is all about and direct people to its landing page. 

Typically, if someone follows you on social media and enjoys your content, it’s likely that they will eventually decide to check out your lead magnet. 

Consistently Publish High-Quality Content

Your social media content should be designed to help your dream customers solve various problems related to your niche. 

We recommend publishing one high-quality, original post per day, seven days a week. 

Set aside a few hours every month for creating social media content and then use Buffer or MeetEdgar to schedule your posts.

Make sure to reply to every comment that you get except for the troll comments. Set aside 15-30 minutes a day for this. 

When you notice a troll in your comment section, don’t engage with them and block them immediately!

Network With Prominent Influencers in Your Niche

Follow prominent influencers in your niche and leave one thoughtful comment under their posts every day. Set aside 15-30 minutes per day for this. 

Make sure to also regularly share their content with your own followers. Ideally, you want to add a thoughtful observation to it instead of merely reposting it. 

Say, if you are building a following on Twitter, it’s better to quote-tweet influencers rather than retweet them because that way you are adding extra value. 

If you keep this up, eventually these influencers will notice you, check out your profile, and potentially follow you if they like your content.

Once they are following you, they might start occasionally sharing your content with their audiences, which is where most of your early social media growth is going to come from. 

Network With Fellow Up-and-Comers in Your Niche

You should also network with people in your niche who are on the same level as you.

You can do that by leaving thoughtful comments under their posts and sharing their content with your followers.

Once you have a few public interactions with them, don’t be afraid to slide into their DMs and say hi. 

All this won’t help you much right now but these connections are long-term investments. 

In a few years, the vast majority of those people will have abandoned their social media profiles and moved on to something else, but a few of them will probably have substantial followings!

Build Goodwill by Helping People for Free

As your following grows, you’ll start getting DMs from your followers with questions that relate to your area of expertise. 

Reply to those messages, provide guidance, and share helpful resources. You can even offer to jump on a quick call if you have the time. 

Keep in mind that the more people you help for free, the more goodwill you are going to build!

Avoid Social Media Drama

Regardless of what niche you are in, there will always be people beefing with each other. 

In fact, this is incentivized by the algorithms because it generates engagement. However, getting involved in these beefs can backfire so it’s best to just stay out of it all. 

And if someone is trying to start drama with you, remember that you don’t need to engage with them. You can simply block them!

Stay Away from Controversial Topics

There’s no denying that political polarization is increasing, especially in the United States. 

It can be argued that social media is playing a role in this because the algorithms reward publishing polarizing content, a strategy colloquially known as “rage-baiting”. 

While rage-baiting does work, we don’t recommend it. From a purely pragmatic perspective, it’s best to stay away from controversial topics such as current events, politics, and religion unless taking a public stance on them is going to benefit your brand. 

Otherwise, you risk alienating potential customers who may disagree with you on some issue, but would still benefit from your product!

Make a Conscious Effort to Resist Audience Capture

Audience capture is a phenomenon where due to the extremely fast social media feedback loops content creators get radicalized by their audiences and lose sight of themselves. 

It seems that people who have addictive personalities are especially vulnerable to it so if you have struggled with addictions in the past, you need to be extremely careful about this. That being said, no one is safe. 

Pay attention to what behaviors get rewarded by your audience and ask yourself if you want to engage in those behaviors. Otherwise, you’ll start doing it by default, which can be a slippery slope. 

Say, if your regular content only gets a few likes, but then you post a hot take and it goes viral, you will probably feel the impulse to start posting more hot takes because you got rewarded for that behavior. 

But you should stop and ask yourself if posting hot takes is in alignment with who you want to be as a person, your business goals, and your vision for the future. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. What matters is that you make a conscious decision on how to proceed!

Learn More

If you want to learn more about social media marketing, we recommend watching this video by Dan Koe:

Low-Cost Marketing Idea #3: Email Marketing

Did you know that you can use an email newsletter as your lead magnet?

In fact, we would argue that in the current year, that may be the best way to convert social media followers into leads. 

Here’s what we recommend:

Come Up With a Newsletter Concept

You can draw inspiration from popular newsletters such as the Morning Brew, 5-Bullet Friday, and Reading List. 

The ideal publishing schedule will depend on your industry and your target audience but weekly newsletters seem to be the most common. 

Every issue of your newsletter should follow the same template so that your subscribers would know what to expect. 

Sharing your personal observations, industry news, and links to interesting content can all work well as long as they are relevant to your dream customers. 

Just make sure that your newsletter is skimmable: you want your subscribers to open it, quickly skim it, and then read it in full if something catches their eye. 

End Every Newsletter Issue With a Call to Action

We recommend adding either a “P.S.” section or a banner ad to the bottom of every newsletter issue and encouraging people to take the next step in your sales funnel (e.g. if you sell SaaS software, promote your free trial). 

That way, by the time your subscribers scroll down to it, they will have gotten some value out of that newsletter issue, so they probably won’t mind the promotional stuff even if they aren’t interested. 

Promote Your Newsletter on Social Media

Just like with any other lead magnet, you want to explain what your newsletter is all about in your bio and provide a link to its landing page. 

We also recommend posting a teaser of every upcoming issue the day before you publish it so that people who aren’t subscribed to your newsletter yet would have an opportunity to do so if they are interested in that content.

Learn More

If you want to learn more about growing an email newsletter, we recommend watching this video by Brian Dean:

Reality Check: Getting Your Startup Off the Ground is Going to Take Time!

Here’s something that you need to accept when it comes to low-cost marketing strategies: if you can’t afford to buy speed, you must be prepared to invest time and exercise patience. 

The reason why so many bootstrapped entrepreneurs who have promising products give up is simple: they aren’t willing to stick with it long enough to gain traction.

That’s why it’s so important to go into this with realistic expectations: it will probably take you a few years to get to the point where you make enough money with your business to start working on it full-time. 

So make sure that you have a day job that pays the bills and settle in for the long haul!

Want to Learn How to Drive TARGETED TRAFFIC to Your Website and Sales Funnels?

Our co-founder Russell Brunson used sales funnels to take ClickFunnels from zero to $100M+ in annual revenue in less than a decade. 

Needless to say, he had to drive a TON of targeted traffic to those sales funnels in order to achieve that. 

In his best-selling book “Traffic Secrets”, he shares proven marketing strategies that YOU can use to drive targeted traffic to YOUR website and sales funnels.

In this book, you’ll learn how to:

• Find your dream customers online
• Tap into other people’s distribution channels
• Build an army of affiliates that will sell your product for you

…and so much more!

“Traffic Secrets” is available on Amazon where it has 2,500+ global ratings and a 4.7-star overall rating.

But you can also get it directly from us for free… 

All we ask is that you pay for shipping!

So what are you waiting for? 🧐

Get “Traffic Secrets” For FREE!

Thanks for reading Affordable Marketing Tips For New Businesses which appeared first on ClickFunnels.

Launching your first digital marketing campaign can feel like stepping into uncharted territory. 

But don’t worry – you’re not alone in this journey. 

This guide will walk you through 5 practical steps to create your first digital marketing campaign, turning what might seem like a daunting task into a series of manageable actions. 

By the end, you’ll have the confidence and know-how to make your mark in the digital world. 

Let’s get started on bringing your brand to life online!

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What is a Digital Marketing Campaign?

A digital marketing campaign is a strategic online effort to achieve a specific business goal.

Think of it as a focused, time-bound project that uses various internet-based channels to connect with your target audience. Here’s what you need to know:

• Purpose: It aims to accomplish a particular objective, such as increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or boosting sales.
• Channels: It utilizes one or more digital platforms, like social media, email, websites, or search engines.
• Target audience: It focuses on reaching and engaging a specific group of people who are likely interested in your product or service.
• Timeframe: Unlike ongoing marketing efforts, a campaign has a defined start and end date.
• Measurable results: It includes specific metrics to track success, allowing you to see what works and what doesn’t.

A digital marketing campaign is your way of telling your brand’s story to the right people, in the right places, at the right time — all through the power of digital technology.

3 Examples of Amazing Digital Marketing Campaigns

To give you an idea of what show-stopping digital marketing campaigns can look like, here are some real-world examples…

1. Dove — Campaign for Real Beauty

Dove’s “Campaign for Real Beauty” is one of the most iconic digital marketing campaigns, aimed at challenging the narrow standards of beauty portrayed by the media. 

The campaign featured real women of various ages, sizes, and ethnicities in its ads, promoting a broader and more inclusive definition of beauty. 

This campaign resonated emotionally with audiences, sparking global conversations about beauty standards and significantly strengthening customer loyalty to Dove. It also led to increased brand alignment with values of diversity and authenticity, demonstrating how emotionally engaging content can create powerful brand affinity.

2. Spotify — Wrapped

Spotify’s “Wrapped” campaign is a brilliant example of data-driven storytelling. 

Every year, Spotify compiles users’ listening data to create personalized summaries of their music habits, which users can share on social media. 

This campaign not only drives user engagement by encouraging sharing but also reinforces Spotify’s customer-centric brand image. The 2020 Wrapped campaign saw a 31% increase in social media mentions and became a cultural moment that users eagerly anticipate annually.

3. Airbnb — Made Possible by Hosts

Airbnb’s “Made Possible by Hosts” campaign effectively utilized user-generated content (UGC) to highlight the unique experiences made possible by staying in Airbnb properties. 

The campaign featured real guest photos and stories, evoking emotional connections and showcasing the benefits of choosing Airbnb over traditional accommodations. This approach emphasized authenticity and community, helping to build trust and engagement with the brand. The campaign successfully translated into increased bookings and global reach​.

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6 Steps for Creating Your First Digital Marketing Campaign

You know what a digital marketing campaign is and what great campaigns look like. 

Now here are the 6 steps to create your own!

Step 1: Define Your Goal

Without a well-defined objective, you’re essentially navigating without a compass. 

Start by choosing a specific objective that aligns with your broader business goals. This could be increasing brand awareness, generating leads, boosting sales, or driving website traffic.

Make it SMART… 

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Instead of a vague goal like “improve conversions,” aim for something precise like “increase the conversion rate by 2% within the next quarter.” 

This specificity not only provides clear direction but also makes it easier to track progress and determine success.

Next, determine your Key Performance Indicator (KPI). 

That is, what are the actual metrics you’re going to track to determine success. 

While you should track multiple metrics, having one main KPI helps focus your efforts. For instance, if you’re running an email campaign, your primary KPI might be Click-Through Rate, with Open Rate and Unsubscribe Rate as secondary metrics.

Consider where your goal fits into your sales funnel:

• Top of Funnel: Focus on reach and impressions
• Middle of Funnel: Emphasize engagement and lead quality
• Bottom of Funnel: Prioritize conversion rates and ROI

Align your goal with your available budget and resources. Estimate the required budget based on your goal – for example, calculate your target cost per acquisition. 

Assess your team’s capacity and the skills needed to achieve the goal. 

Finally, create a clear goal statement that combines all these elements. 

For Example: 

“Increase Product X sales by 15% (from 1000 to 1150 units) in Q4 through a targeted email and social media campaign, with a budget of $5000 and a target CPA of $33.” 

This statement provides a clear direction for your entire campaign.

Remember to establish checkpoints along the way. 

Break your goal into weekly or bi-weekly milestones and plan for a mid-campaign assessment. This allows you to track progress and make necessary adjustments.

Step 2: Identify Exactly WHO You Want to Target

Knowing precisely who you’re trying to reach is the key to crafting a message that resonates and choosing channels that actually reach your audience. 

This step is about creating a vivid, detailed customer avatar — a fictional representation of your ideal customer.

Start by gathering data about your existing customers or the type of customers you want to attract. Look at demographics like age, gender, location, income level, and education. 

But don’t stop there. 

Dive deeper into psychographics: their interests, values, lifestyle choices, and behaviors.

Ask yourself questions like:

• What are their biggest challenges or pain points?
• What are their goals and aspirations?
• Where do they spend their time online?
• What type of content do they consume?
• Who influences their decisions?

Use a mix of data sources to build this profile. 

Analyze your customer database, conduct surveys, and leverage social media insights. 

Don’t shy away from actually talking to your customers or potential customers — their direct input can be invaluable.

Once you have this information, create a narrative around your avatar. Give them a name, a backstory, and flesh out their daily life. 

For Example,

“Marketing Manager Mike is a 35-year-old professional living in a suburban area. He’s tech-savvy, always looking for ways to improve his team’s productivity, and values work-life balance. He’s active on LinkedIn and frequently attends industry webinars.”

This detailed avatar serves multiple purposes:

→ It helps you craft messaging that speaks directly to your target audience’s needs and desires.

→ It guides your choice of marketing channels — you’ll know where your avatar spends their time online.

→ It informs the type of content you create — aligning with your avatar’s interests and preferences.

→ It helps in deciding on visuals and design elements that will appeal to this specific audience.

Step 3: Get Super Creative & Be Ambitious

In the world of marketing, playing it safe often means blending into the background. 

This step is about daring to be different, pushing boundaries, and creating something truly memorable. It’s time to let your imagination run wild and think beyond conventional marketing tactics.

Start by giving yourself permission to be bold. 

Forget about “best practices” for a moment and ask yourself, “What would make people sit up and take notice?” 

Remember, the campaigns that go viral or become talking points are rarely the ones that follow a standard formula.

Consider Old Spice and their “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign…

Or Burger King’s “Whopper Detour” — where they offered customers a Whopper for one penny if they ordered it while being near a McDonald’s location using their mobile app.

Or the “Taco Bell Hotel” where Taco Bell took over a Palm Springs hotel and turned it into a fully branded Taco Bell experience, complete with themed rooms, a menu filled with exclusive Taco Bell items, and various branded activities…

These legends aren’t made by playing by the rules. 

Here are some brainstorming ideas… 

Look outside your industry for inspiration. Some of the most innovative campaigns come from cross-pollinating ideas from different fields. For example, a B2B software company might draw inspiration from interactive museum exhibits to create an engaging product demo.

Consider using unexpected platforms or combining channels in novel ways. Could you launch a TikTok challenge for a traditionally “serious” product? Or use augmented reality to bring your brand to life in surprising locations?

Think about creating experiences, not just advertisements. How can you involve your audience in a way that’s interactive and immersive? This could be anything from a virtual treasure hunt across social media platforms to a real-world event that ties into your digital campaign.

Don’t be afraid to inject humor, emotion, or even a bit of controversy (within reason) into your campaign. Emotional connections are powerful drivers of engagement and sharing. A campaign that makes people laugh, cry, or think deeply is more likely to be remembered and shared.

Challenge conventional wisdom in your industry. If everyone else is zigging, what happens if you zag? This could mean adopting a completely different tone, visual style, or message compared to your competitors.

Consider partnering with unexpected collaborators. Cross-brand partnerships, especially with companies outside your immediate industry, can lead to fresh, exciting campaigns that capture attention.

Brainstorm without limits first, then refine. Start with a “no bad ideas” session where you and your team throw out the wildest concepts you can think of. You can always scale back or adapt these ideas later, but starting from a place of unbridled creativity often leads to breakthrough concepts.

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Step 4: Create Your Schedule & Plan

Creating a solid schedule and plan is crucial for turning your creative ideas into reality. 

Start by working backward from your campaign end date, mapping out key milestones and deadlines. Break your campaign into phases: preparation, launch, ongoing management, and wrap-up.

Assign specific tasks to team members, ensuring everyone knows their responsibilities. 

Include buffer time for unexpected issues or last-minute changes. 

Create a content calendar detailing what will be published, where, and when. This should cover all your chosen channels – social media posts, email sends, blog articles, ad placements, etc.

Don’t forget to plan for pre-launch activities like building anticipation or teaser content. Also, schedule regular check-ins to monitor progress and make adjustments as needed.

Step 5: Review Your Results

Start by revisiting the goals and KPIs you set in Step 1. How close did you come to achieving them?

Look beyond the surface numbers. Dig into the data to understand what worked well and what didn’t. 

Which content pieces resonated most with your audience? Were there any unexpected trends or outcomes?

Compare your results against industry benchmarks and your own past performances. This context can help you understand if your creative approach paid off.

Don’t just focus on quantitative data. Gather qualitative feedback too — comments, shares, and customer feedback. These can provide valuable insights into how your campaign was perceived.

Finally, share the results and insights with your team and stakeholders. 

Celebrate successes and view any shortfalls as learning opportunities. Use this review process to continuously refine and improve your digital marketing efforts.

Final Thoughts on Building Your First Digital Marketing Campaign

Launching your first digital marketing campaign may seem daunting, but remember that every successful marketer started exactly where you are now. 

The key is to approach it as a learning experience, not just a business task.

Don’t be afraid to take calculated risks or think outside the box. The digital landscape rewards creativity and authenticity. 

Your unique perspective and willingness to try new things can set you apart in a crowded market. And click the link below if you want help building your first sales funnel…

Get Hands-On Help Building Your FIRST Funnel!

Thanks for reading How to Launch Your First Online Marketing Campaign which appeared first on ClickFunnels.

Want to learn how to integrate your sales funnels with your dropshipping ecommerce store?

Let’s talk about that! 🙂

The Perfect Match of Sales Funnels & Dropshipping

Dropshipping and sales funnels are a match made in heaven.

On the one hand, dropshipping is one of those things that feels too good to be true — you sell ecommerce products, and someone else fulfills your orders and ships directly to your customer.

On the other hand, sales funnels help you actually sell those e-commerce products — they’re the difference between throwing up an e-commerce store and crossing your fingers… and actually finding your target market and getting them to buy.

With ClickFunnels, you can easily build sales funnels (now with AI). We now integrate directly with Zendrop — so that means you can build your sales funnels and source your products all basically in one place.

Cool, huh?

So let’s talk about the steps to successfully building a dropshipping sales funnel!

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Step #1: Getting Traffic

In today’s online world, you can’t build a business with traffic — I’m talking about website visitors and people entering your sales funnel.

How do you get the right people (i.e. your target market) to find out about your products… and then give them the opportunity to visit your sales funnel?

Here are the most proven ways to do that.

Search Engine Optimization

You’ve probably heard the term SEO thrown around before by your marketing friends.

The history of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) began in the mid-1990s with the advent of the first search engines.

But, the launch of Google in 1998 revolutionized SEO, introducing algorithms that prioritized relevance and quality.

The gist is this — you want to rank as high as possible in Google for relevant phrases. So if you sell basketball shoes, you’d likely want to rank for “best basketball shoes” and other similar phrases.

The great thing about SEO is that it organically drives traffic to your website and sales funnels — the more you invest in it, the more traffic it drives.

And that traffic lasts.

This article, for instance, has literally driven tens of thousands of visits to our ClickFunnels blog over the last 2-3 years…

That’s the best part. Once you write an article that ranks for one of your target keywords, it typically will rank for quite a long time. You might continue to get traffic from that article for years to come.

But… how do you actually optimize your site and funnel for search engines?

We have an SEO guide over here.

But here’s the “quick start” version!

Keyword Research:

• Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush
• Identify key phrases your target audience is searching for

Create High-Quality Content:

• Incorporate identified keywords naturally into your content (blog, landing pages, etc.)
• Focus on relevance and value to your audience

Technical SEO:

• Improve site speed
• Ensure your site is mobile-friendly
• Optimize meta tags, titles, and descriptions

Build Quality Backlinks:

• Gain links from reputable, authoritative websites
• Engage in guest blogging, collaborations, and partnerships

User Experience:

• Ensure easy navigation
• Provide engaging and informative content
• Optimize site structure for better user engagement

Regular Content Updates:

• Keep your content fresh and relevant
• Update old articles with new information and insights

Monitor Performance:

• Use tools like Google Analytics and Search Console
• Track your site’s performance and traffic
• Make data-driven adjustments to improve your SEO strategy

SEO can make a HUGE difference in how much traffic you drive to your website day-in and day-out — even if you’re only creating a few new blog posts every month, it’ll be worth it down the road!

Organic Social Media

It can be hard to get visibility for your brand on social media — but if you do it right, it’s still possible to build an audience and even drive traffic to your website.

Here’s a great example from Lululemon.

They have 5 million followers on Instagram — so clearly it’s possible to still build an organic following as an ecommerce business.

Red Bull is another great example — they have 23 million followers.

But let me ask you this — what do these two brands have in common in their Instagram marketing?

The main commonality I see is that their content is…

1. NOT over-the-top promotional…
2. Super entertaining or valuable

Red Bull, for instance, posts crazy stunts by amazing humans — you’ll want to follow them even if you’re not a fan of their energy drink.

Lululemon actually posts quite a bit promoting their products, but in a way that feels natural and not pushy — plus their customers love their product so much that they don’t even care.

Probably the best platforms right now for e-commerce brands are Instagram and TikTok — here are a few tips to get you started…

Focus on Quality Content: Ensure your posts are visually appealing and provide real value to your audience. Whether it’s educational, entertaining, or inspiring, high-quality content is key.

Consistency is Key: Regularly posting content keeps your audience engaged and helps in building a loyal following. Create a content calendar to stay organized and consistent.

Engage with Your Audience: Respond to comments, engage in conversations, and show appreciation for user-generated content. Building a community is essential for organic growth.

Leverage User-Generated Content: Encourage your customers to share their experiences with your products. This not only provides you with authentic content but also builds trust among potential customers.

Utilize Hashtags Wisely: Research and use relevant hashtags to increase the reach of your posts. Don’t overdo it, but find a balance that maximizes visibility without appearing spammy.

Collaborate with Influencers: Partnering with influencers who align with your brand can help you reach a larger audience. Choose influencers whose followers are likely to be interested in your products.

Showcase Behind-the-Scenes Content: Give your audience a peek behind the curtain. Whether it’s product development, office culture, or events, behind-the-scenes content can humanize your brand.

Use Stories and Reels: These features on Instagram and TikTok can significantly boost your visibility. They are great for sharing quick updates, engaging content, and even promotions.

Analyze and Adapt: Regularly check your analytics to understand what type of content performs best. Use these insights to refine your strategy and improve your engagement.

Run Contests and Giveaways: Encourage user participation and attract new followers by hosting contests and giveaways. Ensure that the rules are simple and the prizes are enticing.

The Dream 100

If you’ve read Russell Brunson’s book, Traffic Secrets, then you’d be familiar with the concept of “The Dream 100”.

This is the main way Russell built ClickFunnels to be nearly a billion dollars… and it’s the way he’s building all of his other brands.

Check out this video.

Once you’ve identified who your dream customer is, the next step is to determine where they hang out online.

This will take a bit of research but it’ll be a thousand times worth it once you’re trying to drive traffic to your sales funnel.

Try to identify…

• 10 websites and forums they spend time on
• 15 active Facebook groups they participate in
• 50 influencers they follow on Facebook and Instagram
• 30 podcasts they listen to
• 40 email newsletters they subscribe to

Make a list!

After you’ve built your sales funnel, you’ll infiltrate these online congregations to drive high-quality traffic.

You can do that through cold outreach, paying for visibility, or collaborative efforts. Get a free copy of Russell’s book, Traffic Secrets, to learn more about how this works!

Step #2: Building Your Email List

You might be wondering:

“Why do I need to build an email list? Can’t I just promote my business through SEO, Instagram, etc. and make sales that way?”

There are three really simple answers to that question…

1. Direct Communication:

When you have an email list, you have a direct line of communication with your audience. Unlike social media platforms where algorithms decide who sees your posts, emails go straight to the inboxes of your subscribers.

2. Ownership and Control:

Social media platforms and search engine algorithms are constantly changing. What works today might not work tomorrow. By building an email list, you own your audience. You are not at the mercy of external platforms that can change their rules or algorithms, potentially diminishing your reach.

3. Higher Conversion Rates:

Email marketing typically has higher conversion rates compared to other channels. When someone subscribes to your email list, they have already shown interest in your brand and what you offer.

Here’s how you can build your email lists organically and systematically turn subscribers into paying customers!

The Lead Magnet

You can think of a “lead magnet” as your “bribe to subscribe”. This is the free thing you give away to people in return for their email addresses.

At ClickFunnels, we use this quiz lead magnet on our blog homepage.

Here’s an example of what this might look like if you had a health food e-commerce store…

The idea is just to give your target market something super valuable for free — so that they’ll give you their email and you can add them to your email list.

Your lead magnet needs to be…

→ Highly relevant to your target audience’s interests or needs

→ Easy to consume and instantly valuable

→ Directly related to the products or services you offer

Of course, the next question is, what do you send to the people who give you their email addresses to turn them from subscribers into paying customers?

Keep reading!

The Soap Opera Sequence

A soap opera sequence is a series of emails that tells a story over several days or weeks. Each email leaves the reader wanting more and builds anticipation for the next email in the sequence. The emails are usually sent out at regular intervals and aim to create an emotional connection with the reader.

This technique is especially useful in B2B email marketing because it helps you stand out from the crowd and establish a relationship with your subscribers. By creating a story that resonates with your audience, you can capture their attention and keep them engaged. It’s a great way to showcase your brand’s personality and values and naturally guide them toward purchasing your front-end product.

The soap opera sequence is also effective in building trust with your subscribers. By providing valuable information, insights, and tips through the story, you can demonstrate your expertise and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. This can lead to increased brand loyalty, customer retention, and ultimately, more sales.

So how do you do it?

The story typically revolves around a problem that your customer is facing, and how your product or service can help them overcome it.

The idea is to keep your customer engaged by telling an interesting story that piques their curiosity, and then offering your product or service as a solution to the problem they’re facing.

For example, let’s say you’re selling a weight loss program.

Your soap opera sequence might look something like this…

Email 1: The problem (e.g., “Are you frustrated with your weight loss efforts?”)

Email 2: The story (e.g., “I was in your shoes not too long ago…”)

Email 3: Introduce the solution (e.g., “This is what helped me finally lose the weight…”)

Email 4: The offer (e.g., “Here’s how you can get started with my program…”)

Email 5: The urgency/scarcity (e.g., “This offer won’t be available for much longer…”)

Soap opera sequences are a great way to keep your customers engaged, and they can be very effective in increasing sales.

If you want to see real examples, check out this guide.

Step #3: Creating Your Sales Funnel

Ok — so we’re driving traffic and we’re turning that traffic into leads on our email list. We even know we need to send them a Soap Opera Sequence to get them to buy for the first time.

But to get them to buy, we need to send them to a sales funnel!

Now you might just be tempted to send them straight to your storefront to let them browse… but don’t. Because it will very likely give them too many options and they might not buy.

Here’s how to think about it…

Your storefront is for your loyal customers — people who already love you, your products, and just want to keep buying from you.

Your funnels are for your new customers — these people have never bought from you before so it’s important to use funnels to focus on offering them one product at a time.

Here’s how to build your sales funnel!

Choose Your Style

The first step is to choose what “type” of sales funnel you’re going to use — there are a lot of different kinds.

You could do a webinar funnel — which includes some sort of free video training that leads into the product you’re offering…

(These are SUPER effective)

Or you could do a product launch funnel if you’re releasing a brand new product to the market…

Or you could do a video sales letter funnel — this is just your basic sales funnel but it includes a video at the top of each page.

Or — and this is one of our favorites, you could do a tripwire funnel — that lures people in with a heavy-discount and then makes money on the upsell.

If you want to see examples of all of these in action, check this out.

If you’re just getting started out, I highly recommend either the webinar funnel or the tripwire funnel — those are both super effective and proven to work in the e-commerce space.

Build it With AI

How do you build your sales funnel?

Now you used to have to create all of this on your own. You’d have to write the copy, create the designs, map out the funnel, and everything else. It took weeks or months.

But now you can do 90% of the work with AI 🙂

In fact, at ClickFunnels, we created an AI funnel builder that will ask you some questions and spit out a functional funnel.

The benefits?

• No Prior Experience Required: If you’re new to digital marketing, setting up a sales funnel can feel overwhelming. The ClickFunnels Smart Funnel Builder provides step-by-step guidance, making it easy for anyone to create a professional funnel without needing extensive marketing knowledge.
• Time-Saving: Traditionally, creating a sales funnel involves multiple steps, such as designing pages, writing copy, and setting up integrations. This process can be time-consuming and complex. The Smart AI Funnel Builder automates these tasks, allowing you to create a fully functional funnel in under 15 minutes.
• Cost-Efficiency: With the Smart Funnel Builder, you get high-quality copywriting and design services included. This means you don’t need to hire additional professionals, saving you significant costs while still ensuring your funnel is effective and visually appealing.

Want to see how it works?

Let’s walk through it together!

Build Your AI Funnel NOW For Free!

As I walk you through this, I’m going to imagine that I’m building a squeeze page for a fitness coach who’s offering a guide to his target audience: busy executives.

I’m going to select the “Optin Funnel” — the same as the Squeeze Page Funnel. This will allow me to offer a gift to my target market in exchange for their email list. And once they’re on my email list, I can reach out to them whenever I want to for free!

Then I’ll choose a brand color palette…

…and image style…

… and finally, I’ll provide some details about my offer and the style of copy that I want. The more information and details you provide the AI with here, the better job it’ll do of creating a sales funnel for you that makes sense.

Then watch the quick video from Russell if you’re new to ClickFunnels. After that, you can either create a ClickFunnels account for free or login to your existing account.

Once you do, you’ll be able to access your complete AI-built funnel.

You can edit each page, delete, or even add more pages/steps to the funnel. It’s fully customizable but now you have an almost complete funnel that will need only a few tweaks (or none at all!).

Cool, right? You can literally have your dropshipping funnel off the ground in the next 5 minutes!

Build Your AI Funnel NOW For Free!

Final Thoughts on Dropshipping & Sales Funnels

Dropshipping makes finding and sourcing products easy.

Sales funnels make selling easy.

It’s a match made in heaven 🙂

And with ClickFunnels — since we now integrate directly with Zendrop, you can build your sales funnels, your storefront, and source your products all in one place.

It’s never been easier to build a successful e-commerce store than it is right now.

If you want help, click the link below for a ridiculous offer!

Get HELP Building Your Ecommerce Funnels Now!

Thanks for reading Complete Guide to Creating a Dropshipping Sales Funnel which appeared first on ClickFunnels.