Hmmmm the similarities between list building and fishing…
I realize many of you have never fished. So here’s how it works. From what I know you wrap some form of bait around a hook and then toss the bait into the fishing hole. When a fish bites the bait you “set-the-hook” by jerking up the pole which causes the hook to embed in the fish’s mouth. Then you reel in the fish.
The frustrating part is two-fold:
- Selecting bait the fish like
- Placing the bait where the fish are located
List building is the same idea. Think of your potential customers as the fish. You are the fisherman with bait and hook. The bait is something that people might find intriguing, but it isn’t your product. You place the “bait” on a web page with an invitation to try it out. Usually, this is offered for a simple non-monetary exchange.
The fish (potential client) bites the bait and exchanges his email address for the item. It’s a way of giving people an opportunity to taste your offerings.
As a business/marketer, you face the same challenges as the fisherman. Selecting the right bait and getting it in front of the fish.
This explains why you’ll hear marketers use the term “opt-in” and “opt-in bait” as a reference to an ethical bribe to attract people to your list.
Your list is the “fish keep” or database filled with email addresses. Okay, get the picture?
There are a few more critical components that make this a successful fishing trip. I’ll share that with you in my next tip.
Action Step
People often don’t buy what you have to offer because the timing isn’t right. Perhaps they are in a hurry and can’t check out your deal, maybe they don’t have money to spend that day, or perhaps they just don’t trust you yet.
So you capture their contact information to start up a dialogue and build a relationship with them.
Terms
Fish aka Potential clients, buyers, curious people
Bait aka Opt-in offer: Report, tips, picture, photo, recipe, audio recording, video…something potential clients find irresistible.
Hook: Opt-in form
Fish-keep: Your list stored in a database. This may be a spreadsheet, but a more powerful tool is an autoresponder service such as Aweber or Get Response.
Stay tuned for more tips to help you fill your fish keep, um, list.
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