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Lead Gen business from day 1

A detailed account of a Fastlane process...

Aaron T

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UPDATE

Back end + front end is finished. Saving money from my job to run first campaign. No red flags so far.

will report again after 1st campaign

What kind of PPC campaign are you going to run? Through FB or Google? Just curious. I believe you can get started with less than $200.
 
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McFirewavesJr

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What kind of PPC campaign are you going to run? Through FB or Google? Just curious. I believe you can get started with less than $200.

Both Google and Facebook. I don't mind focusing on one or the other long run, but I'm currently unsure about which one will work best. 200$ for 1 week is indeed my budget. If you have any suggestions to make, speak freely.
 

Aaron T

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Both Google and Facebook. I don't mind focusing on one or the other long run, but I'm currently unsure about which one will work best. 200$ for 1 week is indeed my budget. If you have any suggestions to make, speak freely.

OK, only because I know this better and what I would do. Make a FB page and then socialize it and do FB Ads for the product. You can usually test individual ads for about a $1 to $5 and then once you find one that works, focus the dollars on it. This week you can at least test different ad styles and copy while saving for a substantial push.

Again, let me preface that with it being based on what I know works well for me.
 

McFirewavesJr

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OK, only because I know this better and what I would do. Make a FB page and then socialize it and do FB Ads for the product. You can usually test individual ads for about a $1 to $5 and then once you find one that works, focus the dollars on it. This week you can at least test different ad styles and copy while saving for a substantial push.

Again, let me preface that with it being based on what I know works well for me.
This seems doable.. Could you expand on how you would socialize it. How much "socializing" would you do before running any ads?
 
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Aaron T

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This seems doable.. Could you expand on how you would socialize it. How much "socializing" would you do before running any ads?

Specifically I refer to building your presence for your business on it's FB Page. Images, responses, then what you are using for your FB ads. If that FB page was nothing but ads your engagement goes way down. There are other costs associated to that, but basically when I refer to the socialize part, make your FB page something people would visit and not just ads.
 

McFirewavesJr

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Specifically I refer to building your presence for your business on it's FB Page. Images, responses, then what you are using for your FB ads. If that FB page was nothing but ads your engagement goes way down. There are other costs associated to that, but basically when I refer to the socialize part, make your FB page something people would visit and not just ads.
Aren't Facebook pages known to suck unless you actually promote them $$$?
 

Aaron T

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Aren't Facebook pages known to suck unless you actually promote them $$$?

OK, let me reset the conversation.

I am talking about using them with FB Ads to dive engagement, social and otherwise, for your business. So I have a FB page for my business. I then post things relevant to my business on the page (relevant pictures, I type up relevant to the business posts directly in) all to provide value relevant to the business on the FB Page. I ALSO post specific posts with information that leads to my business page selling whatever it is I am selling. I put FB Ads on those particular posts. If the ad is good, it gets a very high level of engagement and interaction. It also costs me very little to run for a fairly large amount of return.

Let me show you 3 running ads today:
upload_2017-10-2_20-22-2.png

Notice that for around $5 dollars each (I set these test ads for $5 dollars a day) I got a fairly decent click rate that carried through to my Ad and then my business page. So you are right. I am spending $ (not $$$) to get the traffic. BUT then people LIKE what they see on the FB Page which provides value. So the like the page and add social currency and relevancy to the FB Page. Let's say you do this, get a few hundred to thousand people on your business focused FB page that like it. They will LIKE it because of the value you provide in the articles, pictures, videos, all the normal social stuff people like to see on FB that is relevant to your page. However all links on that page will still go to your business site. When they see a new post, including one you are running an AD on, they will LIKE it, share it, and click on it to see what you are doing. This is not far off from an email list.

You will build social currency. With social currency you socialize your business site. With that you can get sales. If you provide value, have a good product that is not garbage, you will be OK.

I hope you can see it now. This post is value. For less than $15 dollars I got approximately 908 people (not counting the thousands that are already there) to go to my web page where I have made more than I spent in advertising. So yes, there is $ spent, but you have to spend to drive traffic in the beginning. Just spend less than you make. You will do that by selling something of value.

Does this make sense?
 
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McFirewavesJr

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OK, let me reset the conversation.

I am talking about using them with FB Ads to dive engagement, social and otherwise, for your business. So I have a FB page for my business. I then post things relevant to my business on the page (relevant pictures, I type up relevant to the business posts directly in) all to provide value relevant to the business on the FB Page. I ALSO post specific posts with information that leads to my business page selling whatever it is I am selling. I put FB Ads on those particular posts. If the ad is good, it gets a very high level of engagement and interaction. It also costs me very little to run for a fairly large amount of return.

Let me show you 3 running ads today:
View attachment 16560

Notice that for around $5 dollars each (I set these test ads for $5 dollars a day) I got a fairly decent click rate that carried through to my Ad and then my business page. So you are right. I am spending $ (not $$$) to get the traffic. BUT then people LIKE what they see on the FB Page which provides value. So the like the page and add social currency and relevancy to the FB Page. Let's say you do this, get a few hundred to thousand people on your business focused FB page that like it. They will LIKE it because of the value you provide in the articles, pictures, videos, all the normal social stuff people like to see on FB that is relevant to your page. However all links on that page will still go to your business site. When they see a new post, including one you are running an AD on, they will LIKE it, share it, and click on it to see what you are doing. This is not far off from an email list.

You will build social currency. With social currency you socialize your business site. With that you can get sales. If you provide value, have a good product that is not garbage, you will be OK.

I hope you can see it now. This post is value. For less than $15 dollars I got approximately 908 people (not counting the thousands that are already there) to go to my web page where I have made more than I spent in advertising. So yes, there is $ spent, but you have to spend to drive traffic in the beginning. Just spend less than you make. You will do that by selling something of value.

Does this make sense?
Very valuable. I only used Facebook to this day to drive traffic to a squeeze page. I actually prefer your approach to what I've been doing in the past. My typical lead is also very active on Facebook, so I guess that covers it.
 

Aaron T

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Very valuable. I only used Facebook to this day to drive traffic to a squeeze page. I actually prefer your approach to what I've been doing in the past. My typical lead is also very active on Facebook, so I guess that covers it.

I noticed that if I build trust/engagement on the FB Page then when I do send to bridge pages it works out better with a higher conversion rate.
 

McFirewavesJr

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Hey, here's a 10 points update on that long forgotten execution post. May you learn something valuable:

Summary;
  1. I spotted an opportunity to do lead gen in a very fragmented industry that offers both scale and decent magnitude.
  2. I started working on it relatively fast and put my progress here
  3. Got great advice and @Andy Black saved me a lot of time by recommending I start getting leads before building the directory (THANK GOD FOR THAT). I knew about this, but almost got carried away in building stuff.
  4. Finished the whole front end and made the back-end decent enough to start
  5. Stopped using the forum around that time, but kept working.
  6. Started saving money to run the first ad campaign to get those sweet leads
  7. Changed jobs at that point and money was terribly tight. Didn't manage to save during that first year of immigrating in the States
  8. Lost focus and things got stale
  9. Ditched the project and focused on increasing income for a few months. Didn't execute during that time, but educated myself with audiobooks a few hours per day while working.
  10. Currently looking, listening and sniffing for an opportunity in need of execution.

    TL;DR
Started something and got sidetracked when personal finances went down the drain. Took a few months to regroup while studying business and finance.

Looking back on this is very humbling. I learned that I'm no superman can't use business as an escape from my responsibilities. I found out building a schedule and sticking to it makes a massive difference and I will need to keep that in check. I know I'm flawed, but working on it.
 
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AdamUK

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Thanks for the information, really useful to me because I've been thinking about using facebook as a leadgen platform recently. I already produce leads for my wifes hair dressing business.
 

Andy Black

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Hey, here's a 10 points update on that long forgotten execution post. May you learn something valuable:

Summary;
  1. I spotted an opportunity to do lead gen in a very fragmented industry that offers both scale and decent magnitude.
  2. I started working on it relatively fast and put my progress here
  3. Got great advice and @Andy Black saved me a lot of time by recommending I start getting leads before building the directory (THANK GOD FOR THAT). I knew about this, but almost got carried away in building stuff.
  4. Finished the whole front end and made the back-end decent enough to start
  5. Stopped using the forum around that time, but kept working.
  6. Started saving money to run the first ad campaign to get those sweet leads
  7. Changed jobs at that point and money was terribly tight. Didn't manage to save during that first year of immigrating in the States
  8. Lost focus and things got stale
  9. Ditched the project and focused on increasing income for a few months. Didn't execute during that time, but educated myself with audiobooks a few hours per day while working.
  10. Currently looking, listening and sniffing for an opportunity in need of execution.

    TL;DR
Started something and got sidetracked when personal finances went down the drain. Took a few months to regroup while studying business and finance.

Looking back on this is very humbling. I learned that I'm no superman can't use business as an escape from my responsibilities. I found out building a schedule and sticking to it makes a massive difference and I will need to keep that in check. I know I'm flawed, but working on it.
Did you manage to generate any leads?

Have you listened to the call with @Contrarian in my signature?
 

McFirewavesJr

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Did you manage to generate any leads?

Have you listened to the call with @Contrarian in my signature?

No, that's when I got stuck. I wanted at least a small budget to run ads, but I was so frigging tight I only saw 2 options: get creative and figure out how to get free leads or take a few weeks to get my shit together. I picked option 2.

I did listen to your call, which was very actionable. Thanks again for that.
 
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Andy Black

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No, that's when I got stuck. I wanted at least a small budget to run ads, but I was so frigging tight I only saw 2 options: get creative and figure out how to get free leads or take a few weeks to get my sh*t together. I picked option 2.

I did listen to your call, which was very actionable. Thanks again for that.
Shhh. Don’t tell anyone, but I don’t use paid ads to generate leads for myself either.
 

McFirewavesJr

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Shhh. Don’t tell anyone, but I don’t use paid ads to generate leads for myself either.

Well I thought about flipping a giant arrow on a busy street. Question is... how would you theoretically top that?
 

Andy Black

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Well I thought about flipping a giant arrow on a busy street. Question is... how would you theoretically top that?
How does flipping an arrow help anyone?

Maybe check out the call with Contrarian in my signature, and the one about 300 surveys.

Hmmm... and maybe the first radio interview.
 
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McFirewavesJr

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How does flipping an arrow help anyone?

Maybe check out the call with Contrarian in my signature, and the one about 300 surveys.

Hmmm... and maybe the first radio interview.

I'm on it right now and taking notes. Will be sharing what I got from it when I'm done.
 

McFirewavesJr

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How does flipping an arrow help anyone?

Maybe check out the call with Contrarian in my signature, and the one about 300 surveys.

Hmmm... and maybe the first radio interview.

Re listening to your call with @Contrarian was absolutely worth it. I definitely have to ask this guy a thing or two.

What stuck out to me the most is that I had in mind to provide value first to the customers, but didn't think about doing the same with the target audience (their customers).
 

MrChill

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@Fred Chevry

It has been a little while since your last update. How are things going?

I have a similar idea as you, using a directory service to drive traffic, more so to affiliate links instead of brick and mortar businesses.

Did you ever decide on what to use to power your directory? Did you use a Wordpress plugin, or a directory-specific theme, or did you code it by hand? Or something else I'm missing?

I found Rehub / Re:Hub seems like it might work for you if you haven't already picked on: REHub - Price Comparison, Affiliate Marketing, Multi Vendor Store, Community Theme

Thank you for your input!
 
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