Google+: So we can’t really show you how to find free leads on G+, and that’s because NO ONE USES G+. It only seems to exist because Google likes to have a hand in everything online. The only people who actively use G+ seem to be SEO experts and small business owners. It’s no secret that Google favors their own networks, so the biggest benefit of using this channel is to gain search engine prominence—not to find free leads.
Now, truth be told, affiliate marketing does come with some costs. Fortunately, those costs are rather small when compared to starting other businesses. For example, if you want to succeed with affiliate marketing in the same way that I teach it, you’ll need a website. In order to have a website, you need to pay for “website hosting”. If you don’t know what website hosting is, don’t worry, we’ll get to that, but website hosting does cost a few bucks per month (generally under $10 / mo). If you have about $40 for startup costs and about $10 / mo for recurring expenses, this is entirely doable. There are many other optional expenses for affiliate marketing, which I will also get into, but those optional expenses are used more for speeding up the path to success (outsourcing, etc.) rather than a requirement for success. When I first started my affiliate marketing business, I had about $200 to my name.
Don’t give up, and don’t throw money into areas where you don’t have to. There’s no such thing as completely free marketing leads – you are always risking something, whether it is your brand, or your future earning potential. However, with good networking, passion, and the right people, you can achieve success. Talk to some mentors and more experienced marketers today, and see what they have to say for you. You may be surprised at how much you can bring in, with the right choices when you are getting started.
Create an Elevator Pitch: Agents must be prepared to talk to prospects that they meet at networking events or encounter throughout the day. The best way to do this is by forming an elevator speech, a short introduction that not only informs others of what you do but prompts a discussion about any possible needs they may have. A great article on how to construct one can be found on LifeHealthPro.
The more consistently you’re posting helpful tips, articles, and advice to these channels, the better you’re demonstrating expertise in thtart a blog on your site ande trade, which will increase the odds of leads remembering you and possibly hitting you up to ask for help. In other words, the more effectively you use social media, the more effectively it will funnel free leads to you.
Don’t give up, and don’t throw money into areas where you don’t have to. There’s no such thing as completely free marketing leads – you are always risking something, whether it is your brand, or your future earning potential. However, with good networking, passion, and the right people, you can achieve success. Talk to some mentors and more experienced marketers today, and see what they have to say for you. You may be surprised at how much you can bring in, with the right choices when you are getting started.
Remember, however, that a percentage of something is better than one hundred percent of zero sales – so it is a good idea to network with more experienced marketers. Take advantage of the expertise and training that they offer, and use their resources to build your business. One you are ready, you can always bring in new people, and even share leads with them – building your downline so that they will supply you with a good residual income.
Host Educational Workshops: This is perhaps the best way to demonstrate expertise, inspire referrals, and gain business at the same time. The best outlets for educational workshops can be senior centers, libraries, schools, hospitals, churches or job sites. Make sure you plan 2 - 3 weeks in advance so word - of - mouth can get out; you don’t want to be educating an empty room. Some places will even help promote your event, which can be a very effective lead generation idea if you can present to multiple people at once for free.
When it comes to maintaining your presence on these channels, don’t make it harder than it has to be. Once you have your social media profile pages set up, try to post something once a week, whether it’s a news article about Medicare plans or life insurance trends, or a brag about how much money you saved a client by helping them find a better plan. You can even get a free account at Hootsuite and spend half an hour scheduling posts to share on your accounts at specified times during the next few weeks, instead of logging in every day—which frees you up to focus on selling insurance. Even if you post the same message on all of your channels in the beginning, at least you’re posting consistently, which is the true goal here.
I think there are a couple main reasons why the research aspect is so overlooked in affiliate marketing. The first reason is, people are just lazy. Most new affiliate marketers are only thinking about making money in the shortest period of time, so they simply choose a niche and build a site in their first day. Then, months go by with little to no website traffic and they proclaim that affiliate marketing no longer works. Considering affiliate marketing is a multi-billion dollar per year industry driving about 20% of all online sales, that of course isn’t true. Most people just don’t do the research necessary to truly find a profitable niche that is in demand without too much competition.
Ask About LTC Experiences: If you offer long - term care insurance, you should be asking every life insurance or Medicare client about LTC to maximize the potential of each lead. Ask about their experiences with family members who have needed nursing homes or family members to take care of them, and then ask them what their plan is for their family if that would happen to them.
Perhaps the only real way to reach free leads is to network with other, more experienced marketers, and perhaps get them to share their lists as a way to get you off the ground. With this, you aren’t really getting free leads as such – more leads at no up-front cost. The other marketers will usually expect that you will send commission to them for the sales that you make.
When it comes to maintaining your presence on these channels, don’t make it harder than it has to be. Once you have your social media profile pages set up, try to post something once a week, whether it’s a news article about Medicare plans or life insurance trends, or a brag about how much money you saved a client by helping them find a better plan. You can even get a free account at Hootsuite and spend half an hour scheduling posts to share on your accounts at specified times during the next few weeks, instead of logging in every day—which frees you up to focus on selling insurance. Even if you post the same message on all of your channels in the beginning, at least you’re posting consistently, which is the true goal here.
Listed below are a few different ways to find free leads on social media, but first, let’s talk about socially acceptable behavior. You wouldn’t just walk up to someone on the street and try to sell them insurance on the spot, so in the same way, you should approach your connections on social media with a little discretion. In other words, don’t be this guy:
