EP75: The Manifesto Funnel
Welcome back, my friends.
Hold on for a second my friends.
Before we dig our way into this episode…
Let’s just do a quick recap from the last episode.
Just in case some of you had missed it. It was the second episode diving into “Funnels”. So there was one before that too.
We started with a Funnel 101 bit of information. It was about the start of the very first funnel back in 1898. It even talked about a few things that we would not have had back then if you and I had somehow slipped back in time.
We mentioned the AIDA…
Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action. The four mechanisms of creating sales or conversions.
Then we discussed how the AIDA Funnel of 1898, when it was first introduced, no longer functions in today's world, because we as a people think, and act differently. We were a people with different worldviews.
We found out that our problem today is “Attention” or the lack of it. We all live today in an 8-second attention span world.
We NEED to find a way to attract people to our message, product, course, or mastermind.
But not just anybody either. We CAN NOT serve ALL people. We need to attract to us only those that would truly benefit from the help we can provide. Even if we could help everyone, we cannot do it on ONE piece of content. On just one Blog Post. One FB ad.
Or just one MANIFESTO.
We need to learn how to filter out the people that fall within our world of influence. Encourage them to take action. Gently Pull them into your world through the mastery of attraction marketing.
And everyone else, can, through the use of your words find their way back to whatever it was they were doing before. Kindly help them know that you are not there to serve them. I DID say to be kind!
There were a lot more things in last week's podcast #74 Funnels 101. I recommend you listen to it first, before diving into today's information. And Episode #73 The Magic of Funnels if you missed it as well.
With that said…
Let’s dive in.
Here's your goal. [As I see it]
Long-Term – Make Sales.
Short-Term – Build a list.
Everything in between those two things can be changed to meet your business needs.
For our conversation today, we will be concentrating on starting with the short-term goal - you need to build a list.
A list of emails that is yours and can go with you no matter where you go.
You need to do that on a platform you own.
You cannot expect your Facebook friends, Twitter followers, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tic-Tok followers to be there all the time. Like I said last week, they are your BORROWED audience. You don’t own them. Your messages on those platforms may only reach 8% of them too.
NOTE: With a large enough social media following, in the tens and hundreds of thousands, sure you can make some sales by sending out a message with a CTA. But we’re working as if you are just starting, and that would assume a low social following as well.
So, we are going to write a MANIFESTO.
Here are just a few quick tips to remember to include as you write yours.
- Identify your business’s "why”.
- Write in the second or third person to place your audience into the story you’re telling.
- Describe how your business’s purpose will improve people’s lives.
In your manifesto, you will share your thoughts about why you do the things you do.
Identify your business’s "why”
Your purpose drives your entire manifesto. Without presenting a clear and convincing purpose, your manifesto will seem like an inauthentic, emotionally manipulative sales pitch. Your audience wants to know why they should care about you -- and your product’s “best-in-class” features have never been a compelling enough reason to support a business.
What happened that led you to the point you are right now?
Describe problems you may have faced and overcome.
And you can also share the problems you still struggle with. It's good to know that you're a real person with real struggles still needing work to overcome.
Remember, people want to be around others that they can identify with. And they also want to know that there is something tangible that will be exchanged in the relationship.
You are trying to build a relationship with a stranger using the manifesto.
Write in the second or third person to place your audience into the story you’re telling.
In your manifesto, your copy needs to pull your prospect in by including the words "we” or "people”. So using pronouns like "you”, "we", and "us” can engage people on a personal level and place them in the narrative that you're crafting.
You want this manifesto to be long enough to require a “next page” button to continue reading. Maybe 500-700 words. You be the judge.
The important thing is the end of your page needs to leave the reader wanting to know more, or possibly you stopped at a cliffhanger that needs to be resolved on the next page.
Sure you can just write a long page manifesto, 1000, 1500, or 2000 words long, and conclude with a call to action, a request to sign up for a newsletter, or sign up to your list.
Of course, you can.
But that won't help you pull people forward.
You want to attract them.
A long page can be scrolled down to reveal the CTA without reading any of the heartfelt content leading up to the ask.
No!
You need a multi-page manifesto.
It will guide and nurture your prospect at the same time.
And lest we forget…
We do not want everyone to sign up for our list.
We ONLY want people we can help. We don't want tire kickers. We don't want people that are just going to be on a list and do nothing.
You're in business to make money, right?
So, you will need some of these people to one day, not today, of course, to purchase something from you.
This will only happen if you let them know that. Let them know that you do sell products that you hope, one day will be just right for them. But you also share loads of free content that helps people overcome real problems as well. This way they know you are not just trying to sell them something right now. [later – YES!]
Let them know what you expect of them as well.
On the last page of the manifesto, let them know how they will benefit by being on your list or as a newsletter subscriber. Remember to let them know, they can always unsubscribe anytime they want – no hard feelings.
If you want to be able to interact with them, then say so.
You want your manifesto to repel everyone that you have identified as not being a good match.
You should have a section stating that too.
You would not be a good match if: [Fill-in-the-blank]
Just like you could identify those that are a good match.
Manifestos are important.
They are meant to help someone get a good impression of you and your business quickly. But since we cannot interact with a business, it is best to write as a person.
As the person is going through your manifesto and along the way you want them to read and nod their head in agreement, right?
Man, I wish I had a "White Castle" right now. I'm craving them...
You don't want to put them to sleep.
It should be a lively conversation.
Include some wit and some joking around if it works well. [If it is how you would normally speak with someone – never say anything, or act in any way that is not TRUE to who you really are.] The important thing is that it should be written in YOUR voice.
It should read like how you speak. Like you were having a conversation with them.
If you were to walk up to a stranger and had to tell them about your business in about 5-10 minutes, or even less - what would you say?
How would you say it?
Remember this is a one-sided conversation. Just like a lecture.
They can be boring.
Right?
So, don't be boring.
Share information a bit. Then tell a story. Share more information, a possible quote, or something else, to back up a thought you had mentioned. That way the reader knows others think the same way too.
You want the reader to get to the bottom of the first page and WANT to read more.
On the next page, you're starting over. You will need to pull them through it as well.
Of course, they are already starting to know you…
Build upon that.
Dig in and share more common things that you and your audience should have in common.
You want the reader to feel as if they are already a part of your audience.
Describe how your business’s purpose will improve their lives
They should be glad they found you.
Might I go so far as to say they feel excited?
Well, maybe not yet!
But soon.
Soon my friend!
So how long should your manifesto be?
I would shoot for, say, 3 pages.
This lets them click “read more” or “next page” a couple of times. Each time they click, they are moving a little bit closer to you. They are beginning to feel you for the very first time.
I've read manifestos that we're 7 pages long. And in snail mail advertising, some of the greats at marketing could easily write 10-20 page sale letters, or longer, with ease. They would ALL pull people through them. If you ever see one, don’t throw them away. Save them as examples of writing compelling dialog. Learn from the greats.
You need to be a writer that can share a lot of information that is light and bright for that many pages.
A 7-page manifesto weeds out people early in the process. To get through 7 pages, you know those readers care about what you are sharing. [They may already be ready to sign-up by page 4 or 5, who knows unless you test it.]
On your list, you want people that will READ the information you share.
A 3-page manifesto is a safe way to start building your list.
It's how a LOT of great marketers pull people into their world. They may not call them MANIFESTOs, but they use them the same way. To help people QUICKLY get to know them, like them, and take some action.
That is exactly what I hope you will do one day too.
You're definitely NOT trying to sell them ANYTHING in your manifesto.
That is something that takes place LATER, in the emails you write.
Once the reader gets to the bottom of your final page, you could simply include a sign-up box for their name and email, or link them to a landing page. Either way, this will place them on your list and the "Thank You" page could be a place for you to get them to do other things as well, such as asking them to like your FB page or other social media account.
Once they are on your list…
Now it is up to you to nurture them, let them get to know you, and know that you care.
Ask them questions as well. You want to know more about what they need.
If you have products, or just one, you can slowly talk about the problems that your product solves. Work it into the conversation, helping them to know that you do have ways to combat niche issues that they may have as well.
If you feel uncomfortable with creating emails that walk people through a narrative and guide them along a pathway, might I suggest you visit…
EP10 – “Email Basics”
EP11 – “The Welcome Email”
EP12 – “Relationship Emails”
EP13 – “The Bridge Email”
EP14 – “Promotional Emails”
EP36 – "The Bridge Email – Part 2"
That’s it for me.
[I still want a White Castle sandwich ... don't you?]
I’ll see you again, next week.
James "Manifesto" Brown
P.S. - In the event, you DO find that once an episode has been produced and posted, that YOU really would like more information, just let me know. Use the Podcast Questions link, click on the link here. Or you can just leave a voice message here.
