Leads and Subscribers – Are They Same?

In internet marketing the terms “subscribers” and “leads” are often used interchangeably giving the impression that they mean the same. However, they are not same and understanding the difference is crucial for succeeding in net based business.

Subscribers are people who have subscribed to receive information from you. They have given you their email addresses and permission to contact them on those addresses. Information you send them could be in various forms such as newsletters, ezines, your special offers and relevant announcements.

Your subscribers can turn into leads once they respond positively to your call for some action. The subscribers joined the list in the first place to receive information from you, or maybe to receive gifts that were offered for subscribing. When you send them information, most likely you also send them offers that promise to help them in some way. In fact selling your offers may be your primary reason for starting the list. In your offer you call for some action on the part of the subscribers – to buy something or join a private membership group. As long as your subscribers do not respond to your “call” they remain subscribers. But as soon as they accept your offer they convert into leads.

Why are leads important for a business?

Your leads are your customers who purchased something from you or followed you to an area of common interest. You spent your resources to find them and bring them around to trust you. They converted into leads because they have interest in your offer and the niche it belongs to. They became your customer because they believed that your offer would give them something of value that they do not already have. They found the answer to their unsatisfied demands in your product.

There are few special features that set your leads apart from your subscribers. Your leads are seriously interested in your niche. They have developed enough faith in you or in your product to actually respond to your call for action. Additionally, they are also willing to give out their money, time or attention to obtain the product you are representing.

Your leads develop an emotional involvement with you that you can turn to your advantage. When your leads spent money or other resources to get your product they were emotionally moved to take that decision. They expect to find something to satisfy their requirements. You are in a position to grow personal relationship with them. You can give them support to ensure that they make good use of the product they obtained from you.

If you are able to retain their faith in you by giving them what they really wanted (information, or success in some field), you have lifetime customers. You can sell them other products and help them achieve what they were looking for. To sell your new products you have a ready, responsive customer-base. You do not have to spend your resources to find them again. It will be too much to expect that all your leads will take your second product also; but still you will have most targeted market with high conversion rate. Your leads remain the base on which you can grow your business.

How would you like to have responsive leads in the first place?

You have to pay a price to get and maintain your subscribers. Some of your subscribers joined your list because they were looking for freebies. Many of your subscribers are not serious enough to ever accept your offer. But you still carry them, and that certainly costs you something. It will be in your interest to have a high conversion rate. You would like to have a large number of subscribers turn into leads.

Your conversion rate will depend upon how you get your subscribers and how effectively you are able to pre-sell your offer to break down their resistance. To get targeted leads your marketing and promotion should be extremely focused. Secondly, you will need a system such as auto-responder to engage the attention of your subscribers and to convince them that your offer can meet their expectations.

You may be operating in any area, you need leads to sustain your endeavour. A smaller number of targeted leads are much better and preferable to a large number of uninterested subscribers. For any market niche – mortgage loans, insurance, real estate, home based business or any other niche – your leads are your real assets.

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