I was on a video call with a fellow blogger when we got talking about click-through rate on our emails. She asked me what mine was.

I responded “Uhhhhh… 3%, what’s yours?”

She literally blew me out of the water when she said 50-60%!! I couldn’t believe it!!

Now her strategy is quite detailed and has a lot to do with funnels and a very segmented and targeted email list.

But I was missing another piece too…

Why you need to increase click-through

Why does click-through matter? Unlike pageviews or the number of followers (also referred to as “vanity metrics”) click-through actually does matter. This article goes over the general concepts of increasing CTR but I’m specifically talking email list, here. Email is where the money is at.

Here’s why click-through matters: if people aren’t clicking, people aren’t buying.

Unlike social media platforms that you have no control over, your email list is different. You have full control. You can drive tons of traffic and tons of sales if your list is warm, nurtured, and trained to click.

But there’s a lot of competition in the inbox nowadays.

You need to stand out. You need to get your readers expecting your email, looking forward to see your content.

A great way to do that? Printables.  

How printables can increase click-through and conversions

First of all, free printables build trust. You are giving, not asking. You aren’t expecting them to buy, you are letting them know that it’s more important to you to give them what they need than it is to make money off them.

Next, it adds value to your content. You want your content to be actionable. Motivate your reader to take the next step, do something. A printable can walk them through that and help them make that step.

Say you want them to start meal planning, they may or may not be into this. If they are anything like me, they think it’s a great idea and would love to do it. But they are also kind of lazy and think it sounds like a lot of work. BUT you have an awesome printable meal planner that helps them keep their meals organized. So, maybe I will give it a shot, I mean the planner is right there. Click! 

Or maybe you want them to start saving for Christmas but they are super disorganized and have no idea where to start. BUT you have a challenge worksheet for them with goal amounts to save and dates to save it by and they think “Yes, this is exactly what I need”! 

You get the idea.

So they start clicking on your printables.

Then they start clicking on your blog article links.

Then they click on your affiliate links. They know that when they click, they get value. That’s the goal, after all. The fact that you also get money for it is what makes blogging the best job in the world.

PS: Learn to make your own amazing printable with our FREE worksheet templates! Did I mention they’re completely editable so you can customize them to bring that amazing printable idea to life!

What happens when readers click-through

A lot of things happen when your readers start to click. First, you start driving traffic to your site.

I once heard a saying that it’s easier to get repeat customers than it is to always be looking for new ones. It’s SO true when it comes to your email list. It’s so much easier to get the same people that already like your blog to go back to it. And it’s easier to get people that know you and trust you to buy what you are offering.

Speaking of which; SALES happen when your readers click through. Remember, if they aren’t clicking then they aren’t buying. Obviously.

Not only does it making selling your own products easier, but also your affiliate products. And affiliates are easy, you just talk about how much you love something and people want to check it out too. In other words, you don’t have to be so salesy about it.

Designing printables

First, identify the printable that will convert the best for your audience. Some audiences love planners, while others can’t get enough worksheets. (You can find 17 amazing content upgrade ideas here.) 

Try different types out and see which ones do best (BTW, this is called A/B testing). Then once you have identified a printable that converts well, do more of those!

Then, decide on your color palette and overall design. Choose some design elements (I personally love banners and arrows!)

Start designing. Start with a background- minimal and not overpowering, but pretty! Then add a killer heading.

P.S. Guys, I have done some work for you! I actually have a template of 5 headings that can be edited in Canva available in my design resource library! I also have a design element cheatsheet with the search terms to find my favorite elements. Both are available in the free library and you can get access to it at the end of this post!

Add the meat of your content and finish off with a logo and disclaimer. I usually add something along the lines of “COPYRIGHT 2017 [YOURBLOGNAME] DO NOT COPY, SHARE, OR SELL. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WWW.YOURBLOGNAME.COM”

All that’s left is adding them to your emails. I do this by adding the file to my wordpress media library and then grabbing the URL and linking to it in my email. The nice part is that it’s additional pageviews when they click it, the downside is that it takes up space on your server. You can also use programs like dropbox to host your printables on an outside service.

Bonus points if you repurpose these in your old (related) blog posts and create opt-in freebies.

Intimidated by the thought of creating an amazing printable for your audience? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered right here!

Increase click-through like a flippin’ pro

Training your audience to click is very important to monetizing your email list. Bloggers are tempted to sell printables as a way to make money but ironically, giving them away for free can result in so much more income.

You will be surprised that when you start giving WAY more than asking, you will actually start to see that click-through rate go up, up, up. (Kinda like mine did!)

So it’s your turn. Start by signing up for our free resource library by filling out the form below. Grab our free template of 5 headings and our design element cheatsheet. Then head over to canva and start designing. What is your next newsletter scheduled to be about? How can you make that more actionable for your audience?

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The very first digital product I ever purchased was after I signed up for a free webinar.

I had no intention of buying a product, I just wanted to consume the free information.

I sat through the whole thing, the info was excellent but the upsell was even better.

3 years later I have learned a lot. I have attended some awesome webinars with fantastic info and some okay webinars that were pretty basic.

The thing is, webinars have the potential to convert like crazy. If you are selling ANYTHING online, you need to consider a webinar.

I know it can seem a little intimidating, especially to put yourself out there in a live way where people can comment and ask questions. But trust me, it can be so rewarding.

First of all, what is a webinar?

A webinar is an online conference in which you teach something to a group of people that sign up ahead of time. It is usually live and can contain some awesome info. You won’t want to give all your info away for free though because most webinars have an upsell at the end that leads to the sale of your main product.

This article goes over the basics of setting up a webinar for free (without those crazy expensive webinar programs)

Generally, people attending the webinar are able to interact via comments and they are able to ask questions. This is a great way to sell your product because you can directly address any concerns your potential customers may have.

This also allows you to make an offer they can’t refuse.

So how do you nail your first webinar?

Here are 6 key elements to create a webinar that converts:

(Keep an eye out for the webinar checklist at the bottom of the post!)

1. The topic

Your topic is going to want to relate in some way to your product. If you are selling an ebook about sleep training techniques then you are going to want your webinar to be like “3 steps to getting your baby to sleep through the night”

That way, you can refer to your product throughout the webinar to get people excited about it and when it’s time for the upsell they are already sold.

2. The ads

You are really going to want to promote your webinar well. Generally about 1-2 weeks prior to your live webinar, set up a facebook or Pinterest ad that is targeted towards your ideal client.

Promote it in relevant groups and share threads. Post it on your Facebook page– really talk it up (but don’t spam people, of course). You can even promote it on your blog and through your email list.

Don’t be afraid to promote it through your newsletter. Just because those people are already on your list doesn’t mean they won’t become buyers or tell their friends about it. You can even offer a referral link and let them know if they have their friends sign up, they will be entered to win a prize (which can be anything from a free consult to a free product or gift card).

3. The presentation

The best webinars I’ve seen are mostly slide decks mixed in with some live video. I don’t like live video (although I know it’s totally necessary to grow my business). I think I look super awkward and nervous, which doesn’t come across great.

If you feel awkward on video, you will want to really make sure you nail your slide deck. Slide decks are basically slide shows that go along with the webinar content. Powerpoint is boring and basic. Using Canva can really bring your slide decks to the next level.

4. The worksheets

I can’t even tell you how much I love webinars with worksheets. Usually, the worksheets are fill-in-the-blank style and get the reader to pay extra close attention along with allowing them to take notes.

It gets them more engaged and involved in the training. These don’t take long to create and again, can be easily created in Canva. Taking this extra step will absolutely give your webinar a creative edge.

PS: Learn to make your very own worksheets for your webinar with our editable Worksheet Templates, available in our resource library! PS: Learn to make your very own worksheets for your webinar with our editable Worksheet Templates, available in our resource library! [

5. Questions and engagement

Really take the time to answer each and every question during your webinar. Answer them as you go but also set aside time at the end to answer questions. Do this after the upsell offer because this is likely when you will lose some people (plus this gives them the chance to ask questions about the actual product).

Don’t underestimate the importance of this step. This is where you get the chance to convince people that are on the fence that your product is exactly what they need.

6. The upsell

During the webinar, you will have already talked up your product, people are already going to be excited. Going back to the sleep training example, you can say something like:

Step one is transitioning from the swaddle. This is important because at a certain age the swaddle not only becomes a strong sleep assciation but once the child starts rolling it can become a saftey concern. However, many parents really struggle getting their kids to transition smoothly. I actually go into amazing detail about this in my ebook. I discovered this incredible technique that worked almost immediately on all three of my kids!

You are giving them the step and the reason why it’s important but leaving out the technique (but mentioning that you have the technique available in your ebook). Your potential client’s interest and curiosity are piqued. They are excited to learn your technique.

But you can take it a step further. Offer an incentive.

Remember that digital product I mentioned earlier? I purchased it because it was not just the membership site (offered at a lower rate if the entire year was purchased at once) but they also offered a free consult and website review to the first 5 buyers.

Make your offer irresistible. Offer a free 15-minute consult. Maybe a free workbook or some kind of content upgrade. (P.S. you can actually repurpose blog content into an ebook– quick, easy, and adds value)

You can do this. You can create a webinar that converts like crazy.

Your first webinar will be nerve-wracking, I’m not going to lie to you. But when you see those sales start rolling in, you’ll be hooked. Just remember the 6 key elements: The topic, targeted Facebook or Pinterest ads, a killer presentation, engaging worksheets, answering questions, and the irresistible upsell and bonus offer.

I actually have a free webinar checklist available in our design resource library! Here’s a sneak peek:

Print it off and laminate it (or put it in your blog binder). Use it each time you organize a webinar to really make sure you knock it out of the park! To get the password to our protected library, just fill out the form below!

Find this checklist in our FREE design resource library! 

Get access to this checklist, plus all of our free canva templates, tutorials, and design tools that will help you start rocking graphic design for your blog when you sign up for our email list! Sign up below and I'll send you the link + password!

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