Think the money is in the list? Think again.

The real money is in the follow-up. Without a great back end to support your list-building efforts, you’ll wind up with a huge list of names that do little but cost you money. And nowhere is that more true than with a big giveaway event.

Think about it. You’ll spend time and money—and lots of it—just organizing your event. Between the design work, recruiting guests, writing copy, and setting up the infrastructure, you’re going to spend dozens of hours.

The way to make up for that is with a solid back end that brings in sales each and every day.

Two Pages to Monetize

Want to know the most underutilized page on your site? It’s the confirmation page. You know, that page where new opt-ins land while they wait for your confirmation email to arrive? If yours says something like “Thanks, now go check your email” (or worse, it’s AWeber’s or Lead Page’s default page) then you’re missing a golden opportunity.

This is potentially the first exposure your new subscriber has to you, so it pays to make it a good one. This is the place where you should be offering a low-cost product that is a natural fit with your freebie. So in this case, your free offer is the giveaway event. Think about your products. Which one will help participants make the most of the event? That’s the one to offer on the confirmation or thank you page. And if you can offer a coupon, even better!

The download page is another often overlooked opportunity. Give your readers a relevant offer that ties in nicely with their download (or in this case, the gifts they’re receiving) and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the number of takers you get.

Email Still Works

Don’t forget the follow-up emails. Hopefully you’ve created a series of emails to go out after a subscriber joins your list. These are the perfect place to make offers of relevant products and services, either yours or those of your event guests. You don’t have to resort to hard sell tactics in every email though—and you probably shouldn’t.

Instead, send your subscribers valuable information they can use, so they learn to look forward to your emails. Save the selling for your P.S. or for the occasional (once per week or less) solo email.

Done right, these two techniques can ensure you not only earn back your investment in creating your giveaway event, but earn a tidy profit as well. Not only that, but these strategies work for every opt-in offer on your site, so be sure to take a look at your other funnels and patch up any leaks you might have.

To start – fill in the The Complete Assessment for a free assessment

There’s a reason why so many top coaches and service providers are hosting virtual summits: they’re the perfect way to showcase your expertise…even if you think you don’t have any.

Seriously, everyone is an expert in something, but if you’re breaking into a new niche, or simply trying to “up level” your brand, then a virtual summit can be the perfect launch pad. Here’s why it works so well.

Invite your dream guests

It’s true what they say about surrounding yourself with greatness. When you associate with coaches and business owners who are just a bit ahead of you in the entrepreneurial game, they will bring you up by association.

Pull off a successful event, and you’ll find your inbox flooded with offers for interviews, speaking engagements, and JV partnerships, and all because you had the courage and forethought to put together a stellar event. So don’t be afraid to approach those “big” names.

Repackage and repurpose

Don’t let your big event fade into the background as soon as it’s over. Instead, turn the recordings into evergreen products that will continue to showcase you as the go-to person in your niche.

Consider bundling the recordings with transcripts and selling them as one-off products. You could also turn the transcripts into Kindle books, or use the audios in a stand-alone training program. If you have a coaching client who struggles with a particular task, share the relevant recording with her, then offer to answer questions after she’s watched it.

The point is, use and re-use this content everywhere you can, and it will continue to help you grow your business for years.

Blow your own horn

Blog guest posting, podcast interviews, and the speaker’s circuit…these are all fantastic ways to leverage a successful summit to show off your expertise. Because you’ve pulled off your virtual event (with a minimum of hitches) and had the backing of some heavy hitters in your niche, you’re in a great position to turn that “fame” into more opportunities.

Make the most out of your hard work by including the information on your:

· About page

· Speaker page

· Press page

· LinkedIn bio

And don’t forget to stay in touch with your speakers, so you can make the most of those connections, too.

To start – fill in the The Complete Assessment for a free assessment