Did you remember to celebrate your small wins this year?
My first win was on January 1st. A client reached out to me that day for a clarity call.
That call turned into a website redesign project.
Where did that lead come from?
A video I posted during the 30 Videos in 30 Days challenge in August.
How many views does that video have? 72.
A while back, I created a digital product and shared it with my email list.
Since they gave feedback during pre-launch, they got first dibs. And a discount.
I got 3 sales from that.
I also posted it on Pinterest and got another sale in less than 24 hours!
You see where I’m going with this, right?
Social media is constantly changing (and honestly, it’s a dumpster fire right now).
So, instead of chasing views and being on all the platforms, I’m focusing on using YouTube for business.
My goal isn’t 1K views or subscribers.
It’s to get one client or customer.
If that’s your goal, too, here’s how you can do it without relying on social media.
1. YouTube: Turn Viewers into Clients
If you’re going to start anywhere, start with YouTube. Here’s how to turn your videos into lead generators:
- Make it easy for viewers to reach you:
- Add a call-to-action (CTA) in your video, description (first line), and About section.
- Pin a comment with your website link.
- Create a “work with me” playlist: Think of this as a roadmap to your services. If you offer copywriting, create a playlist covering:
- Basics clients need to know before working with you
- FAQs, beginner guides, advanced tips
- Case studies or testimonials, as the last video
- Add your website link in every video (on-screen, description, pinned comment)
- Create a video sales letter and at the end of the video for your end screen, use that or the playlist
- Add that playlist or video in the featured section on your page
- Types of videos that attract leads:
- How-to and tech tutorials (Top tricks in [your niche], [Tool] for beginners)
- Demo videos (How to get started with [your service], Create [something] with [your tool])
- Behind-the-scenes (How I plan and organize YT content in [your tool])
- Affiliate marketing (Why I use [tool] for client management, Why I switched to [tool])
- Selling templates? Product reviews/comparisons (Notion vs. ClickUp)
- FAQs and live Q&As, AMAs (# reasons it’s time to hire a [your service])
- Case studies/testimonials (How I helped my client reach [goal] in # months)
- Easy content ideas: Write down 3-5 struggles your audience has, mistakes they make, or tips to help them. You can also use AI to analyze your channel and suggest search-based content. Remember to mention your audience and the content you want to make.
2. Email List: Your Direct Line to Clients
Unlike social media and YouTube, your email list is something you own.
Whether you want something simple (Substack) or more advanced (ConvertKit, MailerLite), email marketing is a great way to bring in leads.
And the good thing is you can take the list to another email marketing software.
Here’s how to use your email list to drive traffic:
- Offer a freebie: A cheat sheet, checklist, or other quick-win resource. Bring it up in a YouTube video so they can sign up for your newsletter to get the freebie.
- Share your content: Announce new videos, give early access to ad-free versions (unlisted YouTube videos), or expand on video topics. If you use Substack, add the audio version of the email.
- Make it valuable: You can add:
- Tool or tip of the week
- Share the behind the scenes of a product or service
- A case study or testimonial from a client you helped, sharing how you helped them
- Close out: End your emails with a CTA to your services – “Ways to work with me”, “How I can help you”, or “Here are other ways I can help you”.
- Repurpose content: If you don’t have videos yet, rewrite blog posts or even tweets/IG posts and turn them into emails.
- Quick tip: Setting up a free or paid newsletter in Substack and Kit is easy. I set up mine with Kit and will use that for my free and paid newsletter. There, you can sign up for the free newsletter and grab your Lead Generating Checklist or the paid one to get the checklist and CTA Guide. Plus, a bonus to help you build your homepage or sales page.
3. Pinterest: The Simplest Way to Drive Traffic
Pinterest is a search engine, not a social media platform, which means your content can live there for years.
And if you’ve created blog posts or videos, you can easily repurpose them into pins that link back to your website. That way, your posts will show up when someone searches for your topic.
How to use Pinterest for leads:
- Pin your blog posts and videos: Every post should link back to your website. Also – pin your newsletter.
- Share direct links to services: You can even create a rate card or price list and pin it.
- Monetize with affiliate links: Sign up for affiliate programs like Notion, Amazon Associates, or HoneyBook. Create a pin, write a description (add #ad or #affiliate), and include your link.
- Bonus tip: If you’re on Instagram, link your IG to Pinterest so your posts auto-publish there. Also connect your website. Whenever you post on either, it should auto post to your boards.
Website Checklist: Make Sure It’s Ready for Traffic
Once you start driving traffic, your website needs to be ready to convert visitors into leads.
I go over what to add to your home, about, and sales pages in this video, but here’s a quick rundown.
Here’s what to check:
- Optimize each page on your website
- Home
- “I help (ideal client) do/become/get (end goal) so they can (benefit).”
- “I help (audience) with (their goals, struggles) by (solutions).”
- Who you are, what do you, who do you help, and how, the benefit of working with you, testimonials, and the next step to take (e.g., services page, blog, about page)
- About – personal story, skills, and experience that brought you here – doing what you do now, who do you want to help, what set you apart from others
- Services/Sales – answer what you do, who you want to work with, how you help them be great, how long it takes, how much it costs – “starting at..”, the benefits of working with you, give examples of past work, share testimonials, answer FAQs, outline the process and add the app or hire me form there or a link to it
Related: Add VIP Days & Productized Services to your business - Blog – All blog posts should have a link or button to your newsletter page or sign up form. End your blog posts with the same “Ways to work with me” from your email
- Home
- Have a clear CTA on all pages (book a call, join your newsletter, or check out your services)
- If you don’t have services yet, link visitors to your newsletter
- Create a 1:1 call service or session to start so you can figure out what services or products to offer in the future. Start with a free 15-min discovery or a paid consultation. Use cal.com (like Calendly, but the paid features are free) and add the form to your site.
Pro tip: Add this to your clarity call page: “A portion of this call fee can be applied to another service if you upgrade.”
Another tip: I’ve seen a web designer’s sales page where, at the bottom, they added a newsletter sign-up form. The text said something like “Not ready to work together, sign up to get updates.” This is a good way to stay on their mind so when they’re ready, they’ll reach out.
Wrap up
So that’s how you can use YouTube, email, and Pinterest to generate leads for your website.
But of these three, your email list should be your second priority after YouTube.
Platforms like YouTube and Pinterest are great, but you don’t own them.
Your account can get hacked, banned, or shut down.
So, having an email list gives you a backup plan.
And whatever happens on other platforms, you can always update your email list or move them to another provider if needed.
I’ll talk about why you need an email list in my next video, including:
- How to create lead magnets
- A quick walkthrough on how to set up a list in Substack or Kit
- What to send your subscribers – free and paid
In the meantime, if you need help setting up your website, watch this next.
About
Hi, I’m Marjy! Digital Creator and Content Manager for creatives and online service providers. If you’re enjoying this post, here are other ways you can connect with me:
- Subscribe to my newsletter: I send actionable tips about marketing and online business every Friday. Join the list here.
- Let’s work together: I help creators and online service providers with digital marketing and software support. I also have Clarity Call sessions if you need help organizing your thoughts. Learn more about my services here.
- Read Blog | Brief Gems podcast | YouTube