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Email List Building Series (Part 2): Create a Sign Up Incentive That Knocks Their Socks Off

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Email List Building Series (Part 2)_ Create a Sign Up Incentive That Knocks Their Socks Off _ YourWriterPlatform

There are two camps when it comes to what Seth Godin calls the “ethical bribe”.

Some people believe that by providing an incentive for people to sign up for your list, you attract the wrong crowd: those in it just to receive the freebie, and nothing more.

Others (the majority) believe that, if done right, your sign up incentive significantly increases the odds that a new visitor will take the tentative–but all important–first step in investing in you and your content.

Reading your posts, sharing them with their following, or leaving a comment on your blog are all small ways that your reader is confirming their interest and your relevance.

But handing over an email address is a bigger commitment to you and the work you are sharing. By allowing you direct access to their inbox, your reader is affirming that a certain level of trust has been established and that they are willing to hear more.

The “right” opt-in

  • removes a barrier to action (“Should I trust this person with my email address?”)
  • reduces the potential risk for your reader (“Wow, she’s giving this away for free?”)
  • and persuades people to take the next step: joining your community.

Here on YWP, I waited about a year before I created my email sign up incentive. In hindsight, that was probably about 9 months too long. 😉

Within the first three months of starting this site, I already knew what would be an ideal incentive, because every second or third email I received was from writers asking this basic question: “I know I need to build my writer platform, but where do I start?”

I had been steadily growing my list over that period, but once I finally took the time to create and make available the free ebook, The Quick Start Guide to Building Your Writer Platform, my email list sign ups have almost doubled! That’s thousands of email subscribers lost because I was dragging my feet.

Ooops!

Do you see how important it is to start now rather than waiting? [Read more…]

Email List Building Series (Part 1): The Power of an Email List (And Why It’s a Must)

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Email List Building Series (Part 1)_ The Power of an Email List and Why it's a Must _ YourWriterPlatform

If there was one thing you could do that would multiply your reach and help you build deeper relationships with people who are already interested in your message and your work–would you do it?

What if that one thing required no tricks, no SEO, no fancy design skills and no algorithms to decipher?

And if  building that same one thing over time lead to significantly increased sales of your books or services–

would it be worth doing?

Building a targeted and invested email list of subscribers is hands down one of THE most important things you can do to ensure the long term growth of your writing career.

If I could only take one thing with me on a deserted (platform building) island, it would be my email list.

Why?

Because no matter how important blogging, social media, publicity and other forms of outreach are for getting your work in front of the right eyeballs, your email list is the only thing–if nurtured–that will allow you to directly and personally communicate with your readers on an ongoing basis.

For those of you who are not convinced that it’s worth the trouble (or you’re just unsure where to start) I have created a series of posts that will address the why, the how and the what of list building for writers. [Read more…]

5 Surprising Reasons Why Email Trumps Social Media

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5 Surprising Reasons Why Email Trumps Social Media _ YourWriterPlatform.com (1)

Good old fashioned email. Definitely not the new kid on the block when it comes to communicating with your readership. Can it really compete with all the newfangled alternatives? Guest author, Jason Kong shares how email not only holds its own, but surpasses social media as a powerful communication channel.

Establishing your writer platform requires several important decisions. One of those is how you choose to keep in touch with those who care about your work.

Thanks to the explosion of social media, there’s no shortage of online options. Everyone has heard of Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. Pinterest is becoming more popular, and blogs remain so.

And then there’s email.

It’s a simple tool that hasn’t changed much since its inception. Still around, but hardly cutting edge. Is there a place for a technology that predates today’s social media?

The answer is yes, because an email list is one of the best ways to ensure your long-term success as an author. When powered by a service such as Aweber, email has some distinct and significant advantages over its social media counterparts.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits. [Read more…]

The Writer’s Guide to Building an Email List

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The Writer's Guide to Building an Email List _ YourWriterPlatform.com

Ahh, the ‘List’.

As a writer, building your email subscriber list may not (yet) have become paramount in your quest for an engaged audience.

Setting up and tweaking your blog, learning the intricate language of Twitter and ensuring your brand is hallmarked for longevity has, thus far, consumed every moment of your free time, right?

But if you spend any time online, and particularly within the marketing community, you will hear this important proverb ad nauseam:

The money is in the list.

The reason?

Building an email subscriber list is one of the best ways to ensure the long term success of your business.

How Does This Apply to You?

Building an email list is arguably the most important element to building a following and getting your message heard. It is the most direct and cost effective way to communicate and engage with your fans and subscribers on a personal level. The bigger your list, the bigger your online marketing asset–and the more interested publishers are.

[Read more…]

Authors with Platforms Sell Books.

It’s that simple.

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