In this installment of List Building Tips, I want to discuss how to use your own personal blog to build your list. I'll go over what to do as well as what NOT to do. I think you'll find this interesting reading.
If you've been following this series for a while now, you know that I went over how to build a list using forum blogs. The process is somewhat similar except there are some big differences.
With a forum blog, the forum owner has complete control over the blog itself. They can refuse to allow certain content to be published. Also, the format of the blog itself is out of your control. With your own blog, these things aren't an issue.
When a prospect comes to your blog, the first thing you need to be concerned with is the first impression that your blog makes. What exactly do you want them to see? What kind of layout will they be expecting?
One thing I've discovered, mostly from my own experience with going to other marketers' blogs, is that people don't want to be aimlessly searching for things. They want a navigation system that is easy to follow. That's why, on my own blog, I make sure that there is a clear menu across the top of the blog right below the header.
Once the prospect sees that navigating around the blog is going to be easy, they're more likely to browse the contents. This is where you need to make sure that one of FIRST things they see, preferably on the right hand side just below the header or navigation system, is your opt in box with a brief description of what they're opting in for.
Make it attractive enough, both through design and through your offer, for them to want to be on your list. A simple "Enter your name and email below to be informed of future blog updates" may or may not be enough incentive for them to join. A lot will depend on the actual content of your blog.
Ah... but they won't know how good the content is until they actually READ it. This is where you place your second line of attack. At the end of each article, subtly inform the reader that he can join your list to be informed of any future blog posts or whatever it is you want them to know.
For example, my blog posts are mostly about how to market online. My article closings usually involve telling the reader that if they want more info on how to market online that I have a newsletter that they can subscribe to and then I give them the link. Between this link and the opt in box on the side bar of your blog, you have multiple chances to get the reader onto your list. This is something that you may not be able to do with a forum blog.
If you have multiple blog pages, you want the reader to be able to access the list opt in from any of those pages if the platform allows it. Some blog platforms don't have this capability. So you want to check before you set something up.
You'd be surprised how many people WILL opt into your list IF they like what they see on your blog. But if you don't give them a way to do this, how can they?
Take advantage of every opportunity to build your list.
Your personal blog is just one of those ways.
To YOUR Success,
Steven Wagenheim
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