There was a time where a post like this would start off with, "Do You Have A Blog?" It's no longer a question as to whether you should have one or not but how are you marketing and advertising it? Are you delivering great content with useful information to your target audience and readers? Of course you are! Now take it one-step further.
Don't wait to be found on the web, or for the search engines to index you, email your relevant content regularly to your database. This will help ensure that your content is getting in front of the most important people in your sphere, and at the same time driving traffic back to your blog. This helps with SEO, link-backs, traffic, and reaches beyond your sphere.
DIYThemes sends me occasional blog articles via email that I find very useful and the information is generally something I can apply to my blogging or social media endeavors. It also allows me to pass on the knowledge to my sphere and others which I'm sure is their intention to begin with? It's easy to do and I know for a fact it works.
The Example: How does Facebook drive traffic back to their site using email? They send you an email message that says, "You've Been Tagged In A Photo on Facebook!" You know the drill, you can't possibly resist the temptation to click on the link, and there you end up... on a Facebook page looking at a photo of you of course trying to determine whether you like the photo or not? Then you either comment or untag yourself from the photo. (depending on if you like it or not)
The Secret: It's all about you!
Make your content all about them, then email it to them, and leave them with the burning desire (or temptation) to want to click on the link back to your site and comment. Even if they don't, it's OK because your content has been delivered to someone who may have never seen or even known it existed. Better yet, they may want to share it with their sphere, just like I'm doing here.
This is why you create content to begin with right? It just make cents sense!
Here's how DIYThemes does it. They send me/you an article/blog post via email.
1. They capture you with a great title - "How To Hold an Audience Captive with No Handcuffs Required"
2. Then they use great key bullet points to draw the target audience in:
- Good Captivity, Bad Captivity
- One Man’s Hotel is another Man’s Prison
- So Who is Your Audience, Anyway?
- Escalating Commitments
- Don’t Abuse the Prisoners!
3. Then at the bottom of the email article/post, they add this:
Try this proactive approach to using old school email, your great content, with links back to your articles and see if it doesn't increase your readership, the sharing of your content, drive more traffic to your site, and hopefully grow your sphere and client base so you can reach out and do more business.
Check this out: See why Email marketing "Crushes" Social Media Marketing
{EAV_BLOG_VER:4eb6a79c410ead9b}
"Learn More. Get More. Do More. Be More."
Brad, what a great idea! I create and send a monthly newsletter but maybe I could do a monthly blog out to them as well. Thanks! --Krystal
Brad, I love your "seeds of wisdom" they are always welcome and hopefully you send us more often these "seeds" thank you in advance:)
I love the click here to leave a comment link in the email. Seems simple enough, but somehow I never thought to include it. THANKS Brad!
My brain spins sometimes after your food for thoughts! I love the way you put it in terms like Facebook, that I get so I can figure it out based on that concept! Thanks,
Hi Brad - Very interesting idea and very proactive at getting people back to your blog / website.
It's brilliant Brad and so simple, but easy to see why its so effective. I am going to give it a try immediately!
Brad, thanks for helping in kicking lose some thoughts on how to increase traffic to our site.
I full day with Brad Andersohn would be so mind blowing... just gleaning from these tid bits is more than I can handle sometimes. Thanks Brad.
Spot on as usual my friend! Great advice and "make your content all about them" is totally what works! Great share, thanks...
Wow - what a concept!! Why didn't I think of this sooner??? We write this great content and hope someone reads it. Geez. Why not make SURE they read it by sending it TO them. Wow again!!
Excellent post, Brad. Loved the video about email blogging crushing social media marketing.
Hi Brad...once again you giving us more...Great Suggestion, I have done this in the past, I'll plan to do it more often...Do you Send a link to you AR Blog or Outside AR Blog.
Thanks!!
Good to know, Brad. And believe it or not, I think I'm actually doing some of this already. I send a monthly enews lettter with a section on my latest blogs and latest articles I've added to my facebook page. Will have to think more on this line though. Thanks so much!!!
Brad,
Another excellent post from you. I did not think about the use of email to promote my blogs before but it totally makes sense. Thank you!
Dear Brad -
You are the teacher 'of my dreams' - well, dreaming is where I should be at this hour anyway! Glad that it is a comment on your post that carries me from 94,985 to the 95,000 point.
Thanks for the 'venue'!
Good night teacher!
Have a happy day -
Lynn
PS I agree with Susan (#8).
Thanks Brad for another great idea, simple, easy and productive.
Hi Brad--that's amazing, as I succumb to that for Facebook all the time, so why not use it for my business. Brilliant, thank you.
Brad, this is a great suggestion. The leave a comment in the email link should generate some interest. Thanks.
Thanks, Brad. It seems so obvious, but then it wasn't! Thanks for sharing it.
Bruce
As always!!!! Great content and advice!!! Thanks for helping us to make our job easier :)
Thanks for all the great comments everyone, I honestly believe this will work for those of you who dare to try it. Unfortunately, the same thing that prevents us from blogging to begin with will be the same thing that prevents us from trying this... YOU Fill In The Blank.. _ _ _ _
I know this idea seems like a simple no-brainer, but sooo many of us (including myself) miss these AHA moments and ideas as we get so caught up in the technical process of trying to market and push our content to our target audiences.
Waiting for them to come to us, or find us in the search engines is not only inefficient and less effective, it's missing the mark entirely!
Another ActiveBrad Analogy:
We can post on our Facebook wall all-day and wait... wait... hope..... and wait longer wishing someone will come by and see our picture, video, post etc. and then leave a comment; or we can go to their wall, share, deliver, provide content and value, and tap into their sphere all in one process. Hmmm... which idea makes more cents???
These are called BFO's. (Blinding Flash of the Obvious!)
ANSWER To Blank: ɹɐǝɟ
Hi Brad, Thanks for a really well written analysis. Posts like this go a long way toward the education of AR members struggling to improve in this area. Have a terrific weekend !
Thanks, Brad, you are really the best. What would we do without you!!
Brad:
Sounds like a good idea. I'll investigate and try DIY themes. Thanks fro sharing.
I nwws ro figure this one out!
Good info here. Thank you!
Very interesting, thanks for sharing this. Will think on this further.
I'll consider it. I just like emails to be "very personal" since they are so impersonal to begin with (IMO) ... that I just can't see my sending it out unless people ask for it. I only email my quarterly newsletter to people who literally sign up for it.
That is awesome... I am going to implement Email Blogging. Sometimes back to the basics is the best way to go big! THANKS BRAD.
This looks like a great way to capture more interest and generate more leads. Thanks for the great ideas.
Brad, You are so right on this.. my inbox is filled on a daily basis with "stuff" and the ones that I have an interest in, I click on and the ones that I don't, I send them an email asking to be removed from their list or I mark them as spam..
If the blog emails were sent out with a notice back when it was opened by the receiver, that would really be beneficial.
BFO, AHA moments...I love that you share so much with us. I do miss you.
I would love to get stuck with you and a computer for day or two!
Margaret
I miss you too Margaret, hope you are doing well! :-)