Blogging + Email = Conversion Blogging
July 23rd, 2008
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Yaro Starak has just released a new video about a concept he calls Conversion Blogging. It’s basically what you get when you start by building a good blog, and then add an email list.
It’s no secret that most bloggers have a very hard time making money from their blogs, even if they can get decent traffic to them. Conversion blogging is Yaro’s idea of how to make a full time income without working yourself to death trying to generate page views. This concept has worked very well for himself and many of his students. And while I don’t have an email list of my own, I’m starting to warm up to the idea because of Yaro.
About a fourth of my subscribers are subscribed to my blog via email. This means that every time I publish a new post, they receive an email containing the content of the post. This is a lot more efficient than having to come to my blog every day to check if I’ve posted something new.
But the problem is that it becomes overwhelming when you start subscribing to more and more blogs. Email is a somewhat intrusive medium. It’s easier to ignore than a phone call, but it’s still kind of “in your face.” People are obsessed with checking their email many times a day, and they stress over keeping their inboxes clean.
So at some point, many blog readers will stop subscribing to blogs via email, and will start subscribing via RSS instead. This is a big step up from email subscriptions, because it keeps all your blogs in one place, and you only have to check your blog feeds when you want to read them (no cluttered inbox).
But from the point of view of the blogger, what’s the downside of having people subscribe via RSS? Your posts no longer stand out. They’re lost in a sea of posts from other blogs. When people get around to reading their blogs, there’s no guarantee that they’ll be able to read every single post. It’s bad enough that they might not see the posts you’ve worked so hard on, but also, they might not see the product launches and affiliate promotions that you depend on for your blogging income.
But consider this. Let’s say you have a blog that gets traffic through commenting on other blogs, StumbleUpon, and so forth. And you create engaging and entertaining content for your readers, so they keep coming back for more. And then in addition to your blog, you also have an email list where people can sign up for more specialized information on a particular subtopic, and they can get a free report or video for signing up.
Not all, but some of your blog readers will sign up for your email list. They’ll receive emails that are not just repeats of the blog posts, but original valuable content. They’re more likely to read an email than a blog post, and they pay more attention (after all, the emails are addressed to them by name). They look forward to the emails even more than the blog posts. And so, when some of these emails are promoting a product, they’re much more likely to buy it. That’s what conversion blogging is all about.
I don’t have an email list and I don’t think I’m close to creating one. I don’t even have any idea what the topic would be. But it’s something that’s been in the back of my mind for a while, and if I continue to learn about conversion blogging, I’ll have the knowledge ready if and when I get an idea for an email list.
You can watch the Conversion Blogging video for free, and you don’t even have to opt in to anything. It’s 33 minutes and I really like the presentation. You see Yaro talking up in one corner while the rest of the video is showing his computer screen.
After you watch that video, you’re invited to watch a brand new video version of Yaro’s hugely popular Blog Profits Blueprint, which has now been downloaded over 40,000 times. It’s 55 minutes and free, but you have to opt in to his mailing list to see the video. But because it’s done with AWeber, you know you can always unsubscribe with no problems.
How many of you have mailing lists, and what has your experience been?
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:44 am
Hi Hunter,
I have to say, my email isn’t on the top of my list of priorities. When I was away from my blog (and email) last week for 3 days, I came back to nearly 300 emails. I had to weed through them to find actual messages. It was a pain. Just today, I got my inbox done to near zero.
Because I am not a fan of emails alerts, spam, ads, etc, the “conversion blogging” doesn’t appeal to me. For that reason, I wouldn’t want to add to my friends inboxes either.
Although this sounds like a good way to make additional income from blogging, I’ll pass on it.
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:19 am
I have to second Barbara. I don’t want to get one more e-mail trying to sell me something. I think the best route is to have affiliate links in your blog and if someone is interested in clicking through, great.
Marelisas last blog post..Six Steps to Creating the Life You Really Want
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:04 am
@ Barbara, @ Marelisa, I certainly understand being overwhelmed with email. 300 in 3 days is crazy! People would only subscribe to an email list that provides actual value – something they really want to read, and something they can’t get from your blog. Even then, it could be too much if not done the right way.
That’s one of the reasons I try not to post too much (though I’ve been doing a bad job lately). Some people like lots of posts, but some people would prefer only one post a week and any more feels excessive to them (remember that many people are subscribed by email). It’s hard to find a balance that appeals to everyone.
I’m not sure I understand the part about “one more e-mail trying to sell me something” though. I think every email or post is trying to sell something, even if it’s just trying to sell you on subscribing to the blog.
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Hunter: I’m in the process of unsubscribing from a whole bunch of mailing lists; I know I voluntarily gave my e-mail to these people, but then they turn around and bombard you with e-mails. So I’m just not a good person to talk to about e-mails right now.
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:42 pm
I saw the video, too, and it’s definitely giving me ideas. Not for my self improvement blog, but for my visions for my music business.
I think e-mail list is a great selling tool. But obviously, it works only when you have something to sell. Have you seen another seminar called “Teaching Sells?”
Both these programs make good point: blogging is a labor-intensive affair. Even though what I’m writing about with Our Best Version is fairly timeless matter, blog by definition is grown and marketed based on newness.
The problem with blogging is that it’s not exactly scalable. If you reach the maximum amount of blogs and entries you can crank out yourself, then you can’t really delegate your blogs to others — well, you can, if your topic is more news or product oriented and less on your personal voice. So I definitely agree with them about developing a content that you can create once and have it produce passive income. With Yaro, he’s talking about creating like an e-learning campaign using emails, where users are taken through step-by-step emails, regardless of when they join. With Teaching Sells, they are talking about creating an interactive learning environment.
I think blogging is definitely still the fundamental of online business. It’s just an optimum platform for promotion and traffic generation. But on more business and profit-producing level, it’s good to have somewhere to go from blogging.
I’m already starting to think about changes to my business plans!
ari
July 23rd, 2008 at 2:13 pm
I’m with Mare and Barbara…
Bloggers who try to make money from their blog are walking a very fine line. I wish it wasn’t the case, but it is.
Vereds last blog post..Who Cares About Truth In Advertising? Sugar Can Help You Lose Weight! (Wordless Wednesday)
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Hi Hunter. I too get overwhelmed with emails. I did try using a sign up newsletter on my blog early on but I just didn’t get enough traffic then. Maybe I’ll try again and see if I can get people to subscribe.
July 23rd, 2008 at 8:43 pm
I generally prefer to subscribe blog posts by emails. You are right…if I use a RSS reader, I’d probably read even fewer posts. I may eventually move to using a RSS reader as I can see that my inbox exploding day by day!
I’m listening to Yarro’s video right now, based on your recommendation. Although I’ve known this tip before, it’s always great to update my knowledge.
Thanks,
Evelyn
Evelyn Lim | Attraction Mind Maps last blog post..Face Up To Your 6 Basic Fears
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:01 pm
@ Marelisa, I understand…I think the vast majority of email lists are far too focused on sales pitches.
@ Ari, I’ve heard about Teaching Sells, and I’ve read a few of their posts, but haven’t looked into it very much. I thought Yaro had a good point about how blogging requires a steady flow of fresh content, but with an email list, you can use the same emails over and over, because they’re going to new people whenever they join (no one person gets the same emails over and over). Good for you on thinking about your business plan!
@ Vered, hmmm…do you mean making money from an email list specifically, or making money from their blog in any way? Like if someone puts up some AdSense ads, do you think they’re walking a fine line?
@ Cath, let me know how it goes. I think a big part of getting people to sign up is to offer an incentive, like a free report. I see so many blogs that say “sign up to my newsletter,” but I don’t really see any reason why I should.
@ Evelyn, I hope the explosions stay under control! You’re very committed to reading your favorite blogs if you can keep up with email subscriptions.
July 29th, 2008 at 8:51 am
[...] did give some new (new to me, at least) blogging advice in his conversion blogging video. Using an email list in conjunction with a blog seems like it could be a good idea in theory, [...]