Newbie Question About the Place of Blogging vs. Writing Email Articles in Internet Marketing

[ikelove]

My question, as a complete newbie is, if you create a blog where you eventually intend to promote affiliate products after you get a decent enough following, is it necessary that you have a page that asks visitors to enter their name and email address to build an email list?

Also, having been an email subscriber to many websites that emailed me periodic self-improvement articles, I'm a bit confused between writing a blog on a site as opposed to writing articles that subscribers get emailed to them. Is one more recommended than the other? Can blogs that people write on their site also be emailed to an email list as articles in case people rather read through their email rather than visit a site? And wouldn't an email list be more effective in promoting products to people through emails that have links that send people directly to the page where you can buy the product?

What place does blogging and writing email articles to a subscriber list have in internet marketing?

[winebuddy]

you post your best content on your blog. You offer a "freebie" for people to sign up to your list to build a mailing list.

Continual posting on your blog will result in higher rankings and more interest and traffic, and more sign ups to your newsletter or emails.

Once you have a few hundred subscribers, you should definitely consider monitizing.

[ikelove]

Originally Posted by winebuddy

you post your best content on your blog. You offer a "freebie" for people to sign up to your list to build a mailing list.

Continual posting on your blog will result in higher rankings and more interest and traffic, and more sign ups to your newsletter or emails.

Once you have a few hundred subscribers, you should definitely consider monitizing.

So where do these e-newsletters that people write come in? Are they ways to provide value and information BEFORE you offer them the opportunity to buy a product that you're promoting?

[winebuddy]

Originally Posted by ikelove

So where do these e-newsletters that people write come in? Are they ways to provide value and information BEFORE you offer them the opportunity to buy a product that you're promoting?

Exactly - you build trust and value with your list before you EVER EVEN think of trying to sell them something.

Many of your e-letters can refer back to older posts on your blog which will increase your blog traffic and comments. As long as you are HELPING your readers accomplish whatever it is - they will come back for more.

Occasiionally, you let them know that something is coming that will REALLY help them. After a couple of hints in your e-letter, then you roll it out and hit them with a product pitch.

if you do it this way, you will score BIG

[ikelove]

Originally Posted by winebuddy

Exactly - you build trust and value with your list before you EVER EVEN think of trying to sell them something.

Many of your e-letters can refer back to older posts on your blog which will increase your blog traffic and comments. As long as you are HELPING your readers accomplish whatever it is - they will come back for more.

Occasiionally, you let them know that something is coming that will REALLY help them. After a couple of hints in your e-letter, then you roll it out and hit them with a product pitch.

if you do it this way, you will score BIG

Ahhhh.....makes sense, makes sense. **insert picture of dark clouds parting**

As a newbie in this thing, what type of freebie does one offer? I don't assume that I need to write a whole e-book? I also DO assume that those sites that give users the option of signing on to their free newsletter have ALREADY provided value before or are well known and trusted by users?

[Gama Seva]

Good point winebuddy,

For me I view my blog as if it's my house and I will do everything to impress my visitors by giving something valueable for free, it could be PLR products, a ghost written free reports or even my own products.

...but before they can get my goodies they have to enter my house and tell me their names and email address (This is my opt-in form). Now that I already knew their names and email address and they've got something from me we have now an interaction. At this point I would not do any sales pitch at all because I know we're not even friends yet

What I would do next is to invite them again (email/autoresponder) to visit my house (Blog) for a conversation (asking them to comment on my post) to establish a relationship.

========

Okey, this is a type of a relationship marketing and works really well using blog and an autoresponder. Your blog posts is your newsletter, just like a casual conversation no fancy words or anything like that, purely natural.

This forum, facebook, twitter, myspace etc. are your social venues (let say golf course) always make a way to invite new friends to your house and have some conversation, next thing you know you already have 10K friends.

[ikelove]

Originally Posted by Gama Seva

Good point winebuddy,

For me I view my blog as if it's my house and I will do everything to impress my visitors by giving something valueable for free, it could be PLR products, a ghost written free reports or even my own products.

...but before they can get my goodies they have to enter my house and tell me their names and email address (This is my opt-in form). Now that I already knew their names and email address and they've got something from me we have now an interaction. At this point I would not do any sales pitch at all because I know we're not even friends yet

What I would do next is to invite them again (email/autoresponder) to visit my house (Blog) for a conversation (asking them to comment on my post) to establish a relationship.

========

Okey, this is a type of a relationship marketing and works really well using blog and an autoresponder. Your blog posts is your newsletter, just like a casual conversation no fancy words or anything like that, purely natural.

This forum, facebook, twitter, myspace etc. are your social venues (let say golf course) always make a way to invite new friends to your house and have some conversation, next thing you know you already have 10K friends.

First off, I would like to thank the both of you for the info you provided. I really appreciate it.

So, if you're a newbie starting out like me who hasn't written an e-book yet, what can I possibly offer? Can allowing someone free access to your site after entering their name and email to get access to the "value" you have to offer in your site be considered a "freebie"?

[Gama Seva]

Originally Posted by ikelove

First off, I would like to thank the both of you for the info you provided. I really appreciate it.

So, if you're a newbie starting out like me who hasn't written an e-book yet, what can I possibly offer? Can allowing someone free access to your site after entering their name and email to get access to the "value" you have to offer in your site be considered a "freebie"?

Actually, you don't need to write even a single ebook to giveaway, I don't wite an ebook either. There's a whole bunch of private label rights products (PLR) out there that you can buy for cheap some are free you just need to be resourcefull finding it on google.

Now, if you've got one on your niche you can rebrand it put your own name on it, change the graphics and that's it!

Oh, another thing, don't forget to put afiiliate links or your own website url on the ebook's content itself, here's why, you are giving it away for free and it will goes to several people virally so make sure that you capitalize on it by monetizing your ebook.

Also, if in any case you didn't get a PLR ebook on your niche then you can always hire ghostwiters here on the forum it will cost you anywhere $50 to $150 depending on your topic and lenght of the contents.

Gama

[ikelove]

Originally Posted by Gama Seva

Oh, another thing, don't forget to put afiiliate links or your own website url on the ebook's content itself, here's why, you are giving it away for free and it will goes to several people virally so make sure that you capitalize on it by monetizing your ebook.

Gama

Gama:

Please re-explain to me this part here as I'm a bit confused. You're saying that I put my url in the e-book to get more people to the site? Just making sure I understand right.

Thanks for your help.

[Gama Seva]

Yup, always stick your website url on your e-books as it will be pass along from one person to another like a virus specially if your contents is unique and of high quality.

In my case I always put it on the preface page or in the footer of each page.

You can also put affiliate links on your resource page. This is as simple as listing your recommended products that are related to your e-book's topic with affiliate embedded links of course.


Gama

[ikelove]

Originally Posted by Gama Seva

Yup, always stick your website url on your e-books as it will be pass along from one person to another like a virus specially if your contents is unique and of high quality.

In my case I always put it on the preface page or in the footer of each page.

You can also put affiliate links on your resource page. This is as simple as listing your recommended products that are related to your e-book's topic with affiliate embedded links of course.


Gama

Gotcha. Do you create landing pages on your site to promote these affiliate products that you sell?

Is the content of your e-newsletters mainly say what you normally write on a blog except that at the end of the e-newsletter you're offering a product?

[Gama Seva]

You don't need to, just direct linking (meaning the link will goes through directly to the products sales page when you click it)

In my case sometimes I do create a dedicated landing page if the product that I am promoting is promising like has a huge commission or recurring commission.

[filiks]

ikelove good question from you and my two other friends good teacher you both are.ikelove you have just been taught the simplest way to generater massive wealth in info marketing!!!

[ikelove]

Gama...Thanks a lot! You have helped provide enough info for me to go forward. I will now start doing research on keywords so I can find myself a good niche.