Ignoring the Obvious
You can Avoid Reality, but You cannot Avoid the Consequences of Avoiding Reality!
– Ayn Rand
The year was 2003. I had just learned the trick to make money on the internet.
It was simple. Create a website about a niche topic with a lot of search volume but very few search results. Just write a few articles, about 30 or, so about the various problems that people face in that niche. Give them a solution and direct them to a product that pays me an affiliate commission.
The model was simple.
And it worked pretty easily for me.
I was sending loads of traffic to the merchant’s website and I was getting some handsome commissions.
However, there was a problem in this model, which is something I realized much later when Google struck and all my websites lost traffic in some of the major algorithm updates like the Penguin and the Panda update.
The problem was, that I didn’t know who the visitors were and who was buying the products I was recommending.
The people who browsed away from my website were gone forever.
So when my website lost traffic, I had nothing to fall back to.
My income slumped to a near ZERO.
This is a story I keep telling again and again to every one of my followers on social media, email lists etc.
Why?
Because this is the most important piece of the “Online Income” puzzle.
Also, most people will still ignore “this part of the story“, considering it irrelevant, irrespective of how much I emphasize the importance of it.
What part, you ask?
Email List Building!
Things have changed quite a lot on the internet. But there is this one thing that hasn’t changed though – algorithm updates.
Search engines, Social media, Forums, Communities; pretty much everything goes through these algorithm updates.
While their logic for these updates is, “helping their users”, it is more of what helps them more.
The consequence of these updates – accounts get wiped out overnight!
So whenever I tell that story, my hope is that people realize how important it is to build an email list.
Building your dreams on rented land is the most foolish thing you can ever do!
– dkspeaks
Now, if you are reading this and if you are into any form of online business or, content creation then do understand that you are building your dreams on rented land too.
So, if you don’t want to end up being asked to vacate the land one fine morning, then build an email list.
With an email list, you have a direct line of communication with your audience.
You can share exclusive content, promote your sponsors, and even sell your own products or services.
As a podcaster, this not only helps you make money from your podcast but also strengthens your relationship with your listeners getting you repeat listeners.
Here’s a simple gameplan for you, if you take my advice and don’t ignore that important part of my story –
- Create a lead magnet – A lead magnet is a valuable piece of content that you offer to your audience in exchange for their email addresses. It could be an e-book, a checklist, a resource guide, or even access to exclusive episodes. All that you need to make sure is that your lead magnet is highly relevant and valuable to your target audience.
- Optimize Your Podcast Website for Subscriptions – Make it easy for your listeners to subscribe to your email list by prominently displaying opt-in forms on your podcast website. Place a subscription form in the sidebar, at the end of your podcast show notes, or even as a pop-up. Offer a compelling call to action to entice your visitors to join your list.
- Nurture your list – Keep your audience engaged by sending regular newsletters. Share updates about new episodes, behind-the-scenes stories, or even exclusive bonus content. Be sure to provide value in every email to keep your subscribers excited and eager to stay connected with your podcast.
- Offer exclusive content – Reward your email subscribers with exclusive content that is not available to the general public. This could be bonus episodes, extended interviews, or behind-the-scenes glimpses into your podcasting process. Make your subscribers feel special and they will keep coming back for more.
- Promote offers and Make money – Promote products and services that are relevant to your audience in your emails. This could be your own products and services or, even affiliate products and services.
If you have any questions on any of these, you just need to hit reply and reach out to me.
If you enjoyed reading this Newsletter, then do recommend it to others. You can send them to https://theloudspeakeronline.com to join for FREE!
Found on the internet
Here’s what I found on the internet this week.
This is one prediction, you are sure to be happy about. In fact, some of the comments are even more interesting and valuable. Do spend some time reading it.
Justin is an amazing creator who has built his business using LinkedIn. He shares some amazing content creation tips on LinkedIn. A little while back I happened to take his LinkedIn course and that is how I have been able to build a presence on LinkedIn.
If you would like to learn some of the nitty-gritty about succeeding with content, then you can join his course on Content Marketing here. If you are somebody who wants to build a presence on LinkedIn then his course on Linkedin is worth checking out.
This simple advice from Dakota Robertson is all that you will need to create content that sticks.
Read it once and then read it again.
What am I reading?
The last week, I missed releasing a podcast episode in almost more than a year. Immediately after that, I got a message from one of my regular listeners asking me if everything was fine.
That’s what you expect from every piece of content that you create – build a connection.
I am currently reading the “12 Rules of Life” by Jordan B. Peterson. It was recommended by one of the creators that I follow. The book is an interesting read.
Some of the concepts discussed will make you feel as if you have experienced it.
It will take about a week before I complete it, going by my current reading speed. You can check it out here!
That’s it for this week!
Do let me know your thoughts, feedback, and opinion about this newsletter.
