Dina at Wordfeeder.com writes:

I feel like arguing this point, so here goes.

If you offer your audience a freebie for signing up, then you get subscribers who want free stuff.

I can’t speak for other people, but I’d rather attract people who know they need professional copywriting and website development assistance and are willing to pay in exchange for exceptional service.

So, while I do give away AN AWFUL LOT of free information, I don’t dangle a free pdf download in front of them just before they sign up for my newsletter. I want them to sign up for my newsletter BECAUSE THEY WANT TO SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER.

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Zack writes:

Hi Chris,

I agree with the few points that you have mention on this article and these are the few opinions that I have.

Firstly, I agree that we have to write enough quality articles before we will be able to see the effects. I have attended seminars and even marketing experts like Ewen Chia has told me that using article marketing is more like a snowball effect.

Thanks for reminding me again that I have to hit the scale before I will be able to see the results. Hehe more motivated to write to achieve results.

I totally agree that when we focus on giving values to the customer, we will get better response. I think article should be written in the “WHATS IN IT FOR THEM” directions.

Thanks for sharing this post :)

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Dina at Wordfeeder.com writes:

I apologize for sounding “short” in my post above. I actually typed it, hit SUBMIT, and while my computer was “thinking” I did a copy-paste and “stopped” the browser from doing it’s thing.

Then I went back and totally edited what you see up there.

But now, it’s 3 pm and I can’t think straight – so I’ll have to come back and try to express myself better a bit later.

Sorry for coming across rudely!

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Dina at Wordfeeder.com writes:

… and oh boy, I just forgot to finish my last sentence. I was trying to say that my edits did not take.

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Edward Weiss writes:

Kev,

If you’re getting hundreds of hits and downloads to your website, it has to be what you wrote in the resource box.

That, or your landing page isn’t structured right. If your main goal is to capture email address, you might want to try a squeeze page.

Although, I have to agree with Dina here. What you really want is a responsive list, not some stagnant pool of freebie seekers.

This is what you may get if your main goal is to get people to opt in to your newsletter.

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Christina Sponias writes:

I don’t know how to build my email list. I’m just offering my articles. But they are psychotherapy, not regular articles.

I cannot ask for anything back if someone decides to download my free ebook and I don’t feel it’s fair to make people give me their emails just because they want to have a copy of the free ebook I’m offering. They may not be interested in anything else! I don’t like to bother anyone.

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Dan Goodwin writes:

It’s interesting to read Dina and Edward’s comments about offering / not offering a free download.

6 months or a year ago, everyone seemed to be saying you have to do this or non-one will sign up to your ezine at all, because there’s so much competition.

But I’ve heard Dina and Edward’s view more and more recently, that if people are genuinely interested in your ezine they’ll sign up anyway because they like what’s in your articles, and the focus should be on quality useful content.

Of my current list, probably about 10 – 20% are highly responsive. The rest I sometimes wonder if people are even reading my ezines. But then some people will never respond but still get something from the ezine, how can you tell?

What are other people’s thoughts on this?

Dan

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Thad Ferguson writes:

My thoughts on freebies or this, if it looks like a good enough freebie I will sign up for your newsletter get the freebie and if the freebie or your website doesnt create a lasting impression on me the next newsletter I receive from you just might go into the “junk mail” box.
Although this is more of the case with newsletters that either give away something that isnt there own material or freebies that are coming with another product that I bought and is not written by that particular author.
I think in the case of EzineArticles traffic as long as your newsletter has something to offer even if its a article every week you will get suscribers and if you have a free give away item it is almost a must to get there email address even if the majority of them might only suscribe for the freebie

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Lance Winslow writes:

I take many online newsletters and most of them I find due to articles I see somewhere. Some here, others in trade journals and popular online magazines. I do not necessarily sign up for FREE Stuff, actually, I think Dina has a good point.

Nevertheless, I suppose it is a matter of your target market. But I do like this interesting subject.

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Christina Sponias writes:

I think Dina is right too. Sometimes I sign up for some free ebook or something like that, but when they start annoying me with their messages, I simply unsubscribe or delete their messages without reading them. Everyone in the Web does the same€¦

I€™m happy I signed up to receive certain articles about SEO though which are very helpful! I adore reading their instructions! That€™s why I had the idea to send my articles to those that like them.

If people don€™t want to receive our messages, there is no point on sending them. That kind of email list built through free staff doesn€™t work. It may work if we are aggressive and we keep sending messages to people that don€™t want to receive them until some of them may decide to buy something from us. Most marketers do that.

I don€™t like that kind of behaviour though. I want to send messages for people that feel happy for receiving them, like I feel happy for receiving messages about things that I don€™t know but interest me very much.

I believe that unsolicited email is the worse thing we can do. Even if people sign up for our free ebook and simply accept our messages, they don€™t like them.

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Dina at Wordfeeder.com writes:

Well, I’m kind of surprised to see so many people agreeing with what I said. Free giveaways ARE popular and yes, I’ve offered them myself, as a test.

But whether you do or you do not decide to give away a free download when people sign up, I DO agree with Chris’s point which was:

“Benefit oriented copy always works better than me me me me my my my newsletter,” and:

Recommend writing at least 200+ articles that will attract tens or hundreds of thousands of views over time (meaning using articles to grow a list is not an overnight method and builds like a snowball rather than a race car).

Dina

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Lance Winslow writes:

Abosultely!

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Christina Sponias writes:

Absolutely!
He gives us very good orientation, that’s why we are here!

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Lance Winslow writes:

Well Double Abosolutely and a Progressive Postively to all the potential of modifying your writing efforts ever so slightly to insure a huge following and targeted email list for your online newsletters. More people should just listen to what works, rather than trying to re-invent the wheel. Do what works first and once you get beyond the 200-300-400 mark then try new things, but remember those speaking here today know what they are doing and they do it well. That is why I am all ears here.

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Christina Sponias writes:

I agree with you Lance. I’m only learning here.

I like to teach about writing here too because it’s something I know very well.

I have also to defend Chris because most marketers tell you that you shall build your email list in any opportunity. Everything you do shall increase your email list. What he said was the standard. If I didn’t agree with this conception is because here I’m a doctor and not a marketer. I don’t like to ask for anything when I give something free. And 60% of what I do is free because I give human support.

If I would sell my clothes through the Internet as I sell them in my store I would do what most marketers do, without caring if those that receive my messages don’t like them because they can simply unsubscribe or some day decide to accept my offer after receiving many messages. Everything depends on our field in the Internet.

Many marketers tell you that constant contact with your email list is important even though they never order anything from you. Some day they may need your services, so you shall keep sending messages to your email list since they accept them.

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Edward Weiss writes:

Christina wrote:

“most marketers tell you that you shall build your email list in any opportunity.”

That’s what they say. And you know what? It depends on what you’re selling. I’m on a couple of lists right now (Bob Bly’s in particular) and I’ve never bought anything from him. Not now and probably not ever.

Why? Actually, he hasn’t persuaded me via good articles in his newsletter.

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Alan Hocking writes:

All interesting points but one thing that I’m still learning about is making my resource box better so I was interested when Chris mentioned about not using anchored text links but instead to use full http://URL links. I have had far more clicks through to my sites with the anchored text links than I have with full http://URL links. Now I’m confused as to what I should be using. Any help please?

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Alan Hocking writes:

Hi again,

Can I use Both types of link in my resource box? One anchored text link and one with the full URL?

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Jennifer Thieme writes:

In regards to the concept of hitting scale:

Currently, I have 48 articles online here for my business, and already I get phone calls from people all over the country! Generally, these people just have a quick question that I don’t mind answering, and they don’t turn into actual clients, but still! They all found me via my articles here. It’s exciting! Thanks Chris!

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Christopher M. Knight writes:

Alan H:

Yes, you can use BOTH types of URL’s, full http:// links and anchored text links.

While in your situation you might get more traffic from us directly via anchored text links — You’re also hurting yourself as the article goes into syndication to ezine publishers who publish text-based newsletters where essentially your content didn’t produce anything for you (because anchored text links only work in HTML ezines).

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Alan Hocking writes:

Thanks Chris,

I see your point I wasn’t thinking far enough ahead Hitting scale as you mentioned is all about sowing the seeds today to reep the benefits not just tomorrow, but in the case of article marketing who knows for how many years ahead!

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Connie Ragen Green writes:

I wanted to respond to Dan’s comment – I am on many lists and would probably be considered “unresponsive” on most of them. However, I have purchased materials and information from people after being on their lists for months. Sometimes I am just not ready or at the place in my career for what they are offering.

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Dan Goodwin writes:

Connie,

I agree, I’ve been on ezine lists for months or years and bought little, but got plenty from them.

Occasionally I’ll get a similar email from someone on my list saying “Your ezines have made a huge difference to my creativity over the last 9 months” or something similar, and I’ve never heard from them before or had them purchase anything.

To an extent we just have to carry on creating and putting our message out there, responding to the feedback we do get.

By staying in people’s view and on their radar, when they’re ready and need the type of service or product you offer, they know where to come to get it.

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Vern writes:

Hi Chris,

That’s great stuff about having a hit on
a scale of about 200+ articles. This really
motivates me to produce more quality content.

I get hits on my articles and mostly my conversions
at my own landing page is about 14%. So, it’s
acceptable but not as great. My articles are about
the same too – perhaps 20% at average.

My experience tells me that if you really get
a lot of views but not many visits to your website,
it has to mean one or both:

1. Your article is not entertaining or informative enough

2. Your signature line doesn’t really “tie-up” with the rest of your article.

Anyone got any comments about writing article specifics to get readership interest or ranking?

PS: I still do not know how the heck does Google index EzineArticles. It’s still a puzzle to me.

Cheers writers!

Vern

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