I'm just going to blurt them out. I'm not a twitter person, and I rarely use RSS feeds to get information from blogs. (I do subscribe by email quite often).
Now that I've got my own sites going, I know that I need to get a opt in list. I'll have my aweber account set up by the end of today.
I know that RSS subscribers will read that content, and that's cool - but do I ever get their email address to send them specials, coupons, etc - or do I just send that out on a regular blog post?
Same basic question with twitter - do I ever get the email address, or just send snippets of information to get them to go back to my website and/or send the tweet on?
What I'm used to is that email subscribers GET something extra for subscribing - early notification of sales, free reports, special coupons for discounts, etc. I'm trying to see how this applies to RSS subscribers and tweet followers.
(I know I need to do some reading and the stuff is on my list, but I'd like to get the links set up so that I can launch the site in the next few days. I'll learn how to use the damn things as I go along.)
I was looking forward to seeing some dumb questions but you tricked me and asked a whole load of very sensible ones!
Ask some dumb ones next time OK?
Perry Belcher put all this in perspective a little while ago when he said that the social media is a party so just be nice and when appropriate invite people back to your place.
"Your place" is your blog.
There you can really show people who you are and what you do and have for sale too.
Really you want them on your aweber list because you control that. So you have to tempt RSS people to opt-in by offering content ONLY to your email readers and mentioning that on your blog and then tweet about it.
Just watch Lynn and you will see her use all this stuff very cleverly.
All The Best
PS I just LOVE "I'll learn how to use the damn things as I go along"
So of course, I'm going to take advantage of that and pick your expert list builder brains with two quick questions (I'm setting up my aweber account in another window as we speak).
Keeping in mind that I am doing AM of hard products through blogs or review sites,
1. I assume that sending the thing to confirm the opt-in is a good idea?
2. I assume that after getting that confirmation back, sending a thank you email is a good idea?
3. Should that thank you include a link to some kind of discount coupon or notice of a sale at one of my merchants, or can I reserve that for a follow up email.
I realize that I still have to come up with a free report or some other information to give away to encourage visitors to actually join the email list - that's a WIP.
Your ultimate goal is to build that list. In order to achieve that goal, you have to have a constant flow of unique visitors to your domain. Once there, you convert them to buyers or subscribers.
You can use tools like Twitter, a Facebook page, your RSS feed, etc to expand your reach and invite people into your site - or better, to specific pages or content.
If you treat your list well (exclusitivity is a nice perk) they will respond well - by reading, clicking, etc.
I see a lot of people asking for the opt-in, but then sharing the same content on their blog or in their tweets. I don't do this, even though it gets more views to your newsletter content, because I want my subscribers to get something valuable for being subscribed.
Some people I follow on Twitter tweet a link to their newsletter, which you can do through Aweber - they'll archive a copy on their site and let you tweet out the link when you hit the "publish" button. Those that I follow on Twitter that do this... encouraged me to unsubscribe by email and just view it on Twitter. No reason to get more email when I'm going to see it multiple places...
As part of the over-50 crowd, this twitter and facebook stuff is all new to me. My husband still thinks that twittering is something that is probably X Rated, and tweeting has something to do with calling the dog.
1) Yeah the standard is double confirmed optin - aka "peace of mind" for the list owner
2) and 3) sending a thanks email is fine and the beginning of a new relationship. Good idea to give a link to a resource as you've mentioned, preferably not requiring another optin! It's up to you you can send them direct to a sales page if you like.
See how it feels AND remember this is your business.
I have my FeedBlitz box as well as several "free" offers on my blog at all times I have at least one free giveaway. Right now it is my ebook, The Truth About Making Money on the Internet.
This way I get those who put their address in FeedBlitz and those who go into my opt in list for the giveaway.
This has worked well for me. Periodically, I add other giveaways and do some change outs.
Okay - dumb questions, but. . .
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