Blogging With John Chow Review Part 15: Days 9 and 10
January 3rd, 2013
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Author: Hi everyone! Today I move on to days 9 and 10 of my Blogging With John Chow review. I’m very excited. I love having the editorial plan like he advised, but I’ve found I can also be very flexible with it. Like today when I got an email asking about making money blogging, I was able to turn it into an insightful blog post – and I pushed myself to learn a new tool and make an infographic.
So let’s get started because I can’t wait to learn more…
Day 9: Create Your List
Okay confession time! I have always had a small yet fiercely loyal and high converting list. I don’t join shady giveaways all the time or JV to pimp my list out. So everything I have has been done organically.
But in the last couple of months, it started dwindling. I didn’t think much of it at first because it wasn’t significant – one or two here and there – but the numbers are supposed to go up, not down. As the days passed and I kept seeing this, it started worrying me. I really immersed myself into what I was doing during that time that wasn’t the same as what I had previously been doing – which was really eye opening for me.
John’s course helped me get back on track to my roots. I emailed back and forth with my friend/mentor Craig telling him about the change and he helped me see that I’d somehow started chasing money – always a bad mistake. I know when it happened – it was during the time I was finishing the payoff for last years’ tuition. The tuition kills me.
So I had begun churning – churning out PLR, churning out info products – never slowing down to think about NEEDS of people before I created.
Now that I’m back to that, everything’s growing healthy again. Whew! I’ll have to remember that in the future if I ever see numbers dwindling – sign I’ve strayed off course.
A list is SO important – it’s profitable for you, the people will become your true friends if you let yourself go there (do it), which you should, and it’s just fulfilling to be helping people who tune in to get good advice and insight.
Okay enough babble from me – time to get on with the course review (sorry).
I wrote the above after reading John’s section on why it’s important. LOL! It affected me 
So now I’m on to the to do task list.
Day 10: Content for Your List
Ah this is going to be a problem. While I’m a heavy advocate for building a list, and I LOVE my Aweber – that link takes you to a $1 trial for the month, by the way – I don’t like having follow up emails in my system other than the initial welcome email.
This part of John’s lesson inspires you to create the list content – separate from blog content – to cater to your blog readers’ needs. That’s wonderful and will work great for many of you.
What I’ve discovered is that in my niche, things become outdated – and I like to email fresh, daily – so if they get a followup AND a broadcast, they get annoyed because it’s two emails in one day.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t review this section to evaluate it for those of you who will want followup emails. And I will say that if you don’t email daily, then this is a good idea.
He gives good tips on what goes into an autoresponder. I agree. He also talks about integrating it with broadcast emails. Oh maybe I ought to explain the difference – a follow up email is scheduled to go out to your readers after they sign up. So they sign up, then 2-3 days later, you email them again, wait another 2-3 days, send another email, etc. It’s automated so you don’t have to do anything. A broadcast is queued up and sent right out. People signing up after that email is sent out will not receive it.
If you DO use follow up emails, please make sure they’re evergreen – many of mine because outdated so that sucked and I deleted them all.
John has a different way of announcing blog posts. I email just about daily (unless I’m sick, which I am now – so I didn’t work or email yesterday). I did set up a weekly opt in option though – so if my daily emails are too much, they can switch. That’s a good thing to offer I think
End of Today’s Review
I liked today’s review of Blogging With John Chow - not so much for me, but for people who I know need it. List building from day 1 is so important – don’t worry if no one happens to sign up for a couple of weeks. Have it there as an option.
Tiff 
Go to Part 1 of My Blogging With John Chow Review
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Hi Tiffany:
Hope you get to feeling better soon. This review is providing some real good information. I look forward to each days post. Sam
thanks Sam! I’m enjoying it myself.
Really reading your posts gives me insight
to some of the “work” /”fun”
in writing posts.
Thanks.
==NMCC
Today is the day that I start my Blogging with John Chow course. I am already enchanted with him.
Yea! Have fun Joanne!
This is not about john Chow, but I thought you might like it.
It is a short news article about a new flavor yogurt “Honey Badger”. The company did big promotions with it by social media. They say “Try it or not, we don’t care”.
I guess it relates because creative promotions are good for business and fun too.
Mary
Whoops – here is the link http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/06/honey-badger-frozen-yogurt_n_1575168.html
Awesome! I see the link…
Hi Tiff
Another great post, I agree list building is one of internet marketing mysteries at-least it was when I first started, I remember asking myself what the hell is an autoresponder and how are they building these list they keep talking about.
I remember before Aweber was popular I use to use this crappy autoresponder I forget the name of it, I believe the owner at the time was a very popular marketer named Michael Rasmussen I don’t hear about him too much anymore but I know he’s still around.
It’s true what you said about follow up emails really become out dated very quick I use to put preloaded crap in those follow ups trying to sell stuff without giving any value, when I look back on it it seems kinda embarrassing.
Great Review Tiff, talk soon.
Alexis
We all did it wrong Alexis – key is to learn and grow and you are
If you feel comfortable doing this, could you let us know in the future the results you have seen with the change in the text on the top (the sign up incentive) and the use of the pop up – i.e. was it worth it both energy, time and actual dollars.
The pop up has more than paid for itself. People email me specifically saying they bought through that. Not sure about the text change in opt in BUT my list is growing. And a few people have emailed me specifically about the freebie they got.
toy list idea – where to buy toys for best price = moms like to save money
oooh thanks Steph!
I’m with you on the follow up emails. I don’t like placing them in Aweber, other than the initial welcome message and “free gift” follow up.
Other than that, I like to send broadcasts, although people are now asking for daily. Some like weekly. So my list is split.
I am going to produce a new list so those that want daily can get them and those that want to stay with the weekly can do so, too.
We think alike so often… it’s refreshing!
P.S. Hope you’re feeling better!
Yeah I have to remember to email my weekly list on Sundays