The Capture Habit: The Secret to Everything (Ch 2. Build Your Audience)

Unlocking the Power of Email Marketing: The Capture Habit

Want a copy of the book or workbook? Go to PlatformGrowthBooks.com

In this episode of the Market Your Message Show, host Jonathan Milligan dives into Chapter Two of the book 'Build Your Audience' and discusses the pivotal concept of the 'Capture Habit.' Jonathan highlights the importance of having an email list as a crucial element for writers, coaches, speakers, and teachers to build their businesses. He shares the success story of Ryan Holiday, who grew his email list from 50 friends to 35,000 subscribers, emphasizing qualities like consistency, quality, and value. The episode breaks down why email lists are beneficial, including reasons such as ownership, high ROI, personal connection, measurable data, scalability, authority building, and amplification of other marketing efforts. Jonathan ends with a practical exercise for listeners to brainstorm ways to build their email list, reinforcing that the process is about providing consistent value and building relationships over time.

00:00 Welcome to the Market Your Message Show
00:21 Introduction to 'Build Your Audience'
01:26 The Capture Habit: The Secret to Everything
02:59 The Power of Email Lists
03:29 Reasons to Build an Email List
07:08 Today's Exercise: Brainstorm Your Capture Ideas
08:08 Key Takeaways

Transcript

Speaker 4: 0:00

Hello and welcome to the Market Your Message Show. I'm your host, Jonathan Milligan, an author of the book series. Your Message Matters, and we've been going through the book series by letting you listen to the audiobook for free and providing some commentary along the way. So we just started last episode. The book Build Your Audience. Now, this is the fourth book in the series, and this is a critical part of building your business. And today we're gonna talk about the capture habit. This is what I call the secret to everything. See the lifeblood of my business is in my email list, and you're gonna learn some reasons why having an email list is still the smartest skill. Activity that you can do as a writer, coach, speaker, teacher, and in fact, we'll get into it. I'll help you brainstorm some ideas on how to capture traffic and build your list. So if you want the book, the workbook, or the audiobook in addition to what you're hearing. Here, then hop over to Amazon. Type in Build Your Audience and you'll find the book resources or go to platform growth books.com. Alright, let's get to the lesson today.

1:25

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Speaker 3: 1:26

Chapter two, the Capture Habit, the Secret to Everything. In May, 2009, Ryan Holiday had an idea. He'd been sharing book recommendations on his website, but what if he turned it into a monthly email instead, A friend warned him it was a bad idea. Who'd wanna sign up for that holiday? Ignored the advice. Five years later, his reading list email had grown from 50 friends to 35,000 subscribers worldwide. High school students, fortune 500 CEOs. NFL coaches and bestselling authors tuned in for his monthly book picks the secret, consistency, quality, and a laser focus on providing value. Over the years holiday sent nearly 100 emails recommending books he genuinely loved. He kept it simple, no frills, just text, and he protected his list fiercely, rarely using it for self-promotion. This approach paid off in unexpected ways. When Holiday launched his first book, his email list was enough to rock the Amazon charts. He had less than 5,000 subscribers at the time. Holiday's. Story illustrates a powerful truth Building an email list is about more than just collecting addresses. It's about creating a community of engaged readers who trust your recommendations and look forward to hearing from you. In this chapter, we'll explore why email lists are the secret sauce of online business success. We will break down the strategies that helped Holiday and others build thriving communities, and we'll show you how to cultivate the habits that turn a simple mailing list into a powerful business asset. The magic of email lists your secret weapon for online success. Ever wonder how some businesses seem to have a direct line to their customer's hearts and wallets? The answer might be sitting in your inbox right now. Let's talk about email list. Not the most exciting topic, right? Wrong email lists are the unsung heroes of the digital marketing world. They're like that reliable friend who's always there when you need them. Steady, dependable, and surprisingly powerful. Why? Your email list is your new best friend. Reason one, you're the boss. Imagine you've built a massive following on social media. Thousands of fans hang onto your every word, and you're on top of the world. Then one day, poof. The platform changes its algorithm and your posts vanish into the digital void. Scary, huh? That's the beauty of an email list. It's yours. All yours. There is no middleman, no algorithm changes and no disappearing act. When you have someone's email, you have a direct line to their attention. It's like having a key to their digital front door. Reason two, money talks. Let's get down to brass tax. Email marketing isn't just practical. It's a moneymaking machine. You can expect to see$42 in return for every dollar you spend on email marketing. That's not a typo.$42. Try getting that kind of return from your savings account. Why so lucrative Simple. Email is personal. It's targeted. It lands right in your customer's personal space where they're already in a mindset to engage with content. It's like whispering a secret directly into their ear. Reason three, the personal touch. Speaking of personal, let's talk about connection. Social media is like shouting in a crowded room email. It's a cozy fireside chat. When someone gives you their email, they invite you into their world. They're saying, Hey, I trust you. I want to hear what you have to say. That's powerful stuff. It's an opportunity to build genuine lasting relationships with your audience. Reason for numbers don't lie. Here's the thing about email. You can measure everything. Open rates, click through rates, conversions. It's all there in black and white. It's like having a crystal ball that tells you exactly what your audience likes and doesn't like. This treasure trove of data lets you fine tune your approach. You can test different subject lines, tweak your content and optimize your send times. It's like having a superpower that lets you read your customer's minds. Reason five, infinitely scalable. Remember Ryan Holiday? He started with just 50 friends on his email list. Five years later, 35,000 subscribers. That's the magic of email lists. They can grow from a tiny seed into a mighty oak. The best part, whether you're sending to 100 people or 100,000, the process is pretty much the same. It's scalable. It grows with you. It's like having a business partner that never gets tired and never asks for a raise reason. Six builds authority. Want to know a secret? Consistent, valuable emails make you look like a rockstar in your field. Every time you pop into someone's inbox with a nugget of wisdom, you're cementing your status as the go-to expert. Over time, this trust translates into cold, hard cash. When your subscribers see you as the authority, guess who they'll turn to when they need what you're selling. That's right. You reason seven, the great traffic amplifier. Here's the kicker. Your email list isn't just powerful on its own. It's like a steroid for all your other marketing efforts. Got a new blog post. Your email list will drive traffic. Launching a product. Your email list will spread the word running a sale. You guessed it. Your email list will bring in the customers. It's the Swiss Army knife of marketing tools. Versatile, reliable, and always there when you need it. Today's exercise, brainstorm your capture ideas. You're convinced, right? Email lists are the bee's knees, but how do you get started? How do you turn this knowledge into action? Here's a little exercise to kick things off. Write down three reasons why someone would want to join your email list. What can you offer that's truly valuable? Now, brainstorm five ways you could entice people to sign up a free ebook, a discount code, a weekly tips newsletter. Pick your favorite idea and sketch out a quick plan to implement it. What steps would you need to take? Set a goal. How many subscribers do you want in three months, six months, a year? Remember, building an email list isn't about overnight success. It's about consistent effort in providing real value. It's about building relationships one subscriber at a time. So are you ready to harness the power of email marketing? Your future customers are waiting in their inboxes. It's time to say hello. Key takeaways, your email list is your most valuable digital asset. It's the only audience you truly own and control. It's immune to algorithm changes and platform shifts. Email marketing has the best ROI. It makes$42 for every dollar spent. It enables direct personal communication with an engaged audience. Valuable emails build trust and authority. They turn your list into a powerful tool for driving traffic, launching products, and boosting your marketing.