Modern Conversions – Twitter NOT Email Lists from Brian Smith on Vimeo.
(Sorry about the wind noise, I was outside in Tucson!)
Highlights from the video:
- There’s a huge focus on “converting” blog visitors to email subscribers
- This focus needs to move from email to Twitter
- Email lists are more static than Twitter subscribers – Twitter is more “liquid”
- Twitter subscribers feel like they are in more control than email subscribers
- There’s more transparency on Twitter than on email lists
- Twittering often indicates commitment – emailing often is annoying
- Twittering is an avenue to higher absolute conversions, rather than relative conversions
- Google Reader is my inbox for non-personal and commercial information
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t know if I can agree totally. I agree with many points, but what happens when Twitter isn’t the big thing anymore? What happens if Twitter goes away? You have to start all over somewhere else. If you build your email list, it is your list. The only way your list will go away is if you quit.
But again, you have some really good points.
@kelsi There’s always the risk that Twitter will lose its fizz, but if you’re truly concerned about that, maybe you could employ an email list after building a Twitter following? I wouldn’t be terribly concerned with Twitter disappearing anytime soon – even the State department supports it: http://www.billingworld.com/articles/regulatory/hilary-clinton-defends-twitter-iran-position.html
Very interesting, i’ve been bummed about my email subscriber numbers plateauing, but not really knowing why i want to build a big list in the first place?
@Andrew – If you’re not actively monetizing your blog, it may not be worth the effort. Plus, you can use twitter to drive new traffic, email traffic will be (hopefully) returning visitors.
@Andrew, you are building your email list for a few good reasons. One major one is just as Brian said, you want to draw in returning visitors with quality content from those who said to you “Hey, i’m interested in your content, I want to join your newsletter” Create the content, and they will return.
Once your newsletter users are loyal followers, they will respect what you have to say, and listen to your recommendations of products and services you offer.
@Brian, Yes, Twitter is NOT going anywhere any time soon. I was just bringing up a point not to rely on building the Twitter list and thats it. You surely want to have an email list to capture visitors before you start socializing on Twitter. Remember your blog or website is your true home base. You want ppl to visit you at home.