“Fish where the fish are.” Any solid fisherman knows that you're not going to catch fish if there aren't any there to be caught. And this concept doesn't just apply to fishing. In fact, I learned back in Marketing 101 just how broad an application it can have in connecting with the RIGHT prospective customer.
And it applies to list building as well. You may create an awesome opt-in bribe that you know people can benefit from. If you offer that incentive in an opt-in form on a web property that is getting very little to no traffic, the best content in the world will not hook any fish.
Leverage Your Most Successful Blog Posts
In order to get more list opt-ins from you best post, you first need to find out which blog posts are attracting the most attention.
One simple way to do this is to check your Comments section at the end of your posts. Generally speaking, the posts with the most comments are also receiving the most traffic.
If you own a WordPress blog or site, WP Statistics is a free, popular plug-in that tells you a lot about your web traffic. Simply install the plug-in, and then check back frequently to find the blog posts which are receiving the most traffic. Google Analytics does the same thing.
The Perfect Opt-In: Offer a Content Upgrade
Now that you have used a couple of methods to locate your high-traffic posts, how do you come up with great content upgrade ideas? This is a rather simple process. Read your blog post as if you are a web surfer encountering it for the first time.
What does it talk about. What is it really delivering to your readers and web surfers? What are the values and benefits someone receives by digesting this content? Jot down ideas as you are reading, and think about what type of resource or content would be a logical upgrade to what you just read.
Perhaps your most popular blog post talks about the benefits of walking for a healthy heart. A sensible content upgrade could be a short and simple checklist that promotes walking more each and every day. You can also offer a 10 day email challenge that moves readers from couch potato status to 10,000 steps a day in just 10 days.
The idea is to think of a logical upgrade to your popular blog posts and web pages. Keep it short and easy to digest, and your readers will see some quick value in the content you provide. Checklists, resource guides, quick start guides, short reports and challenges all make effective content upgrades. This helps build your email list while also building your reputation as a knowledgeable leader in your field.