The first issue of my Self-Development Digest newsletter was published on Mon 5th Jun 2006. Six years later, in June 2012, it evolved into what is today my popular DAILY multidisciplinary Self-Development (SD) Nuggets blog, on which I publish my Monday Speaking IDEAS newsletter.
Truth is, it takes UNDILUTED passion to keep going, day, month and year after year …after year(!), doing something of this sort anywhere, especially as a Nigerian/African, living and working IN Nigeria/Africa!.
Many who start newsletters (online or off) often fail to keep it going this long.
I mean here in Nigeria/Africa. Visit many Nigerian/African owned personal and business web sites, and you will see what I mean.
Many times, the newsletter issue available for viewing is rarely a current one. If at all there is one on offer. Indeed you may find mostly stale and static content!
Why is this so?
Well, it’s the mental attitude of our people.
We are too focused on getting the benefits FIRST. We want the results we desire to come quickly.
And if they don’t, we begin to discontinue any tasks or activities we feel cost us too much time, effort or money compared to whatever benefits they bring us.
The first to go will often be stuff that has to do with our GIVING of ourselves (e.g. newsletters/articles), without being sure of any returns from others.
What those who quit in this manner fail to realize…
…is that most times a little persistence, and diligent refining of our methods and strategies will lead to the results we want.
I am living proof that this is so.
My emails (and phone data) subscriber database keeps growing. And I keep getting surprised by the “increasing profiles” of those who choose to join.
More and more Nigerian professionals, corporate executives and CEOs subscribe to my newsletters.
In the early years, I only had people from South Africa, America, Ghana, Cameroon, Singapore, China etc. Today, I even get enquiries from Iran, Iraq, Barbados, and Saudi Arabia (A Nigerian IT expert who works in a high profile position with a government establishment).
But that’s not all – many now get back to me, and buy my products, PLUS refer my work to others.
As a result, I have discovered online discussion forums referring to my products and web sites, and seen traffic coming my way as a result.
Most importantly, people now readily make payments for different products and services I promote via my web site. It’s so great to see people willing to take such huge leaps of faith – sending money into my account, and then WAITING for 24 to 72 hours to get emails carrying my spreadsheet software, PDF user guides etc that they paid for.
There must be something I know – that others who say it does not work DON’T!
[NB: I should add here that most of what I say here is with regard to my spontaneousdevelopment.com
I refer to my former 9 year old primary domain that I lost on 4th May 2014.
Having said that, within less than a month of that happening, I moved – and refocused my content – on to tayosolagbade.com, drawing on what I learnt over they years, about my sales leads sources..
And it’s really paid off.
My web site conversation ratio has basically increased more than 3 fold today justifying my decision to NOT buy back my old domain from those who took it over.
It also validates my argument that domain names are NO LONGER as crucial to web marketing success as the QUALITY of web marketing content one turns out!
Do you need to get word out about yourself/what you do to others?
I urge you to start your own web based newsletter today.
Make sure you have a professional mailing list management software (I use a FREE one, that is extremely powerful) to send it out to subscribers, (and to sign them up).
Actually, you’ll also do well to run a blog – branded to subtly “sell” you (or your products/services) to your target audience.
In fact, to really get good value for your money or time, your best bet is to develop and implement a custom Web Marketing System(WMS).
I say that based on my decade long experience using the Internet to find buyers.
That will costs almost nothing, in the long term, when compared to what you spend using traditional marketing and advertising media e.g. TV, Radio, and Print.
For instance, apart from saving you lots of time, effort and money, a WMS will keep working even while you’re sleeping, attracting potential buyers via search engines and other channels.
This way you get a regular stream of sales leads naturally generated without your raising a finger.
I estimate that I close over 80% of such leads that come my way. And easily too.
How come?
Well, it’s because my WMS will often have done the hard job of “educating and convincing” them that I have what they need, BEFORE they contact me. Indeed THAT is why they go out of their way to contact me.
As a result, they typically come to me one or two steps away from buying!
3 typical questions they ask me are:
(a). How much is it?
(b). How do I pay
…and…
(c). How do I get it, after I pay.
Would it not be wonderful if you also had a system that so prepared buyers that they came to you READY to do business?
A system that helps you screen out those time wasters who are just curious?
I bet you would LOVE to have such a system in place, working for you 24/7 – like it does for me!
A WMS can get you such tangible results – and at low to zero cost – forever.
To learn more about how I can develop and implement such a WMS for you, email me via tayo at tksola dot com or fill/submit this form.