[Before we start, have you followed 10 new people yet?]
Make it and they will come
Remember in Day 10 of our author platform challenge we talked about dangling a freebie to get people to sign up for your mailing list, and in Day 11 we brainstormed ten potential freebies?
Today, Day 12, we are going to pick one of those freebie ideas, and create it.
Loving the idea of the coloring pages, but pre-published? It won’t work as effectively right now. However, feel free to keep that idea on your list. For today, choose a different freebie to work on.
Think about what you want to work on. Consider your areas of expertise, what you are known for, and what topics you are comfortable discussing.
What is my freebie, you ask?
My current largest group of followers is writers. My goal was to give them something of value. I brainstormed freebies that I as a writer find would find useful and unique.
I decided on creating the “Secrets to Writing a Query” as my lead magnet because over the years, as I review my spreadsheet, it appears I have written over 200 of them. Does that mean I have 200 acceptances? Oh by no means no. But it DOES mean I know what DOESN’T work, lol. Yet I didn’t just rely on my own experience. I also looked up what editors and agents have to say about it (like here), and combined that with my own experience. That’s what makes me uniquely qualified to offer suggestions and advice on the topic, IMHO. And I know it’s a hot topic that everyone searches online for tutorials on.
Does it have to be fancy?
I created it in Word. No, it’s not fancy; the emphasis I chose is content, not outward creativity. I am a writer, not a graphic designer. Additionally, I don’t have time to make it look like a business form, nor is that my goal. Sure, I could try running it through PowerPoint or whatever, but done is better than pending. But it’s in black and white with no graphics and it get the point across. So I encourage you to not obsess over making it perfect.
Get to work on creating that freebie document or packet so when you install that pop-up and start collecting emails, you are instantly ready to roll. You’ll be able to set the sequence so all new subscribers are emailed the freebie the second they hit the enter button! (I personally set it to arrive two minutes after, so I don’t look too needy, lol.)
Recap: create that lead magnet freebie. Right now.
Feel free to share your pop-up link below so we can sign up to your mailing list and, and see your finished product! Include your link in the comments, or tag #31DayAuthorPlatformChallege and we’ll do our best to find it!
Don’t forget to subscribe (enter yer email in top right column) to be sent these daily tasks directly; you won’t have to remember to keep checking back every day. I don’t want anyone falling behind!