SPF-047: Masterclass: Building a Mailing List part 2 – With Mark Dawson

List building is one of the most strategic and powerful activities you can engage in as an indie author. That’s because it’s the one way that you’re able to build a list of people who have willingly expressed an interest in the type of books that you write. And it’s YOUR list. One that you control and can sell to any time you like. That’s a powerful weapon to have in your arsenal when it comes time to launching a book, running a promotion, or just reaching out to your list to build the relationships required to fuel your author career long term. This episode is part two of the list building series in which Mark and James address the use of paid advertising to capture the email addresses of prospective buyers. You won’t want to miss the plethora of career-boosting tips shared within it!

List building through paid advertising. Did you say ‘paid’?

The words “paid advertising” might make some of you shudder. But try and remember that your author career is a business and in order to grow any kind of business you will need to invest money in it eventually. Mark and James talk about how to get started with paid advertising without breaking the bank and underline the rewards of getting it right and seeing that email list grow.

Facebook Ads is one of the most powerful lead generation tools for list building.

Mark’s Advertising for Authors has become a go-to course for many indie authors looking to exploit this marketing option. Mark and James touch on some of that course’s content and share some of the basics of lead generation using Facebook Ads. The tips learned here have been used by many other authors to successfully explode their mailing list. It’s powerful stuff!

The lowdown on Twitter Ads and YouTube Ads.

Two of the less popular advertising platforms out there that you might want to consider are Twitter Ads and YouTube Ads. Both are featured as bonus modules as part of the Advertising for Authors Course. Whilst they’re not as effective as the Facebook platform, James explains why they shouldn’t be written off – and maybe just the thing for some authors.

Did you know that Amazon Ads can be used to by authors to build lists?

You’re now able to use the power of Amazon to get your books in front of more readers by targeting people who have already demonstrated through their Amazon purchases that they are interested in the exact genre or type of book that you’ve written.So how does it work? Worry not! Mark and James briefly walk you through the Amazon Ads option and show you how you can use it to promote your books – and successfully build your list through opt-ins.

Outline of This Episode

[0:22] Mark’s latest epiphany – he’s been writing 2 books, not 1.
[3:44] Resuming the email list instructions, what to expect on this episode.
[6:28] James’ progress in building his list since last week’s episode.
[11:27] Today’s focus on paid advertising to build your email list.
[15:10] How to set up a Facebook lead generation campaign (and why Mark spends most of his money on these).
[21:23] How to dial-in the targeting functionality on Facebook ads.
[27:08] Why you need to give targeting and ads time and how you can learn as you go.
[29:52] Ways you can defray the cost of your advertising.
[33:04] Twitter and YouTube ads. Possibilities and returns you can expect.
[40:41] The basics about Amazon Ads (anyone can use them, not just KDP select)
[46:45] Bookbub promotions and deals.
[49:44] Upcoming episodes in this series and on detailed additional topics.

Resources & Links Mentioned In This Episode

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