What you think about this project?

[DBV]

Hey guys,

working on the design for my new project. It's an email newsletter for all guys interested in weight training:

Weight Training Weekly - best advice from around the Web about Weight Training, Weight Training routines, Nutrition and Motivation

Me and a personal trainer from Canada (he writes for main websites, Men's Health, appears on TV) started it and will be sending tips once a week. We start on 3rd of October.

Let me know what you think! Sign up too

[Agota]

My first question would be where are you planning to get the traffic?

[DBV]

Originally Posted by Agota

My first question would be where are you planning to get the traffic?

Men's blogs, magazines, fitness websites... after getting first users its mostly about getting it forwarded between friends.


Nieko naujo

[Agota]

Originally Posted by DBV

Men's blogs, magazines, fitness websites...

What exactly do you have in mind? Doing guest posts? Advertising your newsletter?

Originally Posted by DBV

.. after getting first users its mostly about getting it forwarded between friends.

As negrisciau savo marketingo strategijos sia prielaida

(EN: I wouldn't base my marketing strategy on this assumption )

[DBV]

Originally Posted by Agota

What exactly do you have in mind? Doing guest posts? Advertising your newsletter?



As negrisciau savo marketingo strategijos sia prielaida

(EN: I wouldn't base my marketing strategy on this assumption )

Yup, guest posts! Best way to build a name... Buying ads on sites will come in at some point as we start getting revenue..

Why not? What would you do? That's what's important, if you have good content, it gets shared... If we can't provide good enough content then we won't grow fast.
After talking with someone who is experienced in that field, it was main advice... Same occurred when researching topic online

Turi suveikt!

[Clint Cora]

The other main question to ask yourselves is what is unique about your newsletter compared to all the others in this already crowded fitness market?

[DBV]

Originally Posted by Clint Cora

The other main question to ask yourselves is what is unique about your newsletter compared to all the others in this already crowded fitness market?

I don't consider fitness blogs and websites competition. We are different animal, a newsletter, a little bit of an aggregator of content too. Directly, we only have one competitor that is sending fitness tips for guys (there is Vital Juice that does it for ladies). And what I'm lucky to say is we have world class writer/trainer providing tips for this. As I was checking out our competitor and other similar projects online I wouldn't find much details about the team that started it.

[Agota]

Originally Posted by DBV

Yup, guest posts! Best way to build a name... Buying ads on sites will come in at some point as we start getting revenue..

Why not? What would you do? That's what's important, if you have good content, it gets shared... If we can't provide good enough content then we won't grow fast.
After talking with someone who is experienced in that field, it was main advice... Same occurred when researching topic online

Turi suveikt!

I'd like to say that:

1. I'm a huge fan of guest posting and I believe it's an extremely effective traffic generation strategy.

2. I totally agree with the idea that creating a good content which people can't help but share through social media is the fastest way to success.

I'm not saying that there's something wrong with what you said as such, but I'd suggest you to do more work:

1. What is your target audience?

Okay, it's men who are interested in weight training, but can you narrow it down even more? The age group? Their occupation? Maybe even their location? You see, when you know a lot about your audience, you can create content that they find really valuable. I believe in your case, you'd be better off narrowing your target audience a lot, because guys who are professional weight lifters look for one thing, guys who lift weights as a hobby look for other thing and guys who lift weight to get muscles to get chicks are looking for third thing. When you create a general content which is aimed to guys interested in weight training, you don't really fulfill the needs of any of these groups.

2. What is your marketing strategy?

Now once you know what people you're targeting, you can make your marketing strategy much more efficient.

1. What are the main blogs/websites that you will write guest posts on?

2. What are the major related forums where you could market your newsletter?

3. What are the main websites on which you could buy ads?

Look, with all due respect, "guest posting" is not a marketing strategy, it's general guideline. Don't get me wrong, guest posting is very efficient, I base my marketing on guest posting as well and it seems to be working well. However, marketing strategy consists from the actual plan with the list of the websites you'll target, the list of topics for guest posts and schedule for writing and sending out guest posts.

4. Okay, let's assume you did great with guest posting and you have loads of people coming to your website to check it out. Why they should sign up?

You might think they'll automatically think "OMG, that's the greatest thing I've ever seen" and sign up, but, sorry for being blunt, that's delusional. An average internet user is already signed up for loads of newsletter and most of them go straight to trash. Why they would want to sign up for one more newsletter?

Look, my guess is that your conversion rates will be depressing if you will leave your website as it is. Again, sorry for being blunt, but design seems amateurish and the text doesn't seem to be very compelling. There are also no examples of content, nothing really to make person go "Wow that's so awesome!". I get that it's still under construction, but I'd highly recommend you to change the design and to consider providing some free content (not only sample newsletter) on your site. You could also add some freebies as an opt-in bonus, e-books I think aren't that effective, but I believe interesting videos would do. That's my take on that.

Also, do you know what is features vs. benefits?

Basically, when you're selling something, you have a feature and you have a benefit. Feature is basically what the thing is, benefit is what your customer will get out of it. The more you highlight the benefits instead of features, the more sales or in your case opt ins you will get.

Okay, you'll send a guy weight training and nutrition tips weekly, so what? What's in it for him?

Will it help him to double his biceps? Will it help him to bulk up and get more dates? What? What are you offering him? What problems he has in his life will you solve?

Then again, in order to understand what benefits can you offer, you have to have targeted audience, because guys who lift weight to bulk up and get girls and professional weight lifters who don't care about girls because they care about winning their next competition are interested in different things, so you have to give them what they want. The question is, do you know what your target audience wants?

Okay, I'm done for today, forgive me for being blunt, it's with best intentions

[DBV]

Originally Posted by Agota

I'd like to say that:

1. I'm a huge fan of guest posting and I believe it's an extremely effective traffic generation strategy.

2. I totally agree with the idea that creating a good content which people can't help but share through social media is the fastest way to success.

I'm not saying that there's something wrong with what you said as such, but I'd suggest you to do more work:

1. What is your target audience?

Okay, it's men who are interested in weight training, but can you narrow it down even more? The age group? Their occupation? Maybe even their location? You see, when you know a lot about your audience, you can create content that they find really valuable. I believe in your case, you'd be better off narrowing your target audience a lot, because guys who are professional weight lifters look for one thing, guys who lift weights as a hobby look for other thing and guys who lift weight to get muscles to get chicks are looking for third thing. When you create a general content which is aimed to guys interested in weight training, you don't really fulfill the needs of any of these groups.

2. What is your marketing strategy?

Now once you know what people you're targeting, you can make your marketing strategy much more efficient.

1. What are the main blogs/websites that you will write guest posts on?

2. What are the major related forums where you could market your newsletter?

3. What are the main websites on which you could buy ads?

Look, with all due respect, "guest posting" is not a marketing strategy, it's general guideline. Don't get me wrong, guest posting is very efficient, I base my marketing on guest posting as well and it seems to be working well. However, marketing strategy consists from the actual plan with the list of the websites you'll target, the list of topics for guest posts and schedule for writing and sending out guest posts.

4. Okay, let's assume you did great with guest posting and you have loads of people coming to your website to check it out. Why they should sign up?

You might think they'll automatically think "OMG, that's the greatest thing I've ever seen" and sign up, but, sorry for being blunt, that's delusional. An average internet user is already signed up for loads of newsletter and most of them go straight to trash. Why they would want to sign up for one more newsletter?

Look, my guess is that your conversion rates will be depressing if you will leave your website as it is. Again, sorry for being blunt, but design seems amateurish and the text doesn't seem to be very compelling. There are also no examples of content, nothing really to make person go "Wow that's so awesome!". I get that it's still under construction, but I'd highly recommend you to change the design and to consider providing some free content (not only sample newsletter) on your site. You could also add some freebies as an opt-in bonus, e-books I think aren't that effective, but I believe interesting videos would do. That's my take on that.

Also, do you know what is features vs. benefits?

Basically, when you're selling something, you have a feature and you have a benefit. Feature is basically what the thing is, benefit is what your customer will get out of it. The more you highlight the benefits instead of features, the more sales or in your case opt ins you will get.

Okay, you'll send a guy weight training and nutrition tips weekly, so what? What's in it for him?

Will it help him to double his biceps? Will it help him to bulk up and get more dates? What? What are you offering him? What problems he has in his life will you solve?

Then again, in order to understand what benefits can you offer, you have to have targeted audience, because guys who lift weight to bulk up and get girls and professional weight lifters who don't care about girls because they care about winning their next competition are interested in different things, so you have to give them what they want. The question is, do you know what your target audience wants?

Okay, I'm done for today, forgive me for being blunt, it's with best intentions

Appreciate the criticism, there's always something good in it!

I see your point about copywriting, but I followed what other newsletter are doing, they just super simple short description and email submission field. Will work on that if I see that conversion really suck (be less than 20 percent)..

Design is made by me so no wonder it's amateur! Will be working on it too as time goes..

And marketing strategy is ready, I know the blogs I need to write for, send guestposts to some already, just didn't post them for everyone to see, keeping it a secret And I'd actually argue that guestposting is a marketing strategy along with forum posts and media buys, it's not a guideline.

Thank you

[Agota]

Originally Posted by DBV

I see your point about copywriting, but I followed what other newsletter are doing, they just super simple short description and email submission field. Will work on that if I see that conversion really suck (be less than 20 percent)..

I believe that in most cases, not doing what most people are doing is the best solution, because in most cases, you want results that are different from the results most people are getting. It's my personal opinion, though, good luck with your project

[DBV]

Originally Posted by Agota

I believe that in most cases, not doing what most people are doing is the best solution, because in most cases, you want results that are different from the results most people are getting. It's my personal opinion, though, good luck with your project

You do different stuff from others not for sake of being different but if you think it doesn't work..
I'm keeping your comments in mind, you got me worried now, doubting!