*This blog post contains affiliate links where I may receive a small commission after the click. Thanks!*
TL:DR – ConvertKit, the Email Marketing platform created by creators, for creators, is offering a FREE month for new subscribers. Bring a small segment over and learn how this tool can sell more books and build loyal fans with ease. Why not use a marketing platform for creators?
Click HERE to get started with your FREE month!
Lately it feels like there has been a lot of shuffling happening inside of the author space when it comes to email marketing. And to be honest, I’m one of the shufflers helping to support the perceived chaos.
In May, I decided that my entire writing business needed a fresh start, but with eyes to the future in mind. All tools needed to support long-term growth with innovative systems to get me there.
And of course, since email is my jam, I started with my email service provider. In June my author emails will be joining my consultant emails and will be coming from a brand new ConvertKit account and I’m here today to tell you why.
And spoiler alert, it’s not because I think everyone needs to use ConvertKit. Read through to the end to learn why I moved and what factors came into play to help me decide, because ultimately, your systems need to work for you, not the other way around.
Here’s why I think ConvertKit is perfect for my author business growth:
I’m moving to ConvertKit for many reasons, but here is ‘main character reason’.
Simplified growth systems that help my bottom line. What the heck does that mean? It means that built into their system, I can perform a few slick movements that add revenue to my business. Oh yes, I just used the term ‘slick’. My deepest apologies for sounding like a stuck-in-the-eighties-co-worker-who-digs-classic-cars. Here are the ways ConvertKit meets that need. Tools like:
–Tip Jar – where readers can drop some money ‘just because’ into my bank account. Kind of like if Kickstarter and Patreon and my local open mic night bar had a baby. I love giving money to musicians on the street who I think are talented and musicians in pubs who entertain me, even though I know they’re making money via a wage. So, why wouldn’t our readers feel the same way?
–E-Comm integrations – ConvertKit has some very good integrations ready for me when I’m launching merch and direct selling books.
-Rewards program – this one is VERY exciting. How would you like to gift your readers free stuff (books, merch, swag) every time they bring someone to your list and use those as incentives for them to want to bring people to your list, all without constantly sending emails? ConvertKit has an integration with SparkLoop to build a rewards platform that runs on automation. You give each reader their own unique link to share and when they hit the levels you outline, they are automatically delivered their reward. It runs all on its own. SparkLoop is an expensive platform, but it’s free inside of ConvertKit Pro and I think it’s well worth the investment as an alternative to lead-gen ads.
Those are some of the fancy tools, but here are the foundational reasons I love this system.
–Service – when it comes to support, finding help when you’re in the thick of it is critical to a system’s success. ConvertKit offers chat and email support, where their agents go above and beyond to make sure you’re ready to tackle the hiccup and move forward. I’ve even had lively debates with their team on subjects such as authentication, deliverability and email address blocks. That’s what I want. A teammate who challenges the way I think about using email.
–Deliverability – what good is taking the time to create the perfect email if it’s not always going to hit an inbox, no matter what you’ve done to try to ensure it will? ConvertKit consistently gets top deliverability scores which gives you some peace of mind that your service is working for you without you having to worry about emails landing.
–Automation – There is so much you can do with a ConvertKit automation that it surely can feel overwhelming at times.
(Side note: I’ve got something for that. My ConvertKit for Authors course is ready and waiting to hold your hand on using this powerful tool to grow!)
I’d encourage you to take it slow and uncover the abilities of ConvertKit’s automation. You’ll be able to segment and move subscribers in ways that you cannot with any other email service provider.
Why am I sharing all of this? A couple of reasons and it’s not to get you to switch to ConvertKit, because to be honest, I don’t think ConvertKit is for everyone. And that’s a good thing. For a tool to be all things to all people isn’t going to make your email journey better. You want a tool that’s laser focused on who it’s for.
I share my move to ConvertKit to get you thinking about where you want your emails to take your business. This decision has been a year in the making, creating a plan, testing, strategizing and finally preparing.
Moving services can be painful. Humans have growing pains. Businesses have the same growing pains. This week I’ve had three meetings with creative entrepreneurs who have come with issues during their scaling process, where their current businesses have plateaued, and they must make painful decisions and upgrades to be able to move to the next revenue goal.
Make sure your email system can grow with you. And make sure that it’s not actually losing you money because it’s unable to handle the needs of your business (I’m looking at you SendFox and Flodesk). I want an email marketing provider that meets my mission and then gives me ideas on where to take it.
After all, ConvertKit is an email marketing platform built for creators! They get us!
If you’re thinking of investing the time and money in switching, click here to chat and I can help guide you through what to expect.
If you’re interested in trying ConvertKit FREE for a month (yup, this is a huge offer!), then click here to just jump in and try it all out.If you’re in and want some guidance and love a self-led course experience, click here for ConvertKit For Authors and use promo code CK15 for an exclusive blog promo discount of 15% off the course.