April 4, 2025 • 8 mins
Unlocking the Power of Email Marketing: The Capture Habit
Want a copy of the book or workbook? Go to PlatformGrowthBooks.com
In this episode of the Market Your Message Show, host Jonathan Milligan dives into Chapter Two of the book 'Build Your Audience' and discusses the pivotal concept of the 'Capture Habit.' Jonathan highlights the importance of having an email list as a crucial element for writers, coaches, speakers, and teachers to build their businesses. He shares the success story of Ryan Holiday, who grew his email list from 50 friends to 35,000 subscribers, emphasizing qualities like consistency, quality, and value. The episode breaks down why email lists are beneficial, including reasons such as ownership, high ROI, personal connection, measurable data, scalability, authority building, and amplification of other marketing efforts. Jonathan ends with a practical exercise for listeners to brainstorm ways to build their email list, reinforcing that the process is about providing consistent value and building relationships over time.
00:00 Welcome to the Market Your Message Show
00:21 Introduction to 'Build Your Audience'
01:26 The Capture Habit: The Secret to Everything
02:59 The Power of Email Lists
03:29 Reasons to Build an Email List
07:08 Today's Exercise: Brainstorm Your Capture Ideas
08:08 Key Takeaways
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 4 (00:00):
Hello and welcome to the Market Your Message Show.
(00:02):
I'm your host, JonathanMilligan, an author of the book
series.
Your Message Matters, and we'vebeen going through the book
series by letting you listen tothe audiobook for free and
providing some commentary alongthe way.
So we just started last episode.
The book Build Your Audience.
(00:24):
Now, this is the fourth book inthe series, and this is a
critical part of building yourbusiness.
And today we're gonna talk aboutthe capture habit.
This is what I call the secretto everything.
See the lifeblood of my businessis in my email list, and you're
gonna learn some reasons whyhaving an email list is still
(00:47):
the smartest skill.
Activity that you can do as awriter, coach, speaker, teacher,
and in fact, we'll get into it.
I'll help you brainstorm someideas on how to capture traffic
and build your list.
So if you want the book, theworkbook, or the audiobook in
(01:08):
addition to what you're hearing.
Here, then hop over to Amazon.
Type in Build Your Audience andyou'll find the book resources
or go to platform growthbooks.com.
Alright, let's get to the lessontoday.
I.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Chapter two, the Capture Habit, the Secret to
Everything.
In May, 2009, Ryan Holiday hadan idea.
He'd been sharing bookrecommendations on his website,
but what if he turned it into amonthly email instead, A friend
warned him it was a bad idea.
Who'd wanna sign up for thatholiday?
Ignored the advice.
Five years later, his readinglist email had grown from 50
(01:49):
friends to 35,000 subscribersworldwide.
High school students, fortune500 CEOs.
NFL coaches and bestsellingauthors tuned in for his monthly
book picks the secret,consistency, quality, and a
laser focus on providing value.
Over the years holiday sentnearly 100 emails recommending
books he genuinely loved.
(02:09):
He kept it simple, no frills,just text, and he protected his
list fiercely, rarely using itfor self-promotion.
This approach paid off inunexpected ways.
When Holiday launched his firstbook, his email list was enough
to rock the Amazon charts.
He had less than 5,000subscribers at the time.
Holiday's.
Story illustrates a powerfultruth Building an email list is
(02:32):
about more than just collectingaddresses.
It's about creating a communityof engaged readers who trust
your recommendations and lookforward to hearing from you.
In this chapter, we'll explorewhy email lists are the secret
sauce of online businesssuccess.
We will break down thestrategies that helped Holiday
and others build thrivingcommunities, and we'll show you
(02:54):
how to cultivate the habits thatturn a simple mailing list into
a powerful business asset.
The magic of email lists yoursecret weapon for online
success.
Ever wonder how some businessesseem to have a direct line to
their customer's hearts andwallets?
The answer might be sitting inyour inbox right now.
Let's talk about email list.
(03:14):
Not the most exciting topic,right?
Wrong email lists are the unsungheroes of the digital marketing
world.
They're like that reliablefriend who's always there when
you need them.
Steady, dependable, andsurprisingly powerful.
Why?
Your email list is your new bestfriend.
Reason one, you're the boss.
(03:34):
Imagine you've built a massivefollowing on social media.
Thousands of fans hang onto yourevery word, and you're on top of
the world.
Then one day, poof.
The platform changes itsalgorithm and your posts vanish
into the digital void.
Scary, huh?
That's the beauty of an emaillist.
It's yours.
All yours.
There is no middleman, noalgorithm changes and no
(03:57):
disappearing act.
When you have someone's email,you have a direct line to their
attention.
It's like having a key to theirdigital front door.
Reason two, money talks.
Let's get down to brass tax.
Email marketing isn't justpractical.
It's a moneymaking machine.
You can expect to see$42 inreturn for every dollar you
(04:18):
spend on email marketing.
That's not a typo.
$42.
Try getting that kind of returnfrom your savings account.
Why so lucrative Simple.
Email is personal.
It's targeted.
It lands right in yourcustomer's personal space where
they're already in a mindset toengage with content.
It's like whispering a secretdirectly into their ear.
(04:41):
Reason three, the personaltouch.
Speaking of personal, let's talkabout connection.
Social media is like shouting ina crowded room email.
It's a cozy fireside chat.
When someone gives you theiremail, they invite you into
their world.
They're saying, Hey, I trustyou.
I want to hear what you have tosay.
(05:02):
That's powerful stuff.
It's an opportunity to buildgenuine lasting relationships
with your audience.
Reason for numbers don't lie.
Here's the thing about email.
You can measure everything.
Open rates, click through rates,conversions.
It's all there in black andwhite.
It's like having a crystal ballthat tells you exactly what your
(05:24):
audience likes and doesn't like.
This treasure trove of data letsyou fine tune your approach.
You can test different subjectlines, tweak your content and
optimize your send times.
It's like having a superpowerthat lets you read your
customer's minds.
Reason five, infinitelyscalable.
Remember Ryan Holiday?
(05:44):
He started with just 50 friendson his email list.
Five years later, 35,000subscribers.
That's the magic of email lists.
They can grow from a tiny seedinto a mighty oak.
The best part, whether you'resending to 100 people or
100,000, the process is prettymuch the same.
It's scalable.
It grows with you.
(06:04):
It's like having a businesspartner that never gets tired
and never asks for a raisereason.
Six builds authority.
Want to know a secret?
Consistent, valuable emails makeyou look like a rockstar in your
field.
Every time you pop intosomeone's inbox with a nugget of
wisdom, you're cementing yourstatus as the go-to expert.
Over time, this trust translatesinto cold, hard cash.
(06:28):
When your subscribers see you asthe authority, guess who they'll
turn to when they need whatyou're selling.
That's right.
You reason seven, the greattraffic amplifier.
Here's the kicker.
Your email list isn't justpowerful on its own.
It's like a steroid for all yourother marketing efforts.
Got a new blog post.
(06:48):
Your email list will drivetraffic.
Launching a product.
Your email list will spread theword running a sale.
You guessed it.
Your email list will bring inthe customers.
It's the Swiss Army knife ofmarketing tools.
Versatile, reliable, and alwaysthere when you need it.
Today's exercise, brainstormyour capture ideas.
(07:12):
You're convinced, right?
Email lists are the bee's knees,but how do you get started?
How do you turn this knowledgeinto action?
Here's a little exercise to kickthings off.
Write down three reasons whysomeone would want to join your
email list.
What can you offer that's trulyvaluable?
Now, brainstorm five ways youcould entice people to sign up a
(07:33):
free ebook, a discount code, aweekly tips newsletter.
Pick your favorite idea andsketch out a quick plan to
implement it.
What steps would you need totake?
Set a goal.
How many subscribers do you wantin three months, six months, a
year?
Remember, building an email listisn't about overnight success.
(07:53):
It's about consistent effort inproviding real value.
It's about buildingrelationships one subscriber at
a time.
So are you ready to harness thepower of email marketing?
Your future customers arewaiting in their inboxes.
It's time to say hello.
Key takeaways, your email listis your most valuable digital
asset.
(08:13):
It's the only audience you trulyown and control.
It's immune to algorithm changesand platform shifts.
Email marketing has the bestROI.
It makes$42 for every dollarspent.
It enables direct personalcommunication with an engaged
audience.
Valuable emails build trust andauthority.
(08:33):
They turn your list into apowerful tool for driving
traffic, launching products, andboosting your marketing.
Hello and welcome to the Market Your Message Show.
(00:02):
I'm your host, JonathanMilligan, an author of the book
series.
Your Message Matters, and we'vebeen going through the book
series by letting you listen tothe audiobook for free and
providing some commentary alongthe way.
So we just started last episode.
The book Build Your Audience.
(00:24):
Now, this is the fourth book inthe series, and this is a
critical part of building yourbusiness.
And today we're gonna talk aboutthe capture habit.
This is what I call the secretto everything.
See the lifeblood of my businessis in my email list, and you're
gonna learn some reasons whyhaving an email list is still
(00:47):
the smartest skill.
Activity that you can do as awriter, coach, speaker, teacher,
and in fact, we'll get into it.
I'll help you brainstorm someideas on how to capture traffic
and build your list.
So if you want the book, theworkbook, or the audiobook in
(01:08):
addition to what you're hearing.
Here, then hop over to Amazon.
Type in Build Your Audience andyou'll find the book resources
or go to platform growthbooks.com.
Alright, let's get to the lessontoday.
I.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Chapter two, the Capture Habit, the Secret to
Everything.
In May, 2009, Ryan Holiday hadan idea.
He'd been sharing bookrecommendations on his website,
but what if he turned it into amonthly email instead, A friend
warned him it was a bad idea.
Who'd wanna sign up for thatholiday?
Ignored the advice.
Five years later, his readinglist email had grown from 50
(01:49):
friends to 35,000 subscribersworldwide.
High school students, fortune500 CEOs.
NFL coaches and bestsellingauthors tuned in for his monthly
book picks the secret,consistency, quality, and a
laser focus on providing value.
Over the years holiday sentnearly 100 emails recommending
books he genuinely loved.
(02:09):
He kept it simple, no frills,just text, and he protected his
list fiercely, rarely using itfor self-promotion.
This approach paid off inunexpected ways.
When Holiday launched his firstbook, his email list was enough
to rock the Amazon charts.
He had less than 5,000subscribers at the time.
Holiday's.
Story illustrates a powerfultruth Building an email list is
(02:32):
about more than just collectingaddresses.
It's about creating a communityof engaged readers who trust
your recommendations and lookforward to hearing from you.
In this chapter, we'll explorewhy email lists are the secret
sauce of online businesssuccess.
We will break down thestrategies that helped Holiday
and others build thrivingcommunities, and we'll show you
(02:54):
how to cultivate the habits thatturn a simple mailing list into
a powerful business asset.
The magic of email lists yoursecret weapon for online
success.
Ever wonder how some businessesseem to have a direct line to
their customer's hearts andwallets?
The answer might be sitting inyour inbox right now.
Let's talk about email list.
(03:14):
Not the most exciting topic,right?
Wrong email lists are the unsungheroes of the digital marketing
world.
They're like that reliablefriend who's always there when
you need them.
Steady, dependable, andsurprisingly powerful.
Why?
Your email list is your new bestfriend.
Reason one, you're the boss.
(03:34):
Imagine you've built a massivefollowing on social media.
Thousands of fans hang onto yourevery word, and you're on top of
the world.
Then one day, poof.
The platform changes itsalgorithm and your posts vanish
into the digital void.
Scary, huh?
That's the beauty of an emaillist.
It's yours.
All yours.
There is no middleman, noalgorithm changes and no
(03:57):
disappearing act.
When you have someone's email,you have a direct line to their
attention.
It's like having a key to theirdigital front door.
Reason two, money talks.
Let's get down to brass tax.
Email marketing isn't justpractical.
It's a moneymaking machine.
You can expect to see$42 inreturn for every dollar you
(04:18):
spend on email marketing.
That's not a typo.
$42.
Try getting that kind of returnfrom your savings account.
Why so lucrative Simple.
Email is personal.
It's targeted.
It lands right in yourcustomer's personal space where
they're already in a mindset toengage with content.
It's like whispering a secretdirectly into their ear.
(04:41):
Reason three, the personaltouch.
Speaking of personal, let's talkabout connection.
Social media is like shouting ina crowded room email.
It's a cozy fireside chat.
When someone gives you theiremail, they invite you into
their world.
They're saying, Hey, I trustyou.
I want to hear what you have tosay.
(05:02):
That's powerful stuff.
It's an opportunity to buildgenuine lasting relationships
with your audience.
Reason for numbers don't lie.
Here's the thing about email.
You can measure everything.
Open rates, click through rates,conversions.
It's all there in black andwhite.
It's like having a crystal ballthat tells you exactly what your
(05:24):
audience likes and doesn't like.
This treasure trove of data letsyou fine tune your approach.
You can test different subjectlines, tweak your content and
optimize your send times.
It's like having a superpowerthat lets you read your
customer's minds.
Reason five, infinitelyscalable.
Remember Ryan Holiday?
(05:44):
He started with just 50 friendson his email list.
Five years later, 35,000subscribers.
That's the magic of email lists.
They can grow from a tiny seedinto a mighty oak.
The best part, whether you'resending to 100 people or
100,000, the process is prettymuch the same.
It's scalable.
It grows with you.
(06:04):
It's like having a businesspartner that never gets tired
and never asks for a raisereason.
Six builds authority.
Want to know a secret?
Consistent, valuable emails makeyou look like a rockstar in your
field.
Every time you pop intosomeone's inbox with a nugget of
wisdom, you're cementing yourstatus as the go-to expert.
Over time, this trust translatesinto cold, hard cash.
(06:28):
When your subscribers see you asthe authority, guess who they'll
turn to when they need whatyou're selling.
That's right.
You reason seven, the greattraffic amplifier.
Here's the kicker.
Your email list isn't justpowerful on its own.
It's like a steroid for all yourother marketing efforts.
Got a new blog post.
(06:48):
Your email list will drivetraffic.
Launching a product.
Your email list will spread theword running a sale.
You guessed it.
Your email list will bring inthe customers.
It's the Swiss Army knife ofmarketing tools.
Versatile, reliable, and alwaysthere when you need it.
Today's exercise, brainstormyour capture ideas.
(07:12):
You're convinced, right?
Email lists are the bee's knees,but how do you get started?
How do you turn this knowledgeinto action?
Here's a little exercise to kickthings off.
Write down three reasons whysomeone would want to join your
email list.
What can you offer that's trulyvaluable?
Now, brainstorm five ways youcould entice people to sign up a
(07:33):
free ebook, a discount code, aweekly tips newsletter.
Pick your favorite idea andsketch out a quick plan to
implement it.
What steps would you need totake?
Set a goal.
How many subscribers do you wantin three months, six months, a
year?
Remember, building an email listisn't about overnight success.
(07:53):
It's about consistent effort inproviding real value.
It's about buildingrelationships one subscriber at
a time.
So are you ready to harness thepower of email marketing?
Your future customers arewaiting in their inboxes.
It's time to say hello.
Key takeaways, your email listis your most valuable digital
asset.
(08:13):
It's the only audience you trulyown and control.
It's immune to algorithm changesand platform shifts.
Email marketing has the bestROI.
It makes$42 for every dollarspent.
It enables direct personalcommunication with an engaged
audience.
Valuable emails build trust andauthority.
(08:33):
They turn your list into apowerful tool for driving
traffic, launching products, andboosting your marketing.
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