The Importance of Email Marketing: Lessons from Leslie Samuel’s YouTube Hacking Incident [LNIM 261]

In this episode of the Late Night Internet Marketing podcast, I discuss the crucial role of email marketing in safeguarding your online business. I share the story of my friend Leslie Samuel, whose popular YouTube channel “Interactive Biology” was recently hacked and subsequently banned by YouTube. This incident highlights the risks of relying solely on third-party platforms and the importance of building and nurturing your own email list. I explain how email marketing allows you to directly communicate with your audience, enjoy higher conversion rates, and maintain control over your business assets. I also provide strategies for growing your email list and integrating it with other marketing channels.

“If you build a list of email addresses that you can communicate with, you can download that list, put it in a spreadsheet, take it with you, print it out, fold it up, put it in your pocket. So what this all boils down to is that your email list is the most important asset in your business, and that’s because of this idea of the mitigation of risk.” – Mark Mason

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Show Notes

In today’s episode, I dive deep into the importance of email marketing and why it should be a top priority for every online business owner. I share a cautionary tale about my friend Leslie Samuel, whose successful YouTube channel “Interactive Biology” was recently hacked and banned by the platform. Despite having over 250,000 subscribers and being a part of the YouTube Black program, Leslie found himself locked out of his channel and unable to communicate with his audience.

“Leslie wakes up and all of a sudden, people are trying to get in contact with him because someone is live streaming crypto scam paraphernalia on his YouTube channel… It turns out the guy had hacked into Leslie’s YouTube channel.” – Mark Mason

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with building your business solely on third-party platforms like YouTube, Facebook, or TikTok. While these platforms can be valuable for reaching and engaging with your audience, they ultimately control your access and can shut you down at any time.

“I don’t tell you this story and stories like this to scare you away from building a YouTube channel or building a following on Facebook or on TikTok. These things can be incredibly valuable. I tell you these stories because I want you to manage your risk, and the way I want you to manage risk is by building an email list, by always trying to drive people back to your email list so that you can capture their email and build a relationship with them on your terms.” – Mark Mason

The solution? Building and nurturing your own email list. Email marketing allows you to directly communicate with your audience, enjoy higher conversion rates, and maintain control over your business assets. By offering valuable lead magnets, creating opt-in forms on your website, and partnering with other businesses or influencers, you can grow your email list and establish a direct line of communication with your audience.

“If you can create a lead magnet and advertising strategy that actually grows your list profitably, that’s probably the best way to ensure the longevity of your business.” – Mark Mason

I also discuss the various strategies you can use to integrate your email list with other marketing channels, such as retargeting your email subscribers with ads on social media platforms or incorporating email sign-ups into your offline marketing efforts.

“You can take your email list and upload it to Facebook and tell Facebook to target your ads at people that are similar to the people that have already joined your email list, because, after all, these people on your email list are the kind of people that have said they like your content.” – Mark Mason

Resources and Links

Next Steps

If you’re interested in learning more about how email marketing can help safeguard and grow your online business, be sure to listen to episodes 247 and 248 of the Late Night Internet Marketing podcast. And if you haven’t already, head over to latenightim.com/news to subscribe to my weekly newsletter, where I share valuable insights and strategies for online business success.

Remember, your email list is your most valuable business asset. Start building and nurturing it today, and you’ll be well on your way to creating a sustainable, thriving online business.

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