Tracy sent me a link this morning to a post on XoSarah.com that asks an intriguing question. Does Your Optin Incentive Benefit Your Blog?

It's a great thought-provoking post and I thought I'd share it with you this morning. Here's a short excerpt :

When creating an incentive, you’ll want to choose a topic that you write about regularly, whether it’s travel, baking, or raising kids – stay within your niche! If someone is just joining your email list for the first time, it’s likely they haven’t been reading for long, so this is a great way to create a connection, share a little more about yourself, and show off what you know.

It has me looking at my own optin “goodies” and looking at them in a different light. I'm making some plans for changing one or two of them over the coming weeks.

In addition to making sure the short report, audio, video or e-course you're giving away serves your blog, make sure it also serves your audience. Making sure both your blog and your opt-in gift speak to your target audience and help them move a step towards their goals goes a long way towards growing a high-quality, responsive list.