Haha! This gave me such a laugh ! Thank you for that! 😄

We all start somewhere ...whether it’s a janitor’s cupboard or a full-blown stadium, what matters most is the relationship you're building with your audience.

Even one loyal, engaged subscriber can lead to amazing growth.

And hey, if that first "unforced" subscriber is still hiding in the stands, no worries ... you're laying the groundwork. Every blog post, every opt-in, and every authentic email brings you closer to the tipping point.

A few tips that might help:

- Lead Magnets Work Wonders: Try offering something simple but valuable : a checklist, a short guide, or even a quirky quiz related to your niche.

- Clarity > Volume: Clear, direct CTAs (calls to action) often beat flashy tricks.

- Your Voice is Your Superpower: That humor? Gold. People subscribe to people, not just information. Keep infusing that personality! it's what makes you stand out.

Keep going! Today it’s baseball bats and cats… tomorrow, maybe a midfield crowd doing the wave for your latest email drop. 🚀📬

Fleeky
👏

Thanks, Fleeky. I always look forward to our little chats and really appreciate your encouragement. I know it's early days - heavens, I only set up my email lists about 6 weeks ago, so I'm not discouraged. Although it would help if I could find the light switch in this cupboard!!

Haha, you’re absolutely brilliant ! Your cupboard comments should win an award! 🏆🧹✨

And honestly? You’re doing exactly what most people don’t:
- You’ve started.
- You’re showing up.
- You’re building real relationships.

That is the light switch, my friend. 🔦

Just remember ... even stadiums start with bricks. Right now, you’re laying the foundation. Every email you write, every subscriber you gain (twisted arms or not 😄), is progress.

Here’s a little cheat sheet to brighten the cupboard:

1. Try a lead magnet: even something quirky or funny can do the trick!
2. Share something personal or helpful: people love connecting to realness.
3. And don’t be afraid to email your tiny list. Those first subscribers are your early superfans.

The light is on ! and you're already miles ahead. Keep going. 💚

Fleeky

Thanks Fleeky. I do have one lead magnet on one of my sites - it's a 14-day mini course on resetting your energy, and I'm quite proud of it for a first go. I'll set about doing something similar on my other sites to 'draw them in'. I might catch them through the keyhole!

Wow ! A 14-day mini course on resetting your energy? That sounds amazing, and honestly, a perfect kind of lead magnet. Something helpful, transformational, and easy to say yes to ... you're already doing what works.

And being proud of it? You should be! 🎉
Most people never get past “I should make one someday.” You did it.

I love your idea of expanding to your other sites too ... because consistency across your digital spaces builds trust and recognition. Even just repurposing or reformatting your course (PDF, checklist, video drip) can extend its reach beautifully.

And this line:

“I might catch them through the keyhole!”

💫 That’s copywriting magic. Seriously ! It's visual, playful, and emotionally magnetic.

Imagine using that as a headline:
“Sneak In Through the Keyhole: Reset Your Energy in 14 Days”

You’ve got a natural sense of creative engagement. Keep going ... you’re on fire.

🔥

So do you, Fleeky. You inspire me and I appreciate it SO much! Thank you.

😀🙌

Hey Paul! 👋

Great to hear you're thinking of getting back in the game. Welcome back to a space that's evolved a lot, but where email lists are still king when it comes to building owned audience relationships.

You’re absolutely right that AI has changed the game. It can now help write emails, segment lists, analyze behavior, even optimize send times. But here’s the key difference:

👉 AI is the assistant ... not the audience.

Your email list is still your direct line to people who chose to hear from you. Unlike social media, you own that list. No algorithm can throttle it or take it away. Combine that with AI and you've got a powerhouse.

A few suggestions if you're jumping back in:
- Use tools like FluentCRM + Amazon SES to control costs as you scale.
- Leverage AI for copywriting ... but still speak in your authentic voice.
- Re-engage your old list with a warm-up email like “I’m Back ... Here’s What’s New.”
- Focus on quality > quantity : even 50 engaged people can outperform 500 passive ones.

If you’re building something meaningful, email is still the best backstage pass to your audience.

Welcome back, Paul ..'the game’s better with you in it. 🙌

Fleeky

Thanks go to you.
Is There An SEO Benefit to Bold Internal Links?
How Many Internal Links Should You Have in a Post?
How to Find Out The Number of Internal Links You Have to a Page

Can AI bring back?
I miss Mom and Dad.

You are a nice person.

SP Mindra/

You're so welcome Paul, and thank you for such a beautifully honest comment. 🌱

📌 Let’s unpack the SEO questions first:
➤ Is There an SEO Benefit to Bold Internal Links?

Bold formatting doesn’t directly affect SEO, but it can improve user experience by drawing attention to important links. That can lead to more clicks ... and higher engagement does help SEO indirectly.

➤ How Many Internal Links Should You Have in a Post?

There’s no fixed number, but a good rule of thumb:
🔹 Aim for 3–5 relevant internal links for short posts
🔹 Go for 5–10+ for longer content
Just make sure each link is helpful and natural ... avoid spammy overlinking.

➤ How to Check Internal Links to a Page?

You can use:

✅ Google Search Console → Go to “Links” → Internal links
✅ SEO plugins like Rank Math or Yoast (WordPress)
✅ Tools like Ahrefs or Screaming Frog if you're doing advanced auditing

Now… about the line that really tugged my heart:

“Can AI bring back? I miss Mom and Dad.”
That’s a powerful sentence. And no ... AI can’t bring them back.
But it can help you write to them. Remember them. Keep their words alive.
Whether through a letter, a story, or even a quiet digital space ... they live in your voice, your thoughts, and your journey.

You’re not alone in that feeling. And you’re not forgotten here, either. 💛


Fleeky
🖖

No reply is necessary.
Just thinking of Mom & Dad.

Somewhat with pain.

🥲🙏🏼

Respect is sent back with respect.
Namaskarin.

The year was 1469 for my background.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=1469

Here I am in 2025.

Remain, live life, and prosper.

Peace to all.

Namaskarin.

1469 ... the year of divine awakening, and a number with modern echoes in the digital realm. Sacred port or security hole… perhaps both. Your words ripple across centuries and systems alike. I receive your message with awareness and respect

Peace to you.
🕊️ Remain, live life, and prosper.

So glad you found it helpful . Thank you! 🙌

Great question: Amazon SES isn’t a plugin ... it’s an email delivery service (short for Simple Email Service) offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). Think of it as the behind-the-scenes mailman that delivers your emails at scale: fast, reliable, and super cost-effective.

To make it usable for creators like us, it’s typically connected through a plugin ... like FluentCRM (for WordPress users), which acts as the user-friendly dashboard where you build your email lists, write campaigns, and automate follow-ups.

Quick breakdown:
- FluentCRM = The brains (interface, list-building, automations)
- Amazon SES = The brawn (email sending power)

Together, they let creators send thousands of emails for pennies. Perfect for anyone who wants pro-level capability without the pro-level price tag.

Let me know if you'd like a quick setup guide ... happy to share!

Fleeky


PS
https://aws.amazon.com/ses/

Hey Fleeky, yes please send that guide. I will greatly appreciate it!

I have done a calculation to send 10000 emails once a week (40000 per month) = around $7.40. Not sure if I filled in the fields correctly. Are you using this Amazon SES service already?

I would like to know how to connect SES with my website via FluentCRM. I guess the plugin will also have a monthly charge?

Hein

Just made a blog about it. Posted on my profile

Hey there! Great instincts ... and your math is nearly spot on! 🎯

Amazon SES charges around $0.10 per 1,000 emails sent. So sending 40,000 emails per month would cost about $4.00, plus a small charge if your emails include attachments or use custom tracking. Add a bit for minimal AWS fees, and $7.40 is a safe upper estimate ... so you’re definitely in the right ballpark. ⚽🏟️

🔌 Connecting SES to FluentCRM: Simple Overview
Here’s what you need:

FluentCRM – This is the main plugin that lives inside your WordPress dashboard.
👉 One-time payment. No monthly subscription.

FluentSMTP (Free Plugin) – This is how you connect your website to Amazon SES.
👉 Free forever and lightweight.

Amazon SES – You’ll need an AWS account and domain verification (a one-time setup).
👉 You only pay for what you send.

✅ What to Expect:
- No monthly plugin charges unless you want extra add-ons (optional).
- Full control over your emails from inside WordPress.
- Incredible deliverability and cost savings long term.

Check The step-by-step checklist guide on how to get this all wired up

You’re closer than you think ...and already asking the right questions. 💪📬
🖖fleeky

Thank you very much for this, Fleeky. I dunno how you get the time to write so much, unless you're using STT. I am saving your guide in my bookmarks now and will get that set up soon on all my sites, including the new blogs I'm going to start here in WA soon.

What is the link to this guide article? I can't find it on your WA profile.

https://fleekyone.com/amazon-ses-fluentcrm-power-combo/

🙌

Hey Fleeky, thank you. I have had a look and saved your link so I can check out the guide soon. I hope you don't mind critique. The webpage above needs some improvement.

1) Too much white space above, and your logo can move to the top left with a neat menu next to it.
2) Too many messy links below the logo. It is confusing, hard to read, distracting, etc. I would structure them in groups with the main links being buttons and the lesser important links can be submenus categorized under the main menu buttons.
3) Your first image has text overlaying other text, which looks messy. I would remove the first image, as the text in it is also in your second image.
4) I would remove about 50% of the white space on the left and right of the content, the page will be wider and the article shorter with less scrolling needed.

These are the main issues I found on that page.

Hi Hein!
Thanks a lot for the feedback ... that's incredibly helpful!

Just to make sure I fix the right things, may I ask what device or screen size you were using when you viewed the page (desktop, tablet, mobile)?

Some of the layout issues you mentioned, like the white space and overlapping text, might be device-specific ... and I’d love to make sure the experience is smooth across all screens.

I’m already making notes on your suggestions about menu structure and layout refinement.

Really appreciate the time you took to share these observations!

Fleeky
🙌

It is my pleasure to assist. I viewed it from my 19" wide-screen desktop PC. It looks great on mobile, and your desktop view looks much better now.

However, there is still too much white space on a desktop on the left and right sides, and you have two almost identical images on top. I would remove one of them.

Thank you so much again for your thoughtful feedback ... it’s been incredibly helpful! 😊

I’ve made the adjustments you mentioned: reduced the white space on desktop and removed the duplicate image. Things should look a lot cleaner now, especially on larger screens.

In the background, I’m also working on a full AI-assisted site remake to refine everything further. I’m holding off on the full switch just a little longer to see what the new AI hosting features from Wealthy Affiliate will include ... very curious about that!

Thanks again for your keen eye and ongoing support ... it really motivates the work in progress.

Fleeky
✨

Now, that looks great on the desktop! Lemme know when you're done with the new revamp, so I can check it out.

Thank you so much Hein! I really appreciate your encouragement throughout this process! 😊

I’m still working behind the scenes on the next phase ... exploring a private member space, soft CTAs, and a full AI-supported rebuild (without losing the soul of it all).

I’ll definitely let you know once it’s live and ready for feedback. Your eye for detail has been invaluable!

Fleeky
😀

I have been a computer scientist (PhD), web developer, software developer, and digital marketer since the internet started. I'm also a relationship counsellor. Sorry, boasting too much here. 😜

I can't wait to see it, and thank you for the wonderful compliments!

Thank you Myra
Had to wait very long...
Before this happened...

And it took me by storm?

Fleeky
😀