Marketing sucks. Yes, I said it sucks! I would rather write than market, have a nice conversation with some one that hates me, go a half a round with "Sasquatch" think (Ron Howards 68 whiskey, not Big Foot,) because one hit and I would be out. That's how much I hate marketing.
What I hate more than marketing is government laws like California's CCPA act. I mean if someone from California joins your list by the double optin method you would think that you would be law bidding. But it is possible that you may not be.
This law could be more of a headache than what it is worth.
Then again it might not be at all. At any rate this is why I am waiting...
Waiting to see if more states follow with their own laws or if it fizzles and dies.
We'll see what happens. In the mean time and until I am for sure it won't affect me or you, I am going to take caution and just ask you to subscribe by RSS through email or just add an RSS reader to your browser and follow this blog never missing a post.
Even though I am taking caution, you might be smarter than me and want to build your own responsive list. Well you are in good hands. I have used email marketing for years. I have built a prospect lists, buyers lists, and even a responsive blog list. IF your new to email marketing then you will find this post very useful before you get started.
And if you already have several lists you still may find these basic tips as a refresher in email marketing excellence.
Finding the Right Autoresponder
Most marketers are following the direct marketing approach when it comes to their list marketing efforts. In Direct Marketing the product creator or marketer would rent a list of prospects from a list provider which most on the list came from relevant magazines subscriptions.
For the last 20 years most online marketers have not followed this example. Instead of renting lists they created their own list. People interested in a certain niche and got a report or visited a website and joined a list.
The loss leader didn't even come into effect until about 2005.
The reason for a loss leader is to share valuable information for a name and email address.
Today, you pretty much have to bribe people with courses in order to get just an email address.
Why is this?
Over marketing. Spammers as you call it have flooded the inbox. How do you get visitors to sign up to your list today?
You still need a good squeeze page landing page, or a blog with a $20 month AR. You can't build a relationship from this kind of marketing. You offer a loss leader, this is your first exposure, if the subscriber likes the content they will be with you until YOU break their trust.
Does Email Marketing still work Today?
I believe it still does. Look at all of the eCommerce sites. They all that I have seen anyway use email marketing. You sign up and most give you a coupon.
How about Ezines? (not solo ads)
As far as I can tell the ones that are still around are still in business. Think talkbiz.
Don’t just sign up for the first autoresponder that is recommended by the guru's in your niche. There are so many great systems out there to choose from. A specific system may work great for one person but might be too much (or not enough) for someone else.
Compare each of them and find the one that best fits your needs, budget and future upgrades. Making a wise decision before undergoing a marketing campaign will make a difference. Yes, you can change to a new autoresponder later, but why go through the hassle if it’s not necessary.
Some popular options are... • Aweber • iContact • Get Response • Traffic Wave (this is the one I use and recommend).
Know The Program and Educate Yourself
Before beginning any marketing campaign. Take the time to learn how all the bells and whistles work. Once you know what you’re working with, you’ll be unstoppable.
Don’t leave anything on the table that will keep you from utilizing this powerful tool to its fullest potential.
If your autoresponder can do all that you need it to do, and you know how to use it to your advantage, your marketing campaign will flourish.
Now, onto those tips!
This is where an autoresponder will make or break your business. If done right, you’ll discover why everyone says: “The money is in the list.”
#1: Be Consistent When you're marketing with an autoresponder it's important to be consistent. Put yourself in your prospects shoes. They want to know who you are and you’ll want them to remember you, but that doesn’t mean you need to email them every single day. Keep your business fresh in their mind, but don’t beat them over the head with it.
Remember, that unsubscribe button is just a click away!
#2 You’re busy and so are your customers. Always send your first message immediately after sign up. Depending on your specific campaign, you can send an email once a day for X amount of days (like an e-course) or once a week ( e-letter or newsletter).
For example, if you’ve created a free course titled “5 Days to dominate the search engins" You can send an email once a day for five days. Then shift to once a week or even every two weeks depending on your schedule and keep giving them more information relevant to the topic.
One mistake is to continue to send them daily emails after the course is over. Another mistake is to send them numerous emails in one day! This will drive your subscriber “bonkers” and they may consider you a spammer and un-subscribe.
#3 Give Your Subscribers Only the Best.
Internet users want information, not just sales pitch after sales pitch. Give your readers quality and informative emails with sales pitches peppered in between.
If your only reason for creating a list is to make money and you only focus on that, you’ll never make a sale. Trust me on this. Remember your readers need to trust you in order to spend money with you. Once they do, you'll be unstoppable.
#4 Interact and Get a Reaction.
It's one thing to write great emails; it's also a great option to get your list involved as well. You can really increase the interest and actions your list takes when you ask for their opinions and input. You can offer polls, ask for discussion on your blog or forum, or use a whole host of other ideas to get people to interact with you.
I’m sure you've signed up for a list where the messages seem cold and impersonal. Like you, many people on your list will realize you are not jumping online and “writing” an email to them every single day. However, when you offer your list a chance to interact and share their feelings you'll set yourself apart and give them a reason to want to open your emails first.
This is an excellent relationship builder. It’s also a great way to get into the minds of your prospects. Think of it as built in market research!
#5 Tell Them What to Do Next.
Call to action are what create customer action. Don’t make the mistake of thinking your readers will recognize what to do next. Tell them!
A call to action can be as simple as giving them a link and telling them to click it. While they KNOW you want them to click the link, the chances of them actually doing it will improve if you give them instruction to do so.
The same holds true on your blog. If you use social sites like twitter or Digg, you can remind the reader of your post to re-tweet or digg your post by clicking the appropriate button or icon.
Marketing with autoresponders is a great way to increase your reach online. Remember to be consistent, offer high quality content and create an interactive experience for the members of your list.
Once you get these tips fine-tuned, you'll have a responsive group of prospects who can't wait to open your next email.
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