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They Say The Money Is In The List....Really?

by Justin012
14 replies
You hear everyone say you can make a lot of money from having a list of subscribers and marketing to them often. Well I have over 1000 subscribers on my aweber list and I email my subscribers often and still haven't made a single dime.

Most of the emails that I send are just giving free information, like workouts, meal plans, etc. I am been paying aweber $30 every month and I feel I am getting zero benefit from my subscription. I don't know what I am doing wrong, but I feel like I am wasting my money on having an email list with no conversions.

Don't get me wrong, I always make sure to send my subscribers valuation information instead of what most people do is push product and after product to their subscribers, hoping that they will make a few bucks!

My subscribers receive an email from me every 3rd day (free info without links to products) and every 2 weeks I will put a link to a helpful product, whether it's my own or somebody elses.

I get very few people unsubscribing and get thank you emails and questions from them regarding weight loss and muscle building. So I guess they benefit from my emails.

But zero income from my list.

I wonder if I am doing anything wrong? Or should I do what most internet marketers do, "push out emails to my subscribers with links to affiliate products?

I don't know what to do anymore and I'm thinking of cancelling my aweber account completely.

I feel I have worked really hard at giving away valuable information and all I get in return is a slap in the face!! And still you will hear from so-called internet marketers, "THE MONEY IS IN THE LIST". Maybe that's true for email list as big as 10,000 - 50,000. If that's the case, I have a heck of a long way to go to reach that milestone.

Any suggestions?
#listreally #money
  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    Don't view it as a personal insult (slap in the face). A list doesn't buy to please you - they buy when you provide something they want or need....or when you convince them it's what they want or need. You don't say if this is a list of "freebie seekers" or of those who have purchased in the past.

    Sounds like they get 5 emails from you chock full of "good info" - and then one "sort of promotion".

    Before you quit in disgust - change it up. What do you have to lose? You can send good free advice and include a promotion at the same time. Link the product TO the free advice - include some mention of a product you're selling in every email you send. Soft promotion in some - and pushier in others - special deals when you find them or bonus offers you create yourself.

    Don't simply "recommend a product" - SELL it to your list. If you have a list of 1000 in the weight loss niche and you can't sell to them...something is wrong with your approach or you aren't recommending the right products.

    If what you are doing isn't working - CHANGE what you are doing before giving up.
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    • Profile picture of the author Justin012
      Originally Posted by Kay King View Post


      Before you quit in disgust - change it up. What do you have to lose? You can send good free advice and include a promotion at the same time. Link the product TO the free advice - include some mention of a product you're selling in every email you send. Soft promotion in some - and pushier in others - special deals when you find them or bonus offers you create yourself.

      Don't simply "recommend a product" - SELL it to your list. If you have a list of 1000 in the weight loss niche and you can't sell to them...something is wrong with your approach or you aren't recommending the right products.

      If what you are doing isn't working - CHANGE what you are doing before giving up.
      Kay Kings, thanks for your reply. I have learned from some of top guys in internet marketing (eg, Frank Kern, Tim Ferris, John Reese) and have put into practice what they teach and still no success. I can write very engaging emails and powerful call to actions but as sad as it sounds, "I still don't earn from my list".

      I think it's because I don't make YouTube videos like many other guys that do in my niche.
      I have tried lots of different email marketing strategies, changing things up as I went along.

      As my last resort, I will try giving valuable advice in every email that I send with a link to a promotion and see how that goes. If that fails, I think i'll invest that 30$ monthly subscription into Facebook advertising instead.
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      • Profile picture of the author John Zoro
        Check out Mailerlite
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      • Profile picture of the author Jack Gordon
        Originally Posted by Justin012 View Post

        Kay Kings, thanks for your reply. I have learned from some of top guys in internet marketing (eg, Frank Kern, Tim Ferris, John Reese) and have put into practice what they teach and still no success. I can write very engaging emails and powerful call to actions but as sad as it sounds, "I still don't earn from my list".

        I think it's because I don't make YouTube videos like many other guys that do in my niche.
        I have tried lots of different email marketing strategies, changing things up as I went along.

        As my last resort, I will try giving valuable advice in every email that I send with a link to a promotion and see how that goes. If that fails, I think i'll invest that 30$ monthly subscription into Facebook advertising instead.
        It is easy to take the wrong lessons from those guys.

        If the product isn't right, no method of selling will make you succeed.

        I would suggest putting aside the tactics until you have a better feel for what your list really wants. Clearly, what you have been doing so far doesn't connect.
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  • Profile picture of the author SiteNameSales
    I hear what you're saying. It's a useful phrase, but it doesn't quite tell the whole story.

    It's the quality of the list (very targeted to what you are selling, etc.). Then, of course, it's how effective are your emails? A large percentage of the internet marketing business is selling products that, with varying degrees of success, promise to solve these problems for you.

    I ran this 2013 Warrior Forum post that may help: http://www.warriorforum.com/internet...have-seen.html.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jack Gordon
    Based on what you have said, it sounds like your 2016 challenge will be learning how to better incorporate some salesmanship into your marketing process.

    Before you get too frustrated, contemplate the fact that you did the hard work first... you have built a relationship with a list that reads your emails and seems to trust you. 99% of the other failing marketers in this place would love to have your problem. They pound their list with affiliate products and wonder why nobody even opens them or reports them as spam.

    So, now that you have a relationship with your list, do as Kay says and try changing things up. Find ways to solve real problems your subscribers are experiencing (you could try flat-out asking them, if you aren't sure...), and work on your copywriting skills to start delivering some good solutions.

    Patience and relentless, incremental testing will move you in the right direction.
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    • Profile picture of the author Justin012
      Originally Posted by Jack Gordon View Post

      Based on what you have said, it sounds like your 2016 challenge will be learning how to better incorporate some salesmanship into your marketing process.

      So, now that you have a relationship with your list, do as Kay says and try changing things up. Find ways to solve real problems your subscribers are experiencing (you could try flat-out asking them, if you aren't sure...), and work on your copywriting skills to start delivering some good solutions.

      Patience and relentless, incremental testing will move you in the right direction.
      Thanks for you feedback Jack, well this is my last option before I throw in the towel. Either that or I'll hire a internet marketing expert as a mentor. I have already spent over a year building my list (mostly double opins). If you have any email marketing programs that you could recommend I'd appreciate it.
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      • Profile picture of the author JC Web
        I would try sending out a survey to the list. Since it seems like they read your mails and even mail you back, you should get a fair percentage who are willing to complete a short survey. You could take a few approaches with this.

        One would be to ask them what kind of info they would like to receive from you and then you send them those type of emails along with related products that also provide the info they are looking for.

        Another would be to ask them what their biggest problems are related to your niche and then go and find products that solve that problem.

        A third would be (if you are interested in selling your own products and are capable of providing quality info) to tell them you are developing a book or course or even physical product, if that applies. Then ask them what they would like included in such a product if they were buying it.
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  • Profile picture of the author James McAllister
    How often are you following up with additional promotions for the same product? Most people aren't going to buy the first time you pitch a product unless you've been pre-selling it beforehand.
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    • Profile picture of the author kkcheo02
      Sometimes what you consider "good value" may not be valuable enough for your subscribers. Happened to me many times. I try to promote a product which I thought was great but no sale! The most unlikely product may get some sales. This only shows that I don't know my audience well enough and this is where more research will come in handy.

      IMO I think you should include an offer in every email you send out. Once the reader has received value from you, he may be more inclined to reciprocate by buying something. Sending a pure sales email may not have the some effect as value+sale offer.

      I assume you are getting high open and click rates on your emails and any attached links?

      The other thing is that you have to "train" your subscribers into buyers. Meaning, that is they get too much good value content from you all the time, this is all they will expect. You might want to try giving them Step 1 & 2 of something, and if they BUY Steps 3, 4, 5...this is the benefit they will receive. You get the idea Don't forget, buyers pay money to solve PROBLEMS. If you can identify their problems, and I sure they will pay for you solution you provide.

      I am sure you have heard this before, in IM, the only time you fail is when you give up! All Top Marketers never stop testing. Good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author krishparmar
    Hello,
    First of all I think what is important is that you should include links to buy your product in the emails that you send because if you don't how do you expect people to relate the awesome advice that you give with your actual product...that's why you are providing them advice right so that they benefit from it and you can motivate them to be your client...this will create a stable relationship with them.
    Since you mention subscribers I am assuming that they are opt -in email ids...and so you have something really valuable just don't throw it away..and remember that the size of the list is not what matters but what really does matter is your relationship with them.
    Good luck!
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    • Profile picture of the author Egyfitness
      You will never make a dime from sales email every 2 WEEKS to only 1000 subscribers. Thats perfectly normal , there is nothing wrong with you. Your approach is just wrong. Sell more often. Nothing is wrong with that if you provide big value.
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  • Profile picture of the author Matthew Iannotti
    Just a thought, maybe you're giving to much free info away so they feel they don't need the product your are trying to sell or promote...
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      The problem is you're not targeting buyers. It's a very common mistake made by marketers, and perhaps one of the primary reasons for failure.

      Build lists of buyers by selling nominally-priced products at the onset. For example, you can reach virtually any conceivable commercially viable niche by selling Clickbank products.

      Capture the buyers' contact information by providing incentives to optin for additional relevant information and free bonuses. You can automate this process with software such as CBlistautomator.com.

      I recommend you also read "Permission Marketing", by Seth Godin. It's a timely classic which gives a solid and practical method for extracting maximum value from lists in even the most hotly competitive niches.
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