A forum exclusively for your email subscribers

9 replies
With email marketing, you lack the advantage of being able to talk with your subscribers. Instead, you are always talking at them. So you never really know what they think of your content until someone unsubscribes.

Would you ever consider having a forum where your email subscribers can come by and talk to you about site news/events/niche?

You might adapt this idea to just have the 'forum' be on your blog via comments section of a recent post.

Either way, you would be gaining the interactivity that you lack with traditional email marketing.

For instance, you could include a link with every email to a post on your subscriber based forum/blog that is about the content of that email where you welcome comments.
#email #exclusively #forum #private #subscribers
  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    I have one forum only, in one of my various niches.

    (It isn't "exclusively for my email subscribers" in quite the sense you mean, though.)

    I use the forum membership list for email marketing, and encourage recipients of those emails to subscribe to my "main list", and recipients of those emails to join the forum, but not quite as many do (either) as I expected. Some people like forums and reading/posting in them; others just like receiving emails (and even reply to them, but won't participate in a forum). There are some who like both.

    .
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnnyPlan
      Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

      I have one forum only, in one of my various niches.

      (It isn't "exclusively for my email subscribers" in quite the sense you mean, though.)

      I use the forum membership list for email marketing, and encourage recipients of those emails to subscribe to my "main list", and recipients of those emails to join the forum, but not quite as many do (either) as I expected. Some people like forums and reading/posting in them; others just like receiving emails (and even reply to them, but won't participate in a forum). There are some who like both.

      .
      Thanks for taking the time to respond and I appreciate your feedback on this idea. I am happy to hear that others are already trying out this idea as they can lend their thoughts as to whether it works or not.

      What you said about how some people will respond back to the emails is true. Taking time to read those emails is very important.

      You would be surprised how some will actually give great suggestions on what they want to see.

      Back in the day, Yahoo Groups offered an email based type 'forum' which was mostly conducted via email. I wish there were a private/professional based version for this where the emails sent by group members would go to everyone, not just the list owner. Possibly this would increase interactivity among all members, not just between the list owner and members.
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  • Profile picture of the author DaveWarrior
    No.

    Too much maintenance and hard to build critical mass in the first place.

    Ask them to reply to a question in your email, leave a comment on your blog, or answer a poll.
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnnyPlan
      Originally Posted by DaveWarrior View Post

      No.

      Too much maintenance and hard to build critical mass in the first place.

      Ask them to reply to a question in your email, leave a comment on your blog, or answer a poll.
      Thanks for taking time to respond.

      Maybe a quick survey or poll would be a good idea, so long as it provides a space for the person to leave suggestions or feedback.

      Another idea might be to have subscribers submit questions via your blog and then pick a few to answer on a given day. In this way, you would have a chance to read what your subscribers are saying and also directly respond back in a way that benefits everyone on the list (as well as enhancing SEO by creating more new content).
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by JohnnyPlan View Post

        Back in the day, Yahoo Groups offered an email based type 'forum' which was mostly conducted via email. I wish there were a private/professional based version for this where the emails sent by group members would go to everyone, not just the list owner. Possibly this would increase interactivity among all members, not just between the list owner and members.
        You still have options. Google Groups, private Facebook groups, even Skype groups.

        Or you could go really old school and use a mailing list program. Most cPanel accounts offer at least one, included in your hosting package.

        Like forums, though, you do have to moderate these lists and be ruthless about booting and banning spammers and other troublemakers.
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        • Profile picture of the author discrat
          I can definitely see where the Forums could be beneficial.

          But in some aspect I think it might not be prudent?

          i.e. People can start bypassing your emails and just go straight to the Forum.( as someone duly noted already)

          Also, the time I would spend at the Forum doing monitoring, answering questions, giving information, is time I could be working on email Copy and answering emails for Readers.

          Sorry, call me an ole curmudgeon I just see too many things that could go wrong !


          - Robert Andrew
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  • Profile picture of the author AKhann
    Nope. They'll stop checking your emails, instead they'll go straight to the forum.
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  • Profile picture of the author quadagon
    Hi Johnny i would be more inclined to do a google hang out session, get some questions in early and then do a presentation or full on q and a.

    I like your thinking though not enough people pay attention to interaction here's a quote from my own sales material:

    'people seem to think that just because you are seen by a prospect that you are building up a relationship. I'm sorry but just because you see the woman in gym every week or the guy at the bus stop who always gets on the same bus doesn't mean you have relationship. This is the awkward virgin school of marketing - if i keep walking past her house maybe one day she will notice me and we will get married.

    Regardless of the type of relationship it starts with interaction a smile a hello then develops with interaction and getting to know the person which generally involves 2 skills the sales and marketing industry seem to want to skip asking questions and listening.

    Doing this builds trust, established authority, identifies the needs and guides you how to sell


    In my sales funnel i use questionaires and surveys and split my lists based on their responses. I then provide suitable content to match their need. Its was hard work to set up a there are 16 different final presentations to make but the upside is in the bottom line.

    The big advantage i have found is that it breeds loyalty in your list.

    Eric
    Signature
    I've got 99 problems but a niche ain't one
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnnyPlan
      Originally Posted by quadagon View Post

      Hi Johnny i would be more inclined to do a google hang out session, get some questions in early and then do a presentation or full on q and a.
      Thanks for this idea. I think this could really work for me as I prefer either one on one interaction or group sessions where I can hear others talking. I don't mind the 'text' meetings online such as at a chat group or forum but nothing beats being able to hear someone's voice or letting them hear you to establish that connection. And, more than anything, that's what I'm trying to do.
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