How important is it to build a list of subscribers?

Something to offer them.

Building a list is Not necessary, but it sure does help.

This is sort of a chicken and egg problem

I think if you can capture a list - you should. I call it collecting customers. Most people don't do it, but if you don't, then every time you want to market you start ofer from scratch.

But to build a list, you need customers - or at least interested parties.

Ultimately you have to create something of value, then get people who are interested in that market to your site/page to buy/subscribe to get your product/offering.


So ultimately, I think the list is important, something I overlooked for far too long. But you have to have someting in place to build that list and continue fostering goodwill to the list.

That is why I think it is a bit like the 'chicken or the egg' problem. Sort of a catch-22.

What it means is that like all marketing, you need to start by finding a hungry market and figuring out a solution they want. Then use standard methods to reach them in order to get a sale and or subscriber.

Everything starts with market. Everything else is just wasting time in my opinion - list or no list.

Well you could very well buy a system all-in-one that will not require you to have any type auto-responder or any monthly fees like you do with aweber. This greatly depends upon what you want to do and how you want to do it..

As far as how often, many will have a difference of opinion on this but 1 - 2 times a week is fine but then again it depends upon what you are doing.

James

But having a list is completely optional and not necessary for everyone...

List building is must for consistent income.

I can't remember who said it (Dan Kennedy?), but good marketing will skyrocket a solid business. The same good marketing will kill a bad business quicker than no marketing at all.

Here are my thoughts (which, like Jay said above, might be worth what you're paying for them) on a few things...

Having a list for the sake of having a list is a waste of resources. If you decide to build a list, build it for a reason, then operate in ways that support that reason. If that means 'building a relationship', send emails that do that. If it means selling stuff, do that. Just be consistent so the folks on that list know what to expect.

You don't need an autoresponder, self-hosted or through a service, to build a mailing list. We built mailing lists before aweber and the like were started. The only time you actually need an autoresponder of some sort is if you want to pre-program a sequence of messages so that each new subscriber gets the same messages at the same intervals after signing up.

Jay, I do consider that I have a relationship with Amazon. It's the same kind of relationship I have with the fish market who drops me a message when they get in something they know I like. We aren't going to hold hands and watch the sunset on the beach, but it is a relationship nonetheless.

Back to the OP - building a list of subscribers may be the most important thing you can do for your bottom line, or it could be the biggest time sink you have. Only you know for sure...

A responsive list can be the difference between making a one time sale and making multiple sales to the same customer over time.

Example:

You have an ebook about ways to build muscle quickly. You advertise it, and "Jim" clicks on your ad, reads your sales letter, and decides to purchase your book. Let's say Jim loves your book, uses the information in it, and gets a more muscualar body. Jim is happy.

Now let's say a few months later, you decide to put together a DVD course that teaches even more advanced muscle building methods than your ebook, at a higher price point. Unless Jim just happens to still be searching for information on this topic and comes across your ad, he has no way of knowing about it.

But had you built a list, you could've simply sent out an email to Jim and all your other previous customers when you were about to launch your new product, and turned many of them into repeat customers, without having to spend as much additional time/money on advertising.

You could then go on to offer other products like personal coaching and maybe a monthly membership site, seminars and workshops, and affiliate products to your list. As opposed to having to promote all these offers through traditional advertising channels.

So the main benefits of having a list are:

1. You can increase your lifetime customer value by promoting additional products and services.

2. By connecting with, and building trust and credibility with your subscribers, you can increase conversions for your offers. (As opposed to "cold" traffic to your site, where the prospect may not know or trust you).

3. You can save money on advertising, since it doesn't cost you anything other than time (and maybe the cost of an autoresponder service) to send out an email to your list.

Having said all that, there are some niches that lend themselves to this approach to marketing more than others. In general, if the solution your audience is seeking is a PROCESS, as opposed to a one-time thing, then list building can work for you.

List building is common in niches like health and fitness, personal development/success, dating, making money online, stock trading, etc. because the prospect is likely to have a continuing interest in the subject, even after they purchase your product. Your product may genuinely help them improve their weight, phsysique, income, dating life, etc. but they'll still want further improvement (which you can provide through your free content and products).

On the other hand, if you're selling a product that shows people how to get rid of their headaches, and your product does what it says it will, then once the person buys your product and their headache is gone, they really don't have any need for more information from you (That's not an absolute, I'm sure. I'm just speaking in general terms).

So, long story short: Yes, building a responsive list can have definite benefits, but it's not ESSENTIAL, and the effectiveness of it can vary from niche to niche. I do think that you should be building a list in SOME niche, even if it's not your main one, due to the benefits listed above.

Cheers!