Currently Closed

Hey Jeff,

Your bang on there it's the relationship that matters. A good idea is to get your list to go to your blog and give them loads of value there. Also send out a survey to actually find out what your list want and give them loads of great free content on what they are after.

The person on your list is a real person so all those with lists need to treat them like that and not just a number in your aweber account. People do business with people they know like and trust.

Glyn

Yeah, of course, there is no point having a huge list if they all ignore you and distrust you

I think the key is to give them plenty of value - for every offer you send them make sure you send them some free info first - and make it personal, show your personal results with different systems / approaches, - show what successes you have and give them free info on how you did it etc.

Also, don't just send them to the sales page for the offer you are promoting but give them free gifts associated with it - write your own case studies and reports if you have to - but if all you send is spammy stories and offer, offer, offer, offer then your list will switch off and be pretty much useless.

I'd estimate that 90% of the lists I'm on are nothing
more than a constant barrage of sales pitches. I'm
not bitching about that... marketers are supposed to
market... but a little relationship building now and then
is a good thing.

Tsnyder

I agree too. Most of the emails are continuous sales pitches with no real value in between. The motto is give then take - not take and take and take

Relationships can be formed with a list through the purchase of an initial product. People will tend to open your emails if they've previously had a financial transaction with you. So in this case, the transaction built the relationship.

This is the best list to have because it's a list of BUYERS. If the person who purchased the product was happy with it, then they will purchase more of your products or take your product recommendations a little more seriously.

Many people will use the standard: squeeze page --> here's your garbage ebook --> now buy something and wonder why they are seeing poor results.

Adswaps are interesting because many people will just swap blindly with each other based on list size.

I would be more concerned over how the other person built their list rather than the size of it. This is just basic quality vs. quantity.

I would take a swap with a list of 100 previous buyers versus a list of 500 built using giveaway events.

I made the personal decision to stay away from swaps, because you never know what you're getting.

Mixing it up a little by sending some good content or useful free tools is always a good thing...

Free ebook (I highly recommend it )
Free tool (I've been working with Manfred on some stuff... this tool rocks)
Product pitch

A mix of things is always good, when you find something of value, pass it along to your subscribers. Even if you didn't create it, they will appreciate you giving them the information.

You know, I do agree to an extent, but this
whole relationship thing is getting out of hand.

It seems to have become the new buzz word,
and again, whilst I agree that it is important and
of an advantage to build a relationship, there's
an even better way to get people to buy your
big ticket items:

SELL THEM SOMETHING OF SUPREME QUALITY ON THE FRONT END.

Selling ONE quality product that works, inspires and
changes people's lives in even the smallest way,
is more than any "hey, my wife had a baby and the
dog got sick" emails can ever compete with.

Of course, some folks say there's a different
meaning to building a relationship, which is:

"Constantly give value to your list over and
over."

Again, I agree this does work, because I've
seen it first hand, from both sides of the playing
field (both buyer and seller).

BUT...

How often do you see large brands email
you with freebies and information?

How often do your real friends email you
just to help you out?

This proves that "building a relationship"
isn't quite what many marketers have
been sold on recently.

Again, it works...but there's more than
one way to skin a cat.

Trust and authority outsells anything
I've ever known. Again, I can say that
from both sides of the park as both
seller and buyer.

Trust and authority come in many guises too.

You don't need to pretend to be someone's
friend (they can see right through it anyway)

You don't need to give away your left arm
either (they can't always keep up with you,
and most of the time are doing fine with
their own two arms...)

Just something to think about.

Should keep the parrots at bay

I agree with building a relationship with your list don't make them feel "used" they want your help and the info give it to them

I believe that it is 50% relationship and 50% content. Even if they trust you, if you dont give them any thing juicy to read they will eventually tune you out. You need to constantly remind your list why they subscribed without always trying to sell them something. I usually sell my list something once out of every 6 emails. I find it gives me better conversions and helps me train them to open and click.

Your list is your audience and you need to keep them captivated. A relationship with your audience is nothing if there is no substance to it.

It depends. I am on some lists that are selling all the time, but the products they produce are so good, or the products they recommend are so good, that I would feel the "relationship" they have with the list, at least with me, a business relationship, is quite strong and I am willing to listen to this guy more than most.

You can have a buyer/seller relationship that's quite strong if the seller delivers and over delivers consistently, genuinely helping with this products even if he does make good money off of them.

I don't mind a sales pitch every now and then, but give me some content as well. I get really sick of the constant barrage of sales pitches. I am more inclined to buy if you at least make an effort to provide me with some useful information. However, the product has to top notch.

PLUS... Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that a LOT of stuff seems recycled lately? Except for the rare occasion, marketers don't even attempt to make a product unique anymore.