Communicating with your list?

13 years ago

You've probably already seen the usual advice, if you want to deepen the relationship you've got to look at things like direct mail and SMS/text messages.

Not just for the relationship, but also for promotional purposes as well.

Thanks

Signature

'If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.' Vincent Van Gogh.

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3581388].message }}

Shaun OReilly

13 years ago

Originally Posted by mike gregory

I guess im really after some advice on how you guys go about building trust and a solid relationship, any tips or advice on how i might be able to improve this.

To build a strong relationship with the members of your
list you need to go beyond providing them with information.

You need to reveal things about yourself and your approach
so that your subscribers have a sense of the type of a
PERSON you are so they can feel a bond and begin to
build strong relationship.

Subscribers don't build a relationship with information. They
build a relationship with you as a provider of that information.

Dedicated to mutual success,

Shaun

[ 2 ] Thanks
1 reply

Signature

.

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3581463].message }}

Colin Palfrey

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Shaun OReilly

To build a strong relationship with the members of your
list you need to go beyond providing them with information.

You need to reveal things about yourself and your approach
so that your subscribers have a sense of the type of a
PERSON you are so they can feel a bond and begin to
build strong relationship.

Subscribers don't build a relationship with information. They
build a relationship with you as a provider of that information.

Dedicated to mutual success,

Shaun

Anyone building a list should be forced to read Shaun's post above.

Seriously, the little things that you say that are unrelated to what you are doing; they are what make people follow your words instead of just reading them.

Open up to your readers and you will be amazed at the difference in your response rates.

Cheers,
Colin Palfrey

[ 2 ] Thanks

Signature

I write articles and eBooks - PM me for details!

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3581612].message }}

Zeus66

13 years ago

What Shaun said is true about the personal side of the relationship. I would add that the information value in your content is important as well. I think you win when your list members not only see you in the light that Shaun laid out, but also as an authority in your niche. That's a powerful combination!

John

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3581503].message }}

Shaun OReilly

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Zeus66

What Shaun said is true about the personal side of the relationship. I would add that the information value in your content is important as well. I think you win when your list members not only see you in the light that Shaun laid out, but also as an authority in your niche. That's a powerful combination!

John

Providing valuable information is a given.

With the top authorities in a niche, it's often the
personality of the provider that helps them to
differentiate themselves from other providers and
build the strongest relationship with people in the
market.

Frank Kern doesn't really provide any groundbreaking
information on Internet Marketing. He just packages
it up really well and uses his personality to build
stronger relationships with his subscribers and JV
partners.

Good information is a dime a dozen in this and any
market.

Dedicated to mutual success,

Shaun

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

.

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3581592].message }}

Zeus66

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Shaun OReilly

Providing valuable information is a given.

With the top authorities in a niche, it's often the
personality of the provider that helps them to
differentiate themselves from other providers and
build the strongest relationship with people in the
market.

Frank Kern doesn't really provide any groundbreaking
information on Internet Marketing. He just packages
it up really well and uses his personality to build
stronger relationships with his subscribers and JV
partners.

Good information is a dime a dozen in this and any
market.

Dedicated to mutual success,

Shaun

Naw, that's too much of an oversimplification. Personality is key, as you mentioned, but saying that informative content is a given is a huge chunk of assumption. Of course the Frank Kerns of the world can do it with a shining personality and humor... now. When he started, nobody was going to pay him any more attention than anyone else in the biz without first establishing himself as an authority - someone who knew what he was talking about.

I get your point Shaun, but you're simply wrong when you say information is a given. It's anything but. Join a bunch of the average IM'ers' lists and you'll see what I mean. Personality is missing, yes, but so is high quality content. Get both right and you'll kick ass. Focus only on the personality when you're not already established and you might succeed, but not to the extent that focusing on both will attain.

John

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3582043].message }}

Shaun OReilly

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Zeus66

Naw, that's too much of an oversimplification. Personality is key, as you mentioned, but saying that informative content is a given is a huge chunk of assumption. Of course the Frank Kerns of the world can do it with a shining personality and humor... now. When he started, nobody was going to pay him any more attention than anyone else in the biz without first establishing himself as an authority - someone who knew what he was talking about.

I get your point Shaun, but you're simply wrong when you say information is a given. It's anything but. Join a bunch of the average IM'ers' lists and you'll see what I mean. Personality is missing, yes, but so is high quality content. Get both right and you'll kick ass. Focus only on the personality when you're not already established and you might succeed, but not to the extent that focusing on both will attain.

John

I assumed that people would appreciate that you need
to at least give good information to build a better
relationship.

I didn't mean to imply that good information is a given
from everyone in this - or any other market. What I meant
was that providing good information is a foundational given
to begin to build a better relationship.

Sorry if I gave that impression.

The OPs question was how to build a solid relationship
with subscribers.

You can build a weak relationship by sharing average information.

You can build a good relationship by sharing decent information.

But to build a solid relationship IMO you need to go beyond
simply providing information (even providing good information)
and include your personality and personal approach to your
subject area too.

People do business with people they know, like and trust.

Information can only do part of the work. The authenticity
of the person giving the information is the key to building a
really solid relationship like the OP asked for.

As a marketer one of my key objectives is to differentiate
myself from the rest of the pack and the information I
provide is only part of that.

Great information is available to a lot of competitors so
I don't have exclusiveness on that in most cases. That's
why adding the extra sauce of personal perspective and
personality is so important.

Dedicated to mutual success,

Shaun

Thanks

Signature

.

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3582203].message }}

mike gregory

13 years ago

Thanks guys for the replies, and as you say Shaun you can get a little too focused on providing the info, but not really showing what kind of person you are.

As you say John you get the mix of both of these right that is a very powerful way of getting the best out of your subscribers.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3581559].message }}

O0o0O

13 years ago

I agree with the above posts. Building a list is about building relationships with people. The more emotionally involved you are with your list, the more rewarding it will be. An actively engaged list manager will see greater results than one who is not.