List building process

9 replies
I have been trying to understand the whole list building process but have not got to grips with it fully. I have therefore a few questions that will aid me in better understanding it. Thanks in advance.

1) When the list is developed it gets stored by Aweber (or some other list building service). Am I right in thinking you need to add your
Aweber account code to your Email list form on the site where the subscribe form resides (much like how you do it with Feedburner)?

2) Regarding free eBook - From my reading I have noticed that a lot of people start building their list by offering free information, like the download of an eBook.So my question is, when someone subscribes for the first time, will they receive the first email that contains the link to this free ebook, but how do you sort out first time suscbribers from subscribers that have been members for awhile who now should no longer be receiving the introductory email?

When you send out an email, does it get sent out to all members? What if you don't want to send out an offer to members that have only subscribed for a week because you are still trying to 'warm' your relationship with them?

2) From my understanding, any list you build needs to be fed content every few days at the minimum; how do you guys think of things to send to them? How do you keep it fresh. For example, if it was in a back pain niche, what sort of information could you send to keep the emails interesting given that you will be sending them out quite frequently? I suppose these are the crucial
emails because it what you use to build a relationship with the list, but how do you keep it interesting?

Can you give details about coupons that may interest them, a major nationwide seminar, etc?

3) When you promote your product or affiliate products in the email, do you have direclt link to the merchant sales page, or do you
send it to a review page first?

4) How often can you repeat details of an offer that you are trying to sell to them? Say, you create an eBook and it would really appeal to the list, how often might you send emails containing a link to the sales page. Is it only once or can you do it from time to time?

5) Can the emails look like ordinary emails or should it be on one of those fancy templates? Does Aweber provide email templates?

6) When you send out offers in your emails, should you cloak your links so it doesn't appear like as if you are trying to sell?
#building #list #process
  • Profile picture of the author gregdavidson727
    There are two ways to build a list. One way is to use the slow, pain-staking strategy where you get 5 or 10 people to join your list per day. The smarter way is to partner up with other people who already have a list and to somehow get them to promote your product or freebie. This can be done by purchasing a solo ad. If your product is a paid product, you may be able to get them to promote it for free. However, many serious list builders won't push your product unless it meets very high standards. Once you get people to push your product, you can grad email address from both buyers and people who are getting ready to leave your site.

    Once you have a list you need to "nurture" that list by sending quality information every chance you get. Only send out offers for products that you're personally enthusiastic about and that you purchased yourself. People are getting too smart and can spot a sleazy marketer a mile away. If people sense that you're only concerned about yourself they're not going to fork over they're hard-earned money. And if you can convince a lot of people that you are legit, that image could fade away with a single bad offering.
    Signature
    >>> CLICK HERE <<< ====> 2,000 NICHE E-BOOKS WITH MRR & PLR RIGHTS! JUST $2.99! <====
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7434174].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author kayfrank
    1) When the list is developed it gets stored by Aweber (or some other list building service). Am I right in thinking you need to add your
    Aweber account code to your Email list form on the site where the subscribe form resides (much like how you do it with Feedburner)?

    To capture the email of your potential subscriber you create a webform in your autoresponder account. You then copy the code for this form to the place on your website that you want the form to be. This could be a sidebar widget or a squeeze page.

    2) Regarding free eBook - From my reading I have noticed that a lot of people start building their list by offering free information, like the download of an eBook.So my question is, when someone subscribes for the first time, will they receive the first email that contains the link to this free ebook, but how do you sort out first time suscbribers from subscribers that have been members for awhile who now should no longer be receiving the introductory email?

    When you send out an email, does it get sent out to all members? What if you don't want to send out an offer to members that have only subscribed for a week because you are still trying to 'warm' your relationship with them?


    You need a reason why someone would want to sign up to your list. Offering a quality free product is a great reason!

    When you create a webform you will be asked what email campaign you want to associate it with. The email campaign then runs on autopilot for every new subscriber that joins your list.

    You create your email campaign so that the 1st email sends them the link to the free gift. The 2nd email sends them for example some extra information. The 3rd email for example sends them to an article you have written etc. The emails are set to go out at set intervals on schedule. Therefore you do not need to worry that the first subscriber will get a duplicate email. They will get the email in the order that you have set them up.

    You will know how long they have been a subscriber by looking at the statistics in your autoresponder account or by seeing what number email they are scheduled to receive next.

    You should set up an email series that builds a relationship with your list. If you have any offers they can be part of this email campaign - already set up. If you have a special offer and want to send it as a newsletter (broadcast) then you can choose who to send it to - your autoresponder will let you do this.

    3) From my understanding, any list you build needs to be fed content every few days at the minimum; how do you guys think of things to send to them? How do you keep it fresh. For example, if it was in a back pain niche, what sort of information could you send to keep the emails interesting given that you will be sending them out quite frequently? I suppose these are the crucial
    emails because it what you use to build a relationship with the list, but how do you keep it interesting?

    Can you give details about coupons that may interest them, a major nationwide seminar, etc?


    People are on your list because they need help - offer them that help! Interesting articles (ideally written yourself!), coupons is fine, tips, videos on youtube, ask for feedback, personal experiences, blog posts, new products, reviews on products etc. Anything helpful.

    3) When you promote your product or affiliate products in the email, do you have direclt link to the merchant sales page, or do you
    send it to a review page first?

    If you send them to a review first then your conversion rate will be greater - as you are pre-selling. However the down side is that they will then have to click another link to get to the product - plus and minuses. Some affiliate programs won't let you promote in email campaigns - in this case send them to a review. (for example Amazon does not allow email affiliate links).

    4) How often can you repeat details of an offer that you are trying to sell to them? Say, you create an eBook and it would really appeal to the list, how often might you send emails containing a link to the sales page. Is it only once or can you do it from time to time?


    Send it once, then follow it up with a "just in case you didn't have time to read about this yesterday..." or something similar. If the offer is still relevant in a few months time then offer it again. Just make sure that you have provided great help and information in the meantime!

    5) Can the emails look like ordinary emails or should it be on one of those fancy templates? Does Aweber provide email templates?

    This is something you will really need to test yourself. It various depending on the niche. There will be templates that you can use.

    6) When you send out offers in your emails, should you cloak your links so it doesn't appear like as if you are trying to sell?

    Links in emails dont look like obvious affiliate links if you are using tracking provided you link with anchor text such as "click here for more details". Its up to you.

    Hope that helps!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7434216].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jamesrich1
    Lets make this really simple.

    Step 1: Get a autoresponder.
    Step 2. Create a form and get the short code.
    Step 3: Set up a follow up message in Aweber and deliver the free ebook in the message.
    Step 4: Build a squeeze page yourself or get optimize press and make it easier on yourself. Build a squeeze page and put your code on there.
    Step 5: Get alot of targeted traffic to that page. (Pick 1 to 2 traffic strategies and focus on mastering them.)
    Step 6: Communicate to your list like its your own mom with the problem.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7434651].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Anton543
    Thanks for the replies.

    I was planning to build a list through my main website, so instead of a squeeze page I just have an email form in the sidebar. But since this is a general health site, how can I make it worthwhile for them to subscribe? It would be a lot easier I feel if it was around a single condition.

    I mean people do subscribe to my feedburner in fairly good numbers, but this obviously different. What kind of text might I use above the email form to tempt people? I mean I can just put something like 'Subscribe to our email newsletter', can I?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7434967].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author shaunyb1
      Originally Posted by Anton543 View Post

      Thanks for the replies.

      I was planning to build a list through my main website, so instead of a squeeze page I just have an email form in the sidebar. But since this is a general health site, how can I make it worthwhile for them to subscribe? It would be a lot easier I feel if it was around a single condition.

      I mean people do subscribe to my feedburner in fairly good numbers, but this obviously different. What kind of text might I use above the email form to tempt people? I mean I can just put something like 'Subscribe to our email newsletter', can I?
      Hi Anton,

      Create targeted lists. Look through your stats to see which pages get visited the most and then you could create a list around that particular topic, thus appealing to as many of your visitors as possible.

      Or create a number of lists and have certain forms showing up in the sidebar for certain pages.

      You could try to "encompass all" with one list but the visitors will not be quite so highly targeted... so.. text...

      How do we make the most of a general site?

      Ideas:


      15 ways to improve XYZ this week
      3 funny things you can do to improve XYZ today
      This education will change the way you think about XYZ

      etc.

      Personally I'd still want to identify my strongest visitor - identify them (male, female, age, main concerns etc...)

      Perhaps conduct a poll for a free sample of XYZ product (at your expense)

      Then you'll know who your visitors are and begin interacting with them.

      Hope this helps

      Shaun
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7436157].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Anton543 View Post

      I was planning to build a list through my main website, so instead of a squeeze page I just have an email form in the sidebar. But since this is a general health site, how can I make it worthwhile for them to subscribe? It would be a lot easier I feel if it was around a single condition.
      I think it wouldn't be just "a lot easier", Anton: I think it's very likely to be the difference between turning it into an income-producer while at the same time building up a business asset of real value, and finding it extremely difficult to achieve either of those things at all.

      Targeting is "everything".

      Unless perhaps you have huge, professional insight into "health", in its broadest perspectives, and something really gripping/dazzling to offer as the sign-up incentive, set your subscribers' expectations and your continuity-process, I think this is both terribly ambitious, for a "first list", and much too general.

      Please excuse me if I sound a little "negative" about this, or influenced by my own perspective and experience, but I come from a "medical family", am studying for a doctoral degree in a very closely related subject, and am a professional writer with 4 years of IM experience, and I wouldn't myself dream of trying to do what you propose, because I don't think I could pull it off successfully, and it would be a very high-risk use of my time and effort.

      I mean this only constructively and helpfully: I think something really specific and accurately targeted would be a far better proposition for you.

      I appreciate from many other threads and conversations that you've had huge misgivings about starting to build your first list, and I'd hate to see you not being successful with the project.

      Originally Posted by Anton543 View Post

      What kind of text might I use above the email form to tempt people? I mean I can just put something like 'Subscribe to our email newsletter', can I?
      No - clearly not that, at all: you'll get comparatively few opt-ins and customers, that way.

      You need a "free report" (it doesn't necessarily have to be called that), and it needs to be specifically designed and produced for the purpose of maximising your subsequent open-rates. What matters most is that it needs to be something you produce yourself (or outsource), which is specifically and consciously designed to do all the following things ...
      • Brand yourself and your site
      • Set your subscribers' expectations
      • Ensure that the subsequent email series gets the maximum possible open-rate and attention
      • Continue the process of establishing credibility and trust already commenced on your site
      • Provide content able to interest and impress subscribers enough to grab their attention and make sure they "stay with you"
      I urge you not to use PLR or an existing PDF, or any already-published material, which will do few or none of the essentials listed above. That's for marketers who end up trying to convince themselves that "a 25% open-rate is normal in the industry".

      Good luck!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7442184].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Broyde
      Originally Posted by Anton543 View Post

      Thanks for the replies.

      I was planning to build a list through my main website, so instead of a squeeze page I just have an email form in the sidebar. But since this is a general health site, how can I make it worthwhile for them to subscribe? It would be a lot easier I feel if it was around a single condition.
      Anton...what do you think about being "generally specific?" What I mean is you have a general health site, but I would think that the people who end up there end up there because they are looking for something specific. Maybe you can put a poll on your site asking your readers about what their real reasons for being on your site are. You can even ask this question to people who are already on your list.
      The answers you get can show you what topics you can compile the free information on to give to people who come your way.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7832881].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author John Keane
    The 5 Main Process of List Building

    The Offer
    Sometimes referred to as your "lead magnet" or your "bribe", this is what you will offer in exchange for the visitors contact information. The offer can be an ebook, an email course, a video, a video series, a recorded training, an audio recording, a webinar, a worksheet, a pdf, it really doesn't matter how you choose to deliver the offer, the most important thing is that your offer is really good!

    The Opt-In Form
    Some marketers will tell you that you must have a squeeze page (opt in page, capture page, landing page) to build a list. Not true. I love using capture pages, and have since I first started online very effectively, but you will have to decide for yourself if you really need one right away. It depends on where your website traffic is coming from, what your offer is, your brand and your target market. If you are marketing heavily on Facebook, you would most likely focus on creating a highly effective FanPage Tab with an opt-in form.

    Traffic
    Pretty obvious really, since without website traffic you can't have any opt-ins on your list. When it comes to traffic the more the better of course, however its important you focus on highly targeted, relevant and diverse website traffic.

    Relationship with your list
    You've got traffic and your list is growing! Yay! Congratulate yourself because you earned, but, we're not quite finished just yet. Getting prospects on your list is only the first step in the game. Once we have someone on our list our goal now becomes to engage with them, keep their attention, and develop trust, rapport and relationship.

    Monetization
    If you are just starting out and you do not have any of your own products to sell, you can simply begin by recommending other people's products and/or services. When selecting what you will recommend make sure the product or service is highly valuable and relevant to what your prospects want and need. I personally will only recommend something that I personally have used or that has come to me from a very trusted source who has personally used it. Your reputation is on the line, and people will hold your recommendations against you if they feel like they were duped by you. Always treat your prospects with respect; as if they were your best friend.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7441510].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Nate A
    There are some really solid replies to the OP's question.

    It's really easy to get caught up in the technical aspects of specific strategies like list building, where to put the download link, etc.

    In reality, it's all small potatoes. Step back and take a look at the big picture. Your goal is to get subscribers to your email list, correct?

    Why should someone do that? What benefits will someone get by subscribing, what value will you exchange in return for an email address?

    Then sell that. Selling should be just below the surface of everything you do. If you don't want to put up a squeeze page, that's not a big deal, but at the end of every single blog post or article, their should be a compelling reason and strong call to action as to why they should sign-up. Offer exclusive content that you only share with email subscribers for example.

    Get help on the tech stuff, some DIY is ok, but progress will be slow and painful if you try and do everything yourself.

    Good luck,

    Nate
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7442692].message }}

Trending Topics