How can I create a good relationship with my list?

• Provide value, provide solutions to their problems, wants, and needs.
• Don't abuse them. Your subscribers are people, not just e-mail addresses and other contact information.
• Don't be afraid to interact with them (conference calls, webinars, having guest speakers, etc.).
• Send them an occasional survey. Ask them about their issues. My customers actually help me create at least 50% of my products because I flat out ask them what they are looking for.
• Give them surprises. A short 3 to 10 page PDF or video answering some of their common questions goes a long way in building trust.
• Don't promote crap. Promote things that you are of good quality and solve a specific problem.

RoD

With a brand new list you definitely want to build trust and a rapport with them. While it's perfectly fine to throw an occasional pitch at them, the majority of your content should be focused on helping them with problems that they're having.

With most of my lists, I'll typically focus on providing 3 helpful communications to one pitch of an item that I feel confident endorsing myself.

Having a blog is definitely a great way to build trust with your subscribers.

Of course, you must know your niche well for that.

Worst case scenario, you could send links to other people sites/blogs with valuable tips related to your niche. Superb content only.

Give update regularly and stay in touch with everyone and everyone will be happy.

By concentrating on your continuity-process, by setting their expectations clearly and unambiguously, by gradually building their trust and respect, and especially by giving them in exchange for their email addresses something which was specifically designed and created to maximize your long-term open-rate by fulfilling all the basic purposes and objectives explained in this post. Good luck!

I create value by teaching my people. If you teach your subscribers instead of drilling sales down their throught, they will be more responsive.

continuity is the most important factor. Don't get hung up on "building a relationship," instead remember what is meant by that phrase: namely, live up to your end of the value equation by providing them what they expect from you.

I'd re-read post #7 several times to plumb the depths of meaning in each of her points - succinct but loaded.

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thanks alot!

What did the people join your list to receive?

Tell stories and get them to know, like, and trust you. As others have said a blog is a great way to nurture this relationship, but if you don't have a real passion or personal story relating to fat loss eventually people will just move to another list.

Remember that they are people, treat them with respect, provide value, teach them and help them with any problems or question they have. Make yourself easily available and only offer products that you know are solid and that you think will help them. Don't spam them with anything and everything. Gain their trust and repect that trust.

Avoid selling to them. Give them valuable information, and redirect them back to interesting content on your site. Make them loyal audience members and regularly teach them useful information.

When you find a product that helps you do what you are teaching them, promote it with content on your site that educates them about the benefits you have received by using the product or service, and give them a hint of what is involved in the product, then let them know if they find your information valuable, they can help you out by using your affiliate link to purchase the product if they see the value you have demonstrated to them.

Pretty simple. Publish regularly, but not too often, and DON'T SELL via the list. Provide real value by giving them killer content. EARN THEIR TRUST, and the cash will follow.

Well, I would not buy mailing lists, as I think this is complete waste of money. I tried them few times before and there is very low response rate and sometimes even 0.
However talking about people who subscribed to your mailing list by them self...
1. Before sending any thing about your business or product, introduce your self.
2. Send information in a small portions and not too often.
3. Ask them questions, so they would get back to you. Try to establish a nice conversation with people on your mailing list.
4. Ask for their feedback and ideas on how to improve your newsletter.
5. Show some sense of humour, it is proven to help to attract peoples attention to the message that you aiming to reach them with.
6. Always keep a track of every person on your mailing list with info on the date he/she subscribed and what communication you had since then. Make a note to the same profile when that person replays to you in any way.
7. Do not be annoying with your newsletter. It is better to spend time and make a good one than just send it often.

I don't see anything wrong with offering them products of your own or as an affiliate. Just not every mailing.

Help your subscribers.

Treat your subscribers as people, and communicate with them as you would with people.

Be yourself.

The most important thing you can do is: build trust.

There are some people that have great communication skills and can create trust easily, but others are terrible at it.

Overall I recommend that you buy an e-mail marketing course and start from there. There is a LOT to learn about e-mail marketing and a ton of mistakes that you could make if you don't do it correctly.

You must be very active and maintain it day to day. Don't take advantage to abuse them, they are not just an email address, they are your customer.

Tell them personal (and funny) stories about your daily life. Talk about your dog, kids, wife (or any family member or friend). And leave your email address at the end of your message. Encourage your readers to email you, and be perceived as "bubbly", "easy going", and "fun to talk to/fun to be around".

do no tbullshit them.....if i buy a product recommended to me by the list owner. the product turns out to be a bad one....i will unsubscribe from his list.....does not matter how much i like them....

A lot of the responses you received were wrong.

One Person said you progress better by "teaching" hahaa are you kidding me.
Are you trying to earn money or be a teacher?!?!?

sure all the guru's say teach this... value that....BULLSHIT!

If you want sells you need to stop teaching today...

Yes your list will be happy to read all of the valuable knowledge you just gave them for free...but what reason will they have to go on and make a purchase??

How many times have you watched a very informational youtube video - and said "hmm that was cool" all of that free information that was just dumped on me makes me want to go pay for similar information...not often, if ever.

Teaching doesn't lead to sells...

But using metaphors to share (partial) information in an entertaining way that creates hope and/or curiosity does sell.

and it sells a lot

pay attention to the words hope, curiosity & entertaining - for my business thats where the money is at.

Some body else mentioned open rates hahaha.

To be transparent I am in about 9 different niches (I'm just recently entering the IM niche) -- And all of my testing (I am maniacal when it comes to testing, i split test everything) show that higher open rates earn me less money.

I have a chart that I analyzed and when my open rates are lower my income is higher...

And I've boiled it down to this... The "Guru" tactics that lead to high open fail tremendously when it comes to selling..

They dont even follow their own rules.

How many times have you read a guru email that purely educates and teaches you without a sells pitch..never.

Because they aren't chasing open rates, they're chasing cash.

(no im not saying to send hard pitch emails, nobody likes that... I never "sale" in any of my emails...i just do what i told you above partial info, create hope, entertain.)

When you're teaching and giving away "value" yes you're going to have high open rates..but you will have low sells.

Which one is more important to you?

As for me, my bank only accepts money, not open rates.

Get smart and think outside the box -- If you're doing the same thing that everybody else is doing..you'll get the same results that they are...

Just look at how many people responded toy our initial question with the same answer -- Wake up and pay attention.

Like everyone said here, treat your list like gold and you will get gold in return.

I can spend up to 4+ hours a day answering my subscribers emails.

It's called charisma. Something that is necessary to success in running your own business - and severely lacking in IM for some reason.

As people are saying - its all about building trust and providing value, which in the case of your niche is quality advice on losing weight.
Absolutely do not inundate your list with offers and affiliate links, first allow your relationship and trust develop, give them free advice, e-books etc, only when they respect you as an authority in the field of weight loss will they feel comfortable in opening their wallet to buy a product that you have recommended.

Oh, and if you read "Social Triggers" by Derek Halpern, if you haven't already done what he suggests at the time of signup, then you have blown a HUGE opportunity to build trust.

Halpern sends his list a question asking them to write him with what they want from him in an email to his personal account.

HE PERSONALLY RESPONDS TO EACH SUCH EMAIL. That builds trust in spades!

Occasionally ask them how they are coping with their loss weight training, you will get hundreds of response, and it will take time to read it all. But once you see a pattern, you will definitely get some new ideas how to make them even more engaged with your newsletter. For example, I get a pattern from my feedback and I know that they want something visual, so I start conveying my idea with visual post, numbers, statistics, etc. And the result is unexpected. EXCELSIOR!

Providing value is the single most important factor when it comes to building good relationships. It doesn't matter if it's a free or paid product, what matters is that it's a quality product.

/Izerman

When you aren't sending offers, send articles for discussion. You can post an excerpt and give your 2 cents. Diet vs diet, nutritional controversy (gluten, high fat low carb diets, genetic food modification), exercise science (exercise has never been scientifically proven to cause weight loss, did you know that?)

I've only been forum marketing for two weeks, but I got one sale. Every time I post a new topic (10 topics so far) I get it from here: ScienceDaily: Nutrition News then discuss it, since it's a general weight loss forum and not any particular diet.

Just something to engage your list with.

OVER-DELIVER
OVER-DELIVER
OVER-DELIVER

Provide legit stuff. Don't look at your list as a line of piggy banks. Because they'll realize you see 'em that way and get out of line. Don't con them, lie to them, or promote bad things. They're people and they want help. Give them actual help and create a partnership. Don't make them feel bad like the rest of society. Most of the people buying your stuff don't even need to lose weight. It's a negative, societal thing.

I have a personal problem with that niche because I feel its often very manipulative. You've got a bunch of desperate people who think they're fat but they're not. They need help but not in losing a bunch of weight over night. That's unhealthy. And perpetuating that crap isn't very good. But it's your choice and I don't know specifically what you're selling. So you could be on teh straight and narrow. Just saying--I find the niche sort of....damaging. To society I mean, and almost exploitative. IMO! Nothing personal.

Good luck. Just stay legit, give legit advice and content and you'll be fine.