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Suggestions for Monetizing a 20,000 Name List

by Mirolassa
8 replies
I've been selling a digital product since 2007 and over the course of the past few years have added a handful of products. I've got a list 20,000 names, of which 5,000 are past buyers and the balance have signed up either on my website or at trade shows.

My customers all own small businesses and I'm considered an authority in the field. I'm fairly well known and highly respected by those who do know me. I speak at conventions and my blog has received about 100k hits in the past year. I send out a newsletter every so often and it usually gets about 2,500 opens.

My sales right now are fairly dismal. I have new products in the works but I'm afraid they're going to go nowhere with my current approach. I recently discovered this forum and have been a bit overwhelmed by the information (though I keep sifting through as time permits). There's a lot of discussion about how the list is so valuable but I just don't understand how to extract that value.

Any suggestions on where to start? Resources that might help me?

Thanks in advance.
#list #monetizing #suggestions
  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    The buyers are your most valuable leads.

    What products did these people purchase from you in the past?

    How long ago were these purchases made?

    These are the people you want to concentrate on to start with.
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  • Profile picture of the author JPBailey
    Promote affiliate products to them

    Sell solo ads to other marketers in your niche

    Learn email marketing to write better copy to sell more

    Find out what your list is interested in

    Keep looking and trying things until you get good results because you do have an asset

    Buyers will buy again, find some new products that they'd be interested in
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    NLP Ninja for Success Mindset - Master Your Inner Game. Check Out My WSO Here

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    • Profile picture of the author Mirolassa
      Originally Posted by Portlandrocks View Post

      What field are you an authority in?

      Whatever it is - you need to start pumping out info products.

      You obviously know how to write - with a blog of 100k hits.

      Launch a book, create a product, etc. etc.

      If your products that you are selling only make you so much money and then die off - consider making more evergreen products. Don't follow the WSO model, follow the Copyblogger model. They have one huge product that they sell over and over and over.
      I'm a photographer working with other photographers. I'm currently working on a book that I'll pair with a related product. It's the kind of knowledge people want and need but I just don't be able to gain consistent traction when it comes to sales.

      I'm thinking about launching an autoresponder education program for new signups. Not sure what to do about the existing base. They love my content but I'm not connecting in the sales department.
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  • Profile picture of the author kinyash
    You have everything going right except one thing, what do your customers want? what are their problems? what are their needs? Once you figure out what these things are then creating relevant products will not be a big deal. I think you would want to market products as something they want, to attract their attention then in the content give them what they actually need so that they can be successful and you will make more money from more sales.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mirolassa
      Thanks for the responses. I'm beginning to understand the generalities of where I need to take my site. Any suggestions for good educational resources that might work for me? It seems like a lot content is directed to people starting from scratch and working with a consumer market as opposed to a business market.
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  • Profile picture of the author bobby_shahzad
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    • Profile picture of the author Mirolassa
      Originally Posted by bobby_shahzad View Post

      Hello,

      Have you been in touch with these customers over the time?
      Yes I have. I send out semi-regular newsletters. I had 4,300 opens for my last one with about a 10% overall click through rate to my continue reading. I've never purged the list of inactive readers though since Constant Contact only keeps track of unopens on individual emails.
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  • Profile picture of the author kayfrank
    If you are considered an authority in your field then should you not have a coaching program? Do you communicate with your list? Are you building a relationship with them? Ask them what they need or what they are struggling with in their business - that will give you ideas of what you can offer them.
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