Question about email lists

5 replies
I'm new to internet marketing and I'm working on my first email list right now. So far I have a squeeze page, a free offer on that page to encourage opt-ins, and some pre-written emails.

The plan is to use solo ads to bring traffic to my squeeze page where my offer will hopefully draw people in, then send tri-weekly emails containing fitness and nutrition tips (I decided to go with the health and fitness niche as I don't have any experience with IM yet and don't want to write about something I know nothing about). At the end of each email I'm planning on putting a "recommended products" section which will have a bunch of my cloaked affiliate links just waiting to be clicked on.

I was wondering what kind of offers people in the fitness niche often use to encourage opt-ins, as I'm offering a simple 7 steps to getting 6 pack abs and I'm really not sure if that's going to be sufficient. I'm also open to suggestions so please don't hesitate to state your opinions .

Thanks a lot
#email #lists #question
  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Email Marketeer View Post

    The plan is to use solo ads to bring traffic
    So you need to find solo ads offered by marketers who aren't competing with you but have lists themselves which are targeted to "6-pack abs"? I don't know the niche enough to know whether that's going to be difficult. Is this your main traffic-generation plan?

    Do you think the recipients of those will have seen "the main products" several times over, and be a bit fed up of offers for the same things over and over again? "Just asking"! :confused:

    Originally Posted by Email Marketeer View Post

    I decided to go with the health and fitness niche
    Health and fitness are not "niches": they're markets, and two of the world's biggest. But 6-pack abs is undeniably a niche. (Are there enough products in that niche? I suppose there will be, and/or there'll be other, closely-enough-related niches with products to make it viable?).

    Originally Posted by Email Marketeer View Post

    I don't have any experience with IM yet and don't want to write about something I know nothing about
    Good - well said. You're avoiding the single commonest mistake that beginning marketers make, there, anyway (starting off in IM-related or MMO-related niches - the kiss of death for most people's IM ambitions!). You've apparently chosen a hugely competitive niche, though? Still, that may not necessarily matter, as long as you have some non-competitive traffic-generation plans.

    Well done for starting off by wanting to build lists, though. That's greatly in your favor!

    Originally Posted by Email Marketeer View Post

    At the end of each email I'm planning on putting a "recommended products" section which will have a bunch of my cloaked affiliate links just waiting to be clicked on.
    I urge you to re-think this approach. For three major, compelling reasons ...

    (i) Email series with "offers" in every email - especially in a niche like that! - will get you low open-rates and attention-rates: exactly the opposite of what you need.

    (ii) You need to get yourself trusted and respected as a provider of valuable content first, and you can't do that with affiliate-links in every email: that's just a way of saying to your subscribers "I'm just another marketer hitting you with affiliate offers every single time you open an email from me". They won't open many. :p

    (iii) People who buy products of the type you want to promote to them buy on the strength of the recommendation, but you haven't said anything at all about how you're going to recommend, and why you think your subscribers will be happy to rely on your recommendations. :confused:

    Originally Posted by Email Marketeer View Post

    I was wondering what kind of offers people in the fitness niche often use to encourage opt-ins
    Given their overall success-rate, in fitness niches, let's hope you're asking so that you can identify whatever they often use and then make sure you use something totally different?

    Here's what matters about your "free report", because it's what determines your income.

    And here are 4 more posts/threads which might - between them - help you with the key concepts of list-building.

    What are the essential things to know about list building?

    Lists: How Long to Presell - Averages

    Website or squeeze page

    Autoresponders vs. Broadcasts

    Good luck, and welcome to the Warrior Forum.
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    • Profile picture of the author Devid Farah
      Hi,

      great start and i urge you to begin asap.

      You probably dont understand why you need "a list" now or you tryin to figure out what it is but believe me, is gonna be your most important and precious asset of your business.

      With a list you have TOTAL CONTROL on your own business and above all, your followers and customers.

      Having said that, what i think is that you have a great strategy right here. If you focus most of your time on list building you'll soon have a list of 3k/4k subscribers.

      Originally Posted by Email Marketeer View Post

      I'm new to internet marketing and I'm working on my first email list right now. So far I have a squeeze page, a free offer on that page to encourage opt-ins, and some pre-written emails.
      Congrats, you are in the game already and ahead of the 95% of people that dont know "where to start".

      Originally Posted by Email Marketeer View Post

      The plan is to use solo ads to bring traffic to my squeeze page where my offer will hopefully draw people in, then send tri-weekly emails containing fitness and nutrition tips (I decided to go with the health and fitness niche as I don't have any experience with IM yet and don't want to write about something I know nothing about).
      Health and fitness are 2 multi billion dollar markets(not niches). You're safe . The profit potential here is HUGE. Plus if you have experience in these markets am pretty sure you will help a lot of people with their health and fitness problems. Dont even let me start on subniches and micro niches

      Personally, i would start focusing on solo ads after i built a list of 300/400 subscribers at least. Anyways, solo ads is a way and then there's a TON more. There are so many traffic strategies, its rediculous.

      You mentioned solo ads, this website will certainly help you
      Ad swaps, sell solo and buy solo mailings - Safe-Swaps

      Spread yourself all over the net, skyrocket your credibility and have fun with the many free traffic techniques out there. You can outsource most of the traffic tasks. Ever heard of Fiverr?

      Sending email containing tips and advices about your market is part of the "building the relationship with your subscribers" process. Actually it starts from the free report and here i advice you to crank out a good report with a step by step plan that provides a solution to 1 problem. Make it as short as possible and of good quality. People will love it. They dont want 40/50 pages reports but simple and small guides they can read fast.

      So my advice, free valuable report ---> welcome email(the relationship process starts here,start introducing and branding yourself and at the end of the email put a p.s. telling em to check out a special email tomorrow...) --->follow ups.

      Originally Posted by Email Marketeer View Post

      At the end of each email I'm planning on putting a "recommended products" section which will have a bunch of my cloaked affiliate links just waiting to be clicked on.
      Yes, after having tested i can tell you that works wonders if your emails are well written. I'll explain that to you in a bit.

      What do you exactly mean with each email? Maybe not the first one! Id leave the first one as the welcome email, introduction of yourself/company, and tell em what they are going to expect from you etc... but the strategy you wanna adopt is up to you.

      You see, you'll find different currents of thought on this. People that say "do not pitch" in the beginning and others say "always pitch/sell". I say "teach and pitch" at the same time instead.

      For instance the "recommended product" at the end works wonders everytime if you first give em away valuable tips and then at the end(with a p.s.) you invite em to "check out this and discover how this guy got a six pack in 3 weeks! etc..etc.." you get the idea... you could easily pitch in every email if you first give away valuable content.

      Its called a "gentle product reccomendation" and can be used in many different ways, as i said you can tell a compelling story first and then pitch at the end or the "teach and pitch" technique

      Originally Posted by Email Marketeer View Post

      I was wondering what kind of offers people in the fitness niche often use to encourage opt-ins, as I'm offering a simple 7 steps to getting 6 pack abs and I'm really not sure if that's going to be sufficient.
      What kind of offers? Plenty. Think about 6 pack abs, fitness videos for busy moms, home workout, ab/stomach exercises, weight training....

      Your "Simple 7 Steps To Getting 6 Pack Abs" is a hot topic, the only thing is that is not really compelling. Focus on creating a compelling title, with a strong hook in it. Do this also with the headline and always outline a benefit/promise in it to make em signup. Outline a step by step solution or a diet plan, whatever...something that you think is valuable and can help other people.

      Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post


      I urge you to re-think this approach. For three major, compelling reasons ...

      (i) Email series with "offers" in every email - especially in a niche like that! - will get you low open-rates and attention-rates: exactly the opposite of what you need.

      (ii) You need to get yourself trusted and respected as a provider of valuable content first, and you can't do that with affiliate-links in every email: that's just a way of saying to your subscribers "I'm just another marketer hitting you with affiliate offers every single time you open an email from me". They won't open many. :p
      I agree and disagree here at the same time.

      I think it depends on how good you are in writing your emails.

      At the end of the day is always the power of words and how good you are in persuading people to buy from you that makes all the difference.

      If you just "sell" straightaway without building a relationship with your follower first then yes can be the wrong strategy, but you see Alexa i cant even tell because i know friends that are banking selling straightaway, they just use the power of compelling stories and humor in their emails and win everytime. So personally i'll make sure to give away some good tips and make sure my affiliate link is perceived as a "gentle product reccomendation" as explained.

      I totally agree in being perceived as a "trusted and respected provider of valuable content first" and id also add as a friend instead of a "salesman".

      I wish you best of luck!
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      • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
        Banned
        Originally Posted by Devid Farah View Post

        I agree and disagree here at the same time.

        I think it depends on how good you are in writing your emails.
        You make good points, Devid, as elsewhere - thank you.
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  • Profile picture of the author wholesale blogger
    And yet more great information..... Onward and upward :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Originally Posted by Email Marketeer View Post

    I was wondering what kind of offers people in the fitness niche often use to encourage opt-ins, as I'm offering a simple 7 steps to getting 6 pack abs and I'm really not sure if that's going to be sufficient.
    It's sufficient to me. Make your "7 steps" an ebook with a good ebook graphic, make the report high quality, then offer it on your squeeze. The promote the heck out of the squeeze page.
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