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Need a little help gettin started with my email list

by cbright
33 replies
Hi all, need a little help here because as I know it's one of the oldest marketing methods there are I've never actually set it up. And thats email marketing.

I have been building a list for awhile now and I want to send out a promotion to them. And I want it to do individual emails of course not attach everyone onto the same email haha. So I'm a little lost in the sauce if any would care to help a noob in this field of email marketing I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!
#email #gettin #list #mailing #started
  • Profile picture of the author sahi
    Were you not building your list by using some sort of autoresponder because if you were your problem would have been resolved easily as all auoresponder systems have this function.

    You can use aweber or some other autoresponder for this purpose.
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  • Profile picture of the author TLTheLiberator
    If you're ready, you need to signup for a pro autoresponder service and then try to induce your subscribers to join your new list with a gift.

    Hope This Helps!!

    TL
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  • Profile picture of the author cbright
    nope, I actually have not been gathering these by selling a product rather providing a free service, and I have been just collecting their emails and storing them in a database. The autoresponder sounds like a good route to take from here on out though.

    So what what I've researched is I probably need to get some type of emailer program like sendblaster. Do any of you recommend this or use it yourselves?
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  • Profile picture of the author sahi
    Well if you send emails to them using any email sender software then two things may happen:

    1-Your mails won't reach the inbox

    2- Your mails can be considered spam by some of the people getting them.

    It would be better if you first install some autoresponder service on your domain and then collect mails from your new customers.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sirago
    You should sign up with some sort of mail marketing service. You can get an autoresponder (aweber) or if you already have a list and just want to market to it, mailchimp.com is pretty cool.
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  • Profile picture of the author cbright
    Thankyou all for suggesting the autoresponders I will definitely work into getting that integrated.

    Sirago thanks this is more of what I was looking for so I can do something with my existing list I want to market to, thanks again

    definitely not liking that monthly charge plan they have.. seems pretty costly..
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Taylor
      Originally Posted by cbright View Post

      Definitely not liking that monthly charge plan they have.. seems pretty costly..
      It's more costly not mailing your list.

      If you build your list and people buy from you, your list will pay for itself.
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      • Profile picture of the author cbright
        Originally Posted by Michael Taylor View Post

        It's more costly not mailing your list.

        If you build your list and people buy from you, your list will pay for itself.
        nicely put, but im always looking for a way to reduce cost, and I think going with something like mailchimp is decent for someone that doesnt want to research how to do what they are doing. I'm exploring how to do it myself and probably just purchase more smtp relays through my host, think that will do alright who knows I'll weigh the costs..

        if anyone is interested ill post the results of my comparisons
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        • Profile picture of the author JR Rich
          Originally Posted by cbright View Post

          nicely put, but im always looking for a way to reduce cost, and I think going with something like mailchimp is decent for someone that doesnt want to research how to do what they are doing. I'm exploring how to do it myself and probably just purchase more smtp relays through my host, think that will do alright who knows I'll weigh the costs..

          if anyone is interested ill post the results of my comparisons
          Doing it all yourself is certainly One Way to go, and appeals to the many people who like to get their techie hands dirty - so to speak.

          But you need to ask yourself:

          "Am I in this IM thing to make money or to play Server Administrator?"

          Large autoresponder companies like Aweber or GetResponse are in business to deliver email efficiently and they have professional staffs whose whole point in life is geared toward that end. You'll never gather the necessary skills to beat them at that game.

          And why would you want to try? For $20 a month you can hire them to deal with - up to - 500 subscribers. That's more than enough contacts to pay for the service, and to go out to a nice dinner a couple of times a month!

          Who needs the aggravation that dealing with your own server software entails?

          YMMV.

          Regards,
          --JR Rich
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  • Profile picture of the author Neromancer
    Maybe I'm biased but the best list building results
    I had was marketing to proven buyers.

    I find that this works well - but if you are getting
    started use your "freebie" list and build your long
    term good list from your buyers.

    Provide excellent content that builds towards a
    product push you will have; use the law of reciprocity
    (give people things of value they buy something in return)
    is a basic human compulsion and will help make sales.
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  • Profile picture of the author jimmyab
    Hey CB its great that you have a list and like everyone says - you need an autoresponder! However some places are a bit touchy about importing UNCONFIRMED lists.

    By that I mean - they want to make sure you have permission to market to these imports - so you may need to send out to your list and get them to come to an optIn page that hooks to your auto responder.

    Failing that find a service that allows Unconfirmed imports.

    Anyone out there know of an outfit that does this?
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  • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
    How many email addresses do you have . There is solutions out there that are way less expensive than awebber and work just as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author cbright
    around 13,200 give or take a little
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    • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
      Originally Posted by cbright View Post

      around 13,200 give or take a little
      With that many you will probably have to go the re opt in route . Will usually cut your list in half though.

      There is sites that will let you import without a reconfirm but the ones have seen are blacklisted in a lot of venues .
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  • Profile picture of the author AndrewStark
    You have a list of 13,200 but are worried about the cost of an autoresponder!

    Even with a dismal 1% clickthrough rate you would generate 132 clicks which provided the product and price point you're promoting is relavent to your list you should make a few sales per mailing.

    Say you mail twice a week you should more than make back the cost of aweber, and as has already been said you're letting the professionals deal with all of the spam and deliverability issues.

    The other main advantage you will have with using a proper service is that you can set up follow-up emails to go out as soon as they confirm. Again done properly this would more than cover the monthly cost.

    Think of the cost like the rent that offline business pay, it's just a fixed expense that you need to pay.
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    • Profile picture of the author JR Rich
      Originally Posted by AndrewStark View Post

      You have a list of 13,200 but are worried about the cost of an autoresponder!

      Even with a dismal 1% clickthrough rate you would generate 132 clicks which provided the product and price point you're promoting is relavent to your list you should make a few sales per mailing.

      Say you mail twice a week you should more than make back the cost of aweber, and as has already been said you're letting the professionals deal with all of the spam and deliverability issues.

      The other main advantage you will have with using a proper service is that you can set up follow-up emails to go out as soon as they confirm. Again done properly this would more than cover the monthly cost.

      Think of the cost like the rent that offline business pay, it's just a fixed expense that you need to pay.
      Andrew,

      Quite right. But, a click-through-rate of 15-20 percent would be more to my expectations.

      At a 15% CTR, you would have around 2,000 people visiting the sales page -- people who are motivated to listen to the message!

      So, figure around 3% buyers out of this or 59. With an affiliate program payout of - say - $35 per sale, you would make in the $2,000 range. And that's if you do it only once a month! Most likely, you could make offers like this 3-4 times a month safely.

      13,200 subscribers would cost $130/month with Aweber...with an income of 6-8 thousand a month.

      I would go with Aweber!

      Regards,
      --JR Rich
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      • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
        You have to remember . These are unconfirmed emails . They will have to be confirmed before aweber will import them.

        With no prior relationship established, that 13,200 person list will do well to make 1000 after confirmation . Could ,in all probability, be a lot less.

        Just saying 1000 does confirm. There will be a need to establish a presence with these members . Trying to sell to them "off the bat" could see a 70% unsub with the remaining 30% just wanting to stick around and make fun of the clown. (not directed at the op...just saying)

        In all honesty , this list might not pay for the ar the first couple of months .

        The op needs to ask themselves the question of if they are willing and financially able to support this list until they have went through the hoops of getting this list to the point of buying .




        Originally Posted by jrrich814 View Post

        Andrew,

        Quite right. But, a click-through-rate of 15-20 percent would be more to my expectations.

        At a 15% CTR, you would have around 2,000 people visiting the sales page -- people who are motivated to listen to the message!

        So, figure around 3% buyers out of this or 59. With an affiliate program payout of - say - $35 per sale, you would make in the $2,000 range. And that's if you do it only once a month! Most likely, you could make offers like this 3-4 times a month safely.

        13,200 subscribers would cost $130/month with Aweber...with an income of 6-8 thousand a month.

        I would go with Aweber!

        Regards,
        --JR Rich
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        • Profile picture of the author cbright
          Well I figured I would do what some of the other people said, and that is entice them with a freebie of some kind, and then implement the new program of all new subscribers opting in through this aweber deal. Probably better to take a loss now then later when my list is larger, im confident after a few months I'll be able to rebuild back to that number and surpass it after it's chopped.

          But definitely sound advice Troy, thinking rationally and I like it
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          • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
            Originally Posted by cbright View Post

            Well I figured I would do what some of the other people said, and that is entice them with a freebie of some kind, and then implement the new program of all new subscribers opting in through this aweber deal. Probably better to take a loss now then later when my list is larger, im confident after a few months I'll be able to rebuild back to that number and surpass it after it's chopped.

            But definitely sound advice Troy, thinking rationally and I like it
            I have no doubt that you can build a list that is responsive to your needs .

            You have done it once already . May I suggest documenting your process this time and then leveraging it into a product ?

            A lot of people would pay for a step by step on building a substantial list .
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            • Profile picture of the author cbright
              Originally Posted by Troy_Phillips View Post

              I have no doubt that you can build a list that is responsive to your needs .

              You have done it once already . May I suggest documenting your process this time and then leveraging it into a product ?

              A lot of people would pay for a step by step on building a substantial list .
              wow, no sarcasm but I never thought of that. guess what I was doing just came natural, definitely will do, thanks for some more of great advice =D

              You were suggesting some type of step by step ebook as the product correct? If so then yeah I think I can document that, no better sales pitch that a true story of proven to work
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              • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
                Originally Posted by cbright View Post

                wow, no sarcasm but I never thought of that. guess what I was doing just came natural, definitely will do, thanks for some more of great advice =D

                You were suggesting some type of step by step ebook as the product correct? If so then yeah I think I can document that, no better sales pitch that a true story of proven to work
                Go to open office dot org . Install and use their word processor to document the process .

                Once you are finished all you need to do is click the pdf button . Instant product :-)

                Course then there is the video product . The audio version. A cont based membership site .... yeah an ebook would work
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              • Profile picture of the author mbacak
                Originally Posted by cbright View Post

                You were suggesting some type of step by step ebook as the product correct? If so then yeah I think I can document that, no better sales pitch that a true story of proven to work
                Dude. I think that would be a great idea. Can't wait to see you do this.
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                • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
                  Originally Posted by mbacak View Post

                  Dude. I think that would be a great idea. Can't wait to see you do this.
                  From the man that taught me to turn a blog's content into a product .

                  Troy bows

                  For those of you that have been under a rock for some time . This is a Ga Boy that knows his stuff...inside and out.

                  Troy stands back up
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                • Profile picture of the author Steve B
                  cbright:

                  Before I switched to aWeber, I used Group-Mail and had good luck with them. It's an application on your machine and I uploaded a list of unconfirmed subscribers easily although I only had about 850 at the time. (www.group-mail.com) (This was about three years ago.)

                  You could get the free trial version (I think the standard version is about $150 to purchase) upload and send to your list with some kind of great freebie if the subscriber joins your new list (at aWeber or wherever you decide). But you would have to check as there may be some restrictions on the features of the trial product that might stop you from uploading a lot of names ... I don't know.

                  I switched to a hosted system for the same reasons you have read in this thread, but Group-mail worked fine while I used it to contact my "unconfirmed" subscribers. That may be a way to send out an email to everyone urging them to come to your new system (which you could do over the trial period).

                  I really think what will determine your success in getting the old subscribers to re-up is the quality of your new offer more than anything else. If they want it badly, they will join you.

                  If the old subscribers are looking for a reason to opt-out, they probably will. But you will most likely be better off without these folks on your list anyway.
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  • Profile picture of the author cbright
    Thanks for the education this is honestly more information and motivation than I expected to get but, now I definitely feel confident in going forward with it rather than just sitting on my list while it builds
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  • Profile picture of the author mbacak
    Thanks dude.
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  • Profile picture of the author rapidscc
    Wow..I was following this thread because I write about list building and thought that it will be a good source of idea..well I got more..this thread also gave me tips on product creation..

    thanks for all who contributed..


    all the best,

    Omar
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  • Profile picture of the author jbode
    Sometimes it's the things that come natural that we often overlook teaching to other people.

    Remember everyone starts somewhere what you may consider simple common knowledge, someone else doesn't know how to do.

    Building a list is easy for me, but I know a lot of people struggle with it
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  • Profile picture of the author Bebebun
    How long ago did you sell to this list? If you can refer that they had bought from you previously and then send them a good freebie, that might break the ice.
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  • Profile picture of the author ddistco
    Hi there CB, Sounds like your well on your way with building a confirmed email list. I would agree that that in order to get people to confirm the email subscription for you or your website to use a real autoresponder service like aweber or get response.

    Once you get your subscribers confirmed you will have a valid email list market to in the future. The next logical thing is to market to the demographics of your newly confirmed list. Good luck to you and I'll forward to your post here on the Warrior Forum.

    Have fun...
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  • Profile picture of the author cbright
    SteveB, you are right on my train of thought, I looked into those type of programs. I would explain more about what I found but I will leave that for the ebook =P

    Blame Troy for me holding out on yall
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  • Profile picture of the author actionplanbiz
    have you thought about personalizing your broadcast?

    You will be able to refer to each person in your list by the name they used to sign up to your autoresponder.
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  • Profile picture of the author Toby Lewis
    Long time lurker, first time poster here - But for those of you who are looking to get a new autoresponder, check out Pro-response. It's simply an affiliate front end for the much-loved aweber, but they have retained the old (cheaper) pricing structure and you get unlimited subscribers without charge.

    Once you log in it's an identical members area to aweber.

    And no, it's not my site (I wish it was!)
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