What constitutes a resposnsive list

Well, at the most basic level people mean a list where the subscribers actually pay attention to the email. They open it and read it, they follow links, and ultimately, they buy. I'm on some lists that I don't even open the emails. I might as well have a rule (or just unsubscribe). I would say I don't fit into that "responsive" category for those lists.

You are in a forum where a lot of marginal list building tactics are taught, discussed and arranged.

So you hear numbers like 150,000 subscribers. It's almost meaningless when you find out they deliver 23 clicks out of those 150,000 "subscribers." Their list was built with single-opt-in giving away freebies and then hammered with so much obnoxious stuff that the "subscribers" had to abandon the free email addresses they used to "subscribe" on Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.

So those who actually have buyer's lists or lists that they clean regularly and lists where they have a real relationship with the people on their list are forced to say "responsive" to justify that their list only has 2,000 or 20,000 subscribers. Otherwise they are judged only by the number of subscribers.

Of course, it would be better to say "My list has a 35% CTR" or "My list spends an average of $12.75 per month per person", but those kinds of measurements become meaningless when you are doing adswaps or something like that and the offers being sent are third rate and marginal themselves.

Just like with traffic, you are forced to either compare it with another source of traffic or simply use a descriptive word like "responsive" which tells you only vaguely that the list owner isn't just collecting email addresses to collect numbers. It's a vague term, but it is still useful in a limited way.

I also use terms like "buyers" or "loyal readers" or "high frequency open/clickers" which are also vague and without numbers, but help to differentiate between my "real" lists that have value and effort put into them vs. the lists built with single-opt-in freebie give aways and then hammered with high pressure junk offers.

I rather have a buyers list that a responsive list. Ideally both.

Basically, "responsive list" response to the action that you want them to take.

If you build your relationship the right way with your list then your list will be responsive because they like you and therefore willing to listen to you and even buy from you.

My definition of a responsive list is one which produces a high conversion rate when you try and sell something to the list - either your own product or as an affiliate.

A responsive list produces an 8%-25% conversion rate.

So if you have a responsive list of 1,000 then you should be making 80 to 250 sales per promotion.

A list that BUYS every time you offer them something. In order for this to happen, you need to have a really HIGH trust level. Read 'the power of trust'. Awesome book

Joey,

People often talk so much about list marketing... how huge is the size... conversion rate.... blah blah blah. But watch carefully how they present their case. Many times they just touch the surface and never go deep.

How many would actually go into details studying their lists. For example;

* Responsive to open emails, read and do nothing
* Responsive to unsub

Just to name a few 'negative responsiveness'.

Then again, a positive responsive list doesn't necessarily make you money.

For example; if the average spending power per name is just a few bucks, then what's the point of owning this list? Because the ROI isn't worth your marketing efforts.

Therefore, it's a complex issue if we were to talk about responsiveness of the list.



Hardi