Facebook has replaced your list

by FiveMe
36 replies
Hi,
I have been doing some cross referencing and testing of thoughts and whatnot. Coming across an interesting thought, I think people are flocking more to Facebook to get their info and to see what is going on.

I think with all the laws and the hoops you have to jump through to ensure you aren't doing one thing or another.

Facebook is the new list.

Disagree? Ok

Agree? Ok
#facebook #list #replaced
  • What's the point. Facebook gets used?

    And if you put all your eggs in the Facebook basket and your account gets deleted then what?

    It's not smart to put your work into a platform that you don't control.
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  • Profile picture of the author J Bold
    Nope, Facebook is not your new list. Just yet another avenue to use for any niche in IM, as long as you do it right.

    A lot of IMers have had their fan pages shut down, as well. But if you do things right, this probably won't happen.

    There's still a legitimate way to use Facebook, of course, and you have to be creative.

    But email lists are still very effective.
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    • Profile picture of the author FiveMe
      Originally Posted by redicelander View Post

      Nope, Facebook is not your new list. Just yet another avenue to use for any niche in IM, as long as you do it right.

      A lot of IMers have had their fan pages shut down, as well. But if you do things right, this probably won't happen.

      There's still a legitimate way to use Facebook, of course, and you have to be creative.

      But email lists are still very effective.

      So you think email lists are alive and effective. Even with the laws and whatnot?


      Just an FYI.. I am posting to make a point. Thanks
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      • Profile picture of the author Jeff Henshaw
        So you think email lists are alive and effective. Even with the laws and whatnot?
        Yep, stay within the law(s), use common sense, provide valuable quality information and offers to your list and don't abuse the members by oversending.

        Just my thoughts,

        Jeff.
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        • Profile picture of the author Cotton
          Originally Posted by Jeff Henshaw View Post

          Yep, stay within the law(s), use common sense, provide valuable quality information and offers to your list and don't abuse the members by oversending.

          Just my thoughts,

          Jeff.
          This. I recently unsubscribed from an IM "guru" who thought it was wise to send me multiple emails every week. Who has time to read all that crap?

          Lesson: don't spam your own list.
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          • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
            Originally Posted by Cotton View Post

            This. I recently unsubscribed from an IM "guru" who thought it was wise to send me multiple emails every week. Who has time to read all that crap?

            Lesson: don't spam your own list.
            Just because you unsubscribed does not mean everyone else did.


            RoD
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          • Profile picture of the author Shannon Herod
            Originally Posted by Cotton View Post

            This. I recently unsubscribed from an IM "guru" who thought it was wise to send me multiple emails every week. Who has time to read all that crap?

            Lesson: don't spam your own list.
            Look up the definition of spam. I assure you he did not spam his list. You just did not like the volume of email he was sending you. I personally email my IM list every single day except Sunday. People either learn from what I am doing or they unsubscribe and continue to make little or no money.

            Shannon
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      • Profile picture of the author George Wright
        Originally Posted by FiveMe View Post

        So you think email lists are alive and effective. Even with the laws and whatnot?


        Just an FYI.. I am posting to make a point. Thanks
        It's not what someone "thinks." It's a fact. What Laws hurt email marketing? Any laws set in place are not to stop legit marketers they are to slow down Scammers, Spammers and mainly to put the fear of doing wrong in those who are thinking about it.

        I can't comment on Facebook because I've only been there once and that was an accident.

        George Wright
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  • Profile picture of the author Gary McCaffrey
    I usually first find out about replies to my posts on facebook via email.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
    Building ur own list and network is far more effective than using Facebook.

    RoD
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  • Profile picture of the author FiveMe
    Everyone who replied: I greatly appreciate your feedback in getting a point across. The list exists. Facebook is too much on their own power train, I was trying to state a point, not to look just at Facebook for the answers.

    Thank you all.

    FiveMe
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    • Profile picture of the author Sean A McAlister
      Facebook has Not replaced your list....but has given you a platform to deepen your relationship with your list...if you integrate correctly.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ellen Violette
    Facebook is great for making contacts but the buyers are generally the ones who take the leap from Facebook to your list. I get a lot more sales from my list than Facebook but I get on Facebook every day and think it's a great tool in your social media marketing.
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  • Profile picture of the author ZaneAbden
    Disagree. most people on facebook are not buyers ,, yes you can use facebook as a source of traffic or even getting a high PR backlink but as a buyer I doubt it

    the only way to get buyer from facebook is by using facebook ads with targetd setup

    never email your facebook friends about any offer soon will loose them all .
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  • Profile picture of the author NatureElf
    I would not completely rely on Facebook. With their privacy issues and the possibility of them charging users is not something I would want to rely on.
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  • Profile picture of the author sonyakey87
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author jonat2005
      Originally Posted by sonyakey87 View Post

      I have use facebook ad before, to me it is not as good as google, I can see result in google, but facebook have no result, people just talk, they don't buy, anybody have the same feeling?

      I agree with you man...though i love facebook, google adwords performs quite better
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      • Profile picture of the author deboadebayo
        Hmm a very interesting topic of debate here.

        Has Facebook replaced your list:

        In short, it's pretty much as people have said. It hasn't. However, something I would like to point out is that it is becoming more and more apparent that your money is not in the list. Your money rather is in your relationship with the list! The benefit of adding a social media dimension, to your marketing is that it allows for you to continually build that relationship with your list.

        Sure, email marketing is good. But Facebook, YouTube, Twitter etc. actually allows you to create a presence for yourself, and also to view each individual person in much greater depth than just an email on your list.

        People only buy from 2 people, experts and friends. Social Media in effects allows to you to be both an expert (providing valuable content) and a friend (posting photos, comments on other people's profiles etc.)

        So in conclusion, although Facebook may not be the "new list", it definitely is the "new way to market and connect to people in your list.

        Junior
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  • Profile picture of the author Kevin_Hutto
    Facebook is like a coffeeshop type atmosphere whereas search is like the yellowpages. You can and should get prospects on your list from both if it fits your model. I made several grand from an email i sent to one of my lists today... Email marketing still works and I dont see that changing any time soon.
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  • Profile picture of the author AllanWard
    Disagree. You don't own your Facebook list - Facebook does. When you have your own email list, you own it and have control over those names.

    Also, despite the high number of Facebook users, there are still many categories of people who don't use it.
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  • Profile picture of the author stephfoster
    Facebook is one of many tools you should be using to build your list, but don't replace your list with it. You can use them in similar ways, but you'll miss a lot if you just go Facebook. Think of all the potential customers who don't use Facebook. Think of all the trouble Facebook could cause your business just by changing the rules if you're relying on them.

    Multiple ways of keeping in contact with customers gives them control over how they interact with your business. Overall, that's a good thing. Some like it all to be in their email box. Others adore seeing it all on Facebook. Still others would rather hear from you in their RSS feed or through Twitter.

    You don't want to overwhelm visitors with subscription choices, of course, but a few nicely placed buttons works well on many sites.
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    • Profile picture of the author NicheMayhem
      I think Facebook falls into a category of soft selling. Anybody with hyped up pitchy sales letter tactics has no place on Facebook. Just as it is a new avenue of contacting the world, you need to adapt and change to meet it's vibe.

      People go on Facebook to interact and communicate with those they know and things they are interested in. Setting up your business to accommodate a community atmosphere on Facebook is the key to making it work, word of mouth is very powerful, perhaps it is now even more powerful then ever. Maybe we should call it "word of mouse."

      Very interesting video above, social media is definitely not a fad but really with radio taking 30 some years to reach millions it was pretty spectacular for it's time, just like TV and they still have their place. Syndication and nationwide viewing was a big thing when it first came about, factor in today's instant connections worldwide and the Facebook accomplishment is not quite as miraculous as the video seems to portray it.

      Learning to soft sell on Facebook and have your business image portrayed there is a good idea but I wouldn't say selling to it like people do with their lists will ever be a good idea. Email is a different monster and is NOT even close to getting replaced by the likes of Facebook.

      Building a list of targeted buyers to send your emails to is simply the best way to produce a result because mostly it is a medium where people are expecting to receive the offers they have shown interest in. On Facebook though that same interest is more in seeing who else is also interested and leave comments with them and share their experience.

      Use social media for it's social benefits and you will be making good use of it, be lazy and try to use social media as a platform to sell sell sell and you will fail. Soft selling is having the option there but build it in a way that only shows who you are, once they leave Facebook via your link and arrive on your page that is when it is time to pitch.

      Of course, I haven't attacked Facebook yet, haven't felt the need to because all of the I guess "old" methods of providing good content and creating your image of authority on a specific subject while building a list of buyers still works like gangbusters. I do though read a lot and feel I have a good understanding of where people go wrong in thinking Facebook will replace an email list anytime soon. Email covers so many different necessary functions that the numbers on Facebook do not even remotely come close to at all, how many emails are sent per day?

      Just my .02 it is STILL all in the list.
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  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
    Banned
    I'm amazed. I actually got someone enquiring about my copywriting services - on my personal facebook page. I think they must have clicked through from here. I hardly ever go to facebook. I have 115 "friends" and can go weeks without looking at it. Oh yeah - I had an affiliate sale using facebook ads too. Just the one. I direct linked to the landing page - via a GoDaddy redirection. So there's potential there. But like anything you need to spend some time making connections and helping people rather than just pitching product all the time.

    BTW have you see the new storefront facebook application? Called "Payvment". That looks promising.

    But facebook the "new list"? Nah. Not even close. I sent an email out yesterday and it got a 55% open rate.
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  • Profile picture of the author Fabian Tan
    I think the correct sentence is - Facebook is replacing your list.

    More people spending more time on Facebook (and YouTube, Twitter and other of these loss-making social networking sites) equates to less time they are spending looking for solutions to problems in their life, ergo spending less time in their email and on your websites.

    There is no question that, while email marketing is still effective, it is getting less effective in general every year. Click-through rates are dropping steadily year on year.

    It is just like the value of the US dollar and other fiat currencies. It erodes slowly enough every year so that nobody panics, until it has dropped so low that nobody has noticed. Just like inflation, it eats away at value without us recognising it.

    So does email marketing still work? Hell yes. Is Facebook sucking away traffic from Google and email? You betcha.

    Make hay while the sun is shining, I say. Or just buy Facebook ads.

    Fabian
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  • Profile picture of the author bertuseng
    Actually you can use Facebook TO build your list. Having huge groups or fan pages are also like having your own list.
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  • Profile picture of the author MichaelHiles
    Facebook is a source of eyeballs. One among many. It hasn't replaced anything.
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  • Profile picture of the author kevinhdavis
    Facebook is not replacing email marketing. I have had this discussion before with another marketer that markets to offline businesses and gets them on Social Media.

    In July, he only added fans to a fan page, and did not collect any emails. We on the other hand, also offered the fans the opportunity to also subscribe to our email news letter. He then sent out an "update" through the fan page and recieved 10 click-thrus to his offer out of 1800 fans. Most fans probably didn't even open the update, or see it, since it is separate from normal messages they see from friends. In our case, we sent out our normal email newsletter, and the numbers held true to previous mailings. 28% opened the email, and of that set, 26.8% clicked-thru to the ecommerce store. Since we added 474 new subscribers to our email list in July, that resulted in 132 new visitors to the store, and sales are up over June. This month we added a new fan page for a different target market, and have already added another 374 email subscribers this month.

    Email marketing is not dead, Facebook hasn't replaced the list, Youtube hasn't replaced TV, Blogs haven't replaced newspapers.

    Has it changed the landscape: Yes, definitely
    Have we changed the way we market to take advantage of the new medium: absolutely

    Kevin
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  • Profile picture of the author paulie888
    Facebook is a very powerful marketing medium, and entire businesses can be launched with a single Facebook fan page (if used properly). However, you have to ask yourself this - would you place your livelihood and the entire future of your business in Facebook's hands? What if they came out with some new TOS in the future that would essentially wipe out your existing business and traffic from there? You'd be giving Facebook too much power over your business if you did this. I'd say never to put all your eggs in one basket, no matter how appealing and attractive it may be.
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  • Profile picture of the author petelta
    Originally Posted by FiveMe View Post

    Hi,
    I have been doing some cross referencing and testing of thoughts and whatnot. Coming across an interesting thought, I think people are flocking more to Facebook to get their info and to see what is going on.

    I think with all the laws and the hoops you have to jump through to ensure you aren't doing one thing or another.

    Facebook is the new list.

    Disagree? Ok

    Agree? Ok
    Facebook is a good list, but still social media marketing isn't as effective as as email marketing from your viewers. A study just came out about it a month ago. Prospects prefer email marketing over social media marketing by a large portion.

    I've seen the same results from my own campaigns. Facebook is a good tool to get more people on my actual list.

    Making my own web property more valuable than the other guy's is my plan.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jon Tees
    Facebook is a good way to make contacts, generate leads and build a list and can be effective as a direct marketing tool. However, I can’t see it as a replacement for a responsive list that you own. Your facebook account basically exist at someone else’s whim as do your pages, for whatever reason someone could simply decide to eliminate your presence from Facebook and then its all for nothing. But your own list is an invaluable tool.
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  • Profile picture of the author burtonridr2
    I agree, facebook is an easy way to build a list... I have an article on my blog that was wrote by Chris Record on the subject... How to get 5000 friends on facebook in 90 days
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  • Profile picture of the author FiveMe
    Really incredible answers, I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to respond.

    Thanks!
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      I don't see Facebook, or any other social media or networking site for that matter, replacing a good email list any time soon. I see them more as complementary tools.

      As Mike Hiles said, Facebook is a source of eyeballs. One that more and more mainstream companies are becoming aware of. In the past, many companies offered coupons or freebies to join their email list. Now they make the same offers for 'friending' them on Facebook.

      Why?

      As I understand it, when they send out an offer for a freebie or special via Facebook, it shows up on the friends' pages. Where it is visible to their friends. If the offer is a good fit, some percentage of those friends will click through and 'friend' the company to get the offer. The offer will aim at getting the person onto the email list so they can receive even more offers.

      As the cycle repeats, the company and their products reach more and more eyeballs. Facebook and email work together to promote the company's agenda...
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  • Profile picture of the author sdentrepreneur
    I agree that Facebook is a form of list building. It should be one of many tools to drive traffic and create sales. Same with Twitter, I can reach close to 100,000 people with my Twitter and Facebook combined. I have even noticed that I am getting more response from Social Media than my list at times. People are sick of emails but are more willing to click on my blog or video on Facebook.
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    • Profile picture of the author AndrewCavanagh
      If you don't own the site yourself, if you don't have complete control over the list yourself then never look at it as your primary asset.

      Yes facebook can be used as an effective marketing strategy but you should ALSO have your own site and your own list and use facebook to get people to that site and that list.

      Profiles get deleted, rules on sites change, sites wax and wane in popularity.

      You should be adapting to the constant changes online but you should also be constantly aware that what is working great now can be non-existent in 2 years time.

      Kindest regards,
      Andrew Cavanagh
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