Size Matters - But Not So Much With Lists
Yeah, the title might get this thread shut down, but that's ok. Totally worth it.
I actually have a point here, trust me. It's about list size. We're way too obsessed with it. Someone I coach was asking me today what I think about using a lot of ad swaps to build their list size. I have this instinctive knee-jerk reaction to the idea of ad swapping and buying solo ads, but I hadn't really thought it through until our discussion.
What I don't like is the incestuous nature of ad swapping. Let's say you have a list of 2000 and you arrange a swap with someone in the same niche with 2000 members. You do your swap and now you both have 2500 on your lists. Lovely, right? Mission accomplished, right?
Not so fast there, cowboy! What it really means is that 500 of your cherished subscribers are now going to get regular emails from the other guy. And 500 of his are going to get your regular emails. Did either of you really win? I mean, ok sure, some of the
"new" people on your list will probably buy from you. And ditto those from your list now on the other guy's.
But... uh oh, therein lies the problem, right? Did you really gain anything? Maybe, but maybe not. It could be that you'll make an extra 5 sales per email from those new subscribers, but lose 5 because the other guy's offer took sales from you. You might even lose more than you gain in terms of sales. See what I mean?
The fallacy of ad swapping is the deceptiveness of size. A bigger list does not automatically mean more sales for you. You are trading some of your audience for some of theirs. The net effect might be nil... or even a loss for you. Depends on who is the better marketer and/or who has the better offers, right?
And it doesn't stop there. If you keep doing ad swaps within the same niche, you might end up with a shiny list of 10,000 or even more. Great for showing off at the next IM seminar. Maybe not so great for your bottom line.
Look, if you have a large list built heavily from ad swaps and you're making good money, MORE POWER TO YA! I mean it. I'm not saying don't do it. All I'm saying here is don't think that size is necessarily the end-all and be-all of list marketing.
I've talked to enough fellow list marketers to know that many smaller lists beat the snot out of some of those mega-lists in terms of conversion rates and multiple repeat buyers.
It's not that you can jealously guard your list members. They're free to join as many other lists as they want. Being Zeus, I have godly powers and even I'm powerless to prevent it, so you puny mortals should not even attempt it.
What I'm saying is, don't help push them onto other lists if you can help it. Limit that "damage." The more captive your audience, the less size matters.
John
I actually have a point here, trust me. It's about list size. We're way too obsessed with it. Someone I coach was asking me today what I think about using a lot of ad swaps to build their list size. I have this instinctive knee-jerk reaction to the idea of ad swapping and buying solo ads, but I hadn't really thought it through until our discussion.
What I don't like is the incestuous nature of ad swapping. Let's say you have a list of 2000 and you arrange a swap with someone in the same niche with 2000 members. You do your swap and now you both have 2500 on your lists. Lovely, right? Mission accomplished, right?
Not so fast there, cowboy! What it really means is that 500 of your cherished subscribers are now going to get regular emails from the other guy. And 500 of his are going to get your regular emails. Did either of you really win? I mean, ok sure, some of the
"new" people on your list will probably buy from you. And ditto those from your list now on the other guy's.
But... uh oh, therein lies the problem, right? Did you really gain anything? Maybe, but maybe not. It could be that you'll make an extra 5 sales per email from those new subscribers, but lose 5 because the other guy's offer took sales from you. You might even lose more than you gain in terms of sales. See what I mean?
The fallacy of ad swapping is the deceptiveness of size. A bigger list does not automatically mean more sales for you. You are trading some of your audience for some of theirs. The net effect might be nil... or even a loss for you. Depends on who is the better marketer and/or who has the better offers, right?
And it doesn't stop there. If you keep doing ad swaps within the same niche, you might end up with a shiny list of 10,000 or even more. Great for showing off at the next IM seminar. Maybe not so great for your bottom line.
Look, if you have a large list built heavily from ad swaps and you're making good money, MORE POWER TO YA! I mean it. I'm not saying don't do it. All I'm saying here is don't think that size is necessarily the end-all and be-all of list marketing.
I've talked to enough fellow list marketers to know that many smaller lists beat the snot out of some of those mega-lists in terms of conversion rates and multiple repeat buyers.
It's not that you can jealously guard your list members. They're free to join as many other lists as they want. Being Zeus, I have godly powers and even I'm powerless to prevent it, so you puny mortals should not even attempt it.
What I'm saying is, don't help push them onto other lists if you can help it. Limit that "damage." The more captive your audience, the less size matters.
John
Simon Friling
SEO Consultant
Publish Coloring Books for Profit (WSOTD 7-30-2015)
2) Productivity PLR Bundle | 3) Clean Eating PLR
4) 29 Internet Marketing PLR Emails | 5) Product Creation PLR (with audio MP3 and graphics)