List Owners: Don't Let Your Readers See You As A Desperate Marketer

Yes, the money is in the list.

And, to make more money from your list, you need to grow a bigger list.

As a list owner, I wanted to share some of what I have learned with you...


You Must Build A Relationship With Your Subscribers

True, but how should we define a "relationship" with your list?

People assume that a relationship is built on information only, but that is not true.

I know a lot of people on this forum are on Mike Lantz' list. Does he ever send "information only"?

Nope. Never.

Yet people look forward to opening his emails.

So, I think we can rule out "information only" as the definition of a "relationship with one's list."

LOL

Mike sends product promotions 6 days per week.

And, he does not even do his own reviews of the products he promotes. Mike finds reviews that others have left about the product, and he uses those publicly available reviews as his copy when he tells his subscribers about a product.

Mike Lantz has taught us that in order to have a successful relationship with our mailing lists, it is not necessary to:

• Ever send Information Only;
• Mail Less than 6 Days Per Week;
• Do your own Product Reviews.

What we do need to do is:

• Teach people what to expect from us;
• Be consistent;
• Deliver what we promised;
• Earn the trust of our readers;
• Give people what they want.

On my lists, I do send some "information only" emails and free gifts. My goal is to train my readers that if they don't open all of my emails, they might miss something important!

I also do many of my own reviews, because I hope people will want to look at my review, before they buy. Yes, I do occasionally give products a bad or lukewarm review.

If people believe that I will tell them when to keep money in their pockets, they will better trust me in the future.


Tell People What to Expect, then Deliver on Your Promises

Building a relationship with your list is as simple as building trust. If people trust you, they will buy from you.


Be Willing to Correspond with Folks

I encourage my readers to hit Reply when they have something to share about my mailings. People do hit Reply, and so do I.

By having a conversation with people, those with whom you communicate will have a greater appreciation for what you do.


Don't Sell to Your Readers

There is a slight distinction between "selling" to people, and letting them know that there is something that they might "want to buy".

By selling to your reader, you are putting your needs ahead of the wants and needs of your readers.

By informing your readers of the availability of a product, you are letting your readers decide what is best for them.

The people on your mailing list should be adults and treated as such. As adults, they should be expected to make their own decisions about whether they want to buy what you have told them about or not.

So long as you make the subtle mental shift from "selling" to "informing" your readers, people will like and trust you more.


Don't Act Desperate

Sure, I would like my readers to buy, and I would like readers to stay on my list, but I am somewhat a freak.

As a writer, I know that if I want something too much, people will sense it in the words that I use.

I do want people to stay on my list, but I don't want people on my list that do not want to read what I have written.

My subscribers frequently hit Reply to share a laugh with me when I invite people to unsubscribe from my list, which is something that I do every couple of months.

Yes, I would like people to stay, but if they don't like the way I communicate with my audience, there is an unsubscribe button at the bottom of every email I send. Folks should unsubscribe if they don't like the way I run my lists.


This Is A Business

If you make money with your mailing list, then it is at least "part of your business".

Make no apologies to your list for treating it like a business.

As a member of my list, I am going to show you products that I think you might like to buy -- and yes, I might earn a commission if you do buy what I recommend.

But, I will make no apologies for doing so, because my mailing is part of my business.



As a list owner, do you have anything to add to this?