Friday, June 14, 2013

Understanding Email Marketing 101 - List Building That Works

By Bob Steele


You need a list and you know it. In fact, it's possible that you already have a list. It's quite possible you have found a little success with it. You might be seeing a decline in that success though. Don't panic! Success in email marketing is intermittent and that's something no one will admit to. There will be ventures and undertakings will have a better performance than others. You might be tempted to start looking for new and shiny strategies that are "certain" to help you make millions when you see your sales dropping. Steel yourself against this temptation! The ideal approach is to return to the fundamentals when your sales aren't doing so well, and we'll analyze a few of those in this article.

Segmentation will help you build your list quickly. What happens is you offer something to your list, and when they buy, they go from the "prospect" list to the "buyer" list. Different autoresponder messages should be used for follow-up. When people buy from you, it is not in your best interest to market the same item to them once they have already made the purchase. You may lose them entirely if you do this. The thing you need to do is keep in touch with them and thank them for making the purchase that they did. As long as the list is segmented, this is so easy to do. All you have to do is use a subscription-based autoresponders that has this option.

The best way to build your list is by using segmentation. What happens is you offer something to your list, and when they buy, they go from the "prospect" list to the "buyer" list. The messages on the autoresponder should all be different. When people buy from you, it is not in your best interest to market the same item to them once they have already made the purchase. You could actually alienate people completely by doing this. The proper course of action is to encourage them to stay in touch, and also thank them for the purchase they just made. The best way to do this is by segmenting your list. Most subscription-based autoresponders have this option.

Your automatic responder should have the ability to double check, just to make sure people really want to subscribe to your list. When people subscribe, using their e-mail, an automated confirmation e-mail should be sent out. Sometimes a subscriber will make a mistake and subscribe to your list by accident. Other times, they're just curious as to what you have to offer. It is a good business strategy, especially when building an e-mail list, to offer an opt back out option. Sometimes, it actually makes them stay! The perception will be that you care more about them than making money. It is actually ironic that, by doing this, you could profit much more than if you did not.

Other things to consider are the demographics, and exactly where people opted in to your list. For this, different sections should be created. This way you can target your automatic messages. It's easier to do than it sounds and it will keep you from promoting a product geared for women to a list composed primarily of men. Sometimes you can target specific products to specific people. Other times, you will have a wide ranging audience that may be interested in a variety of things. Segregating your list based on these basic things can be very helpful in this regard.

Succeeding with email marketing is possible but there are many things that will require your attention and effort. Maybe your success has simply begun to wane because you've already done it effectively. No matter your reasoning, the fact is that real money is made from applying the essentials.

Don't be gullible and fall for the first shiny new method or promise that is overhyped. Stick to the techniques that worked for you when you were building your foundation. You can't go wrong with the basics.




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