Learn Internet Marketing: “What Do I Send My List?”
I received a question from one of my readers that I’d like to answer today.
Andre Arnett said:
“Hi Melissa, One of the biggest problems I have is when I get people through my squeeze pages setting up emails to send out. Any suggestions on what to send them. I use your Special Report emails but there are only 5 in there so what do I send out after they are used up? Thanks, Andre Arnett.”
This is something that we all struggle with at one time or another, and it’s completely normal to feel like you just don’t have anything to say. With that said, sending an email to your list once or twice a week is really important in order to maintain your relationship with them. Even if it’s just a quick note letting them know what you’re up to.
Think of your subscribers as friends. The more you stay in touch with them, the more your relationship grows. But when contact with your friend slows, or stops altogether then you grow apart and your friend moves on. And sometimes, after an extended period, they no longer welcome your contact because they just don’t know you anymore.
Treat your reader as you would a good friend. In how you write your emails, how often you send them, to the products you recommend to them. Do that, and the whole process becomes easy. This should be you thinking -> “Hey, I just wrote a great blog post. I’ll email my friend about it”.
Now, of course I couldn’t end this blog post without giving you some ideas on what to send your subscribers Andre, so here you go…
Stuff You Can Send Out:
-> Articles: You can put articles inside your email or link to articles on your website. For monetization, your articles can include links to relevant products, bylines can include promotional links and if you send readers to a website to read the article, you can include Adsense ads and other possible monetization.
-> Blog Posts: If you’ve made an interesting or helpful blog post, invite your subscribers to read it, leave commentary and ask questions. I like to send readers to my blog to engage them in discussions that benefit all my readers and to make my subscribers feel like they’re involved. You can monetize blog posts much the same way you do articles.
-> Reports / Ebooks – Not everything has to be for sale. In fact, giving away free and helpful information can be an incredible sales tool. You can include product promos at the beginning of your report/ebook, at the end and definitely in context, where appropriate.
It doesn’t matter if you sell info products, consumer products or are an affiliate marketer, informing and teaching people is an excellent sales tool.
For example, if you sell cameras and camera accessories, you can giveaway a guide on digital photography. You can talk about different camera features, make recommendations for certain types of photography. If your guide includes information on editing, talk about software recommendations. Be sure to recommend printers and paper as well, if applicable.
-> Workbooks/Worksheets – Provide your readers something useful and practical like a workbook. For example, if you provide homeschool lessons, add a practical workbook to boost the value. You could also offer a workbook as a bonus to anyone who purchases a course/information product through your affiliate link. It’s just something relatively easy to make and taking the time can produce great results.
You can promote other products at the beginning of the workbook (as an introduction), in the page footers and at the end of the workbook. In addition, if product links are appropriate with certain sections/questions, put them in.
-> Checklists: Checklists are not only handy for your readers, but they’re something they’ll print out and use frequently if they find them valuable. Make a useful checklist with a product/website promo, so they’ll see it each time they refer to your checklist.
For example, if you sell a environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies, make a household cleaning checklist.
-> Audios / Podcasts: Audios are a great way for your readers to take your info and marketing messages on the go. Many will listen right on their computer, but others will load it to their iPod or even burn it to aCD. Encourage your readers to consume the content in the way they are most comfortable.
Audios and podcasts can be entertaining, informative or a combination of both. The best part is they can be used to recommend/sell a variety of products. Be sure to use memorable URLs as your listeners will have to type them in and give them a downloadable info sheet that includes any URLs mentioned.
-> Live Teleseminars / Webinars: Much like a recorded audio, live telseminars are also very useful. Being live also often makes it easier to build up excitement and get your listeners to take immediate action on an offer. An element of interactivity is also added if you allow listeners to ask questions.
-> Live Streaming or Recorded Video: With increasing broadband speeds, video is much more accessible than it was a few years ago. It’s a great way to add a visual element to what was previously limited to audio. You can use various software programs to get video onto your website or you can use services like YouTube.com to post recorded video or Justin.TV to stream live. You can talk about products in your video, include a watermark on your videos for promotion, etc.
-> Screen Capture Video: A little different than live-action video, screen capture video allows you to demonstrate things on a computer. Whether it’s to show how to use a particular website, some software or demonstrate a membership site, there are many possibilities for screen capture video.
-> Transcripts: Realize that not all your readers will be able to or will want to watch video or listen to audio. You can provide transcripts or notes on the broadcasts to people who prefer to read.
-> Comment on news / blog posts: Instead of completely coming up with your own topics and content, you can piggy-back on what’s going on in the news or on other blogs and share your own viewpoints and commentary. Your readers will appreciate your perspective.
-> Patterns, Flowcharts, Spreadsheets: Provide all kinds of practical tools for your readers. What you provide will depend on your topic and products you’re promoting, but do think outside the box.
I hope that helps!
P.S. If you have a question you would like me to answer, I would love to hear it! Submit Your Question.
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Free Download: Top 10 Giveaway Ideas to Build Your Mailing List
Here’s a VERY cool download: Top 10 Giveaway Ideas to Build Your Mailing List.
Whether you’re just starting out or gaining momentum, there are some great ideas here for what you can give away to entice your web visitors to sign up for your mailing list.
You can download this handy printable idea sheet here:
Click here to get yours (PDF)
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How can I Avoid Having People Unsubscribing from my List?
You worked so hard on the latest issue of your newsletter or latest offer only to receive a bunch of unsubscribe transaction notices through your autoresponder. 
Now you’re disheartened and you wonder what you did wrong.
But, before you decide to pack it in or decide you’re an email marketing failure, consider this.
- Out of thousands of subscribers, you only had a handful of unsubscribers.
- Out of those that didn’t unsubscribe, many are clicking the links and taking action on the offers.
So… slap yourself a little… clearly you’re doing something right.
First and foremost, here’s the biggest lesson to keep in mind:
You can’t please everyone and never should you try. Keep your unique voice and perspective, and you’ll naturally attract and retail the people who are right for your email publication.
Besides people unsubscribe for a lot of reasons.
1. They are no longer interested in the topic.
2. They are reducing the amount of email in their inbox and you simply didn’t make the cut.
3. They never get a chance to read your emails
4. They are in a bad mood.
5. They signed up in a hurry and didn’t really get what they expected (i.e. without reading your offer)
6. They don’t remember signing up.
7. They wanted more/less detailed information.
8. They think you email too much.
… and none of these things should be taken personally. It’s a matter of preference and interest… and everyone is different.
To eliminate this ego crush from your life, I recommend:
1. For goodness sakes, turn these notifications of unsubscribers off. You may want to review reasons for unsubscribing now and then, but don’t receive notifications of every single one.
2. Seek more feedback from your satisfied subscribers. They may have occasional concerns and all a good source of suggestions on what you might do better. These people are your target not the people that leave.
3. You can also make a retention plan for those who unsubscribe. Wherever your autoresponder allows customization, you can:
- Offer a digest version of your newsletter for those who think you email too much/offer too much information.
- Offer them a highly-targeted freebie if they decide to stay on. Make sure the freebie is directly related to what you share in your publication, so you have a chance to win over the subscriber in future emails you send out.
But don’t sweat it too much or invest too much time into individuals leaving. Put your focus and attention on those who are sticking around.
More Practical Help for Your Email Marketing:
Pick up your copy the latest and possibly the most practical Sweetie course -> Email Marketing Sweetie.
Learn how to grow your list, reduce your workload and make more money with your email marketing. Click here to get yours.
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Do you hesitate?
There are very real concerns about list building and promoting to the people on your mailing list. And all the conflicting information out there doesn’t help matters when you’re trying to do the right thing.
Whether you’re new to list building or have been at it for awhile, it’s completely normal to hesitate about sending offers and even feel a little guilty about doing it.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
1) If you have not yet made the attempt to promote your business to your subscribers, don’t act hastily by inundating them with an onslaught of email promotions. Start out slow and test the waters first. An initial email letting them know you will be sending them valuable offers will open the lines of communication and lessen the shock value of promotions appearing in their inboxes.
2) A subscriber who is not interested in receiving your offers will have the opportunity to let you know, and most will not hesitate to be very forth coming. Just as they had the chance to “opt-in” to your mailings, they will now have the chance to “opt-out” of your promotions.
This will help you weed out subscribers who aren’t customer material. The good news is that most people will appreciate and be receptive to your offers given.
3) Once your list knows what to expect, you can begin the actual task of promoting. That doesn’t mean you can send them multiple offers on a daily basis until they exile your address to the world of SPAM. However, it does mean that you will have to stay on top of contacting your list and make a point of doing so frequently enough to stay current and fresh in their minds without filling their inboxes with clutter.
4) It’s important to maintain a balance between content-driven emails and those containing promotions. Selling to your list requires a delicate balance. Mix it up without mixing messages. In other words, alternate between information and promotions but don’t blend the two.
You do not want to take the risk of your message getting lost. You want to remain to be a voice your subscribers can trust without becoming too sales-driven and you also want to make sure your offers are clear without getting lost in your content.
We know that selling to your list can be intimidating because I used to feel that way too, but you have to remember that you’re running a business and emailing your list is not charity work.
If you have not yet made the attempt to promote your business to your subscribers, or you feel in the wrong when you do, it’s time to overcome your fear of selling to your list so you can make more money. Head over to Email Marketing Sweetie and learn how to grow your list, reduce your workload, and boost your income.
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Sweetie Saturday: Working with a VA, Being “Unpopular” & Building Your List
It’s that time again -> Sweetie Saturday Report Club Time!
And this month’s announcement includes an extra EXTREMELY valuable goodie for club members. Plus a heads up about boosted value and ultimately, boosted club dues (but don’t worry, if you’re already a member…you never have to pay more as long as you keep you membership active).
To Report Club Members: If you’re a member, everything is ready for download in your account.
Not a Member Yet? Click here to find out about this super-affordable and value-packed membership.
Onto this month’s new stuff:
If you’ve been pulling your hair out with too much stuff to do and you’re tired of little tasks taking you away from really GROWING your business…
Introducing: Your Guide to Finding & Working with a Virtual Assistant (VA) on Any Budget is your guide to leveraging the skills of others to boost your productivity and profitability.
Put together by Melody Spier of Essential Office Support (and who happens to be my own long-time VA), we’ve included a written report plus full audio recording that show you how to find and work effectively with a virtual assistant. And it doesn’t matter what your budget, you’ll learn how to start small and leverage the time and skills of your VA to boost your profits.
**Psst…if you don’t have a VA yet, log into your membership and you’ll see a valuable offer to get some one-on-one guidance and a work done for your with a VA Starter Package. Members-only!
(Full details on the report are at the Report Club Website)
Plus, you’ll receive these…
Members-Only Perks:
The monthly Essential Biz Notes supplement is a personal letter from me including a variety of strategies and recommendations for all aspects of your online business.
This month’s topic: “Being Popular May Not Be All That It’s Cracked Up To Be And How You Can Do BETTER Than Be Popular†~ If you’ve ever felt envious of other people’s perceived success, this will be a real eye-opener. Forget about being popular and learn how to get the true results you want from your business instead.
Stay Accountable & Learn More at the Club Members Only Discussion Forum
It’s one thing to get the information and tools you need to build and improve your online business, taking action is quite another. That’s why we’ve the private club members discussion area is available to you. Each month, you’ll find new discussions about the monthly materials. You’ll also find opportunities to share your action plans and stay accountable to sticking with your goals.
Now, there are no more excuses for NOT taking action.
AND NEWÂ for All Report Club Members
We’ve just added a cool new and handy bonus entitled, “27 Surefire Ways to Build Your Mailing List“. Print it out and keep it handy because this quick guide has tons of ideas for you to continue building your opt-in list.
What to Do Next: Sign Up & Claim Your Coupon Code
To get your first month’s membership (new members only) for only $1, be sure to enter coupon code:
freezie
Yes, the coupon code is: freezie
Click here for full details on the Sweetie Saturday Report Club.
…or…
If you’ve already made up your mind, go directly to the sign up page.
Heads Up on New Perk & Price Hike Coming
Again, if you are ALREADY a member or sign up before June 27, 2009…you’ll never pay more for your membership…as long as you keep an active club membership. However, if you do join after the deadline, you can expect to pay a bit more due to the new and upcoming monthly perk:
Announcing -> Sweet Cheat Sheets!
We’re all busy. Whether we’re working hard in our business or would rather be out and enjoying friends and family – it’s nice to have a clear and focused task list. So, no more mucking around. In addition to your monthly report, recording, biz notes and club forum access – you’ll get a monthly cheat sheet that will either:
- Show you step-by-step how to conduct a specific (yet important) task for your online business. For example, SEO, putting together a sales page, solo email, etc.
- OR…give you plenty of actionable ideas to achieve a business goal (ex. choosing topics for your mailing list, blog ideas, etc.
Over the months, your library of cheat sheets will grow, so you’ll never run out of productive things to do for your business. 
I look forward to delivering that in July’s package…but for now, enjoy this month’s bonus report with “27 Surefire Ways to Build Your Mailing List”. That’ll keep you (or your VA) busy!
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Holding Your Freebies Hostage?
You know, here’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while and have also conducted a few experiments over the past half year or so. I was recently reminded about my curiosity and thought I’d bring it up here when I read this thread -> Force Opt-In Confirmation Before Giving Them Free Content? The respondents had some very interesting viewpoints and things to think about.
If you’re not quite sure what I’m talking about when saying “holding freebies hostage”, let me give you a fictional example (& how I imagine the average person sees the experience):
Jane visits a website that promises her a report that will show her how to improve her memory by 98%. All she has to do is enter her name and email address and instantly (that’s what the sales page says) she’ll receive her report.
Jane is very excited and thinks this website owner may finally have the answers she has been looking for poor memory. So she enters her name, email address and clicks the submit button.
Uh-oh.
Jane is taken to a new page and at the top it tells her that she will need to check her email, click on a link and confirm her request. And once all that is complete, she’ll get her report.
This doesn’t seem very instant to Jane. There are more hoops to jump through and Jane is a little perturbed because she’s in a hurry. Plus, she is requesting this report from a computer at work, so she doesn’t have access to her peronal pop3 email that she used.
But add to that, a little further down on the page…there is a full-blown sales pitch for a product that she can purchase to further improve her memory. She is told this is the ONLY time she’ll ever see this offer and she’d better act now…but Jane is a little annoyed because she hasn’t received her free report yet. How can she possibly know if this is a product worth buying, when she hasn’t even received the promised “sample”? Add to that, she’s not totally sure she trusts this guy because he hasn’t done what he promised yet and is already giving her a pitch.
Now, This IS Fictional
I realize what I’ve said is purely fictional. Not everyone reacts like that and in many cases, you may find better results by holding goodies hostage.
I also tend to agree with Ron Killian who wrote in that thread:
“Honestly I think it comes down to what you want more, or your end goal. If you want a list, you need them to confirm before they get their freebie. If you want the info to get out there to push your site/product, you might be better off giving them the freebie whether they confirm or not.”
This is exactly what we found in our experiments. We were ultimately trying to build a CUSTOMER list. Sure, it’s nice to have opt-ins too, but we didn’t want to make it hard for people to see our amazing value and take us up on our super offer. And let’s face it a small list of customers is generally more valuable than a larger list of opt-ins.
Add to that, we had affiliates promoting these offers and we wanted them to see INSTANT results. We wanted to have them promote the page and BAM! see the sales notifications coming through.
And interestingly enough, in the cases where we did this, the confirmed opt-in rate was quite high. Now, I can only speculate why, but I’m guessing that we gave them confidence that we deliver on our promises, gave them QUALITY stuff and they were willing to confirm that they wanted more.
I think numbers are important (i.e. total sales, how much your list grows, etc.), but it’s also important to take a step back and walk through your process to see how your potential customer experiences it. From beginning to end, we want to people to be pleased with their experience, so they’ll keep on buying stuff, don’t we?
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Free Stuff: Parenting PLR Marketing Package
If parents are your target market, here’s something you’ll want to pick. It can help you build your list, you can add as a bonus to a product or even sell if you’d like.
Wendy Wood has put together a great PLR (private label rights) package that includes:
- 1 PLR 6-page Report: “A Parent’s Guide to Medicine Safety: Answers to Common Questions Parents Have When They’re Sick“…it’s an extremely important topic that every parent should know about.
- Opt-in page template to build your list and make a product offer (OTO) with the report – customize however you see fit.
- 4 ecover graphics to promote your report and give it aprofessional look
- 2 promotional banners to further spread the word about your fun report
It’s a super good deal…cuz it’s free. All you have to do is sign up here to get yours:
=> Claim your free PLR marketing package.
Pretty sweet! Thanks Wendy!
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How Do I Get My Subscribers to Pay Attention?
Here’s a question I received recently from one of my blog readers.
“I know everyone says the money is in the list, but I’ve been building my list and I feel like my subscribers just aren’t paying attention. There is a lot of competition in my market and I can’t seem to figure out how to stand out.
Melanie”
This is certainly not an uncommon problem. People are so inundated with email in general, it’s tough to get attention in an overflowing email inbox. Now, there are plenty of things you can do to get more attention (ex. testing your subject lines, teasing readers about your next email, etc.), but I’ve grabbed an excerpt from the Email Marketing Reform School that goes right back to the beginning and might help.
Before you even start a list, it’s important not only to define your target market, but come up with what makes your list unique – often called USP (Unique Selling Position) in terms of your overall business.
AND NOTE: You should define this your target & uniqueness for each and every list because each list serves a different purpose, even if the target markets are similar. This is what helps you relate to your audience more specifically and what makes them feel like you understand them, offer them value and that they can’t get enough of you!
Here’s the excerpt from the Reform School:
“UEP (Unique Emailing Position): UEP is an acronym I made up for our purposes (you won’t find it in any copywriting or marketing guide that I know of) and it stands for Unique Emailing Position. I have chosen this name so that you can really try to imagine your USP in the terms of your email marketing.
In short, your UEP is what sets you apart from others in your market using email to reach their prospects and customers. Put another way, a UEP is some unique thing you offer to your readers that competition is not. It’s the reason your subscribers sign up to your list, stay subscribers, open and act upon your email.
Here are just a few examples of a UEP. Your UEP will likely be very different as these examples won’t necessarily be appropriate to all types of lists. These ideas is just to help you start thinking about your own UEP.
o Do you offer more in-depth information on specific topics?
o Do you provide the honest reviews other people are afraid to do?
o Is your list attractive because you provide easy-to-understand condensed information?
o Does your mailing list motivate people into taking action?
o Is your list a humorous look at your topic?
o Do you send more frequent up-to-the-minute information?
o Are you dedicated to answering your readers’ questions and engaging in dialogue with them (Mind your time on something like this and look at the tips in the “Asking” section a little later in this lesson)?
o Do you offer exclusive interviews to people of influence in your target market?
UEP (or USP) is a concept that is often difficult for people because every business and mailing list is different. You need to really sit down, brainstorm and figure out your UEP because if you don’t, it’s hard to stand out from the crowd and compete in your market.
Here is one of the most important questions you’ll ask yourself when formulating your UEP:
“Why would my subscriber sign up for my list, instead of someone else’s? Why would they continue to stay subscribed?”
Take a look at other mailing lists / newsletters in your target market. What are they doing that you can do even better? If you’re on any customer lists (if not, try to get on some), see how your competitors treat their customers via email.”
It’s a small starting point that can make a big difference in your email marketing. Once you have your UEP down, you can more effectively market for new subscribers and get your existing ones a whole lot more responsive.
By the way, Reform School starts Monday, so be sure to book your spot now. 
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