| If you've been online for more than 15 minutes, you | | | | your very own server, and having a substantial |
| have no doubt heard that "The money is in the list." | | | | number of emails be undelivered. (By "delivered" I |
| Building an email marketing list is the single-best thing | | | | mean that the email actually winds up in your |
| you can do for your business. | | | | prospective recipient's inbox.) |
| Why? | | | | There are 5 critical factors that you must get right in |
| With the vast array of choices available to | | | | order to establish an effective email marketing |
| consumers today, it is important that you establish a | | | | program. |
| relationship with prospects and customers right away, | | | | |
| at the very beginning of your mutually beneficial | | | | 1. We have already talked about this one: Get |
| relationship. | | | | yourself a reliable email marketing service like |
| As you know, acquiring a new customer is very | | | | Aweber, GetResponse, or MailChimp. Any of the |
| expensive. On the other hand, getting existing | | | | major ones will do. |
| customers to be repeat-buyers is incredibly easy. | | | | 2. Create as many lists as necessary to accomplish |
| Building an email marketing system will ease the | | | | your marketing mission. At the very least, set up 3 |
| burden of getting new customers, while it also makes | | | | lists to begin with: Prospect, Customer, and Partner. |
| converting existing one-time buyers into repeat | | | | 3. Create a compelling reason for somebody to give |
| customers. | | | | you his contact information. Make a really good offer. |
| Here's how: When a person visits your website, | | | | 4. Make GREAT "thank you" and "confirmation" |
| make it easy for her to sign up to your email list. | | | | pages. Sell something there or build even more trust |
| Make a compelling case for her to hand over her first | | | | by giving something away. Remember, this is |
| name and email address; often, you will see savvy | | | | "permission-based marketing." Folks don't have to |
| internet marketers offering a useful newsletter or a | | | | subscribe. |
| free report in return for this contact information. | | | | 5. Set up your autoresponder series. This is a series |
| Now, you can certainly build your list system in-house | | | | of emails that are sent, on a schedule, to everybody |
| and rely on a team of administrators to maintain, | | | | on your list. You set it up once and then you forget |
| patch, upgrade, and monitor your list server. | | | | it for the most part, only refining it as necessary. |
| Or, you can simply invest in an autoresponder | | | | You can also do "broadcasts" for time-sensitive or |
| service. Most are set up to take monthly fees, or | | | | topical subjects (like product launches). |
| subscriptions, in return for giving you rock-solid | | | | There are many factors you must consider when |
| performance, very little downtime, if any, and very | | | | setting up an email marketing list. I have covered the |
| high email sending rates. | | | | basics. Now, dig in, choose a service, and learn how |
| It is this last factor that may be the most critical. | | | | to use it! |
| Imagine writing the perfect email, sending it out with | | | | |