7 Ways To Squeeze More Profit From Your Opt-In List
The money is in the list…right? You’ve read all the success stories about people who’ve built a small fortune with opt-in lists. So you decided to create one of your own (good decision).
- You set up a squeeze page with your freebie and your opt-in form and started promoting your list everywhere possible.
- You grabbed some great articles from an ezine directory and sent them to your list.
- You found a popular product at ClickBank, sent out a solo ad and waited for the sales fill up your inbox.
You felt the success welling up inside you!
Then reality strikes like a lightning bolt…
Nothing…Not one sale!
What could have gone wrong?
Why have others succeeded where you have failed?
The secret to squeezing more profits from your opt-in list is building a relationship with your subscribers. The following tips will help you establish friendship and trust with your readers so they’ll listen to what you have to say and act on your recommendations.
1. Establish the terms of your relationship. This starts at the squeeze page. Tell your subscribers what they will get and that they will need to confirm their subscription to download your report. Assure them that they will not be bombarded with product promotions. And of course, you will not share their email address with anyone.
2. Let your subscribers get to know you. The first contact is critical and will set the tone for your relationship. Tell your story. Let your subscribers know who you are, where you live, how you got started online, what you’ve accomplished and most importantly, how you can help them accomplish their goals. This bonding period will determine how they react when they see future email messages from you in their inbox.
3. Tell your subscribers exactly what to expect from you. Let them know up front what types of content you’ll be sending them. Tell them how often will you be sending emails. If you send special articles or reviews on Friday, let them know. Tell them what to look for in the subject line like the name of your ezine or an acronym. Make sure they know that you will be recommending products and services that you personally use to run your business. List all the benefits of being on your list in first email so they know exactly what to expect in the future.
4. Write your messages as if you were writing to a friend. Make your subscribers feel like you’re writing a personal note, just to them. Use a subject line that looks personal: Hey Bob, I think you’ll like this… Start your message with a personal story (make it short), then move on to the main topic of your email.
5. Get to know your subscribers. Before you start blasting your list with offer for the latest, greatest products that everyone else is pitching, get to know your audience and what THEY want. The easiest way to find out what they want is to simply ask. Have your subscribers send you their most important question about a particular topic or make a post on your blog. Surveys are another great way to find out what people want. Once you know what they are looking for, it’s easier to provide the content that they want and promote the products that they need.
6. Ditch the hype. It’s okay to get excited about a product that you truly believe in. But make sure you always tell the TRUTH about the products you promote. Don’t put a frosty coating on everything. Tell it like it is…good or bad. Your subscribers will love you for it and look forward to every email you send. People buy from people they trust. So when you do send a promotion, they’ll be more likely to buy from you.
7. Be Consistent. You need to contact your list on a regular basis. How often you send emails depends on the type of business you run. If you sell your own products, you may want to send a weekly update. If you promote affiliate products, you may want to send an article or product review every Wednesday to pre-sell your subscribers and then follow up with a promotion the next day. If they know when to expect your emails, then they’re more likely to look out for them on those days.
If you follow these 7 simple steps, you’re sure to build a long-lasting and profitable relationship with your list.
Did you like this article? Please leave a comment below…
———————————————————–
Derrick VanDyke is the author of “Affiliate Cash Secrets.” If you’d like to get on his mailing list and receive tips, articles and information about affiliate marketing, visit: http://AffiliateCashSecrets.com/thankyou.htm
———————————————————–
REPRINT RIGHTS: You have permission to use the above article without omission and including the resource box. You have the right to insert your affiliate link for “Affiliate Cash Secrets” in place of the existing URL.
Business Basics
Even though the title is bland, this is probably the most controversial report I’ve ever written. You’ll see what I mean when you read what I have to say about what you should sell online…
Right Click Here to Download the Report
If you have any questions or opinions on this report, please leave a comment below…
Best regards,
Derrick Van Dyke
Giveaway Secrets
I just finished a report called Giveaway Secrets. If you had a chance to check it out, please let me know what you thought of it by leaving a comment below. If you’d like to be featured on my sales letter for massive exposure and a back link you site, just leave your full name and website URL with your endorsement.
Thanks,
Derrick VanDyke
The 4-Step Plan
Here’s the 4-Step Plan for implementing “The Ultimate Business Model For Newbies” (right click to download).
http://affiliatecashsecrets.com/The4-StepPlan.pdf
If you leave a comment on this blog, I’ll give you more details on each of these steps…
Best regards,
Derrick Van Dyke
The Money is in The List…Right?
Everybody says, “The money is in the list…” Well, that’s not exactly true - it’s not the whole truth anyway.
The biggest obstacle you face when you publish an ezine is the fact that people have gotten used to getting junk (from your competitors) disguised as helpful information.
Many publishers write about every new trend (and the underlying product) because their writing from a mentality of “I gotta get paid” and when you do that, you completely forget about the people you’re writing to and start to concentrate on you and what you want.
That’s a surefire recipe for disaster…
Whenever you write anything for your subscribers, don’t write with the sole intention of getting a check. Getting checks is nice but your business lives or dies based on how many people believe you genuinely want to help them achieve their goals.
Show your readers that you value them enough to part with real, quality information and that you see them as more than just a dollar sign. Otherwise, you’re going to be lumped into a group with all the rest of your competitors with a big sign on your forehead marked “Will Do Anything For Commissions”.
Responsive readers come from a conscious effort to build a solid relationship with them. People connect with other people. Not mindless robots that only want commission checks.
Now don’t get me wrong.
I’d love for you to buy the products I recommend, but I’m not going to force that on you. When I do enough of the right things in your eyes, I will have earned the right to ask you for your money in the form of commission checks from other products and services that I not only recommend, but truly believe in.
The point is…I have to earn that right by giving up good information that is of actual use to you. When you write anything you expect other people to read, the same thing applies to you.
If you’re going to create information full of affiliate links then you’re completely missing the point of what it takes to get people to value what you have to say.
I’ve done that in the past and it is nowhere near as effective. If you want people to eagerly anticipate your next email with every intention of jumping on any products or services you recommend, you have to earn their trust first by giving quality information without asking for anything in return.
Sincerely,
Derrick VanDyke
Which Autoresponder Should I Use?
I have tested deliverability for both Aweber and Getresponse using the monitoring service at DeliverMonitor.com and Aweber gets the highest scores every time.
I don’t want to discourage anyone from using GetResponse (they pay higher commissions ;o), but Aweber’s deliverability rate is consistently higher - by 10% or more.
I talked to Tom Kulzer (owner of Aweber) for an hour one day and he told me that it takes a full-time staff and years of tenure with the major ISPs (not to mention huge monthly fees) to get the delivery rates that they attain.
I have talked to several marketers including Armand Morin, Jimmy Brown, Ryan Deiss, etc. - Guys who have been around for a long time and tried different solutions.
Now they all use Aweber.
If you’re using a cheap autoresponder, you’re wasting money.
Think about it this way: if you have a list of 1000 people and you make $500 a month from that list. You could be making $1000 a month with a quality autoresponder. And when you’re paying less than $20 a month…It’s really a NO-BRAINER.
End of Rant…
Derrick
P.S. I’m didn’t post this to make a buck (Aweber only pays 20% commission). I just want you to make the right choice from the start - you can’t move your list later. If you want to join Aweber through my affiliate link, click here. Otherwise, sign up here.