Good Morning Theo,
As I do each year around about now, I write a checklist of things that need ‘fixing up’ on my own website. This is an annual thing and over the past 14 years has served me very well keeping my business up to date.
This year I found myself looking at my eMail procedures, and ways that I can make the whole process easier and more efficient – both for me and for my customers.
Here’s the thing; these day too many people reply too heavily on their Social Media properties to communicate with their customers. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t – you should – but always remember that YOU DON’T OWN those ‘properties’. They could come crashing down at any time and your ‘database’ is lost.
What you REALLY need to do is funnel those leads into an email marketing system that allows you independent follow up of your own leads and contacts. Once where you set the rules, not the Social Media Moguls.
Here’s a few thoughts to help you with this -
1. Have you noticed the high number of “squeeze pages” (newsletter signup pages) in use these days? Every one and his dog seems to have one.
What do you think of them? Do you usually subscribe? Would you perhaps grab your download and then unsubscribe? These are the questions that your prospects are thinking about when they come to *your* squeeze page. Many will just dump and run.
So here’s an idea to get a better hit rate and a better stick rate –
Personalise it! Don’t fall for the bare-bones-basic model, but instead stick your picture on it. Get a picture of yourself holding something up, like a copy of the gift you’re giving them;maybe an some audio or video. Something to stand out – something different!
BE different. Be you!
2. There’s another way that you can easily set yourself apart from “the masses” with your eMail marketing, and that is to ‘talk’. Don’t write…. talk.
I’m not talking about audio here, I’m talking about ‘talking’… or perhaps I should say “writing AS you talk.” Writing the same way that you talk.
If you’ve ever listened to any of my audios or videos you can probably almost hear me in your mind as you read this? It’s just like I’m in your head “talking to you”! Yeah I know, scary thought, LOL.
But being different is what works these days. Actually, it’s always worked, we just kinda got lost in the “do what they do” thing.
So stop doing as ‘they’ do, and do what *you* do… because you’ll do that the best :)
3. Is it OK to send offers to your list? Yes.
Is it OK to bombard your readers with offers? No. Well, not unless that’s what they signed up for as a subscription list… and that’s the difference.
This newsletter is called Internet Business Quick Tips. It comes out every week or three with a QUICK tip that you can grasp hold of in just a few minutes. That’s what you asked for, so that’s what you’ll get. Sure, from time to time you’ll get an offer for some thing or another, I gotta make a living; but only if it’s related to Internet Business and you can get through it quick. If not I’ll tell you in advance.
I suggest that you set about to do the same. What is it that your subscribers signed up for? Did they register for a PDF download plus 25 follow up ads for your products and services? Probably not, I’ll bet that’s *not* what was on your signup page!
A little while back I decided to make use of an old list with a few hundred subscribers by changing its focus and its direction. I told them that the change was coming and that if they didn’t want it, that they should unsubscribe.
Guess how many did… 12! That’s right, just 12… 3%. Not much at all.
Tell me something, when was the last time you asked your current subscribers to “unsubscribe”? I think we should do it every year, and keep our lists clean.
Follow the old essay formula; tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them what you’re there to tell them, and then tell them what you’ve just told them!
That way we get better feedback, provide better content which leads to more sales.
That’s what Internet Business is all about – quick, direct, and valuable; otherwise no one will take notice of it.
That’s my goal for you :)
Talk to you soon,
Paul Barrs
My Goal is simple - to help you achieve *yours* online :)
would not work in the evenings and rarely at the weekends (unless I wanted to). I also schedule in a long weekend with family each month. 
