I don’t know if you have noticed, but it’s seems like one of the biggest problems that people have in internet marketing is building a list.
While everyone (including myself) proclaim that the money is in the list, not that many bloggers seem to be doing it successfully.So if you are one of the people who have a failing email list, then I thought it would be a good idea to go through a couple of reasons your list is not grow – or making any money!
Why You Are Failing At List Building!
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People Don’t Know Where To Sign Up
You cannot build a list if people don’t know how to sign up. So make it OBVIOUS, EASY and UNABLE TO PASS UP!
OBVIOUS
Don’t hide your signup form! Make sure you draw attention to list , by using arrows or dashed lines (anything that will get your visitors eyes from your content to your list signup form.
For blogging, one of the best places that you can place your list’s signup form is right after your content. This is because your readers will hopefully have just been ‘wowed’ by your content and are now qualified readers who want more information.
EASY
It has been proven that the less obstacles that you place in front of someone, the more likely they will do what you want them too. So if you are asking for peoples Name, email, address, phone number and income, then your chances of building a big list quickly are quite slim. So cut it back to the essentials – all you really need is peoples email address ( and you will probably convert up to 30% more if you are just asking for email address, as compared to name and email address.
UNABLE TO PASS UP
All that being said, no one will subscribe to your list unless there is something in it for them. So make sure your sign up form passes the WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) test.
So make sure you are providing incentives for people to sign up or you will have a weak, empty, unprofitable list.
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People Don’t Care What You Have To Say
What is your credibility?
People hate to receive a lot of worthless emails, so what is your reason for people wanting to subscribe to yours?
- Are you an expert in your field?
- Do you have something that no one else does?
- Can you help solve your visitors problems?
If you answer no to all of these questions, then chances are that your email list is going to fail.
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You Don’t Treat Your Subscribers With Respect
Once you have started to build your list – and are finally getting some subscribers, you need to make sure you are nurturing your list.
After putting all your hard work into gaining your subscribers, the last thing you want to do is treat them wrong – and make them unsubscribe. Don’t go spamming your list with every single offer you find – if you do this you will most certainly fail. Instead provide quality content to your list and only recommend products that you personally recommend – and don’t over promote!
I know that these points are quick broad, and I know that there are probably quite a lot of successful list builders that break one or more of these points. What the point I am trying to push across is that if you put these tips into action you will have a much better chance of growing a profitable email list!
Do you have anything to do? What do you think causes list builders to fail?
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post Tom and nice blog. This is my first visit and I wanted to let you know that your content is quality, your blog theme is attractive and your points are right on!
Number one in your list seems so obvious and yet it is often one of the leading causes of failure. It happens with all types of websites – squeeze pages, blogs, ecommerce stores. It’s so easy to clutter up your virtual space or add too many bells and whistles. Keeping it simple and easy for the visitor to understand is key. Some of the plainest sites convert the best.
.-= Keller Hawthorne´s last blog ..Win My New Premium WordPress Theme – Fresh Journal – Or Get $10 OFF! =-.
Wow! Thankyou Keller!
I would have to admit that I personally feel that I am currently failing the first step. While I have my subscribe in the sidebar, that is about it. I am currently working on changing that though and am sure that it will drastically improve my conversion rate!
I haven’t really done much list building in the past. I think I will give away my next book for free using a list and this article helps. I currently do have one really big email list, but thats for my startup and not for marketing.
.-= Anthony Feint´s last blog ..Cool Tools for the Location Independent =-.
That is a good idea Anthony. What are you doing with your Startup email list, are you profiting from it?
You’re right, some folks do an awful job of list building. I think it’s also nice to offer options for those that have opted-in to the list. For example, offering newsletters or updates on a monthly basis give the subscribers an idea of how frequently they will receive contact. Most people don’t mind getting an email once a month, but they don’t want to be contacted every week.
@Ileane
.-= Ileane´s last blog ..Some Serious Blog Engagement =-.
@Ileane – I do agree with your first comment that some people do a really bad job at list building, but I have to disagree with your the rest of your comment.
I think that the once a month newsletter type list is something that has become somewhat of a fairy tale. I know that ProBlogger does something similar, but I see it as a waste of a resource. If you have this great list of people waiting to hear your latest tips and recommendations – why only contact them once a month?
Great post. I’ll be checking to see if I am following the advice you gave here for my own list. They can a little boost for sign ups. Hey, maybe you should offer listbuilding consulting. You know, so people will know what to do
.-= Leslie´s last blog ..Almost The End Of The Month =-.