List building is the process of building a mailing list and this is something
that any business or marketer should be adept in.
So what exactly is a mailing list?
That would be a collection of e-mails that you will acquire through a
website and/or through other means and which you can then use in order
to promote and sell products.
Managing your mailing list means sending regular and high quality
messages that build trust and authority. At the same time though, you also
need to avoid sending too many messages in too short a space of time you
might actually end up frustrating and irritating your audience.
What’s more, you need to know the timing when it comes to your offers. To
maximise your conversion rates you want to involve a little build-up and
excitement to build buzz around your product…
When Do You Bite?
Normally then, you don’t want to launch straight into a sales pitch. Instead,
you are going to build trust and authority first.
The best way to do this is by providing value in the first few emails and by that way gaining your audience’s interest and trust.
Over time, if you have a ‘big ticket’ item that you want to sell, you should
then start talking about your forthcoming product. Tell people that the item
will be in short supply (this creates more desire because we always want
things we can’t have) and that there will be a limited window. You can give
a reason for this to make it more effective (for instance: the secret is too
valuable to give away to everyone). Having a ‘launch event’ works great in
this context because it gives you something to build towards and because it
increases excitement.
This is your e-mail ‘sequence’ that will go from delivering value and building
trust, to mentioning an exciting opportunity, to building up the excitement
for your launch day.
Essentially this is the ‘AIDA’ strategy again –
Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action!
An example of this in action might be to send the following four emails:
1 Personality Email
Here you spend the majority of your time introducing yourself, talking about
how you’re excited to meet everyone, thanking them and even talking
about your recent experiences. This makes you seem like a hum and that
increases engagement and trust. Mention the product only very vaguely
here.
2 Value Email
Next up you’re going to give some value. This could be a completely free eBook,
a report or just a powerful tip in the e-mail. Show people that it is
possible to get something other than spam in their e-mail and demonstrate
just how much you know about your topic.
Mention that for more value like this, you have an exciting product coming
up. You can also mention your launch date and ask for feedback and ideas.
3 Product Email
Now you’re going to focus more on the product. Talk about how it is in
limited supply, what it does and who it’s for. Another added tip is to say
who it is not for which is good for building trust and also increasing desire.
4 Sales Emails
Finally, go in for the kill – with a few emails tell people why the product
rocks and warn them that time is running out for them to buy! Give them the
direct link and mention after the launch that you still have a few available.
How Often Should You Email Your List?
So how frequently should you be sending your messages? There’s no rule
but as a general rule you should aim for once or twice a week. This way,
you don’t get ‘forgotten’ but at the same time, you aren’t going to frustrate
someone so much that they feel moved to unsubscribe.
Of course this can vary and often you will want to increase the regularity of your messages as you get closer to your launch date.