eMail Follow Up System in 3 Easy Steps! by: Denise Ryder The most important asset a eBusiness owner has is... A LISTActually the more lists you have the better off you are. BUT the key isn't just having several general lists, you want to have as many targeted lists as you can. What do I mean by that?? Well, ummm for all you health and nutritional product people out there your targeted lists could be based around each of the specific products you offer. Those in themselves make up a "list." If you are selling information products, then the theme or topic of each of your books/courses can make a sub or targeted list. Don't look at your products/services as a group, break them down (if you can) and think of them in terms of a targeted group of people (or list). For each group you will send out the initial information request and then your follow up will involve specific information catering to that group. That follow up is pretty straightforward. I mean if you have a product that is based to help migraine suffers then you wouldn't later send a mailing to that list about a new product that deals with asthma...they don't relate or tie in. You keep sending that list information relating to suffering from migraines. There is one other list that you could be building and that is one that involves a one-time request for information. For example; if you decided to create a list of 50 eZines Directories, a person hits your autoresponder once to get that list. Or how about the second part of your two-part article - again a person that hits your autoresponder is after that one-time request. |
How on earth do you follow up with these people, when they didn't subscribe to receive regular mailings?That is what we are going to go over today. A 3-step follow up system which will turn these one-time requests into yet another viable list for you ;o) So, let's get at it ;o) Step 1 - First or Initial Contact This is the information that you are firing out after they have hit your autoresponder. You have two ways you can go here. You can either: let the person that you are going to send them future information that is RELATED to the information they have requested here. Or, you don't say a thing at all. Best course of action is to tell them upfront...be totally open and honest from the get go. Remember people do business with people they know, like and trust and if you aren't trusting...you've lost them. Having said that, you still need to give them a chance to opt-out of receiving more information...here is a sample to give you something to look at and use. SAMPLE... Hi ~~NAME~~ (remember personalize) Just wanted to send you out the information you requested about the 55 no cost marketing resources. I have listed them all below and I hope you find them useful. In a few days I'll be sending you over a special article that I wrote "The Key to No Cost Marketing." Look for that to come in about three days. I've spent a lot of time researching marketing tactics and looking for good solid resources that work. I'll be glad to share this information with you, if you want me to. If you don't want to receive these additional strategies and resources then you can click the REMOVE ME link below. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. Look forward to sharing this information with you, take care and good luck with your eBusiness. Sincerely, Denise Ryder |
So what we have here is your prospect receiving the initial information that they requested AND we have let themknow that there is more to come and if they don't want to receive it then, they can of course, opt out. Most will stay because you have given them a good reason to (remember it's the WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME), a preview of what's to come. Step 2 - Automate You're probably thinking, yup I know I need an autoresponder in order to do this. Of course you do, that goes without saying. But, you need to see the bigger picture here. You have a prospect that has received the information and you have indicated that there is more "to come." That "more to come" is what I am referring to. Make sure you have it already to go and uploaded into your autoresponder. Yup, ya got to think ahead...there is no room for "fly-by-the seat of your pants" marketing here. Sit down and plan out a 7 message follow up for this list and have it loaded and ready to go. Leave some time between each mailing...something like between 7-10 days. Remember this isn't your general list, this is a targeted one with specific information and of course specific offers geared to them. Through these 7 messages your goal is to keep building upon the information that they prospect originally requested. You know they are interested because they hit your autoresponder in the first place, right ;o) So give them the good, solid content RELATING to the original that they requested. In our example above I would keep providing them with information concerning no cost marketing resources. I would send the article as I said I would and then the other 6 messages would perhaps look at what to spot in a good no cost marketing resource, how to test a resource, how to track the results, and how to use the information they have gathered to make money. All the while I mention that there is STILL MORE to come and of course provide them with the opt-out option at all times. I also can weave in my offers and because of the way I have set my system up, these offers come in the form of recommendations, there is no hard sell tactics happening here. Step 3 -Special Mailings Ok, we have a sublist with a theme of no cost marketing resources. As I release a new product (based on this theme) or find more resources to share, then I will send out a special mailing with this information. The idea is that these are "special" so they are not to be used as some form of "mass or blast" marketing tactic. What we have done with these people is built a good solid relationship with them. We have sent them fantastic info that they can use and we keep building by providing them with even more information and over-delivering. Why would we want to then ruin all that by blasting them every week... WE DON'T. These special mailings should be limited to using them twice a month. It stands to reason that some months you may not use them at all. But in this case the idea is that it is special so make it good. Keep the momentum of good solid information and tie in a good offer. |
A good rule of thumb is to think in these terms...
A good mailing is something that benefits the list member and the list owner. It has to be a win/win for both or it just won't work.
When you are thinking in terms of lists, you have to realize that a list can come from anywhere. It is just a matter of seeing it. As I mentioned above, think of your products/services as little individual lists. Break them down and build a sublist around each products theme.
Do it right and you may find a little niche where you didn't
realize it…now how cool is that!!
If you want to gain some further insight into a few more tactics like this one, then read "How To Become Wildly Successful Online." This eBook will give you some great ideas.
About the author:
Denise Ryder is a Marketing Coach writing from her home
office in Northern Ontario (Canada). Imagine What You
Could Accomplish With a Marketing Coach in Your Back
Pocket! Take the No Cost TEST DRIVE!
