I thought I’d have a look at Autoresponders again but, this time, with a view to the content one uses. The ideal way to make use of your autoresponder is to preload it with a series of content that’s sent to your list at predetermined times. That could be every three days, once a week, etc. Whatever you feel is best. Personally, I don’t believe in bombarding my list with stuff and the most I’d consider doing a posting is once a week. Anything more then that, in my opinion, is getting spammy.
The biggest question, and hardest for me, is what kind of content to use. That’s going to vary with each individual and is worth an article on it’s own I’m sure. What I’m going to look at more today is the format of one’s content and what will keep me subscribed to your list and what will send me to the unsubscribe link.
I, like probably most people entering the Internet Marketing field, have had the misfortune of falling into the trap of subscribing to Joint Venture Giveaways and downloading loads of crap. Along with the crap comes subscriptions to a multitude of mailing lists. My experience with these Joint Venture Giveaways has led me to believe that the vast majority of contributors to these events are the laziest of Internet Marketers and possess very little knowledge of how to MARKET.
I say lazy because many seem to feel that all they need to do is join one of these events, build a list and then start spamming sales messages to it. Want me to unsubscribe from your list? Send me nothing but sales messages…I’ll be gone by the time I’ve received the second. Quite possibly after the first one.
Then we have the “My good friend ….. has this great FREE product that he’s allowed me to offer ONLY to my list members.” (translation: I’ve never met or talked to this “good friend” but he’s a JV partner or I’m an affiliate of his and I’m hoping to make some money from you buying his upsell after you sign-up for HIS list and download some more crap). So you download another piece of garbage to go with all the other GREAT stuff you’ll never look at in that steadily growing folder of…crap. And you’re now subscribed to another mailing list to which the owner’s first message to you will probably be…”My good friend ….. has this great FREE product that he’s allowed me to offer ONLY to my list members.”
I have got to the point that I don’t even open these mailings anymore if it’s apparent in GMail’s preview what they are… or I just delete them if I find them to be of that nature. I’m also pretty much at the point of unsubscribing from anybody who uses this method of list marketing. They waste my time and provide nothing of value.
The next one high on my list of sending me to the unsubscribe link is the video marketer. I see video in the preview and I just hit delete as they’re a bigger time waster then the “opt-in marketer”. Often times they are just using video to send you to an opt-in. Videos have a time and place but, unfortunately, they’re being abused and I’m personally becoming very tired of them.
Perhaps I’ve become jaded and/or highly critical but I’ve no patience anymore for the way some people market with their lists. I’ve culled the vast majority of the lists I’ve signed up to and am very picky now to whose I will join.
What type of list will I join and remain subscribed to?
Michel Fortin‘s mailing list, in my view, is the perfect example of how to market with your list. He will send out three or so links to blog posts of his, past or present, all providing excellent content. I have no intentions of ever writing my own copy from scratch but do want to learn how to edit existing copy effectively and to understand what copywriting is all about. I’ve bookmarked every one of Michel’s posts…they’re that good. When he does market something it’s something within his niche and he doesn’t try to hide the fact he’s promoting something. He does a review and sends you to the sales page. Good content and no BS…I like that.
Another list I belong to is owned by Ian Traynor. He sends out a weekly newsletter that begins with a summary of the content. So, in a manner of a minute or two, I can decide if I want to continue reading or not. And, if I do, I already know what to scroll to that holds my interest. It’s always a mix of a free download (no opt-in baloney), a product promotion and free advice. Once a month he provides members a free package of content…usually PLR articles or something of that nature. Straightforward, no nonsense and consistent.
The others I subscribe to offer either free downloads that I can make use of, like articles I can rewrite, and/or advice mixed with non-opt-in promotions. The majority are promotion of their own products often tied in with the free downloads they offer. Value mixed with intelligent marketing.
These are my personal likes and dislikes but I hope they provide you a little incite in how to populate your autoresponder.
“Approach each customer with the idea of helping him or her solve a problem or achieve a goal, not of selling a product or service.“
Brian Tracy
Hi Rod,
I have to confess I’ve done some of the things you described
I met Ian Traynor last month at Randy Smith’s group in North Allerton, but I don’t think I’m on his list yet, might try it.
I’ve unsubscribed from most lists I was on.
I’ll study what a few people do and see if I can improve on mine.
Thanks
Keith
Keith Purkiss (Alex Jeffreys Student)´s last blog ..Alex Jeffreys and Lee McIntyre Made Me Do This!
Hey Rod
Great blog post. I too have followed in your footsteps and have ended up with more “JUNK” on my hard drive and in my folders than I know what to do with. Delete and unsubscribe, is becoming a way of life in our world which is turning spammy. Yesterday I spent most of the day subscribing to ONLYWIRE and that was tedious. I mention this because when I went home I had cleared all my emails. This morning I had 68 new emails, several were from MWA students but over 55 of them were just junk. Time for another round of ” unsubscribe”
Glenn
Glenn´s last blog ..Onlywire way to spend a Sunday
Heh… heh… entertaining post Rod. I was smirking most of the way through it.
I only used to use “my friend” if the person really was my friend. I see that shite used all over the place now and it disturbs me to the point where I am now no longer saying it even when the person is a friend! It has been so abused and over-used.
Most so-called “marketers” are nothing more than pimps peddling junk.
I think the tragic thing is the hardeining of attitudes that they cause. I have a lot of people unsubscribe and apologise when they do it with “I’m on too many lists” and “I like your stuff but I’m sick of emails.” Often this can be after only 1 or 2 emails in a week or fortnight, or the very first email they ever get off me. So, there is collateral damage being done all over the place by email spammers. It’s a bit sad.
Anyway, well said.
Gary Simpson
TEMPLE
Gary Simpson´s last blog ..Internet Marketing Tips #6 – Gary Simpson
Hey Rob,
I agree with Gary, a very entertaining post, and a subject I think most of us can relate to.
I’ve practically given up on one email address of mine. I’ve subcribed to that many lists that I can’t be bothered going through each email and unsubscribing, it would just waste too much time.
Instead I have a new email address which I will quickly unsubscribe from anyone who isn’t giving value. I’m using the old email address to study how not to do email marketing, and the new address to study how to do it the right way.
Paul.
Paul Lear´s last blog ..Do You Know The Easiest Way To Install WordPress Plugins?
Hey Rod
You can delete this comment, please accept my appologies for calling you Rob
And feel free to edit the above comment, and correct your name to Rod.
Thanks.
Paul Lear´s last blog ..Do You Know The Easiest Way To Install WordPress Plugins?
Thanks, Gary
You’re right, I think, about the hardening of attitudes and, as you note, it’s bound to affect all of to some extent no matter how good out content is.
Thanks also, Paul
I was going to scrap the one address also but there was the odd nugget there so I’ve just culled it…more like committed genocide actually!!
Don’t worry about calling me Rob…I get that all the time. That and numerous misspellings of Macbeth.
Rod,
Yep, Michael Fortin has a great way with his emails… Interestingly enough he’s from Ottawa, Canada.
Not sure where, Ian is from but once a week sounds like a good routine for readers too.
I just realized you can set up Aweber to blog broadcast to your list the RSS feed of your blog. Alvin Phang uses this and its pretty cool.
Finally, my good friend Brian Tracy… He grew up in Edmonton before he became rich and famous… I still remember the two story house he lived in on Edmonton’s west side and the all day seminar he did for 7 or 8 of us budding sales people.
Cheers,
Rob
Rob Canyon´s last blog ..How to Get Your Alexa Ranking to Drop like a Rock… to Increase Your Popularity.
I have a list, but iam afraid to sell them anything because i fear that they’ll all unsubscribe lol.
Brad´s last blog ..Blog PingBacks, What the Monkies Are They?
Hi Rod,
You certainly have internet marketers measured – so to speak.
It seems that newer and fresher ways to market have to be found. The big question is what and how?
Interesting read Rod,
Andrew.
Andrew Vaughan´s last blog ..The Gazzman Challenge – 25 Things about Me.
Hey Rod
Great post, good stuff, way to go !!!
Is that too much. Anyway I picked up some pearls of wisdom from your post and they are much appreciated.
Some blogging stuff I still need to learn. Like tagging, and something you said in forum about “All-In-One SEO”. I’ve yet to see that in my blog site, how do I find it?
See you around
Norm
Norm´s last blog ..Gene Got It From Gary And I Got It From Gene
lol, Norm. Thanks for the kind words
Glad you got a couple of pearls out of it!
All-in-One-SEO is a plug-in. You can get it by going to Plugins/Add New and doing a search for it. You can then install it right from the window you’re taken to when you select it.
It’s also featured in the Dashboard a lot.
Rod,
Due to circumstances beyond my control I have not been able to visit very many other people’s Blogs (nor sadly the Forum very often either) to have a look around, nor interact.
How refreshing though! My first Blog I visited today and I found your Blog to be most informative, precise, as well as to-the-point, containing great content, pictures and videos.
I really love the layout and the “Marketing With Integrity” subtitle.
I too have picked up some pearls of wisdom from your posts and I really thank you.
I have been fortunate enough to be in John Thornhill’s Mastery Coaching and am also now gratefully in Alex’s, as I know you are.
I just love your Blog, its layout and its content. It really is a very interesting read.
Thanks again and cheers,
Carol Harridge
Carol Harridge´s last blog ..21. 7 Keys To Online Marketing Success FREE Course…
Hey Rod,
great post, and timely too. I’m working on my autoresponder series over the next couple of days. I should have done it a looong time ago, I think I was like Brad, I have a list, too scared to market to them in case they unsubscribe! Really silly, considering we actually ARE marketers. So I’ve looked up Michael Fortin and I’m on his list, do a little research before I put it out there
Annie
Ann Marie Dennis´s last blog ..Cash Keywords Toolbar
Thanks Carol and Ann Marie
I also don’t get around to as many blogs as I’d like. I haven’t taken John’s course but have learned a lot from him all the same. He’s the same as Alex in that he provides lot’s of free information.
I think I’m going to model my series off of Michel…mainly consisting of links to blog posts mixed with some posts offering advice on specific topics. It should be a good way of keeping list members interested in one’s blog and, if it’s monetized in a tasteful manner, it may not be as necessary to be “selling” to it as much.
Cheers,
Rod
Hey Rod,
Interesting post!
I have to agree, there are so many spammers out there, and I get quite a few through without any unsubscribe links as well, so my inbox just keeps getting bigger.
I think it is a VERY fine line between providing value to people with free stuff, and selling to them without being too spammy.
I think this is something we will all find our own ways of doing, I’m sure we will all do the wrong thing here and there and have some unsubscribes, but hey, you can’t please everyone
Take care,
Paul
Paul Wilson´s last blog ..7 Step Success Formula – NOW LIVE!
Thanks, Paul.
I’m not sure if there’s a fine line or not…or perhaps I’m looking at it differently then you. In my view it’s more of a lack of knowledge in how to market.
There’s nothing wrong with any of the things I posted against…if done properly. That’s where most of the lists I’ve been a member of fail. They over do it. Instead of 90% value and 10% selling it’s the opposite.
And it’s not even a mixture with most of them.
I agree we all need to find our own ways that work for *us*…we all have our own styles and what might work for you may not work for me.
Cheers,
Rod
Hi Rod,
Fantastic post,the few things I was not so sure about from the modules,you have just clarified with this post.Cheers Mate!
Fellow student of Alex
Derek Overington
Derek Overington´s last blog ..Search Engine Optimization Strategies That Work
Great article Rod,
I think as internet marketers we all srtugle with getting the right balance with our email campaigns. How do you choose the amount of content vs promotion. I feel it all comes down to knowing your lists, you can tell by the open and click rates what messages work best. We all want to build our lists quickly and sometimes we pay a cost by loosing some of our subscribers. A slower steady approach may be better – still working on that.
I as most have subscribed to way to many lists but have a great swipe files of good and bad emails. I’ve learned a great deal by studying these lists and am coming up with my own style that I think my list will appreciate.
Luca Di Nicola´s last blog ..How To Add an Exit Popup Optin Box To Your Blog Using Aweber
Thanks, Luca
That’s a super idea about having a swipe file. May as well gain something from all the mails one gets.
Cheers,
Rod
Hi Rod,
You really poured it out in this post.
I’m also very frustrated with getting e-mail promotions every other day from the same people.
With this kind of frequency it would be too much even if they were of value. Usually they aren’t.
It’s interesting that the valuable e-mails don’t come that frequently. The good marketers know what they’re doing and don’t push it too much.
Your experience with signing up for giveaways is a good warning for me.
Now I know to be very careful with that.
Great post.
Cheers,
Vance
Vance Sova´s last blog ..53 Extraordinary Minds League, Rich Schefren, Jay Abraham
Thanks, Vance
I’ve pretty much unsubbed from every list I’ve been on…it’s just ridiculous…adswap after adswap.
I just can’t figure out the fixation on JV Giveaways and AdSwaps…all you’re doing is loading your list up with a bunch of people that are seeking hand outs.
To me it’s the lazy way out and, I’m guessing, the results are what you’d expect by taking the lazy route.
Cheers,
Rod