3 Ways to Make it Right With Your Neglected Mailing List

Has it been awhile since your mailing list has heard from you?

In this age of perpetual messaging, it’s tempting to convince ourselves that we don’t want to “clutter” the inboxes of our clients and contacts with yet another self-promoting email. And that by abstaining, we’re taking the high road.

But how much business do you think NOT SENDING an email will get you?

Which is why I say, go ahead, send emails to your mailing list. Just make sure those emails are welcome, entertaining, and useful.

As I talk with business owners across the country about their lists, this is what I hear most often:

   * “I’ve got a mailing list, but don’t really use it”

If this is the case, you are missing a golden opportunity to connect and build relationships with people who have already told you they would like to hear more from you.

Your next action>> Get to the bottom of what’s keeping you from communicating with your list. Worried about being just another spammer? Brainstorm what valuable content and advice you can share that will absolutely help others. What do people ask you for advice on all the time? What is the biggest myth in your industry? What drives you nuts about your industry? Set your timer for 45 minutes, write an article (like this one!), set a date to send it out – then do it. It really is that simple.

   * “I started off the year writing my blog, but then I just kind of stopped.”

I hear this all the time. There’s so much to do in a day, and sitting down to write tends to fall to the bottom of the list.

Your next action>> Are you sure that keeping a blog is the strategy for you? Sharing what you know isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing. Maybe you’re more of a top-of-mind tweeter, or would prefer to post a video every month – or every week— instead.

There are 3 keys to playing the online marketing game: 1) share VALUABLE content – something people can use right away, whether or not they ever buy from you 2) share it in a format that is fun for you (so you actually DO it regularly) 3) get them on your email mailing list.

Social media is fine for interactions, finding new audiences and building buzz, but at the end of the day, you want people to opt in to your mailing list. It’s your own dedicated channel to keep your people up to date on what you’ve got coming up.

   * “I only have 50 people on my list. Why would I bother?”

Chin up, grasshopper. It’s far too easy to compare yourself to others and come up short. The first thing to get is that email marketing is a numbers game – you need a critical mass of people first BEFORE you can make money. But the second thing to get is that most people wait WAY TOO LONG to build a list.

If I had a dollar for every person who told me, “I’ll just buy a list” or “I’ll just advertise my ebook on social media,” I could will a swimming pool with cash and swim in it like Scrooge McDuck. People! That’s not how it works for most of us. Building relationships with people on your list is how it works.

If you have a dream of filling a group program or selling products or having passive income, YOU NEED YOUR OWN LIST. Then every speaking event you do, every time you meet someone networking, every time someone tells you “I’d love to do this, but I don’t have the money,” you ask if they’d like to be added to your list.

Your next action>> Make a commitment. Marry your list. Choose your production schedule – once a week? Once every two weeks? And send a personal note (150 words) and a problem-solving article (400 words), come hell or high water.

The real art of sending emails and newsletters is to send something that is more gift that grift. A message that is heartfelt, entertaining, and valuable is actually a rare and wonderful thing to receive.

Mighty thanks to Hennie van Heerden flickr photostream for the ears.