Ryan Moran asks: What can I do now to excite my list, or get them involved in what I have to offer next? How can I build a loyal following like you do? What is it you DO that gets people so excited? I’ve never seen you plug a product that doesnt get a huge response from your readers. What are YOU DOING that I am MISSING?
I’ve given them thousands of dollars worth of material - yet they wont respond. They arent getting involved on the forum, or taking my recommendations seriously. They seem excited at first, and I have their attention upfront - but then it just drops off...
Lynn says: Hey Ryan - Hope you had a blast on those roller coasters, sounds like fun! Thank you for the kind words, definitely a high compliment and very much appreciated 🙂
This is such a great topic. Especially right now while everyone is talking about social media and video marketing and all that jive - because still, email marketing is vital. You have to have some way to follow-up and connect with your target market once they've found you on the web.
So you're giving away tons of free information. You said "thousands of dolllars worth of material". You're obviously doing something right on the front end, because you are getting subscribers... but the problem seems to be in your response rate.
I should say upfront that I cant give specific advice since I havent personally reviewed your systems - such as your opt-in forms, your traffic generation methods, your subject lines, or the content in your follow-up series... that kind of thing.
First of all, if you have 400 people beta testing, and you get 40 of them to a live conference, thats a 10% response rate. That's not bad. Its not phenonemenal but its not bad.
I'm going to share a few tips with you, and hopefully some of these will apply to what you're doing specifically.
1. Stop giving away so much information. What you're doing is building a list of freebie seekers. People come online for information, thats what they're looking for. If you give away the farm upfront, they really have no reason to keep coming back.
What you want to do instead, is build a list of more qualified prospects. The best way to do that is to build a list of buyers - for example, sell a low cost report. Thats always a good option.
But even when you're giving something away for free, you really have to set it up so that they expect more from you - get that anticipation factor going so they look forward to your next message.
You might say on the download page: "Here's the download link, and watch for an email from me in the next couple of days - I have something else to share with you too." Something as simple as that.
2. If you're having problems with your open rate, then you want to take a second look at your email subject lines. We all get a lot of email, so that subject line really has to pop - it has to stand out in their full inbox and get their attention.
3. Those first few follow-up messages are critical to this relationship you are building with your readers. And its not just about content. There are a lot of factors involved.
For example, if you're emailing a super busy group that you know is scanning and speed reading, then you want to keep those messages short & punchy. If they open your first couple of messages and they are 5 pages long, they are going to close it and move on - its overwhelm. So be careful about giving away too much in the email.
4. Once you have them anticipating future messages, and actually opening those messages, then you want to work on the response rate - meaning, getting them to take some action within those messages.
Dont try to sell them anything yet - first you have to get them used to responding or interacting. So keep it simple: invite them to comment, post a question, reply to you.
5. Lets go back to that original product you gave them in exchange for their email address. Did they open it? Did they cosume that great free information you gave them? You want to make sure that they are consuming your initial product.
So here's what you do - your first followup message should be 24-48 hours after they sign up for their list - which is when they downloaded your product. You want this to be in an autoresponder of course, so that its automated and so that it gets to them at the exact same time of day they originally visited your site. So if I opt in at 8pm, a day or two later I get a message from you at 8pm.
This is important because we're all creatures of habit. Most of us get online at the same times every day, And usually if we're taking action on something - thats our action hour. Me for example, I do most of my serious research and reading and buying in the morning hours every day.
Anyway, what you want to do in that first follow-up message is get them to open the product. Again, the subject line is important - then in the message you want to point out something of interest on a specific page. For example you might say "I'd love to hear what you thought of the 4 secret strategies outlined on page 9. One of my readers wrote in and said this improved her response rate 37% - great results, dont you agree?!".
This is going to make them curious, and if they havent already opened your product it will compel them to check it out.
Now if your product sucks... that may be where you're losing people. Not saying thats the case, but you definitely want to get some feedback. Maybe you can find a few people on some social Q&A sites to review your product. You might offer a small fee in exchange for some honest feedback.
This is a great way to get those testimonials or quotes that you can use in the follow-up message too 😉
Above all, my advice is going to be this:
Forget making sales. Forget making this list profitable. For NOW. First figure out how you can connect with these readers. And really build on that relationship.
Try some of this out - I'd like to know how it works out for you. Definitely keep me posted, and of course let me know if you'd like me to take a closer look at some of your systems. Maybe we can brainstorm some of those points together.
And dont worry - I'll hit you up for MySpace advice in exchange 😉
Best,
p.s. The "news" I mentioned in my video... you can hear more about in my next post at: The Net Effect
About Lynn Terry
As a long(in internet Time) member of SSWT I just wish more online people did things the Lynn Terry way. Copy and Print out all that she posted for you.You can't go wrong following her advice.
What a great post. I'm going to link this to my readers who have lists and are looking to get things to get fired up a bit.
Roy always uses you as an example of a master list builder during our webinars.. and it's easy to see why.
Awesome stuff Lynn.
Wow Ryan, that hits home your going to make it almost certain off it, hope you have fun on the rolercoaster.
Your process is working to a certain extent you just have to change where they go from entry to the funnel.
I especially like the point made about the folloe up email because people do have so much mail that their going to have a tough time remembering how pumped up they were when they first saw what you were giving them.
Not been through your process but I think it would be here you could make a difference.
I think I finally have the video working (whew!)...
Kenny - I like the point that you made: "they are going to have a tough time remembering how pumped up they were when they first saw what you were giving them"
This is SO true. And its why you want to REALLY stick to the original "topic" or thread that you start with your visitors when they find and enter your website.
For example, if I am searching for "how to knit a baby blanket" on Google, land on a great site, and sign up to download the free tutorial... if I get an email 2 weeks later that says "dog sweaters made easy!" in the subject line... do you think I'm going to open it? NO.
With niche sites, its super important to stay on that topic with your reader, to keep their attention.
Its best to build super targeted micro-lists instead of one big general list (such as "how to knit").
I learned this lesson the hard way myself 😛
Watching this was a great relief at the end of a long (moving-into-my-dorm-for-senior-year) day. Thanks for the feedback, Lynn.
You're so right that micro niche lists are the way to go. I have a lot of success with my lists, but perhaps the problem with this one that seems "sluggish" may be that it is too broad.
Great advice, as always!
Hi, Ryan ~ I think your video is a great technique! Asking for help is agreat way to connect with your list.
Lynn's response to you has some great tips, but here is the REAL secret... :o)
IMHO one of Lynn's great "secrets" is that she really connects with her list. She isn't just some big "faceless" guru at the other side of a site or email. She is very responsive to her list.
Lynn's advice is solid, but many marketers can claim that.
I would be willing to bet that Lynn's loyal followers consider her a friend, someone they really know and someone who really knows them.
Everyone likes to feel connected to other people especially someone who is successful but also warm and caring.
Lynn's outstanding ethics don't hurt either. She is honest and upfront about everything. I think the popular term being used now is "transparent." You know who Lynn is--you know who you are dealing with.
Aside to Lynn's list: What do you think? "Am I right or am I right?" ;o)
Live joyfully!
Janis
Janis, when you're right, you're right. You really nailed this one.
I would also say to you, Ryan, that while talking to your list via video is great, Lynn's weekly webinar is how she also connects to her loyal followers.
BTW, your dorm room is absolutely the tidiest I've ever seen - guys or gals. Are you in need in adoption? LOL Oh, wait. You're still in college and I can't afford the tuition. Never mind.
Deb Gallardo
Lynn,
That was very informative for
all of us to learn from....
And really never underestimate
the power of the freebie download
page..
(Valuable Real Estate Should Not Be Wasted)
Unless Your To Wealthy, LOL
Roy Fielding
Ryan - maybe it IS too broad, or maybe its just still "new". Its common to get impatient, especially when we have experience with more established sites/lists and we are targeting an entirely new market. So many factors involved here. It may be that you dont really connect with that niche like you do others you work in (you've got MySpace pegged! for example). Maybe you can step back a bit and look at it from the outside - perhaps things will become clearer over time with this one.
Thank you, Janis 😀 Over the years I've had opportunity to meet a lot of people that I know online - both in person, or through telephone conversations or other one-on-one communications... and that has really helped me to make that connection. For starters, it gives me insight into how they think & feel. But it also gives me a point of focus when I sit down to write.
My Starting a Free Online Business post over the weekend was inspired by a sit-down lunch with two local ladies that found me on MySpace for example.
I also take every opportunity to meet-up. Carrie Wigal drives across country at least once a year, so we try to get together for lunch when she is driving through. Stacie, who organizes our local meetups, lives close enough that we meet up for a great cheeseburger now and then.
David Dutton and David Bullock also both live within an hour of me, so we grab lunch and brainstorm now and then. In fact, David Dutton and I just hit the chinese buffet last week to compare product reviews.
Events too, of course - I've roomed with Chrissie a couple times now & Teli Adlam too on the last PubCon trip. And of course I room with Adriana for the StomperNet events. Its so much fun to meet in person and actually hang out!
I really feel like these personal connections have helped me a lot - putting faces and experiences with individual names. This is the reason that video and teleseminars and live webcasts are so valuable in our marketing plans. We may not be able to meet everyone individually, but it does really help to let them get to know us as an individual...