Back to list building! This is part 8 in a series of FREE list building tips. So since we last talked, I have swapped out the temporary image in my opt in squeeze page with my official graphic I got back from my designer – Oki at minisite911.com. You can view my official squeeze page here: website hosting for newbies.

We covered in previous lessons about caring for your list – being protective. We talked about list size and loyalty when it comes to conversions. Then we covered the difference between follow up and broadcast emails. You learned about the various opt in freebie options you can develop. Lesson 5 walked you through a list set up. And then Lesson 6 showed you how to technically place the code on your blog. Last time we chatted, Lesson 7 showed you how to put it on a squeeze page, which is a bit different.

So my case study site for this series is my Website Hosting for Newbies site. So far I have my opt in form on my blog, on a squeeze page – I have a whopping 5 subscribers to my list who have downloaded an amazing free opt in report for newbies. I am averaging 71 unique visitors per day – I’m at 920 for the month so far. I have one follow up email that delivers the free report.

Today’s question came in from a reader who asked, “How soon should we start selling to our list?” She wanted to know if there was some sort of rest period or proper etiquette before you shoot off a recommendation with a link or ask them to buy something.

There’s no perfect answer. It all depends on how you do it.

The thing is, there’s this balance. On one hand, you don’t want them to see you as the person who does nothing but pushes product on them. So if you go the “sell in every email” route, you’d better show some serious value!

On the other hand, if you are developing a very narrow targeted list, as I am with promoting website hosting, then you need to make sure that during the series of follow ups, you know that email #4 could be the one to convince them to buy – so have your link in there so they don’t click out convinced and Google the product to buy it where you don’t get credit.

I have seen it done very well where every email is selling something. But that was when the email person provided some great insight and I felt the link was a convenience for me, rather than a push. I HATE phony marketers. Those with a shtick. Make me want to shower.

So here’s my thinking… I email out normally, with several items of the day I chat about. It’s a variety of topics. But if I have a specific topic site, like this one, I will create one single lesson for the email. And I’m ALL about curating content, too. Some people are completely misguided about what that means. Hint: It’s NOT scraping other people’s hard work.

It’s talking about someone else’s information and then providing commentary about it yourself. Kind of like you might see Bill O’Reilly do – he might alert you to a news story someone else did, but then he’ll “opine” about it his own $0.02 on the matter. He doesn’t blatantly copy it word for word – he uses snippets.

So go on a hunt for a series of follow up email ideas if you haven’t already. I plan on answering some questions people have asked. I also want to answer the question on my blog and send the reader there. Increased traffic and then I have banner and text link opportunities to convert them.

I check Warrior Forum but didn’t see anything that I wanted to write about there. I go to Yahoo answers and I don’t see one specific question being asked but I DO see a pattern of questions developing that are like this: “Which hosting company should I use to host my ______.” Some people say “WordPress blog,” or “fiction stories,” or “family pictures,” or “membership site.”

So this will be email follow up #1 – finding a hosting company that’s right for their needs. I even recommend a different company for one particular situation – and I wrote in my email about what the blog post talks about, and link them to the blog. On the BLOG is where I link to the product.

Very rarely will you see me doing some “Hey how are ya? This is the next best thing since sliced bread, so this click link NOW” email. Not my style. I only write the way I respond to others.

So sell from day 1 if you want – but provide your insight into a topic. Ask for their questions. I just did that in my first follow up in the PS. Be there for your audience!

Tiff

P.S. Previous lessons:

Lesson 1 – http://www.tiffanydow.com/blog/whats-the-first-step-in-list-building/

Lesson 2 – http://www.tiffanydow.com/blog/list-size-doesnt-matter-but-loyalty-does/

Lesson 3 – http://www.tiffanydow.com/blog/list-building-follow-ups-versus-broadcast-emails/

Lesson 4 – http://www.tiffanydow.com/blog/with-list-building-you-cant-get-something-for-nothing/

Lesson 5 – http://www.tiffanydow.com/blog/overcoming-your-fear-of-email-list-set-up-steps/

Lesson 6 – http://www.tiffanydow.com/blog/how-to-install-your-list-building-web-form-on-your-blog/

Lesson 7 – http://www.tiffanydow.com/blog/putting-your-opt-in-form-on-a-squeeze-page/

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