#1: Train Your List:

If you want your list to accept and take action on your promotions, teach them to be  accustomed to promotions.

In the privacy note below your subscription box, write something like: “We will only use your email address to communicate with your regarding [x]-related topics and offers.”

BAM – You’ve told them you’ll be giving them offers.

If you want, you can also remind them in your welcome email that you’ll be sending them offers. You can tell them how you like to do review products on your reader’s behalf and alert them to any products that might be helpful or to stay away from.

Again – Now they know you’re going to send them promotions. They can unsubscribe right away if they’re not happy with that.

Then, most importantly, regularly send them offers so they expect them. Don’t hide behind the excuse, “I only have 100 people on my list so I haven’t sold anything to them yet?”

WHAT? Again, your list is made up INDIVIDUALS. Whether it is 100 individuals, 2398 individuals or 100,000 individuals, doesn’t matter. Every member of your list needs to be accustomed to the way you sell to them.

Imagine, if you decided you were going to wait until you hit 1000 subscribers before you sent a promo. That means the first 999 people on your list will be receiving no promotions for a period of time. That is NOT how to train your list to expect promotions. Do it from the beginning.

#2: Get to Know Your Subscribers

I mean REALLY get to know them. No, you’re not taking them to dinner, but still getting to know them. Here’s how:

• Pay attention to which links they click on in your emails (and track your links!). Whether they are clicking to read/view content, take a product recommendation or sign up for more information, pay attention.
• Take note of which types of products they are buying through your links.  Note which products flop and which seem to get a lot of response.
• Invite them to submit feedback on your blog on a certain topic. The response you get can be incredibly valuable and give you insight into your readers.
• When your readers do comment on your blog, take the time to click through to their websites. See what they are talking about, what their problems are, what products they are buying. Do this on a regular basis and you’ll come to understand your typical audience even further.
• Survey Them: Now, I think surveys do have their place, but never rely on this alone. I think taking note of BEHAVIOUR is far more powerful. When you create a survey, people get to answer how they THINK they will behave or how you want them to answer . Thing is, people often behave in ways that are very different from how they say they will / do behave.

#3: Don’t Forget Your Thank You Page

Your thank you page is a priceless piece of real estate, so use it! I'm not sure what it is, but people seem to like to follow directions when they hit a thank you page. When someone hits your sign up thank you page, don't waste that space. Offer them a product, a discount, free trial or show them another part of your site you'd like them to see.

#4: Subject Lines Matter

If your emails are top notch, your subscribers will be waiting for them, but this doesn't mean you can get away with dull subject lines.

“Newsletter #18, Volume 8, Issue 1”

...doesn't cut it.

YAWN!

The only job of a subject line is to get your reader to open the email...that's it, so I personally don't really need descriptive subject lines either.

Let’s say we’re selling a potty training guide. I wouldn’t use a subject line like:

"Potty Training Guide"

Sure, it does mean that you're more likely to have those readers ALREADY interested in a potty training guide open your email, but most of your readers won't know (yet) that they really want a potty training guide.

It is the body of your email whose job it is to convince your readers they need a guide...not your subject line. Again, you only need your subject line to get your reader to open the email.

In a case like this, I'd use something like:

"This will help with the frustration..."

Now in this case, if your readers are parents of toddlers, they can very likely relate to frustration and the subject line is more likely to capture interest. Being a parent is a joy, but there are definitely frustrations with all kinds of things along the way.

So, they open the email and you talk about and relate to that frustration...and then they feel like someone understands them, knows what they need and are more likely to make the purchase.

#5: Call to Action Each Time

To further train your list to do what you want them to do, make a goal to have a call to action on each and every email. That doesn't mean you have to send them to buy something each time, but ask them to do something.

Some calls to action can include to:

• Click a link to read a blog entry
• Click a link to complete a survey or to leave a comment
• Click a link to read an informative article
• Click a link to claim a freebie
• Click a link to read a review
• Click a link to enter a sweepstakes
• Click a link to read a sales page
• Check their email on Tuesday, for example, as you'll be sending another email with further information on a topic, product, etc.

#6: Email Your Customers

It’s always surprising the number of people who sell products through PayPal buttons and never bother to collect the emails of their customers.

Here’s the thing, your CUSTOMER list is even more valuable to you than your SUBSCRIBER list…and you probably know why.

It’s because your customers have shown that they are willing to open up their wallets and buy something from you. Add to that, if they enjoyed your product and customer service, they are much more likely to buy from you again.

Someone who is a subscriber and simply a prospect, can potentially be a customer…but you are more likely to get positive results from an already satisfied customer.

So start treating your customers differently from your prospects. Make special offers, discounts, etc. for them or allow them to purchase products before anyone else.

A little TLC goes a long way.

#1: Write Simple Emails:

Your email writing efforts needn’t be complicated. In fact, in my experience they should be kept really quite SIMPLE because it’s easier and because your more likely to get more results. If you’re busting your butt trying to publish a full-blown weekly newsletter, really consider giving yourself a break.

Think of it this way. People are busy and with few exceptions, experience email overload. Why load them up even more?

Keep your messages short, simple and focused on one thing or a couple things at a time. This allows your readers to quickly absorb your message and decide whether or not to take action on your call to action.

Many people think that if they offer more content, more sections, etc…they are more likely to provide something that appeals to more subscribers. But from our experience (and from the reports of many others), MOST of your readers aren’t reading past the first section of your ezine anyway. The lower down the content appeared in my, the less people took action on what you want them to do. Whether it was to a click a link for information or to buy a product, if the information isn’t in the first section, the response tends to diminish.

Why work so hard if very few people are paying attention?

Overall, you want your readers to be trained to respond to your calls to action. And if you’re just adding extra stuff hoping to capture a few extra people, I suggest cutting out the fat and putting more effort into that first section.

#2: Keep Your Writing “Personal” 

Email is personal communication. It’s generally one person to another. Follow that model in your marketing.

Imagine yourself writing to one person and use language that you’d use if writing to just one person at a time. Don’t address your readers as a group. For example, “I know many of you…”  Address your subscriber as that one important individual they are. The language is far more powerful.

For example, if you write: “I know many of you are looking for a…”

As opposed to…

“I know you are looking for a…”

Which do you think is more powerful? In the first case, your reader can immediately exclude themselves from the offer because you said “many”. That might not include that particular reader. In the second instance, you are stating it directly to your intended audience.

You may be sending out your email to thousands of people, but each of your subscribers is reading it one by one. Address them that way.

#3: From Line is Important:

Who is your email from? If you want to establish that personal connection and gain trust, the from line should have your personal and full name. You can use your company name if you want to build that reputation, but try to include a personal name with it, if possible.

#4: Keep Your Email Address Consistent:

Emails end up in junk folders or get filtered altogether. It sucks, but it happens.

One way you can curb this is by using a consistent email address for all your mailing list communications and getting your subscribers to whitelist you or add you to their address book.

#5: Email More Often:

Here’s another easy way to get over the obstacle of being afraid to do pure promotional emails. Just email your list with content more often, so when you slip in regular promos…the amount of content they receive in comparison still prevails.

Remember, you don’t have to write big fancy ezines with all kinds of sections and departments, just short simple emails that provide good value to your readers. Basically, instead of bombarding them with a ton of information all at once, you’re now giving it to them in bite-sized chunks.

Of course, you need to test out the volume of email your list can bear, but if you’re providing stellar stuff…I bet they’ll want to hear from you more often.

#6: Research Everything:

Your readers will appreciate your promotions, especially when you take the time to research and review everything thoroughly. In fact, your readers will come to expect you to do a lot of the hard work for them…but don’t worry this work is profitable for you!

If you are known for your research, your readers will wait to see your opinion on something and will want to know what you recommend. It’s a big, but profitable responsibility.

#7: Honesty is the Best Policy

When you do your research, report it in an honest way and that will solidify your reputation with your readers even further.

When you investigate a product, avoid coming back and telling your reader’s it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread…because not everybody eats the same kind of bread.

Sure, you might think the product is really terrific, but break it down for your readers and identify:

• Who the product is for (ex. beginner rose gardeners only).
• What problems you personally see the product solving.
• Any potential drawbacks of the product.

Don’t be afraid to share any constructive negatives because that makes your promotion REAL. For example, you can tell them that the baby stroller you’re recommending doesn’t come with a drink holder, but the other features totally make up for it. Besides, an attachable drink holder can be purchased at very little extra cost.

Smart business owners know that a mailing list is an invaluable asset. Consistently building your list, staying in regular contact and creating irresistible offers are key to business growth.

It doesn't matter if you market online or are offer your coaching services in your small town of 800, everyone should be embracing the power of email marketing or you're quite simply, leaving a lot of money on the table.

Just a Few Reasons Why Email Marketing is So Lucrative...

• Direct follow up. It allows you to follow up with your prospects and customers directly into their inbox. Over and over again.
• It boasts high conversions. While blog posts and articles are important for growing traffic and bolstering your reputation, they  rarely convert as readily offers sent by email.
• It's your 100% your own asset. Social media is great, but it's you don't own your follower list the way you own your email list.

And if that's not enough...

• It's cheap. Dirt cheap.

Unfortunately for many people, while they understand the power of the mailing list, they have trouble growing a list, but here's a way to change that. 

Download Your Free Email Marketing Checklist:

If you want to get more subscribers, we've published two easy-reference checklists that can help you including...

• Email Marketing Success Checklist: Make sure you dot all your i's and cross all your t's and do everything you need to make email marketing work for you.
• List Building Checklist: It's what most online business owners struggle with...growing their list. This checklist includes 40 ideas to help you do that.

Click the button below to add the free checklist to your Publish for Prosperity Account Just grab it, read it and apply it!

What to Do Next:

We've got the training for you to grow your list quickly...and turn more of your subscribers into customers. But the best part is that not only do you get the training, we have all the fill-in-the-blanks to make it as simple as possible to create your high-converting opt-in offers. 

Click here to join us​ and receive instant access to all the training and tools you need to build that customer list quickly.

If there’s one thing that makes it easier for you to grow your list quickly, it’s to give away something valuable in return for the opt-in. If you’re not sure what to give away, here are over 30 ideas to get you started.

MONEY-MAKING TIP! Always remember to monetize these freebies. Your ultimate goal in gaining a subscriber is to quickly turn them into a customer, so ensure your freebies are highly targeted to a product or service you promote. So your free report or CD that solves a problem for your subscriber should ultimately lead them to a solution that can help them get to success faster, achieve better results or provide some quick benefit to them. 

Now without further ado, here are you free gift ideas:

1. A free PDF. Give them a report on something or a brief guide on something. We specialize in creating report and other documents you can give away free to your new subscribers. If you're in the personal development market, you can get your first done-for-you report for free here.  

2. An audio content download. A lot of people prefer to listen to audio in their cars or on their lunch break, instead of read. Use some written content you have and turn it into audio, interview someone or just speak off the cuff, if that's your thing. 

3. A video download. Videos give your audience a chance to see and hear. It also allows you to tap into new audiences by using platforms like YouTube, Vimeo and more.

4. A coupon or discount code. Have them opt-in for a coupon code for one of your products or for a discount of all the items in your store. This is a great way to convert a subscriber into a customer right away.

5. Free membership. Give them access to valuable ongoing content that in turn promotes your products and services.

6. Access to a forum or discussion area. People will sign up just to get access to the advice and conversations in the private area. Building a community is a key ingredients to building word of mouth, gaining trust and increasing your sales.

7. Tips. Give away a giant list of tips. For example, “101 Tips for a Better _____________.”

8. Tools. Whether you create the tools and software or you just give a list of helpful tools to complete a task, tools are in demand.

9. Excel spreadsheets. For example, if you run a weight loss site, give away a spreadsheet that makes it easy to track workouts. Anything that keeps your audience organized and goal focused is a valuable gift to your subscribers.

10. A mobile app. Help your subscribers get things done on the go. Have a useful mobile application developed and have them opt-in to receive the download link.

11. A CD or DVD. You may want to charge for shipping or calculate your cost-per-acquisition (how much it costs to get a new customer and how much that customer is worth) and give it away free. Either way, delivering a physical product in the mail can cement your relationship with your customer more than a digital download.

12. A guide to buying something. For example, write a buyer’s guide for choosing which Android phone to purchase. Include product reviews, comparisons and other useful information to help them make a smart buying decision.

13. A checklist. For instance, give people a checklist on what to look for when buying a new computer. People love checklists because they're short and to the point and help them get tasks done quickly.

14. A free preview. For example, give people the first chapter of your book for free.

15. Public domain content. Give annotated, edited or better formatted public domain content. For example, Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” is in the public domain. You could format it to your industry and give it away for free.

16. Answer a problem they needs solved. Think of the problems your ideal customer has and give them content that helps solve that problem. The solution can be sent by email, be a PDF download, a video or whatever makes sense for your audience.

17. Construct a course. For example, a 7-step course on Meditating to Gain Focus in Your life. Give them one email each day to help them reach their goal.

18. Link to your best articles and blog posts. Basically give away a report that’s really a guide to your best resources. When you promote it, tell them what they're going to learn and what problems you're going to solve for them. 

19. Give away recipes. People are always on the lookout for a great recipes. Think of saving them time, making them more healthy or providing some other useful benefit.

20. Do a screencast. Record your video screen and give away the video. Use it to teach something on your screen. This works great for demonstrating software, using a website or anything you can do on your computer.

21. Talk about mistakes to avoid. For example, “7 Mistakes to Avoid When Setting Your Goals.”

22. Interview someone in your industry. If it’s a recognizable name on an in-demand topic, you’ll get a ton of opt-ins.

23. Access to a live webinar. They have to sign up now to get the access code and you've got a new subscriber. Webinars are also a great way to interact with your audience and promote products that will help them.

24. A recorded webinar. Once you've done your live webinar, that's not the end of it. You can use this recording to get new opt-ins.

25. A printable workbook. People fill as they learn. Writing down lessons helps boost retention and people love printables!

26. Access to you. For example, promise to answer a question via email for anyone who subscribes. Just be conscious of the time you give and how that translates into revenue for your business.

27. Run a contest. Be weary of  doing a big giveaway and adding everyone who enters to your mailing list. Most people won't remember they entered the contest and will wonder who the heck you are. Instead, once they enter, show them a valuable opt-in offer that is hard-to-resist, but completely optional for contest entrants.

28. Deal reminders. If you frequently do limited time deals that are shared with customers only, let people know that.

29. Random giveaways. Give a prize away to someone in your list every week or every month. Use this to entice people to sign up.

30. Members-only events. If people want to come to the event, they have to sign up. They could be local events, virtual events or whatever works for your business.

31. Give a mystery gift. Don’t tell people what they’ll get before signing up, just tell them it’s something good. Or tell them what it’ll do for them, without saying what it is. Make sure you test this to see if it works and perhaps make it a very limited time offer, so they are more compelled to sign up.

32. Your existing valuable content. Lock your old content so people have to sign up to get access to it.

33. The second half of an article. For example, you might give Page 1 of an article away for free, but people have to sign up to get the second half. 

34. Statistics. Give away a detailed report about little known statistics in your industry.

Valuable subscriber gifts are the easiest way to get people on your list, but the secret to continuous and fast list growth is to take more than one of these ideas and create highly-targeted offers you can share on your blog, on social media, in your advertising and more. Most people stop at just one free gift, but then miss out on attracting more potential subscribers.