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May 10, 2008

How To Get And Keep More Loyal Ezine Subscribers

How To Get And Keep More Loyal Ezine Subscribers
Copyright 2008 by Willie Crawford

When I noticed an automatically generated note from one of my
email list hosting accounts at ProfitAutomation warning me that
the account was approaching the 200,000 subscriber limit, and
that I needed to increase its size, I realized that I finally
had all of the subscribers that I really "needed." That
account is one of five that I have with ProfitAutomation,
and I also have one with Aweber.

So, while I still have a goal of building my database to over
1 million subscribers before the end of 2008, subconsciously I
have to admit... that's somewhat for "bragging rights."

As I studied list building over the years, I eventually realized
that a more important question than how to grow your list is
"How do you keep loyal subscribers."

Growing a large list is fairly simple... depending upon your
definition of large.

It's as simple as:

- Having a subscribe box on every page of your website

- Having a subscribe box somewhere in the backend of each
sales processes

- Giving people a very specific reason for subscribing (telling
them what benefit they'll gain from being on your list)

- Using testimonials from happy subscribers to prove that
other already enjoy your ezine

- Focusing your ezine on a tightly niched topic that your
audience has a real interest in

There are other things that you can do such as joint ventures,
and finding ways to get in front of other publishers'
audiences, but it all centers around answering the question of
"What's in it for me?" that all of your potential subscribers
have.

Once you get subscribers though, how do you keep them?

My friend Paul Myers, in his ebook, "The Amazing List Machine"
taught me that you simply deliver to your subscribers what you
promised them when they first joined your list.

If your ezine is on affiliate marketing, then your content
teaches them affiliate marketing.

If your ezine is on website traffic generation then your
content teaches them about website traffic generation.

If your ezine is on cooking (as one of mine is) then you teach
them to cook.

Sounds fairly simple doesn't it?

If you give your subscribers what you promised them when you
enticed them to join your list, they should stay on your list,
and read your newsletters, provided their needs don't change.

For many ezine publishers, the tougher question becomes "How do
I monetize my list without driving off subscribers." After all,
isn't that why most of us started a newsletter?

Yes, it's fun writing something that people enjoy reading. It's
nice getting emails telling you how long they've been a
subscriber, and how much of a difference your lessons have made
in their lives.

However, that won't put food on your table. So, how do you
monetize your list?

The answer is that you offer them goods and services directly
related to the topic of your list. If your list is on cooking,
then you offer them cookbooks, and cooking gadgets, and perhaps
cooking videos... or live workshops.

If you ezine is about list-building then you offer them
supplemental courses on list-building. You offer them software
that automates the process more. You offer them case-studies
that show how others are building large, responsive lists.

The whole process is fairly simple when you step back and look
at it. You entice subscribers to join your list by promising
them exactly what they want (that you can deliver). You keep
them by delivering what you promised. Finally, you monetize your
list by selling them things that make it easier for them to get
what they were looking for when they first joined your list.

Take a few minutes now and examine your process. Honestly look
for weak points in your system... and then fix them. Then you
too will one day realize the you no longer need to focus on
growing your list. Then the challenge becomes deepening the
relationship that you have with list members, although you should
have been focused on that all along too :-)

----------------

Willie Crawford has been running an online business, largely
driven by email marketing, since late-1996. He is the author of
the popular ebook "How I Boosted My Ezine Sign-Up Rate By 5200
MORE Subscribers Per Month - Virtually Overnight - And You Can
Too." Get your copy now at http://TheRealSecrets.com/5200/

Posted by Willie Crawford at May 10, 2008 09:16 AM

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