Checklist for builing your first list online (final part)

In this final part of 'checklist for building your first list online, I will touch on HOW to build and deepen the relationship with your list after they opt in.

Here, I give you the blue-print that has worked so well for me and that will, if you apply it consistently, work very well for you too.

A lot of people ask me this:

"How many 'content' emails should I send my subscribers and when should I start selling"

Or

"I've sent tons of content emails but my lists aren't buying what I promote!!"

Let me answer the 1st question: There is no hard and fast rule to the amount of value and content you should dispense to your list. In fact for me, I like to over deliver and give as much content and value in my free email course as best as possible.

I usually give at least 4 days straight of pure useful (self written!) content on that niche without ANY sort of promos. This means no affiliate links or product recommendations in my P.Ses or anything like that until day 5.

Here's how my scheduled mailings look like:

Day #1: Content
Day #2: Content
Day #3: Content
Day #4: Content
Day #5: Content + Promo
Day #6: Promo
Day #7: Promo

From Day #5 onwards I push aggressively a product (usually my own) that is related to what I've been teaching them about. The emails are set to go out daily.

Now to answer the 2nd question: The amount of time it takes for your list to 'like' or 'trust' you is different from niche to niche.

Obviously in Internet marketing, where people are generally more cautious and un-trusting, it takes more work to gain their trust and to build a relationship.

So my point is that if you want to sell, you've gotta continually give content UNTIL they buy! What do I mean by this?

If you follow my blue print above and if you do your content emails right, a few people might bite in your promo sequences.

But what about the rest that don't buy?? Is it that they don't like you or they think your content sucks?

Well...YES! There will always be a percentage of people in your list that don't like you no matter what you do. Get used to it. Every successful person on earth has his detractors and people that don't like him.

So don't worry about this lot. There will also always be a percentage of people in your list that WILL NOT buy EVER anything. These are the die-hard freebie seekers who will not be willing to part with $1.

Don't worry about this lot too for the are not serious action takers and, trust me, you don't want them as customers.

Now, there will be a group of people that like you and trust you and are willing to spend money for more of your stuff. This is the lot that you need to continually keep working on. There are many reasons why this 'good' lot don't buy from you from Day #5 onwards:

1. The time might not be 'right' for them. They want to wait a little more
2. They do not have extra cash to spare at the moment but once they have it, they will buy
3. They feel they need to know you a little more before committing.
4. They do not really believe that it will work

Now, the above 4 objections can be easily solved by simply by giving them even more and running another sequence of content + promos.

This way, you give more time for the people sitting on the fences and those that don't really believe in you (yet) to have more time to assess you and eventually buy from you!

This method requires more work but it builds you a much deeper and loyal buyers base and get you more results in the long run. You also beat all the other lazy marketers out there by putting in more mileage in relationship marketing.

I hope you've enjoyed this post and my earlier two posts on list building for the first time online!