All business owners, entrepreneurs and especially marketers will tell you “The money’s in the list!”
When I first started marketing, everyone kept talking about “the list”! I just didn’t get it! What is the list?!
It’s so simple, I was looking beyond it! The list is just people’s names and contact information! I didn’t even write this post until now because I was so embarrassed! I should have known!
Then I was watching one of Jonathan Budd’s seminars and he showed a picture of his facebook page and a lady had written him asking the question, “Whatss a list?” Hah! It’s not only me! OK, she was blonde too, and so much younger~ younger people usually get it quicker than I do – but someone else asked!
That motivated me to get this information out there – tell everyone what they’re talking about when they say, “it’s all about the LIST!”
It’s never been easier to manage your database of contacts, your list.
The idea is to grow that database, because without it, you won’t have a business!
When it comes to list managing, there are really only two services that I recommend; Aweber and Get Response . Yaro Starak uses Aweber and Jonathan Budd used to use only Get Response but now uses both. Jodie Thompson has used both and she knows they are reliable and, at the time of writing this, they have the best deliverability of all the software providers out there and deliverability is paramount!
Both Get Response and Aweber provide excellent video tutorials to get you started. Aweber has online help during business hours.
Whether you’re in direct marketing, affiliate sales, or network marketing, a list is critical for online business success.
When you start building a list, you need to have a reason for people to give you their contact information. To do this, you use an Opt/in box (web forms) which you create from within your chosen autoreaponder account. Both Get Response and Aweber provide the web forms. All you have to do is provide the gift, the enticement that’s good enough to give their contact information.
Kimberly Castleberry, my mentor, has taught me that list building is imperative to success. We must not let one name slip through the cracks. List building is the number one priority from day one. If we don’t have a list, Kimberly teaches, we don’t have a business. We must pay attention to the list and not get distracted with busy work. Only two actions put money in the bank, marketing a link to an existing list and calling an existing lead to sell or recruit them, both of these hinge on HAVING that list!
Never think of your social media as your list. As soon as you start to treat them as a list and begin marketing to them as though they were, is the minute your social media career goes down the drain.
Always remember, social media contacts are individuals that you are still actively in the relationship-building phase with. No matter how excited you are about your business, don’t make the mistake of pitching your opportunity to them without their consent.
Next time we’ll talk about autoresponder email marketing management and campaigns. After all, Jodie Thompson’s suggestion is to learn then do, then teach. She’s a great teacher and I’m a good student~
I would love to hear your thoughts about list building~ your success stories when you began building a list or when you realized the importance!
May 24th, 2010 at 12:18 am
Linda
It is great to get back to the basic because as you note there are many who may be too shy to ask the questions. You never know who you are going to help when doing this. Thanks
.-= Belinda Cunningham´s last blog ..How To Become A Strong Leader =-.
May 24th, 2010 at 7:50 am
Linda,
You have a couple of great mentors there! :0
It is imperative to keep your marketing list separate from your Social Media sites. Thanks for the great reminder!
Val
.-= Val Wilcox´s last blog ..Clarify the Right Relationship with Yourself =-.
May 24th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
I’m glad you know how awesome these ladies are! You’re pretty awesome yourself, Val!
May 24th, 2010 at 8:50 am
Thanks for bringing me back down to earth. You’re right on! List building is the first priority, following up personally is the second, and the contacts you make on social sites are not a “list”!
Alan
May 24th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
Yes, I’m sure I was told that already, but when I got so excited about a new business op, I let it get out of hand!! Live and learn! And I agree about follow-up! I’ll soon do a post on that!!
May 24th, 2010 at 10:03 am
Any tutorials out there how to become expert in List Building ?’”;
May 24th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
Thanks Jack for asking! That will be my next post!
May 25th, 2010 at 8:27 am
Linda,
It cannot be stated to often that our “list” and social media contacts are totally separate. The biggest turn off is to have a tribe member spam you before they even get to know you. Thanks for the reminders. Sometimes it’s the most basic concepts we tend to overlook.
.-= Darlene Davis´s last blog ..Success With A Potato Gun? =-.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:17 am
You are so right!! I was so guilty! I know you’d tell me, it’s OK, everyone makes mistakes ~ I won’t let it happen again! Kimberly taught me to only post on someone else’s wall if it’s one of the 4 E’s – Entertain, Educate, Enlighten, Enrich. If there is money attached, don’t post without permission!
May 26th, 2010 at 3:24 am
yes list building is very important without list you can pin point your target. with the list you can inform anyone on the list and send them email updates. and in the end you can somehow build relationship with them. thank you for sharing
.-= cure tinnitus´s last blog ..Changing “Why Can’t I Stop The Ringing†To “How Can I Stop The Ringing†=-.
May 26th, 2010 at 9:38 am
Linda you have some wonderful mentors, therefore are on the road to success! You are so right when you say a list is important but your attitude about that list imperative!
Nice post look forward to reading future posts!
“Dream, Believe, Become…”
.-= Tracey Keefer @ Free MLM Help´s last blog ..Perspective: Right, Wrong or just plain Weird? =-.
May 26th, 2010 at 11:01 am
Hi Linda Grace,
This is a really important topic and I am so glad that you are bringing it to our attention. I love that you are bringing together the views of so many masters. I look forward to your next article and hearing Jodie’s point of view!
Mentor Mama
.-= Nancy Burke Barr´s last blog ..Are You Penny Wise and Pound Foolish? Part 2: BANKERS =-.
May 27th, 2010 at 10:34 am
It also took me a while to figure out the “list”. I recently attended a webinar in which the speaker was promoting a facebook marketing product. His analogy was that your 1000 + friends WERE your list. I think that totally depends on the kinds of friends you have and IF you want to keep them.
May 28th, 2010 at 4:43 am
Hi Linda,
This is a great reference/reminder post. I totally agree with you about keeping your social media contacts separate to your list. They are different contacts and need to be treated differently.
You should focus on building strong quality relationships with the social media contacts, but in saying that there’s no reason why you can’t build some sort of relationship with your list.
Your list, you can’t underestimate it’s true worth!!
Cheers,
Lynn
.-= Lynn Glaser´s last blog ..Tribe Concept Teaser – Here’s What Can Be Achieved =-.
May 28th, 2010 at 4:57 am
Excellent post Linda done with some cool humor. Looking forward to your next post on List Building. You see I’m also a blond (what’s left of it), and need all the help I can get at 73. Thanks so much for this important post.
.-= Nelson´s last blog ..Stories in My Mind =-.
May 28th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Hi Linda,
when I first began with networking I was the same as you. Wondering what this almighty ‘list’ was. It’s so simple once you know.
Great advise and recommendations in your post Linda.
Thanks for sharing.
To your continued learning, doing & teaching.
Toni
.-= Toni King´s last blog ..Taking Time Out. =-.
June 2nd, 2010 at 12:52 pm
You are right on spot here. List building is an essential part of internet marking that enables you to stay in touch with existing customers and inform them about new products or upgrades to your products.
September 12th, 2010 at 4:05 am
list building is very important also in affiliate marketing”;`
April 11th, 2011 at 6:30 am
You can get away with not building a list, but building one just makes everything that little bit easier. E.g if your PPC campaign isn’t making a profit, you can recoup a small loss by selling to your list. The problem, though, is that maintaining a relationship with your list requires time and work and is difficult to outsource/put on autopilot.
LeslieT@Six Figure Renegade recently posted..Xtreme Profit Robot Bonus
May 23rd, 2011 at 10:48 am
I’ve never heard of list marketing – what a great idea! It isn’t black hat or anything is it?
May 28th, 2011 at 1:19 pm
Alan,
What do you mean by black hat?
Linda
ps. I think I already suggested for you to get a Gravatar, a picture connected to your comments? I’ll show you how here: http://lindagraceonline.com/get-the-focus-on-you/ then leave another comment and let me see!