Thirty Ways to Get Your Mailing List To Respond (To The Benefit of Your Bottom Line)
Although we can’t play music at the “Conference-for-the-price-of-a-book” festival, we wish we could! 
Today’s call on the topic of “Thirty Ways to Get Your Mailing List To Respond (To The Benefit of Your Bottom Line)” was rollicking good fun, and hopefully everyone got what they came for: practical, proven things to do that will increase your list conversion, as well as connection and fellowship.
To follow up on your commitment to increasing and deepening your relationship with your readers, post below on which of the 32 tips we covered you’ll now implement this month.
Many are easy peasy, so have at it.
And if you are the owner of a copy of “Money, Meaning & Beyond,” the recording and notes for the call will be sent out to you very shortly so you can review if you wish. Just for now, post the ones that resonated most strongly with you…and in doing so, enter yourself in the draw for this week’s prize. (A complimentary registration in the Multiple Streams List-Building Action Workgroup, value $87 or $57 for book buyers.)
Also, post your questions as you see fit…my solid gold promise to you is that you will get the answers here…from Tina or myself.
Cheers until next week, when we gather to talk ‘real-world’ Virtual Assistance and how to take them from a cost center to a profit center for you.
P.S. If you are wanting to sign up immediately for our List-Building Action Ecourse, do so by clicking here. If you are the lucky winner selected before our next week’s call, not to worry, we will refund your purchase 100%. Bring on the lucky charms!
Another call full of ideas. As I write my July newsletter there are 3 things I’m changing.
1. use a cliffhanger.
2. use first names – although I’m doing ezines in Outlook for now, I’m changing Dear to Hi – the way usually talk to people
3. have only one thing for people to choose. Currently I have 4. I’m merging 3 and 4 and making them an extension of the article in 1.
Thanks again for more ideas.
Fun, energizing & invigorating…thanks, Andrea!
I want to learn to do #1 and am THRILLED to say I already do several….yay progress!!!
you rock! love, lg
Forgot to ask. Where do I put the cliffhanger?
Agreed. Very energizing. Like last week, my mind is humming with possibility. I love the challenge to have everyone of my 8-9K readers of Purposeful Pondering Ezine to respond to me in some positive and purposeful way. And I realize that could include ‘unsubscribing.’ Down with ‘tire kickers’ up with people who truly are committed to clarifying their life purpose and live true to it.
Here are the ones I’m committed to implementing or taking to a new level:
1- Piggyback on common cultural topics. (Just wrote “I Confess I’m in Love with Katharine McPhee” for my blog posting when typepad is available again)
2- Combining ‘take myself more lightly’ with insult lovingly and be sassy with my readers.
3- Hint of things to come. (like our soon to be launch Life On Purpose Paid Community Membership.) Susssh, don’t tell anyone that it’s coming.
BRAD
I’m definitely going to take myself more lightly #7, tell personal stories related to theme #3 and piggyback on pop culture #5.
Today’s call was insightful and lots of fun. I love to laugh and learn at the same time. So thank you Andrea, you sure know how it keep it real and fun at the same time!
I already do a few of the 30, but you gave me so many more and I’m excited about implementing them in the weeks and months ahead.
To start, I’m implementing #3-Tell a personal story that relates to a practical point you are trying to make/teach. And then I’m going to tie it to #16 & 23 by getting my readers to submit their story, and then I’ll publish the winner in the next newsletter, which will further drive home my original point. I love it!
You’re a ROCKSTAR!! Thanks a bunch!! -Miiko
I have recently been embracing the make-just-one-offer in each communication tip. And it feels so smooth and clear. And now I really take notice when I see e-mails that have 15 different links at the bottom. I wonder if they generate much $$.
I like the ‘a bit sensitive’ idea. I have stumbled over an insight that I think my readers will really appreciate. So this will be the thrust of my next communication.
Also, I think I heard Andrea said we should send out 3-4 times per month. I have been doing more like 2, maybe 3. So I will bump it up a bit.
Thank you!! Such a beautiful community – I am blessed to be a part of. I love you multiple streamers!
Great ideas, Andrea and Tina! I’m definitely going to ask questions, not be so polished, invite responses, be a little provocative.
Please sign me up for the drawing!
Andrea,
This was a very helpful call for me, and I want to thank you.
The one thing that struck me the most is the suggestion to “Be regular or Be irregular, but just publish enough — 3 to 4 times a month.”!!
To be honest, that scares me a little — considering the other writing that I do. This brings up a couple of things for me, though, that may make this easier.
I notice that in your newsletters, you often refer us to a web site in order to get the full effect, especially if you have included images. In fact, you call your “Creating What Matters” newsletter “an online newsletter.”
The monthly newsletter I have been writing has only been via email. Would you suggest that it also be accessible online?
I noticed also that you must be tracking how many actually visit the online version (which is essentially a blog, correct?) since often your link often begins with webcontactpro. Is that true?
So I guess what I’m trying to process here is that if I think of my newsletter(s) as blogs, I can write them easier and with less pressure (There’s where I can work on key #18: “Don’t be too polished. In fact, a little less polish gets better response than something that’s too slick,” as well as #7: “Contribute to more lightness and humore in your communications” — An example is Andy Wibbels, who consistently cracks me up!), and a blog has automatic archiving features.
That brings up another question. How often is too often for a newsletter, online or no? Andy Wibbels recommends that blogs should be updated at least 3 times a week. For a newsletter, that may not be the best way to ‘nag your way to success.’
Sorry for the long post. In short, I am committed to implementing the following four ways to get my mailing list to respond:
Key #18: Don’t be too polished. (I sometimes worry too much about perfection, rather than just being done with it.)
Key #25: Publish at least 3 times per month.
Key #6: Give of myself and unsure thoughts and engage others to respond with their wisdom.
Key #7: Contribute more lightness and humor.
Andrea,
I LOVED the 30 ways to get your list to respond. I agree, I’d take a smaller list that is honed into me anyday over a larger general list. No brainer.
I’m going to try two favorites that floated to the top: get them to self deselect, and keep it light, with a dash of story, placing me somewhere in their minds, etc.
Following your lead, I’d like to ask my fellow Festival Goers to help me out: I’ve posted my top 7 book titles that I’m working on for my next book(s)on the blog I opened up this week, and wonder if ya’ll would be willing to give me your top three votes on which appeal to you, draw you into wanting to read them, etc.
Sitting down here in New Mexico, soaking up the sun and blue skies, and trying to protect my bald head from too much Vitamin D, I’ll happily give away a copy of my ebook, “Win the Inner Game of Success” to everyone who posts a vote. The blog link is:
http://coach-dons.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-friend-id-like-your-help.html
thanks so much to all my fellow Meaning Makers!
Warmly Yours,
Don Mc
Andrea,
I LOVED the 30 ways to get your list to respond. I agree, I’d take a smaller list that is honed into me anyday over a larger general list. No brainer.
I’m going to try two favorites that floated to the top: get them to self deselect, and keep it light, with a dash of story, placing me somewhere in their minds, etc.
Following your lead, I’d like to ask my fellow Festival Goers to help me out: I’ve posted my top 7 book titles that I’m working on for my next book(s)on the blog I opened up this week, and wonder if ya’ll would be willing to give me your top three votes on which appeal to you, draw you into wanting to read them, etc.
Sitting down here in New Mexico, soaking up the sun and blue skies, and trying to protect my bald head from too much Vitamin D, I’ll happily give away a copy of my ebook, “Win the Inner Game of Success” to everyone who posts a vote. The blog link is:
http://coach-dons.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-friend-id-like-your-help.html
thanks so much to all my fellow Meaning Makers!
Warmly Yours,
Don Mc
I liked #11 that suggested being short and to the point. I appreciate content-rich and brief e-mails and look forward to doing the same for my contacts.
You two are so amazingly generous with sharing information…AND with explaining it in ways that are easily understood.
Thank you so much for the inspiration and the information. Last summer an advisor told me to start an email list–that it was important to capture my web site’s visitors. I have procrastinated because it seemed like too much work and I didn’t know where to begin. Finding you was the first step. You are making it seem possible and less scary by providing specific steps to take in a clear, easy to understand manner…
I am committing to have a signup form on my website by the end of August.
Hi Andrea,
Delightful call. It’s fun to work and play at the same time. I have already implemented 3, 4 and 24 and I’ve made a stab at 7. I want to do 1, but I’m not sure about using it since about 15% of folks on my list have the first name “friend.”
Laurie
I love your laugh and how you deliver this hardcore marketing stuff with such lightness and good humor. I love the cliff hanger (#2) and am going to try this in my new blog posts and see what happens. I also really like to piggy backing on common culture (#5) which I do in my writing and last but not least (soooo hard to pick because each and every one you mentioned is valuable) invite yourself into your readers life (# 29) which I am going to try by asking what my readers think re: titles for upcoming ebook.
Thank you for the gift of these calls. I have been telling others about your book and look foward to the remaining 3 calls.
Warmly, Anne “Coach Paradise”
Hi Andrea
I wasn’t able to attend the call – I am in Denmark and so the call is from 10 pm and I was too tired. But I just listened to the mp3 version of it and loved it. I’m all for humour and I like your style. Bye the way thank you so much for the extremely easy to use and efficient emails with notes and links to the recording.
I am going on holiday tommorrow so I will use numbers 4, 7 and 16 in my coming back newsletter. I already have smoke coming out of my ears trying to figure out the best prize. Can’t wait till the next call.
All the best
Sidse Stausholm, Coaching Unlimited, Copenhagen, Denmark
WOW, what a terrific list of tips. I can see how I can build a teleclass on offering this type of tips list for my Stress Reduction tips blog/book.
I don’t find it in the notes, but I thought you said (maybe it’s in the book)something about making the subject lines of newsletter/ecourse exciting. I looked at my “Reduce your stress in 2006″ ecourse and realized I had “reduce your stress lesson 2 “HOW BORING!!! So I’m rewriting those with a multisensory flavor (9), using their name (1). I’m also setting up a “What would like?” page (21) and thinking about a contest (16) with the prize being something immediately useful (17). Now I need to win the list building class to pump up my list
Anticipating next week’s gems.
Lorna
As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed the teleconference. They always energize me to pick up some things that may have slipped to the back burner. And even more than that, I get a feeling of being connected with people who are learning (and probably struggling)with the same things I am.
The tips that I am going to use this month are; #9, use of the 5 senses in our writing.
Also, I will use #5 and #8 together by writing about a current event/culture and probably taking a stand on it.
Great information. I was encouraged to find out that I’m doing many of the things already. And I learned many new things that I’m eager to try out.
The best new piece of information I got, however, was to “be brief”.
I’m in the middle of a major relocation, and it’s such a relief to know that I can write a 2-line newsletter and still get a response!
Thanks a lot, Sri
Andrea and Tina:
This was a great class. I like your laid back, conversational style, and the discussions with the audience. You offer such practical yet out-of-the box tips! All of the 32 tips spoke to me, but I think I start working on numbers 1,2, 4, and 5. Can’t wait ’till our call next week!
~Kaathy
New Pathways Retirement Solutions
Loved the class, Andrea – you certainly embody so much of what you preach!
For my just-about-to-be-written first blog-posts, I really want to focus on #7, #8 and #9.
So here I am sitting in my cool study, watching the fierce sun beat on the wilting plants outside, and reflecting on a dizzying successful morning at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Okay, so I’m a hypocrite – I swear I’m not “into” possessions and fashion, but boy did I love spending money today!
]
[Just practicing my commitment to my three numbers
Andrea,
What a great way for me to get started: I am in the process of having a logo designed, getting a website up, and preparing my weekly e-tip. This list gives me so much focus! And the laughter was great, too. Diana Mitchell
I’ve been moving this week so I missed the call. But I loved the recording and the notes. I already do many of the items on the list, but I can add so many more. Also, I really like the way this plan is so simple. As always Andrea, you turn my brain inside out!
Thanks for all you do!
Sarah Robinson
Hi Andrea,
Great call, lots of wonderful ideas. I am going to use a few: not taking myself so seriously(will soon have a new membership blog/site up called “Your Own Private Magic Bald Guy!”); “Please Unsubscribe”; and poke fun at myself and others. Great ideas, I already use some.
Following your lead, I’ve posted the top 7 titles with blurbs of the books I’m excited about, and I’d like to invite everyone in the group to go to the blog where I’ve set them up, and give me your first 3 votes on which book titles you’d like to see. If none, say “none”, I guess.
I’ll give the first 10 people who comment a free copy of my revised e-book, “Win the Inner Game of Success: The 10 Greatest Mind-Tools for Reaching All of Your Dreams!”.
I’m lovin’ the Festival–I’m feeling very inspired to expand and revise so much of what I do in my ezine, coaching, and more!
Thanks,
Don McAvinchey
Santa Fe, New Mexico
http://coach-dons.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-friend-id-like-your-help.html
Hi Andrea,
Great call, lots of wonderful ideas. I am going to use a few: not taking myself so seriously(will soon have a new membership blog/site up called “Your Own Private Magic Bald Guy!”); “Please Unsubscribe”; and poke fun at myself and others. Great ideas, I already use some.
Following your lead, I’ve posted the top 7 titles with blurbs of the books I’m excited about, and I’d like to invite everyone in the group to go to the blog where I’ve set them up, and give me your first 3 votes on which book titles you’d like to see. If none, say “none”, I guess.
I’ll give the first 10 people who comment a free copy of my revised e-book, “Win the Inner Game of Success: The 10 Greatest Mind-Tools for Reaching All of Your Dreams!”.
I’m lovin’ the Festival–I’m feeling very inspired to expand and revise so much of what I do in my ezine, coaching, and more!
Thanks,
Don McAvinchey
Santa Fe, New Mexico
http://coach-dons.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-friend-id-like-your-help.html
As usual Andrea, your call was a real delight!
I am going to immediately begin implementing #2 The Coathanger and #3 Tell a personal story.
I look forward to the next call!
Karen
Thanks for the great call.
i am expecially fascinated with #14. Not sure if I have the nerve to do it – to tell them to unsubscribe! but I think that would be a great way to declutter my list.
Meanwhile I’m pleased to see I’m already doing a number of these and I’m going to focus on #11 – being short and to the point – as this is the one I have the biggest challenge with.
Thanks, Vicky
Hi Andrea,
I hadn’t seen my blog posts yet, I’d sent two your way. I’m also not sure my email will be working above, and my ‘yourlifefirst.com’ email address is defunct, at least for now. Long story. let me know if you received my post, with the offer to those who go to my blog to vote on my book titles.
thanks,
Don Mc
Hi Andrea,
I hadn’t seen my blog posts yet, I’d sent two your way. I’m also not sure my email will be working above, and my ‘yourlifefirst.com’ email address is defunct, at least for now. Long story. let me know if you received my post, with the offer to those who go to my blog to vote on my book titles.
thanks,
Don Mc
Hi Andrea,
There are 3 critical points that I will (and have already started) put into practice this month:
#6 Allow yourself to be unsure and thereby engage others to respond.
I think this is so important to the “meaning” part of the equation, and so in line with my philosophy that learning that has the most significance and value is often collaboratively-constructed. We learn from one another. Brilliant, Andrea.
#18 Don’t be too polished.
One of my biggest challenges is taking FOREVER to start or complete a project because I’m busy trying to get it perfect. I can already foresee my productivity soaring by consciously putting into place this key point.
#25 Be regular or irregular, just publish enough: about 3 or 4 times a month.
This is actually a bit scary. Getting a newsletter out once a month is a challenge.
However, as I review your newsletters, it appears that you often refer readers to the web site “for full effect.” If I think of my newsletter as an extension of a blog, publishing even once a week to the list seems doable.
Am I accurate in explaining this approach? Is this how you do it? How might I implement an approach like this?
Although I listen only to the recording (time constraints)I always feel as though I’m right in there participating. Call No. 4 really spoke to me, especially No. 5 & 8. I was thrilled that “filtering” information is not only okay but important and am now ready to go forward with my book on beauty for the 60 plus woman. Also No. 8 has had me looking at where I’m not walking my talk and changing that.
Thank you for the wonderful, easy to follow and extremely helpful tools for getting me unstuck!
Dolores Hagen