Internet Marketing Toolbox

Miltski asked one of the “eternal” questions that plagues all online marketers in a recent comment he added to a post on this site.

Specifically…

I have recently started up my own newsletter and to be honest, I really struggle to create content. I have the intention to try and “keep it real”. I’m trying to not go down the road of using copy and pasted affiliate letters or PLR. Where would I find an example of a good newsletter?

The emphasis (and rightly so) is on list building, and then developing an ongoing relationship with the people on our list!

We all know that building a list of potential customers is one of the main things we should all be concentrating on. Once people demonstrate an interest in what we have to offer and “subscribe” to our list, then it should be much easier to “sell” to them… much easier than trying to sell to total strangers who turn up to your web site.

But when many of the “examples” we subject ourselves to as Internet Marketers (often in the name of “research”) are usually not much more than one pitch fest after another, I know exactly what Milt means! It certainly is a point that I have expended considerable thought on!

I thought I’d modify Milt’s question slightly to demonstrate the depth of this problem…

1. How can you get people to subscribe to your list in the first place?
2. Once signed up, what can you “do” with them?

But before you can answer those questions, take a couple of steps back… because what you “do” will depend a lot on the niche you are targeting, and the experiences and expectations of the people in that niche!

For example, I know that Milt (like me) is targeting the Internet Marketing niche… and there are basically two sorts of “customers” in that niche…

The first group are the raw recruits looking for information on how to make money online and generally, they are easily “encouraged” to spend large wads of cash to pursue a dream, and easily distracted to purchase the latest “must have” tool or technique (and part with more cash).

But after they’ve spent a lot, and most times have little to show for it except for lots of “digital dust” gathering on their hard drive… they become the second group - touched with cynacism, and tight with their money (and yes - that would be me!) Our B.S. meters have been well and truly tested by this stage.

And within those two groups are a whole heap of sub-groups… people with poor (or good) written English skills, or with varying levels of computer/internet ability for example.

And within the niche… there are a whole HEAP of sub-topics you could specialise in!

You would use different “tactics” with all these different groups if you intend to market to them.

And there’s the first clue…

Get to know your target market closely

to work out how to deal with them!

Obviously, there is a LOT more to answering Milt’s original question! Far more than can be put into just one little post.

And that’s why I strongly encourage you to follow the conversation that’s underway over at Your List Blueprint!

In fact, this morning’s latest post goes back to basics and discusses a flowchart of the autoresponder process.

Interestingly, that post actually finished with the question that Milt asked (yes - fact - no B.S. - I really did have it planned days ago)

What on earth do you actually “do” with all these people?

Note to Milt…

Yes, newsletters are one of the topics that will shortly be discussed at Your List Blueprint - I plan to disect all sorts of examples to give you ideas on what might suit you!

So that’s where the conversation is headed over there… lots more information coming soon! Do drop in and make sure you sign up for the feed to get it sent to you as it happens!

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