How does email marketing work for the long run?

[Tshepo]

What is the right length to set up autoresponder for? I read that you can set up from 2 weeks to 1 month or longer. Is it necessary to set up the autoresponder longer than a month?

What do you do when the autoresponder is finished? How do you keep in contact with your subscribers for the long run? please share your advice?

 

[Ron Killian]

There is no rule as to how long your series should or could be. It can go on forever if you want, just keep adding new messages. And for most instances, why limit it? Unless it's an intro series, where you move them to another list after they get done with the series.

If you have subscribers you should keep sending them emails until they unsubscribe or they stop opening your emails. Other wise you could be just throwing away potential money, if your promoting in the series.

If you do want an end date then just have them moved over to another list when the series is done. This can be automated on most any good autoresponder service.

Or if there is an end date, you could just start sending broadcasts inside of follow ups to keep in contact with them. You just need to make SURE you mail on a regular basis, or they could forget you.

But it's not wise to just let them go.

Of course it depends on what you want to do, or your end goals.

Does this help?

 

[Tshepo]

Tshepo

This really helps, but I don't know how to track how many people or who didn't open my email? if we can know this, should we remove them for next sending?

 

[Developer]

First off, I second anything Ron Killian has stated, so I won't necessarily repeat what has already been said, however, I would also like to add a few points.

Your Question: What is the right length to set up autoresponder for?

Email series should be as long as you need them to be to get the subject matter point across. If it can be done in 3 messages, then, 3 it is. If it needs to be spanned across 150 emails, then 150 it is (although you might want to consider turning THAT one into a PAID product, LOL).

Your Question: What do you do when the autoresponder is finished?

It is NEVER finished. Your job as a marketer is to continuously market to your subscribers. Continue emailing them every other day or so with relevant, valuable information and be sure to throw in an offer or two every 2 or 3 emails you send out. There is no such thing as a niche with limited information. Everyday something new can be learned. So, even when you're done telling your subscribers everything you know, find out something new and pass it along. THAT is why they are subscribed to your list and that is why they will stay.

I also wanted to touch on something Ron mentioned above... "List hygiene"

List Hygiene is extremely important now a days. For starters, yes, most email marketing companies now charge for the number of subscribers you have, even if they have unsubbed, they are still considered an "assett" if they are taking up space in the database, so, you definitely wanna get rid of as many Non Action Takers as possible, however, there is a proper way to do so.

For this post, I will refer to Non Action Takers as NAT's (nothing personal of offensive meant by that, but that's just what the initials spell out, lol)...

Anyways, every 3 or 4 months, I will usually gather up a list of NATs and assign them to a "group" that I can send email to separately. I will send out a series of 3 emails to them explaining that since they do not open my emails, I can only assume they are no longer interested and do not wish to waste either of our time.

The 1st email is a simple nudge letting them know I notice they do not open my emails. I also invite them to contact me and let me know if there is anything I can do to gain their interest back... This email is also a further test since I can now see who, on that list, opens (or doesn't open) THAT email, lol.

The 2nd email lets them know that I will send them one final email and that if they are indeed interested in staying on the list, they should be sure to open the 3rd email which will be sent out in X number of days. (I usually do the next day or 2 days max since I am not fresh in their mind).

The 3rd, and final email, is a Good Bye message along with a link to the subscribe page. I send the link because I delete the users as soon as I see the message has been sent to all those within that segmented list...

Also, since my mailing list providers include link tracking, every email to these segmented subscribers (NATs) includes a link they can click on if they wish to remain subscribed. I check the link stats to see who clicked on the link. I then ( A ) remove them from the segmented list, ( B ) add them to a 2nd segmented list which I use to send out a "Thank You For Remaining A Subscriber" email and then ( C ) i finally delete them from that segmented list so they do not continue to receive the 2nd or 3rd email in this set.

Now, this is how "I" clean my list of NAT's. I am not saying this is the ONLY way or that this is the way YOU should do it, just giving an example of how "I" clean my lists...

If I have confused you, or you would like some personal assistance, I'd be glad to lend a hand any way I can.

 

[WebmasterPhil]

An Autoresponder can be setup endlessly. That's the beauty of email marketing: to create a life-long relationship with your subscribers. My best advice is to not oversell with the emails. Provide value for free, then sprinkle in some offers every now and then. Unless you're an established store like GAP or Walmart, there's no point of sending sales announcements in every single email. You're just going to turn off your subscribers that way.

 

[Developer]

Developer

In the IM/AM world, this has actually become the norm and what many have come to expect. You want to start off your list the same way you would ever end it. If you're goal is to make sales, then you must SELL in every email. That does NOT mean it has to be a hard sell. Selling can be done just as easy, if not actually much easier, by providing useful, valuable information and leading the reader to a sales page offering something that goes along with your message...

There is nothing wrong with sending informative, useful information EVERY day which includes a link to something you are selling and/or promoting.

Again, as long as it's not a blatant hard sell every single email, soft selling SOMETHING in every email SHOULD be your goal, especially if making money is your initial and overall goal when building your list.

 

[Ron Killian]

Ron Killian

Exactly! It's not that difficult to provide value and promote in the same email. Could be a easy as... "You should do such-in-such because..., and here is a way to do such-in-such faster, or make more money with such-in-such. check out this product". Useful, but incomplete.

This is why so many people don't make money with email, they are too busy giving everything away for free. To busty providing "value". Making so nicey-nice with their subscribers. The same people that complain their $20 a month autoresponder is too expensive. Really? If my autoresponder service is not paying for itself and not making a positive ROI, I only have one person to blame, myself.

And, building the relationship, getting them wanting to open your emails does not have to be done by giving away the store.

If your not selling, your not making money.

Plus, you can not compare what most of us do, what most internet marketers do, to big brands like GAP or Walmart, those are different models, different businesses. Though we could probably all take lessons from them.

I was watching the news last niight and so many people are in an uproar about Calvin Klein's latest advertising. Very racy and they even appear to be making models look too young. Funny, the complainers are just giving the brand even more free press! lol

Okay, maybe I cam getting off topic

 

[Ron Killian]

This really helps, but I don't know how to track how many people or who didn't open my email? if we can know this, should we remove them for next sending?

Most any quality paid autoresponder service will have all those details for you. You should be able to search subscribers by last opened email for example.

And most quality paid autoresponder services will show your open rates and click rates.

List hygiene is a good habit to get into. Something I don't do enough of myself.

You should delete subs that do not open your emails for a certain time frame, addresses that bounce, ect. Even deleting those who have unsubscribed, as many autoresponder services still count those as part of your list totals.

Each sub costs money, so it's a good idea to keep your lists trimmed. Not to mention, it can help you delivery rate and increase your conversions.

Hope that helps

An Autoresponder can be setup endlessly. That's the beauty of email marketing: to create a life-long relationship with your subscribers. My best advice is to not oversell with the emails. Provide value for free, then sprinkle in some offers every now and then. Unless you're an established store like GAP or Walmart, there's no point of sending sales announcements in every single email. You're just going to turn off your subscribers that way.

Unless some one wants to make money from their list(s).

 

[WebmasterPhil]

What you're talking about here works mostly in the Make Money Online niche because IMers tend to be impulsive - meaning, everyone is looking for that edge to make money... so they'll be more than likely to buy the next plug-in that will turn their WordPress blog into a cash machine. This is why "it's expected" to receive emails stuffed with jvzoo links in them from other people in this niche.

Reality Check: Email Marketing doesn't only cater to the Make Money Online niche. Every type of business or professional also uses Email Marketing or autoresponders: Doctors, lawyers, hospitals, non-profit, academic, etc.

Imagine you subscribe to a Doctor who gave a free 7 day ecourse on how to relieve back pain. Now would you still want to read his emails if after 7 days, all he does is sell his service to you?

I'm not saying you should not sell, I just said every now and then.

 

[Developer]

I stand behind what I said initially. YES, you SHOULD sell SOMETHING in EVERY email you send out. After all, isn't that the point of having a mailing list?

Now, anyone here who has read a fair number of my posts knows that I do not see or promote "selling" as simply a monetary transaction. As I have pointed out in many of my posts, selling does not JUST mean the trading of currency for a product or service.

Selling could be as simple as selling your subscriber on the fact that you are knowledgeable in the area of your expertise. Selling your subscriber on why s/he should visit your blog/site daily, weekly, whatever. Selling your visitor on why s/he should visit a link to gain more knowledge or information.

Many people have this idea that SELLING must lead to a financial gain, and yes, it always will, however, the act of selling itself, as I see it, does not need to include any form of financial transaction or monetary exchanges.

Any good marketer, or even a half-ass one, making even a subtle attempt to market his/her business online, SHOULD be selling something (even if just him/her self or their advice or information) EVERY single time they send out an email!

Even if you're just providing the subscriber with some information. Well, you're selling them on the fact that you know enough about your industry that they should listen to what you have to say, heed your advice AND at the very least, remain a subscriber to receive your next mailing, true?

To me, that is still selling!

 

[WebmasterPhil]

Not necessarily. Some people, businesses, and non-profit org use email marketing to inform and to keep their readers up-to-date, as well as to sell.

For example, I subscribed to my college (which I graduated many years ago) to receive their alumni newsletter. Sometimes, they send emails asking for donations. Other times, the college informs of new changes at the school. Occasionally, they will send me a notice for something totally unrelated to academics, such as condolences to anyone who's been affected by the Paris terrorist attack.

As you can see, this is a terrific way of marketing because I've never unsubscribed or press the Spam button. They understood the importance of retaining a relationship, an essential key often missed by many marketers.

 

[Ron Killian]

Here again, you can't compare a college newsletter to internet marketers emailing. SO different. argh. Plus a much different type of relationship.

I thought this was an internet marketing forum.

 

[WebmasterPhil]

This is a webmaster forum. Not ALL webmasters are exclusively Internet Marketers.

Internet Marketing has a lot of ranges too. A webmaster for a non-profit organization will not be internet marketing the same way as Affiliate Marketers do.

 

[Developer]

As you can see, this is a terrific way of marketing because I've never unsubscribed or press the Spam button. They understood the importance of retaining a relationship, an essential key often missed by many marketers.

WebmasterPhil, THANK YOU for proving my point. They sold you on the fact that each email you receive will contain information you will be interested in knowing about thereby ensuring that you will not be unsubscribing any time soon...
AGAIN, A SALE of one form or another!!!

This is a webmaster forum.

For the record, I am pretty certain that when you visit the home page of this forum, it is titled "Webmaster Sun - The #1 Internet Marketing Forum, SEO & Marketplace" but regardless of that, marketing is marketing.

A webmaster for a non-profit organization will not be internet marketing the same way as Affiliate Marketers do.

Regardless, again, as I have said multiple times now, you are still MARKETING and MARKETING is ALL about SELLING, even if just selling someone on your ideas and/or beliefs and/or informing them of upcoming events (in which case, you are most likely trying to SELL them on the idea of ATTENDING the event, or taking part in a contribution or an event of any sort, or whatever else it is... As a marketer, you should always be selling...

 

[WebmasterPhil]

@ Developer

I don't disagree with what the definition of Marketing is. Perhaps we're interpreting things differently. My point being is that a person should provide value to keep the subscriber in the fold for the long run. My interpretation for "giving value" is not exactly selling as what you might be thinking. My suggestion is to build relationships with the subscribers. When you build relationships, it's not always about You.

Yes the tagline may say this is the #1 Internet Marketing forum, but as I also said, this is not an exclusively internet marketing forum. Look under Forums and you'll see sections for graphic design, programming, and server administration among other things. Yes, a good half of the forums are dedicated to internet marketing but it's not exclusive to that topic.

Another thing - the OP did not start off the thread by asking "how to make money from email marketing". He asked

"How does email marketing work for the long run"

We don't know what his objective is for using email marketing. He could be a webmaster for a church for all we know. Or he could be doing affiliate marketing. But we can't assume everyone who comes to webmaster sun are affiliate marketers.

Like I said, a webmaster for a non-profit organization will be using email marketing differently than a webmaster for a retailer would. The same can be said of that between them and a professional musician. Some will use it for branding purposes, some will use to inform, some will use it more for announcements, some will use exclusively to sell, and so forth and so forth.

 

[shivanshis4]

Email marketing is a very effective way of maintaining a regular audience strength to your blog in long run. It helps in lead generation, tracking and taking people to your blog. Sending newsletter or engaging mailer will be a great idea. The major advantage comes from the fact that most of the people open the emails which are ganuine. so, you have a great chance!