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Email Marketing Is Not Dead, Bloggers

This post was most recently updated on July 30th, 2016

Email Marketing Is Not DeadEmail Marketing Is Not Dead, Bloggers.

In fact, now… more than ever… you really need to understand how email marketing is the path to harnessing the hidden potential of your blog.

And while email marketing is not just for bloggers, it is essential to building any online business that uses a blog as its centerpiece.

 

Advertising On Your Blog

Email marketing is not about build your “list,” it is the way you use that email list to get people involved in your business.

So, if your blog is about losing weight, you might write articles about things like (a) dieting, (b) exercise and (c) herbal remedies.

You could even have those same three categories on your blog.

To monetize your blog, you could start selling a bunch of products in each category.

You could put banners on your sidebar, header and in your posts.

You could integrate AdSense and CPA (cost per action) campaigns to earn instant commissions.

All these things will probably have these two effects on your blog.

  1. You have a chance to make a few commissions here and there.
  2. You will probably have a very small, very dispassionate readership.

 

How Email Marketing Works

The best way to make your blog profitable, and the centerpiece of a strong online business, is to integrate it with email marketing.

This process begins, of course, with you implementing listbuilding strategies to generate a list of subscribers to your email “newsletter.”

Unfortunately, that’s where many bloggers end.

I repeat, building your list is not the end… it is just the beginning of email marketing.

To use the example I gave above, after you get people onto your “weight loss” email list, you’ll want to start engaging with them.

Use your email messages to let them know that you’re here to help them lose weight.

You recognize that losing weight is their problem, now you are going to offer them solutions to that problem.

This is how you build your relationship with your list.

Special: Secret Email Marketing Techniques Used By The Gurus — Special Offer

Once they’ve come to know you a bit, and start to accept your authority or leadership, they will begin to trust you.

This is the key to building a loyal subscriber base.

This is the key to generating engagement with your list.

When you have a loyal and engaged group of followers, your email marketing is ready to start paying off for you.

 

Email Marketing Is Not Dead, Bloggers

“The money is in the list,” bloggers and internet marketers alike will tell you.

Well, I’m sure you’ve heard that before.

Bloggers, internet marketers, and really anybody at all with an online business agrees that the money is in the list.

It’s absolutely true, and that’s why email marketing is not dead, bloggers.

You see, once you have demonstrated to your subscribers that they can trust you, your whole online business world changes.

You now have a group of “followers.”

Special: How Bloggers REALLY Build Their Fortunes . . . (Surprising)

They have upgraded from the status of readers to subscribers.

They have upgraded again, from the status of subscribers to “followers.”

Now they are ready to watch everything you do, because they trust you, and they trust you can show them the way to solving their problems.

Your “weight loss” followers are now ready to follow you along other, related journeys that you might lead them on…

Journeys to places like (a) dieting, (b) exercise and (c) herbal remedies.

 

The Money Is In The List

Once you have loyal followers, you can begin to offer them training, tools, products, coaching and lots of other things that can help them solve their problem, whether it’s losing weight or anything else.

That’s when email marketing really kicks in.

This is when you want to be sure that you are constructing your emails, and email campaigns to harvest the bounty of this ripe field of followers.

Basically, you need to present them with buying opportunities that will help them solve their problems.

These buying opportunities, though, must be presented as “opportunities” for them to solve their problems, not as sales pitches that will help you build a profitable business.

In fact, they accomplish both of these things, so when you are honest, sincere and truly honor the trust your followers have placed in you… both of you benefit… it’s a true win-win.

Now, bringing people through this process, and actually getting them to the checkout counter, is a rather detailed one.

It involves many working parts, and operates at different levels simultaneously.

I’ll be presenting a live training event on this topic in the upcoming days.

It’s called “Email Marketing Fire.”

 

Click here to Register for “Email Marketing Fire”

 

Note: “Email Marketing Fire” is another “VIP Club” training event, so if you’re a “VIP Club” member, you are automatically registered. No need to do it here.

I look forward to seeing everyone there, both members and non-members of the “VIP Club.”

In any case, make sure to develop your email marketing strategies wisely.

This is where your blog elevates in your business… and your profitable business at that!

Your Blog Is A Sales Funnel

So tell me, now… how is your email marketing going?

What strategies do you have in place to build your blogging business by integrating email marketing campaigns?

I’d love to read your comments below, and please, share this article on your social sites, too.

I’d especially like to hear if you agree with me when I say that “Email Marketing Is Not Dead, Bloggers.”

-Donna

Donna Merrill
Donna is a well known blogger and creator of "Blogging Magic" - an intensive guide to blogging. "Blogging Magic" is for beginners who are trying to figure out how to bring their blogs to life with tons of visits, comments and social media interaction. It's even for advanced bloggers looking to reach new levels of authority and engagement with their audience.

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86 Responses to Email Marketing Is Not Dead, Bloggers

  1. Willena Flewelling
    Twitter:
    February 22, 2015 at 8:35 pm #

    I agree, email marketing is still very much alive and effective! One thing that bothers me is when a series of free emails ends, or some other offer ends, then the emails start promoting something of theirs or even of someone else — and they don’t offer value at all. I wish more people would learn from you and David!
    Willena Flewelling recently posted..Week 19 – Friday the 13thMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 24, 2015 at 2:27 pm #

      Hi Willena,

      I know that problem when subscribing to emails too. Things go crazy then stop. The key to use email properly is to be persistent. Of course we are going to pitch a product, but not before engagement.

      Because I make my own products, it’s pretty consistent for people to follow if they choose.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Should Bloggers Give Away Their Best Information?My Profile

  2. Erika Mohssen-Beyk
    Twitter:
    February 20, 2015 at 4:42 pm #

    Hi Donna,
    I do not have much experience with this yet.
    Just started list building. I think email marketing is good to build a relationship with customers.
    And used right, I am sure it works.
    I noticed lately that many of the newsletters I subscribed start to overdo it.
    It is getting too much too often and too much pitching, so I unsubscribed
    from some of them. It is good to learn from this, how not to do it.
    Thank you for like always,good information and it is also interesting
    to read the comments to learn from the People who have a list.
    Erika

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 20, 2015 at 4:56 pm #

      Hi Erika,

      There are still so many in the industry that put out emails to sell sell sell….and that is so not the way to do it.

      Email marketing is like being on social media Only better! We have a group of people on our list, we give them some good content….short and sweet. Something they can apply to their lives.

      Then we can make an offer to our products/services.

      As long as you are building your list, think about the emails you will like to send to start engaging with your list. It can be some personal stuff too. Every once in a while a picture can be thrown in the mix…It sure gets a great response!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..When Customer Engagement Matters MostMy Profile

  3. Donna Merrill
    Twitter:
    February 15, 2015 at 3:14 pm #

    Hi Siphosith,

    Yes, I try to break things down easily for people to understand. I like to write short and sweet messages and get the conversation rolling on my comments.

    Then if people want to learn more, they can always opt into my webinars or VIP Club whereby I always give more detailed information, followed by Q&A sessions.

    I’m glad you found this interesting,

    -Donna
    Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  4. Siphosith
    Twitter:
    February 15, 2015 at 2:48 pm #

    Hey Donna,
    You have shared great information on Email marketing. I like the way you explain it so simple for anyone to understand, especially the different stages until you are able to make money from your list. Yes Email marketing is not dead, if done the right way, it is dead when done wrongly, many complain that their lists are not responding. Thanks for the information, learnt a lot.
    Siphosith recently posted..Take Advantage Of An Email SignatureMy Profile

  5. Lesly Federici
    Twitter:
    February 15, 2015 at 12:30 pm #

    No Way Donna..
    Can you imagine NOT having an email list? How would you engage with the people who are interested in you? This is direct contact with people who want to hear from you or they wouldn’t have opted-in to your list .. so email, and building a list.. is not dead guys … GO FOR IT!! Build that list … get it started.. yes, it may take time to build it, but it will grow.. I know from personal experience…
    Lesly Federici recently posted..Increase Facebook Traffic With Video MemesMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 15, 2015 at 3:11 pm #

      Hi Lesly,

      As you well know from experience it does take some time to grow. But time well worth it. Even when someone on my list never opts into a product or service, they still open my emails. Then, later on, when THEY are ready, They email me and ask “What was that thing you were offering in December?” he he

      We do have to provide value and this is where we can even ask questions to our list asking them what else do you want to know….. The response is awesome!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  6. Andy Lockhart
    Twitter:
    February 15, 2015 at 11:36 am #

    Donna

    Great article and email is definitely not dead, in some cases it has better engagement rates than social media!

    So that makes what you say even more important! LISTEN Bloggers.

    Thanks for sharing

    Andy
    Andy Lockhart recently posted..How to Get What You Want in LifeMy Profile

  7. Andrea Ansari
    Twitter:
    February 15, 2015 at 11:01 am #

    Hi Donna, great to see you on video!!! Of course email marketing is not dead. It’s the beginning of remarketing, relationship building and a whole lot of things!!
    Andrea Ansari recently posted..[CASE STUDY] How To Set Up Your Application FunnelMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 15, 2015 at 3:06 pm #

      Hi Andrea,

      You know marketing very well and of all the people you do know that email marketing is not dead.

      It is the beginning of relationship building and when we do that correctly….the KLT comes in and then our offers.

      Thanks for stopping by,

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  8. Ryan Biddulph
    Twitter:
    February 15, 2015 at 3:17 am #

    Hi Donna,

    Email marketing is alive and well! Thriving as always. Because people read their emails regularly – or obsessively – and by email marketing we make consuming our posts, eBooks, products and services infinitely easier. Power points all around and every smart post Donna.

    Thanks!

    Ryan
    Ryan Biddulph recently posted..17 Blogging Lessons I Learned on a 22 Hour Flight to BaliMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 15, 2015 at 2:59 pm #

      Hi Ryan,

      It sure is and it will always be thriving. If we are giving good content and using our strategies the right way, people will open our emails and follow us….we engage and then offer a product/service.

      Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your time back in Bali

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  9. Joan Harrington
    Twitter:
    February 14, 2015 at 2:58 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    No, email marketing is NOT dead! Blogging and email marketing go hand in hand in marketing and making sure you keep your brand consistent on both is key to a successful online business 🙂

    I am just now starting over to build my list again and learning what I need to do to build a profitable blogging and email campaign 🙂 Just getting that ultimate bride on our blogs to make sure people get on our list as that is where the ultimate relationship gets built!

    Thanks for sharing your tips and ideas! Great post as always girl! Value-packed!
    Joan Harrington recently posted..The Key To Giving Your Post An Emotional HeadlineMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 14, 2015 at 4:58 pm #

      Hi Joan,

      OH yes…our blogs and emails need to be congruent. No matter what we are sharing on our blogs, a good CTA is always good to prompt people to get on your list.

      Once there, that is where the action starts. As long as one has a good strategy placed, the engagement on emails can be high and of course, when we pitch a product our email readers are more apt to buy from us.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  10. Barbara Charles
    Twitter:
    February 13, 2015 at 9:34 pm #

    Wow, Donna you are really on fire! Another new product and that’s wonderful because this is very true. I learned this from my interactions with my group in PNG (near Australia. Simply sending out letters to them weekly or every two weeks keeps them in contact and we are very engaged.

    Quite often I get emails back with various discussions. Definitely a mailing list is about building relationships.

    I get it and have known about but not used it the way I should. My Australa group is the only way I know it works and I need to expand that to others.

    This is a good post and a good reminder that I need to expand and build my list to other areas.

    Great post and thank you for the reminders.

    Have a great week-end.
    Barbara
    Barbara Charles recently posted..The Three Laws Of BloggingMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 14, 2015 at 4:53 pm #

      Hi Barbara,

      Yep..we are on fire and keeping up with our 2015 schedule…so far so good! How wonderful it is that your email has gotten responses and you are engaging with them. Now that is one of the points I will be talking about because the bots love it. So keep that one in mind lol.

      It is all about building relationships and you seem to have conquered that one!

      So great to know you will be expanding and building your list in other areas. Not an easy task, but one that is more important than anything else.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  11. Sylviane Nuccio
    Twitter:
    February 13, 2015 at 5:17 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    I don’t know how many times I came to your blog and did see a new post and now boom!
    What happen? I should have been first here!

    Anyways, no for sure email marketing is not dead, because the money is still in the list. There is no doubt about that.

    I’ve just installed a new pop up to see what happens to my own list.

    Frankly my pop up is not for my regular readers, it’s really for people who need my stuff, and I intend to promote my blog post to grow my business and grow my list.

    When you sell a product, I feel that tone of the may ways to promote your service or product is to build a list and marketer to that list.

    Beside that there are ads, but that’s pretty much it.

    Well, I’m glad I’ve finally caught up with your blog 🙂
    Sylviane Nuccio recently posted..French Social Rules Don’t Be AwkwardMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 14, 2015 at 4:49 pm #

      Hi Sylviane,

      There are so many ways to get people to join our lists. From pop ups to Calls to action. Whatever we decide to use to capture opt ins for our emails it is always testing testing testing!

      But once they are on our list, we have to put all our energy there first because those are the people who took the first step to see what we are doing. Those people are gold to us and there is where we have to engage most.

      There are so many ways to promote our product/services…but it all gets down to our emails.

      Thanks for finding me lol.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  12. Miriam Slozberg
    Twitter:
    February 13, 2015 at 4:09 pm #

    Great post as always Donna. Email marketing is like SEO. Not dead, just been transformed over and over again! You have to keep up with how it is works, because otherwise if you stick to the old ways, then it will appear dead.
    Miriam Slozberg recently posted..An Overview of Social Influence with Peter DeSouzaMy Profile

  13. Mark
    Twitter:
    February 13, 2015 at 3:04 pm #

    Thanks for shedding some much needed light on a potentially
    awful mistake that far too many newbie online marketers make!

    And that being, not starting off learning “how to” effectively build and maintain
    their very own opt in subscriber list!

    You’ve pointed several extremely valid reasons and benefits for doing so!

    If you carefully watch what the pros (such as yourself) do and invest in their knowledge and expertise, you’ll have much less painful and potentially expensive reality check down the road!

    Learning “how to” build and maintain a responsive opt in email list is an incredibly valued knowledge and skill to posses!

    And you can certainly learn how to monetize it in so many low cost creative ways! As you and David can no doubt attest to!

    Thanks for sharing your proven insights on such a vitally important and evergreen subject!
    Mark recently posted..So How The Heck Do You Build True Customer Loyalty By Giving Your Best Stuff Away For Free?My Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 14, 2015 at 4:38 pm #

      Hi Mark,

      As the old saying goes “If I knew then what I know now…” I would have built a better list when I began. But I had to learn through the mistakes I have made. Yes, I did have an opt-in, but it went straight to the company I was affiliating. Who Knew years back?

      Our emails are precious. I’ve vamped it up and tried different tactics during last year and see a huge improvement. Better open rates, opt ins and yes even buyers.

      I don’t think I will ever stop studying all the different ways to do so. It keeps me on top of the game.

      This is why I wanted to bring to light how important email marketing is. And more importantly why we need to know the strategy we need to take.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  14. vino
    Twitter:
    February 13, 2015 at 2:24 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    Thats a awesome post about email marketing. Yes, it is very clear that email marketing will never die at all. But the strategy one following to get results from email marketing should be very right only then we will able to achieve some results from email marketing. We should not send just the template to get hits but we should send a proper mail which really engage users. Thaks for writing this for us.Have a great weekend!!
    vino recently posted..Onpage SEO Checklist For An Ecommerce SiteMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 14, 2015 at 4:26 pm #

      Hi Vino,

      Aha..you are on target when it comes to email marketing. We cannot get any results if we are just sending the template to get hits.

      We have to engage and do it well. It is all about strategy!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  15. Aurelie Chazal
    Twitter:
    February 13, 2015 at 7:52 am #

    Hi Donna,

    I couldn’t agree more! Email marketing is alive and well. I actually think social media marketing is slowly dying sometimes (Facebook in particular) and that’s what makes email so popular. Brands own their email list and have total control over it. It’s also a more intimate way to connect with readers and it makes bloggers more accessible. I know I like when bloggers ask their subscribers to reply to emails and start a conversation.

    Even if they can’t answer every email (they make that clear), it’s nice to know they are making themselves accessible and are not hiding behind a no-reply.

    Aurelie
    Aurelie Chazal recently posted..7 Customer Appreciation Ideas For Your Small BusinessMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 14, 2015 at 4:24 pm #

      Hi Aurelie,

      Email marketing is sure alive and kicking! If we compare it with social media, there is no doubt that it is better.

      We can make such close connections with our email list, giving content, and getting to know each and every person.

      I like to chat more there than anywhere else!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  16. Irish Carter
    Twitter:
    February 12, 2015 at 10:53 pm #

    Hi Donna

    Very valuable information. I learn so much from you and especially in the comment section as well. Thanks for sharing all the content you do. I will be really honest and tell you I have “sucked” in the past with email lists. What I found was I had little and few who were actually opening the emails so I became frustrated. I now believe from reading this that it was how I delivered the content and possibly the strategy I used like what Ikechi said. I also agree about the value behind it all.

    I have now become way more serious about my monthly and quarterly planning sessions to make sure that I do not fall off track with my development plans for my business as this world can certainly take you on a whilrwind roller coaster ride if you let it. Balance I believe is key.

    I have some days off the other job and am going to work on a few of these strategies that you have shared here. Thanks again Donna.

    Enjoy your weekend.

    Irish
    Irish Carter recently posted..Best tips and resources for wellness, making money online and building a successful online business!My Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 13, 2015 at 1:11 pm #

      Hi Irish,

      So happy to know this was help for you. I sucked at email too before I realized how to do it properly. Now I’m having a blast with it.

      It is all about strategy! We have to take some time out and write a few emails and then send them one at a time. Sometimes I like to do a series and leave a “cliff hanger” so they will open my next one.

      Other times, I ask questions and get a good response. But there are many ways to do it and as long as we are consistent and treat our email subscribers like our best friends, we can then, and only then, give them an opportunity to join our products and/or services.

      So glad you liked this post!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  17. Joy Healey
    Twitter:
    February 12, 2015 at 5:31 pm #

    Hi Donna

    Late again – but for the best of reasons. My son has been to stay.

    I think that SOME email marketing is dead – for instance the subjects that say “You just made a commission…” open email…. “well you WILL if you buy my xzy”. Instant ZAP!! If someone tries to “trick me” what does that do for “know, like and trust”?

    Also I don’t like being blitzed by emails – one a week maximum is enough for me, otherwise I get overwhelmed, get behind reading and probably never even try to catch up. Even some people whose content I really enjoy.

    But there are a few emails that I will ALWAYS open, knowing who they are from, because they provide well written content, a lesson – and yes, probably a tool to help me solve a problem!.

    I know my email marketing is a “work in progress”, so I look forward to your training event (in the VIP members section – having missed it!!)

    Joy
    Joy Healey recently posted..Free Business Website – The Real CostMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 13, 2015 at 1:07 pm #

      Hi Joy,

      You have given great examples here to share of all those emails that bombard us with crazy offers and pitching us all the time. I hit that unsubscribe button so fast when I get those.

      Problem is most people don’t and it clogs up their email. Now those black hat marketers can ruin the whole advantage of email marketing and turn people off.

      But on the other hand, as you mention there are a few emails you Always open because there is good content and may be a tool to help solve a problem.

      All email marketing is a work in progress as we attract many people to our list. Or lists!

      The webinar is next week, but as always you can find it in the VIP members section because we ALWAYS record it for convenience. And as usual, the rest of the month we address questions to the webinar every Tuesday…which is also recorded in the question section on that site.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  18. Chery Schmidt
    Twitter:
    February 12, 2015 at 4:37 pm #

    Hello Donna! What a great topic! , E-mail marketing is not dead! Some people have no clue about how to go about this and many do unsubscribe right away, but then we have those people whom share value, now these are the kind of e-mails we look forward to each week HUH

    Funny I was just over at Mi Muba’s blog where he talks about the 80/20 rule for your blog, I do believe this applies here as well.

    Thanks for sharing.. Chery :))
    Chery Schmidt recently posted..Are You Fed Up Not Making Money With Your Online Business?My Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 13, 2015 at 12:58 pm #

      Hi Chery,

      Email marketing is only dead if you don’t know how to do it lol. Yes, I was on Mi Muba’s blog too and he raised the 80/20 issue. It does apply here too with our emails.

      There are emails I look forward to reading from certain people because it is always a learning process and I feel like they are friends Then they have an offer that I may consider valuable to my business and I opt right in.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  19. Harleena Singh
    Twitter:
    February 12, 2015 at 1:45 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    Sorry for being so late this time, just overwhelming time 🙂

    Coming to the post – Yes, I agree with you. But I wonder why would anyone consider email marketing as dead? I think it’s as close to like talking to customers face-to-face in offline business. Well, not exactly. But its a more personal touch.

    Oh yes, the money is in the list. I’ve realized the importance of list building and email marketing. And its all about helping people find solutions.

    Thanks for the great and genuine tips in this post. Sorry for this short comment as I’ve to make up for my short absence from the blogosphere. More later. 🙂

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 13, 2015 at 12:56 pm #

      Hi Harleena,

      No need for apologies…I know how busy you are! I am happy that you stopped by.

      People who say email is dead are those who don’t know how to use it correctly. Like you mentioned, it is like talking to customers face-to-face in offline business. It is that personal touch we give to those on our list.

      It is about a solution to a problem, and also good engagement. Then and only then can we give them an offer.

      Thanks again!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  20. Shahbaz Ali Sayyed
    Twitter:
    February 12, 2015 at 1:21 pm #

    Hello Donna! First of all i’d like to thank you for showing me the potential of my blog for email marketing. From last few months i’ve been using different CPA programs and even Adsense but don’t see much conversions as i am not having much traffic. I think i must give a try to your strategies which are much suitable for my blog.

    Will be waiting for your live event…

    BTW this is my first visit to your blog and i’m pretty much impressed.

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 13, 2015 at 12:53 pm #

      Hi Shahbaz,

      Yes, there is potential on your blog to get a good list going. It is all about treating your list like gold. No matter what the size, we need to engage more on our list than anywhere else.

      Play around with your list, try different things and see what gives you the best response. It is all about testing.

      There is no one way to do it. It is all up to us and the people we attract on our list. But there are tips and tricks as I call them, for getting them to respond to a CTA…not necessarily buying something, but more than that, to start the party! Then give them your pitch.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  21. Rohit Gaikwad
    Twitter:
    February 12, 2015 at 11:33 am #

    Email marketing works if you have a great mailing list and most importantly they are interested in reading a blog. Still blogger should try this because everything starts with nothing.
    Rohit Gaikwad recently posted..How to use WhatsApp on the webMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 14, 2015 at 5:31 pm #

      Hi Rohit,

      An email list on your blog is so important so you can engage with those that are interested who opt in. Once they do, engagement is the key and that is where you can get to know your customer base.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  22. Andrew M. Warner
    Twitter:
    February 12, 2015 at 9:18 am #

    Hey Donna,

    Great post here. I’m going to have to be honest, I don’t do as much as I can when it comes to email marketing unfortunately. In fact, I need to revamp the whole thing before it gets really catastrophic.

    But your post here made me realize that I need to make those changes.

    You’re right … it doesn’t end at getting the email list. And how I’ve been treating it, it would make it seem like I thought it did. Shame on me.

    Thanks for sharing this post and really giving me the wake up call I needed.

    – Andrew
    Andrew M. Warner recently posted..Why I’ve Decided To Allow Guest Posts On My BlogMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 13, 2015 at 12:50 pm #

      Hi Andrew,

      I too haven’t been treating my email list properly in the past. Just updating them here and there but all has changed in the past year and I’m seeing great results.

      I’ve been taking course after course on email and applied what I have learned. Now they are emailing me back and a good conversation is going on.

      Because of this, and all I learned and applied, I just had to create a webinar because if I did it any other way, it would have to be an e-book and it is quicker for me to teach by talking and follow up questions than a book.

      I am so glad this gave you a wake-up call. You are too good! People need you and email is the best way to engage.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  23. Glenn Shepherd
    Twitter:
    February 11, 2015 at 7:07 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    As James McAllister said, everything’s dead, if you believe what some people say!

    While the money’s in the list, it’s more to do with the relationship you have with your list. The mailing list is something I avoided dealing with for a long while. It was one of those things where I just tried not to think about it and hoped it would go away! I’m still not the best at the e-mail marketing side of things but I’m getting there, I think, and am actually in the process of reworking a few things so as to improve.

    I like how you talked about subscribers becoming followers. I had honestly never looked at it from that angle before. One thing I always do though is write in a personable way, as though I’m writing to just one friend rather than writing as though I’m writing to a mailing list. I’ve found that this helps my mails to be much more natural, I think.

    Thanks for the great post, Donna. 🙂

    »Glenn«
    Glenn Shepherd recently posted..Two Big Reasons You May Be Failing In Your Online BusinessMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 13, 2015 at 12:46 pm #

      Hi Glenn,

      Yes I love the way James described it too! I don’t listen to others until I see something that is valid. But when it comes to email marketing…it is alive and well.

      True, it all depends on how we build relationships with our list. We have to give them more information than we do on our blog. Little tips and tricks I call them. And there is so much more that we can do to get responses and keep the open rate alive.

      Yes, when writing we do need to write like we are writing to a friend. That’s so important because we are! One never knows if a person on our list wants to partner with an offer we have.

      Yes, they are my loyal followers, more than my loyal followers on my blog because we engage more on the list than anywhere else.

      I started to apply different ways to mingle with my list in the past year an seen a great response.

      All about tweaking isn’t it?

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  24. Luke Jordan
    Twitter:
    February 11, 2015 at 5:37 pm #

    Hey Donna,

    This is a great post!

    Email marketing is not dead, not by a long shot. Plenty of people still buy from e-commerce newsletters (we used to make a bomb at my old place sending emails every day, and this was only a couple of years ago) and on my current email list, I get anywhere between 30-50% open rates on every email.

    The money is still in the list!

    Love the site and I will be returning 🙂

    Luke Jordan
    Intergeek
    Luke Jordan recently posted..On-Page SEO Checklist: Your Complete 2015 GuideMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 13, 2015 at 12:26 pm #

      Hi Luke,

      Absolutely…especialy for e-commerce Email is a key component. Wow thanks for sharing that you get anywhere between 30 -50% open rates on every email.

      Now that’s impressive and you sure know what you are doing!

      All the best to you!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  25. Beth Hewitt
    Twitter:
    February 11, 2015 at 5:20 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    How are you.

    You know people that think email marketing is dead are probably the people that can’t be bothered to put the effort in!

    But you know what, even if Email Marketing WAS dead (which it’s not) I’d still right to my list because I love them so and I love it when they email me back lol.

    Beth 🙂
    Beth Hewitt recently posted..Emotional IntelligenceMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 12, 2015 at 2:07 pm #

      Hi Beth,

      Long time no see…Great to connect with you once again.

      I like your take on Email Marketing! I agree that people who say it is dead probably did not put in the effort, or have not studied all the many ways to market.

      When I hear this from someone I always ask “How many courses did you take on email marketing” What I get back is eyes like a deer caught in the headlights he he he.

      Good connecting again.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  26. Don Purdum
    Twitter:
    February 11, 2015 at 3:46 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your content. You are very helpful to me. For the last five years I’ve intentionally not made email a priority until of late.

    That of course means I don’t really have a strategy or thought process yet either. I’m working on that.

    I would love your opinion on this because of the feedback over the years I’ve gotten form my audience (which I target primarily entrepreneurs, business owners and executives of companies that are startups, or have been in business for more than five years and are stuck because of their messaging) is that they don’t generally subscribe to emails and they don’t value having one more email in their huge list of emails they receive during the day.

    Second, most of them have heard for years about money being in the list and now they’ve bought the stereotype that while they want to grow their list, they don’t want to subscribe to a list just to be marketed to and have an opportunity to be sold something.

    I know this is primarily true for me. It seems no matter how great someone’s content is on their website that can help me, once it turns to email it ceases being a valuable contribution to me and it turns into being a valuable contribution for them. It is a constant list of buy this and buy that…

    So, there are stereotypes to overcome as well that make it a challenge.

    So, I’m trying to figure out a strategy with the entrepreneurs, business owners and executives that will give them value and at the moment I feel stuck with giving them an email that alerts them to new articles. That seems to be working great right now.

    I get the whole concept of email marketing and have been around over a decade; but I also know my audience and when it comes to email subscriptions this can be a tough crowd, lol…

    I’m just not sure that money is in my list; but I believe engagement could be and that for me and my audience is where the money is at.

    I look forward to learning more from you.

    ~ Don Purdum
    Don Purdum recently posted..Successful Blogging Tips for Service Based BusinessesMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 12, 2015 at 12:28 pm #

      Hi Don,

      I understand that not every situation requires an email list, but it’s really hard for me to imagine those situations.

      If your crowd is inbox shy, and doesn’t want to be on your list, guess what… they’re just like everybody out there, including me and probably you.

      Who wants to be pitched at?

      Not me. Not you, and certainly not them.

      The solution is not to just give “value” 100% of the time, though.

      This IS a business and giving pure value undermines your value as a leader in their eyes. If you’re good at what you do, tell them, show them how they can hire you or buy your stuff, and then deliver and over-deliver on your promises.

      If they don’t want to open your emails, ask them… BEG them to unsubscribe. You don’t need or want them.

      Take control of the process.

      Ever buy a car from a guy who said he won’t show you the car or tell you the price because he knows you don’t want to get a sales pitch? If I walk into a car dealership and tell the guy to leave me alone, he’d be wise to do it, or even to tell me to go across the street and check out their deals instead… stop wasting his time.

      Now, I’m not saying to just go out and “pitch” your list.

      Give them value, but make it clear that to maximize that value, they need to sign on to your training or partner with you in your business or whatever.

      Be up front, non-apologetic and again… remind people often that if they don’t want the information you’re sharing with them (including your occasional “pitches”), that they should unsubscribe so you don’t clutter their inbox with unwanted stuff.

      The ones that hang in there with you… your loyal followers… those are the only ones you’re doing this for anyway.

      It’s an art… not the “art of the deal” but the “art of engagement.”

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  27. Adrienne
    Twitter:
    February 11, 2015 at 2:09 pm #

    Hey Donna,

    You are SO right and if only people understood that’s how this all works then I think they would be more focused on building their own list and interacting with their list.

    I have been supporting Danny Iny these last few years of course, he’s someone that I’ve been following and continue to learn from. He just launched the course where I was a beta tester so of course I promoted it. But I didn’t do it in a sleezy salesy way and guess what? I ended up being on the top 10 list of affiliates all because I helped my subscribers and followers instead of sell to them.

    They want to know you’re there for them, they want to learn from you and if something you promote can help them and you have built up that relationship then they’ll buy from you. Anyone that says it won’t work hasn’t tried it. Your information and tips are spot on and I certainly hope that anyone eager to learn how to do just this will check out what you have to offer. They definitely can\’t go wrong my dear.

    Thanks for sharing this and I’ll be sure to do the same.

    Hope you’re enjoying your week.

    ~Adrienne
    Adrienne recently posted..Why No One Wants Your Free ReportMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 12, 2015 at 1:12 pm #

      Hi Adrienne,

      Wow….I didn’t know that you have done this with Danny. What a great way to engage with a list. Now I know you well enough to know how well you must have done and it doesn’t surprise me that you made the top 10 Affiliates.

      You have a natural way of connecting with people and being there for them. You always lend a hand and I’m sure those people were so lucky to have you there. You are the relationship queen my dear friend!

      It is so true. People want to know you are there for them and then if you promote something after relationships are built, they will more likely purchase.

      Thanks so much for sharing that one Adrienne!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  28. Corina Ramos
    Twitter:
    February 11, 2015 at 1:19 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    Thanks for sharing this. I think I was supposed to read this :). After reading your last post about email marketing I got my newsletter ready to go and this post just sealed the deal and valdiated that I’m on the right track.

    The only question I have is what to do with my old email list. I would hate to get rid of it but since it’s a new newsletter I’m not sure if I have to start over, not to mention adhere to the guidelines. I transferred my list to my new provider before I decided to put it on hold.

    Should I email them and let them know they’d have to resubscribe?

    Thanks for your help. 🙂
    Corina Ramos recently posted..Infographic: Single or Committed, Do Valentine’s Day Right And SaveMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 12, 2015 at 12:19 pm #

      HI Corina,

      I’m glad to her you’ve gotten back into the newsletter portion of your business. It’s really so important to do.

      Now, as for you old list, that’s a really common problem.

      People start connecting with their list with the best of intentions, then stop. They stop because they get too busy and distracted with other things, of course, but I find they stop most often because they expected big results (like sales, or sign ups) fast. When that didn’t happen, they got antsy and pushed off into a different direction.

      That’s okay. I’ve done it too, and you just have to dust off and start over again like you’re doing.

      The problem with re-engaging a list is that they’ve probably forgotten about you. A lot of them will unsubscribe when they see an unfamiliar face in their inbox, or just because they want to punish you for abandoning them (I told you… the are real people with feelings, and you’ve hurt them.. lol).

      You might want to offer a free “thing” of some sort, as an incentive for them to opt-in again, to a new list… or just as a way of saying “sorry”… it’s kind of like like showing up at the door with flowers and chocolates after squelching a date.

      Once you’ve re-engaged them on the old list, or had them opt in to a new list, then move forward with the relationship.

      I really like to ask them to opt in again to a new list because now you KNOW they’re engaged, all is forgiven and they’ve taken an action step to prove it. If they don’t want to take that action step, my feeling is that you’re better off without them because they’ll probably never open your emails anyway.

      Let me know how it works out!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

      • Corina Ramos
        Twitter:
        February 12, 2015 at 2:46 pm #

        Thanks for your advice Donna.

        There have been several people email me and ask about my newsletter. It was great to know they wanted to subscribe to the new one. The others, well like you said, they probably weren’t reading my emails anyway.

        I put the newsletter on hold back in December because things got overwhelming for me. But after seeing my stats in January it made a difference not having one. So I’m here to say yeah, an email list is effective and I strongly advise everyone to think twice before letting it go like I did and look for other ways to cut back if things feel hectic.

        I’ve learned a hard lesson and now I’m moving forward. 🙂

        I appreciate you getting back to me Donna. You’re the best lady!
        Corina Ramos recently posted..If You Enjoy Helping People, Start A Home-Based Consultation BusinessMy Profile

        • Donna Merrill
          Twitter:
          February 13, 2015 at 12:17 pm #

          Hi Corina,

          So good to know you are keeping your list. Yes, some were asking for it, and others probably weren’t reading them. So it is like a clean sweep of your list. Better to have loyal followers than those who won’t unsubscribe lol.

          I had to clean sweep my list a while ago….what a headache! Some people won’t unsubsribe and I found others that I was going into their spam box. Yet another trick of the trade I’m covering in the webinar. So many little things can get your email in someone’s spam box.

          I’m glad you are keeping you list and wishing it to grow for you!

          -Donna
          Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  29. Mi Muba
    Twitter:
    February 11, 2015 at 1:18 pm #

    Hi Donna

    A very informative post with simpliefied concept of email marketing that is surely not dead and will never be unless personal communication is there in online marketing.

    There are two types of customer care. One is in groups like organizing a seminar, talking to a group, holding skype conference call or talking face-to-face in a meeting to a group of people. It is usually done to communicate in general terms.

    The must-follow-up of a collective customer care is individual one. That is done preferably by conducting one-on-one meeting if someone is in a business of cars, diamonds or real estate I mean high-priced goods and services.

    While at retail level the best way to market and do customer care is online personal communication and that is not possible without building a list.

    So till a new alternate for it is introduct it will be a leading tool in online marketing.

    I have a big list at my green blog where I rarely sell products and most of the time shares tips with my email subscribers. As a result whenever I recommend them a product their conversion rate is just amazing.

    Thanks a lot for sharing this very relevant and important post.
    Mi Muba recently posted..How to promote your blog by not blindly following 80:20 rule?My Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 14, 2015 at 6:24 pm #

      Hi Mi Muba,

      Thank you for your insightful comment and adding so much value to this discussion. When it comes to customer care there are so many ways to do so. I like to get on the phone sometimes with some of my clients.

      But then there is email. That is when people opt into my product/service on my blog, social media or my ads.

      When that happens, I first welcome them, like a friend. Then have a carefully selected sequence of emails that promotes engagement. As I engage with them the KLT is building. Then I can offer them something.

      Great to know that you have a big list where you are doing it so well…sharing tips with your email subscribers. Then because they KLT you, when you do recommend them to a product your conversion rate works great.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  30. Neamat Tawadrous
    Twitter:
    February 11, 2015 at 11:29 am #

    Hi Donna,

    No, email marketing is not dead at all!! I think all the business is done through the email marketing if it is done correctly.

    With our emails, our prospects need to feel our interest to help them and this what gets them to trust us as solution providers. But sales pitches will lead to lots of unsubscriptions.

    I agree with one commenter above, I signed up to so many newsletters and 99% of them are sales pitches and this is a great recipe for subscribers to unsubscribe and business is lost.

    Thanks Donna for an awesome share as always. Enjoy the rest of your week.

    Be Blessed,

    Neamat
    Neamat Tawadrous recently posted..Why We Should Stop Comparing Ourselves To Others!!!My Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 12, 2015 at 1:07 pm #

      Hi Neamat,

      Oh so true! When we have our list, we must always give value to them via our emails. If we write a post on a specific topic, give those people more on it. We can engage with our list more than we can any other place.

      As long as we are not pitching them all the time, we are ok. Of course we do start a list to give people a way to purchase our products/services, but always follow that 80/20 rule and they will appreciate it.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  31. Jane
    Twitter:
    February 11, 2015 at 10:12 am #

    Oh Donna, you’ve nailed it. I cannot imagine an online business without email marketing in it! And I’m so tired hearing bloggers preach “Email marketing is dead”.

    I understand that there are quite some “advanced” and shiny marketing channels that have emerged recently – social media being one of them.

    But nothing can beat email marketing and the personal feel it gives to both the bloggers and their audience! It is so personal – unlike a blog post, or a tweet, or any other social media update, email lands directly in the inbox of the prospect. It creates a one to one communication channel, which I personally find really amazing.

    I can help my readers even when they are NOT on my blog. I can build relationship with them and keep them engaged. Over the time, if I manage to “engage” my readers properly with the follow up emails, email marketing can prove to be very effective.

    Thanks for bringing up this topic Donna 🙂 Love it!

    Cheers,
    Jane.
    Jane recently posted..15 Good Habits (and attributes) that will transform your blog this yearMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 12, 2015 at 12:59 pm #

      Hi Jane,

      Indeed, to me nothing can beat email marketing. I do like what you mentioned hat it gives a personal feel – unlike a blog post, it creates a one to one communication channel. I too find that so amazing.

      I find that I engage more with my email list than I do on my blog…more people there, but I can build relationships over time with them.

      Great to know that you manage to engage your readers withe follow up emails and of course, email marketing is very effective!

      Thanks so much Jane,

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  32. Vivette
    Twitter:
    February 11, 2015 at 10:10 am #

    Excellent Post Donna

    I agree with you Email marketing is not dead. Subscribers want to provided with more value than just being pitched all the time.

    Recently I started providing “daily dose of inspiration” to my list and my open rate and click through rate increased significantly. My engagement also increased.

    Again, thanks fr sharing another well written post

    Cheers
    Vivette

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 12, 2015 at 12:47 pm #

      Hi Vivette,

      Great to know that your “daily dose of inspiration” is doing well on your list. Providing value is the best practice.

      Engagement is so important when we are doing our emails. It gets people to engage with you and that is one thing lots of people forget to do.

      It is so great to know that you doing a great job!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  33. Akaahan Terungwa
    Twitter:
    February 11, 2015 at 2:15 am #

    Hi Donna,

    Email marketing is certainly not dead…the folks who say it is dead really need to get some basics right, believe me.

    Personally, I offer seductive incentives that are hard to resist. When this is done and optin in achieved, I passionately engage with my audience – offering them the best advice possible in my niche and encouraging interaction. Usually, I get a ton of feedback and the open rates are really pleasing!

    When I introduce an offer, it’s only natural for a healthy percentage to jump at it. If it were you, won’t you?

    Your posts truly rock – and I always look forward to the next update!

    Do make the day great.

    Always,
    Akaahan Terungwa
    Akaahan Terungwa recently posted..The Complete Truth About Making Money Online As A Copywriter In NigeriaMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 12, 2015 at 12:45 pm #

      Hi Akaahan,

      I see that you know how to email properly using incentives that are hard to resist. That is one great way for people to keep opening up your emails.

      It is great to know that you get interaction and feedback with your emails because that is what we all need to be focusing on, especially open rates.

      Then, when you introduce an offer you get a good percentage. Hey, you are doing something right! And I am so glad to know it.

      Thanks for your inspiring comment,

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  34. Nikshep
    Twitter:
    February 10, 2015 at 8:18 pm #

    Hi Donna!

    Thanks for this great post and the reinforcing video 🙂 loved your conviction lol! I agree with you wholeheartedly that relationship building with the existing email subscribers is far more important than chasing numbers.

    In fact, I have seen successful bloggers engage beautifully with their email followers by sending regular goodies, freebies and advice! The key is to not spam their inbox with too much content, but at the same time send out genuine messages which add value to them.

    Thanks for sharing 🙂
    Cheers,
    Nikshep
    Nikshep recently posted..What Master Influencers Do DifferentlyMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 12, 2015 at 12:04 pm #

      Hi Nikshep,

      You are right on target! There is a method to email marketing. We cannot bombard people, nor do we want to forget them. It is all about planning.

      Yes, the best practice is giving good content, a few goodies and freebies. Also a contest is used to gain more interaction.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  35. Fabrizio Van Marciano
    Twitter:
    February 10, 2015 at 6:47 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    Email marketing, well it’s one of the oldest online marketing tactics I know, and here it is today after all these years still kicking most of the other tactics butts, including social media no doubt.

    Agreed, email marketing is far from dead, every online business should embrace building an email list and using email to proactively promote what ever it is they want to promote.

    I’m still fine tuning my email marketing strategy, experimenting with content marketing within my email newsletters, my list building strategy however is working wonders for me right now, which I’ll be revealing in my next post.

    One of the things many bloggers misunderstand is that they have to build a huge list, not true at all, it’s the quality of the peeps on the list that matters the most, how well they engage and convert and how much they trust you too.

    I too don’t have a huge list to brag about, but the folks that I do have take action and engage with me, they click on the link to read my posts and check out the products I’m reviewing or promoting.

    Great post Donna, well placed together. Enjoy the rest of your week.
    – Fabrizio
    Fabrizio Van Marciano recently posted..Bloggers: Stop Taking On More Than You Can Chew, Really Stop It!My Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 11, 2015 at 1:10 pm #

      Hi Fabrizio,

      Thanks for this lovely comment. I too don’t have a huge list of a bazillion people. But as you point out, you are engaging with them and that is one of the best things we can do.

      There are so many ways to get people on your email list to email you back. Wow..besides the CTA and all the other strategies we use, having them email us back and having a conversation is the best!

      So true, many bloggers misunderstand that they need a huge list. It is Not True! It is exactly what you wrote: “it’s the quality of the peeps on the list that matters the most, how well they engage and convert and how much they trust you too.”

      It is also all about experimenting. I’m applying one experiment right now to my list. I find it fascinating and so much fun.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  36. Monna Ellithorpe
    Twitter:
    February 10, 2015 at 6:38 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    Great post; as always. I don’t believe email marketing is dead at all. I do, however, believe there are some, like me that finally “get” how all of this inter-mingles and links together, and I have you and David to thank for that.

    In fact, I am working on something along those lines right now and using some other suggestions you have made.

    Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
    Monna Ellithorpe recently posted..A Short 5 Minutes Saves Precious TimeMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 11, 2015 at 1:05 pm #

      Hi Monna,

      Thank you for sharing this great news! Nothing better than to know you are working on things to grow. I am so happy that David and I could help you “get it” because you are so talented and I want you to succeed.

      As always, my best wishes for your success and remember…I’m here if you get stuck on something.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  37. Jackson Nwachukwu
    Twitter:
    February 10, 2015 at 5:00 pm #

    Hey Donna,

    I like the way you made this sound “Email Marketing Is Not Dead, Bloggers.” To me, sounding this warning all the time will help to put bloggers in the right position.

    I have seen many bloggers who gave up on list building after noticing that the number in the list isn’t growing. I understand how this feels. These bloggers see the huge number some other bloggers display and as such kiss email marketing good bye.

    But given up or quitting has never solved the problem!

    Just like you rightly said, having a huge list doesn’t mean you are successful because in most cases they can be numbers that sticks around. I think the ultimate thing is to offer value or compelling content, product or what have you and most importantly, try to make the awesome transition you mentioned which is transforming them from being casual readers to subscribers and then to followers. This is when the actual money comes into the list.

    Once the ball is thrown into the field of play, how and where it rolls all depends on us. Like James said, he makes cool money from his list which is not huge compared to what some big bloggers and marketers make. At least I confirmed this when I read a post published by an expert blogger with great list who opened up on how he struggles to make money from his list.

    As for me, my list is just coming up because I used to float on air each time topics like email marketing or list building shows up. Now I understand how important it is and I tend to take it to the next level!

    Donna, as usual, you have written a very lovely post filled with CTAs to follow through 🙂

    Do have a wonderful week ahead!

    ~Jackson
    Jackson Nwachukwu recently posted..11 Sure-Fire Approaches To Getting Readers Click and Read Your Old PostsMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 11, 2015 at 12:51 pm #

      Hi Jackson,

      Thanks so much for adding value to this conversation. It is such a shame when people quit because of numbers. Once you realize you have people on your list that are active and participate with you, it is a goldmine. I don’t care if it is 20 or 20 thousand, It is all about how we ourselves keep engaging on our lists via email.

      When we are using email to engage people there are so many things to take into account. I touched lightly on the subject here, but because I’ve learned many how-to’s I couldn’t write it in one post, it would take a novel to do lol.

      This is why I set up a webinar for those who want to learn more. There are so many things I need to share from content, headlines and how not to be picked up by bots and get you in the spam box. David and I have been studying and applying for a while and I needed to share this one.

      Like James said…he does make cool money from his email list. One does not have to make millions…just one step at a time until it grows. It’s like planting a seed, it needs water, sunshine and so many other things to grow. This is business…this is how we grow!

      Start an opt in, create a list, then go get ’em on your emails. Thanks again Jackson!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  38. Marquita Herald
    Twitter:
    February 10, 2015 at 12:18 pm #

    Excellent post as always Donna – and I love the graphic! I’m about to launch a new subscriber “gift” so I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately and whether or not to introduce a newsletter – maybe you’ve done this before – but I would love it if you’d talk more about newsletters some time.

    Personally I hate them – seriously – but to be fair I thought maybe it’s just because I’ve never had a good experience with newsletters from the subscriber end. So I began researching other bloggers in my niche and apparently I’m not alone because I found only a few offering a newsletter. I subscribed to one of those who does and for the next 2 weeks was treated to an email every other day – half were pitches to sell me something and the other half were “hurry, hurry don’t miss out!” messages. But I hung on because I wanted that newsletter and when it finally arrived it was little more than a list of links of recent posts and I immediately unsubscribed. I have to believe there’s a better way!
    Marquita Herald recently posted..How Self Reflection Can Help You Create a Better FutureMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 10, 2015 at 1:03 pm #

      Oh my Marquita,

      When it comes to newsletters I myself have opted into good ones that provide excellent information using the 80/20 rule. And by using that I am more apt to sign in to something they are offering because of it’s value to me.

      Other times, I have received the same old junk you have. Nothing but buy this buy that, or worse hurry up, other wise (whatever). Thereby I unsubscribe. I do follow many good marketers out there constantly learning and they are not doing the buy me routine. It is just not good business.

      As for newsletters itself…if you wanted to create that, I know you so well, that it would be worthwhile to be on your list because you provide such good information. And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that anyone who subscribes to you will get treated like gold.

      You are branded as someone who can help and over the years you have shown that. Being on your newsletter I know would be a valuable thing. So go get ’em girl!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  39. Ikechi
    Twitter:
    February 10, 2015 at 6:14 am #

    Hi Donna

    This is a topic that has been on my radar this year. I do agree that Email marketing isn’t dead but the truth is that we need to provide more value to our list.

    I think the problem isn’t Email marketing but it is how we approach our list building strategies.

    I agree that we need to be value concious than act like sales people. For me, I don’t have a large list but the few I do have, I do my best to provide value.

    Thanks Donna for an awesome post.

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 10, 2015 at 12:12 pm #

      Hi Ikechi,

      You are right on target! It is all about what we need to provide to our list. It has to be more valuable than anything else we do online.

      So true – The problem isn’t Email Marketing but it is how we approach our list building strategies – Priceless IKechi!

      No matter what the size of our list, as long as we keep providing value to them and then introduce them to our product or service offered, we are building the KLT factor.

      It’s all about strategy!

      Thanks for stopping by,

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

    • Aurelie Chazal
      Twitter:
      February 13, 2015 at 7:48 am #

      Ikechi,

      I think you’re spot on with this comment. Email marketing is far from dead but sending coupons and offers doesn’t work anymore (if it ever did…). I think people finally realized that email marketing is all about building relationships with potential customers and not harassing them with offers until they finally notice you.
      Aurelie Chazal recently posted..7 Customer Appreciation Ideas For Your Small BusinessMy Profile

      • Donna Merrill
        Twitter:
        February 14, 2015 at 5:56 pm #

        Thanks for responding to Ikechi….I’ll let him know.

        Glad you enjoyed this comment Aurelie. So true…nothing worse than harassing people with offers. When I get those emails I opt out immediately.

        -Donna
        Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  40. Nanda Rahmanius
    Twitter:
    February 10, 2015 at 3:48 am #

    Hi Donna,

    First, I was caught by your image, it felt like I was watching a horror movie..hahaha 😀

    Secondly, I agree with you. Email marketing is not dead, powerful words, indeed!

    I do not believe that anyone who says so. That’s weird. There are many advantages to be gained if we have a great mailing list and we can help more people as well.

    I do not really understand about email marketing, but I am trying to learn to be better day by day. And I hope, I also can build a huge list later. 🙂

    Thanks for sharing this, Donna.
    It’s insightful post. 🙂

    ~Nanda
    Nanda Rahmanius recently posted..Social Media Marketing: Is What You’re Doing Good Enough?My Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      February 10, 2015 at 12:09 pm #

      Hi Nanda,

      Yes, that image does look like a horror movie and I wanted it to give people the “creeps” in order to push them along. 🙂

      When it comes to building a list, don’t chase after numbers. Instead, take what you have and give it the best you can in content.

      After a while your list will grow, but it will be a quality list of people who want to follow you and your email open rates will increase because of the good content shared there. It is a place where we give to others more than anywhere else.

      There is a whole technique when it comes to email marketing and many ways to apply it to increase sales. That’s why David and I just had to do this webinar. Many people were asking us the how-to’s.

      Thanks Nanda,

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  41. Donna Merrill
    Twitter:
    February 10, 2015 at 12:01 am #

    Hi James,

    He He He….yes I hear this all the time this is dead and that is dead, but those are the people that do not have an understanding of the big picture. Yes, I do agree I find that they are ones that go from one thing to another until they burn out and leave.

    List building is one thing and important. But I like a good quality list of people that are genuinely interested in my business. Not the number chaser at all, but you know that.

    I focus more on my emails than I do anywhere else. Engagement is the key on my list and it’s not a huge one, but one that is growing at a steady healthy rate. Getting to know who is on my list and tweaking and testing has made my sales funnel work. But it doesn’t ever end, because I’m constantly coming up with giving them value and offering them different products from me. Not to brag either, but it is great to have followers on my email!

    I’ve been getting a pretty good open rate as time goes on. But it is all about seeing what works.

    Thanks for your awesome comment,

    -Donna
    Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

    • Dr. Erica Goodstone
      Twitter:
      February 14, 2015 at 1:14 am #

      James McAllister,

      You are so right. For years I thought I needed a big list. But then I realized I had not been paying much attention to my list. So I had developed a good number of subscribers yet the open rate was not great. I had set up a series of autoresponder messages that did provide real value – but then I forgot about the list. I discovered that if I am not paying attention to the lists and providing ongoing value, they may or may not unsubscribe but they will not rush to open my emails – especially nowadays with all the different emails we get in our in boxes.

      There is no simple way to build an email list and keep it vibrant. You need to do the work, connect and share and provide lots of value. And as Donna says, give them lots of opportunities to buy.

      Warmly,

      Dr. Erica
      Dr. Erica Goodstone recently posted..Where Do YOU Look For Counseling Or Coaching Success?My Profile

      • Donna Merrill
        Twitter:
        February 14, 2015 at 5:14 pm #

        Hi Erica,

        James really nailed it! I had been in the same boat…but as they say “live and learn.”

        Glad you had discovered that you need to pay attention to your lists, providing ongoing value.

        There are many different ways to get our emails opened and also make sure they are not landing in someone’s spam box.

        Once we pay attention to that, and learn how to engage properly…our list will start becoming a vibrant one.

        -Donna
        Donna Merrill recently posted..Listbuilding For Bloggers | Why and HowMy Profile

  42. James McAllister
    Twitter:
    February 9, 2015 at 11:46 pm #

    Hi Donna!

    Did you miss the memo? Blogging is dead! Email marketing is dead! Internet marketing is dead! Nobody reads blogs anymore, nor do they check their email. Heck, when’s the last person somebody spent money online anyway? 😉

    Funny thing is I hear people say things like that all the time. They never actually accomplish anything because they keep looking for “the next big thing” when the classic proven money makers are still alive and working well – better than ever in fact.

    You’re one person I’d totally look to for this sort of advice. I agree that just “growing your list” doesn’t do much – a bigger list does not necesssarily lead to a better list.

    You know email marketing is a huge focus of mine and that’s because it works. I make more than bloggers with audiences twice my size because I’m constantly tweaking, testing, and improving. I say that not to brag but to show the power of effective email marketing. My list isn’t huge – far from it, but the subscribers are so engaged that I still do well.

    Wishing you much success with the event!
    – James
    James McAllister recently posted..25 Guaranteed Ways To Increase Your Email Opt-InsMy Profile

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