My two-kibbles thrown in....................
Email Lists are like anything else, they can work for you or against you.
The two most important things about email lists are:
1. Have a reason to use the list beyond................ 'to sell knives.'
Your reason turns into your plan.
You all know how to do it........Plan the Work, then Work the Plan!
2. Be consistent........and make sure that what you are doing fits your own "style"
For example, my email list is filled with folks that have a variety of interests. If I send them an email each and every time I have something new available, many of them will start ignoring the emails because they have nothing to do with their particular interest. On top of that, if they think that the only reason I will email them is to try to sell something, then you lose any of the personal relationships that you have developed, or begun to develop.
So, MY particular objective is to use my email list to drive traffic to the website. That is the goal. My reasoning is that if I drive traffic to the site, folks will look not only for what interests them, but the other things along with it. Then the sales will follow.
So, now that I have my objective, my plan becomes fairly simple.
1. Every day make special note of new things on the website
2. On that same notepad, make notes of any changes to prices, the site itself, additions, or anything different about the site
3. Add to that notepad any changes in the business: shows, forum events, raffles, giveaways, awards, new employees, etc. Anything that has to do with the business
4. Last, on the note pad, I keep track of personal changes. Birthdays, anniversaries, fun stuff that happens, any personal event that I can make fun or "make-fun-of." Humor is a great thing.
When I have 20 things on the list on my daily notepad, I send out an email. In that email, I can direct folks to the website to look for new stuff and specific changes. I usually mention any business changes and sometimes use a personal item to poke fun at myself or to come up with a contest, or something fun.
In this way, the emails come out regularly, but not "timed" like every Monday or every third Wednesday. There is always some kind of humor and I try to get people in the habit of going to the website and looking around at all the eye candy. I can make the email both business and personal. I can accomplish my goal of driving people to the website much more easily than "making a sale."
Make sense? I hope so.
Again, like everything else, remember first and foremost that you are not in the knife business...................you are in the PEOPLE business.
Be true to your own style, because you are a "people" too. If you try to do things that are not you, people will know right away.
Have goals, plan the work work the plan and be good to folks.
If you can do that with each of your business activities, then your chances of success increase dramatically!
As always..............IMHO.
Thanks,
Tim
Note:
I have been self employed for nearly 30 years in a variety of businesses and ventures. Some have succeeded and some.........not. I have a business degree from Bowling Green State Univeristy, Bowling Green Ohio and a Master of Business Administration degree from Cleveland State Universisty, Cleveland Ohio. My credentials are currently under review at several institutions for admittance to a Doctoral degree in Business. My various businesses have taken me across the world and I've done work in Russia, China, India and a good part of Europe.
I've done lots of things and been lots of places. It is my priviledge to try to pass on at least a little of what I have learned. Thank you for reading my ramblings!
