A blog reader recently commented “I have been thinking about starting an email list but really need to do some more research to find the best way to do it.”
A mailing list is a very good idea. Many marketers will even tell you it’s essential to online success. In addition to keeping your name in front of potential customers and prospects, it helps you build trusting relationships with them.
While it’s perfectly acceptable to market to your list, quality content is crucial to its success. A good mix of free useful information along with valuable offers and specials will keep your readers interested, responsive, and subscribed.
Here are some articles and resources to help you develop and deliver quality:
- Why You Need A Mailing List
- 5 Quick Newsletter Tips
- Use A Lead Capture Page to Generate Leads for Your Direct Sales Business
An alternative to a mailing list is a blog that readers can subscribe to with RSS or by email. One advantage a blog has over a mailing list is that a blog can be more interactive with readers commenting, sharing information, and discussing information and issues. Again, the key is of course good mix of quality information and valuable offers.
Check back tomorrow; I have a special report about blogging that I’ll make available to my blog readers.
Do you offer a mailing list and is it producing a good return on your investment of time and money?
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October 17th, 2008 at 4:45 AM
I think RSS is still beyond a lot of the non techie web surfers.
October 17th, 2008 at 6:02 AM
Thanks for sharing, tell me do you have some form of affiliate program i can join?
October 17th, 2008 at 12:03 PM
Sorry SL, I don’t currently offer an affiliate program.
October 17th, 2008 at 12:03 PM
Caroline, I think that’s one of the big advantages to using one of the “standard” blog publishing platforms like WordPress.org or Blogger.com. Everything, including RSS is pretty much push-button easy to implement. And not just for the publishers. Even for non-techie surfers, subscribing via RSS is usually just a matter of clicking the link and choosing a reader.
But then…..
As I was writing this, I discovered (to my surprise and dismay) that my blog’s RSS feed is not push-button easy for all readers. And I’m kicking myself because I know I should be testing things in alternate browsers on a regular basis, and yet a test today shows that many non-techie readers were definitely not finding RSS easy to subscribe to.
It’s fixed now, but I’d have to say it wasn’t necessarily push-button easy for publishers to set up. It required adding some code to one of my theme files. I’m using FeedBurner.com RSS service.
There is some information about RSS feeds in the blogging guide I just posted this morning, but it doesn’t include setting it up. I’ll see if I can find some good instructions.
If anyone knows of a good tutorial on setting up RSS feeds on blogs, please post a link in the comments here.
Thanks!