Oh, wel…
This is a non-video post. This is definitely a non-keyword post. This is a “direct from the heart” post.
Tiffany Dow, who I absolutely adore, wrote a blog post tonight, which inspired me to this post. It’s all about hugs, love, list building, angels and more.
Many years ago, I was only a newbie on the Internet. It was around 1997, and I don’t know how, but I stumpled upon a free course in how to write to people on an email list.
Back then, I don’t know if anybody had email lists at all, but I joined this list (must be a pioneer), and I learnt what I could about how to write to a list.
I thought: It must be cool. I want to try, sometime.
I saved the mails – but over time, I’ve lost them, which I really regret, now. It would be fun to review them.
Anyway, not long after, I decided to start my first list. I think my first list was about jokes, but not sure. Anyway, some of the people (less than 10 friends) thanked ‘no’ to the idea.
Then I thought: I already write tips about computers to another list (discussion list): Why not send them my tips, when I have some?
And I asked people to join. Ten people joined, and this changed my life, although I didn’t know back then.
I used what I’ve learnt on the free list about writing to lists. It wasn’t much. What I remember was: Never send more than 20 % ads out. 4/5 content, and 1/5 ads or commercial content.
I used this back then, and I still do.
My list grew rapidly from 10 to 100, and I panicked! Wow! Writing to 100 people? One of my friends said: Why do you worry? You have several thousand readers of your books already.
Yeah, true, but when I wrote emails to my list, it was more direct, more immediate.
Anyway, I wrote about tips and tricks to the computer, Internet, and home page, mostly, so I joined other lists to get inspiration, and one of them belonged to Boogie Jack.
Boogie Jack wrote great content and great tips. And he was also very personal.
When I received an email from him about once a month, there were plenty of tips and tricks in it, but it always started out by something personal. I liked that.
I copied that.
I think that laid the ground for my success online.
Some people didn’t like it. Many loved it. The first group unsubscribed, but…
It’s just like seeking a new job. If your potential employers don’t like how you are, this is not the job for you.
Over the years, I’ve grown a relationship with my subscribers. That relationship is more worth to me than money. It’s friendship and love.
Could I have obtained that by being impersonal and “professional”? Certainly not!
So decide what you want with your email list. If it is only a “cash cow”, well, no need to be personal, then, but you’re losing out on the important issues, then.
The money might be on the list. But a list is much more than that.