Why List Building WORKS & how I wasted 2 Years

June 14th, 2010 | 42 comments

I’m trying to get more into video these days, although I’m not the best at it So today I finally created a video on a subject that I’ve been meaning to do for several months now. The topic is List Building (Email Marketing) and it’s an IMPORTANT one. I actually tell a little story about how I was fighting an up-hill battle when I first started my business and how email marketing provided the success I was after.

You can watch the video below. Please just ignore the last few seconds of audio. I told you I’m not very good at it yet

And please let me know your thoughts below. I read them all and I’m always interested in what you have to say!

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42 comments

Lisa Marie Mary (1 comments.)
14th June, 2010 at 9:27 pm

Thanks Josh, for being so real! I guess that’s why Mark really sings your praises so much!!
Jonathan Beebe
15th June, 2010 at 3:42 am

Thanks for the video Josh, and it’s not bad at all! It’s very good actually… It clearly presents the message you’re trying to get out; what more could you ask for?

Anyway, you’re absolutely right about list-building. Instead of work = 20 visitors, work = 20 visitors, no work = no visitors… You can do work = 20 subscribers, work = 20 subscribers, and you COMPOUND and build upon your previous efforts.

Building your list, and doing it the RIGHT way is sort of like investing in an insurance plan for your online business
Ric (5 comments.)
15th June, 2010 at 1:25 pm

Josh, seems to be unanimous about list building. Like the video. Did you do one on you tube too?
Mitro
15th June, 2010 at 1:32 pm

Nice video, thanks!

What was the niche that you started building a list in? What was the niche where you won your “uphill battle”?
Dhany
15th June, 2010 at 2:53 pm

Retaining visitor is the most important thing. That’s true to the bone. Thanks for reminding about it (list building).
Kris (10 comments.)
15th June, 2010 at 3:05 pm

Josh, the funny thing about videos like this is that the content is more important than the quality – although the quality of this one was fine.

Great message, one I need to follow more.
Hristo Itchov (3 comments.)
15th June, 2010 at 3:08 pm

Great video, Josh! As always – honest and right to the point.
Since I bought your Info Success Formula guide I’ve been working on my own products in a topic that I’m passionate about and I must say it REALLY works, though I could do things better.
The main thing is to keep learning from your mistakes and keep going. My list is still rather small, but on the other hand it seems to be responsive and that’s what counts I guess.
Jim (2 comments.)
15th June, 2010 at 3:11 pm

Josh,

Thanks for the video.

What tool or tools do you use to create your videos?
Axl Midas
15th June, 2010 at 3:16 pm

Very nicely explained Josh. Sounds like I got some work to do!!
Lori
15th June, 2010 at 3:22 pm

Hi Josh,
Thank you for your valuable opinion. I think a list can be a great thing as long as you are offering something of value and related to your promotion. As I check my inbox, I think some people should stay away from having a list, because many of it can be considered spam, as you said in your video.
David Coleman
15th June, 2010 at 3:51 pm

Josh,

Thanks for driving that point home! You’re one of just a handful of IMers whose list I chose to remain on. Like a lot of people, I was on SO MANY lists that I was getting flooded. I whittled it down to 100…then 50…then 25…now I’m at about 15 or so. And like you said, it’s all about helping and trust.

By the way, had a good laugh at the end of the video. You did a very good job, but why didn’t you just slice that last part out?! LOL. You’re either VERY lazy (just kidding) or VERY confident (don’t care what others think). From a fellow Hoosier, thank you!
Nando (1 comments.)
15th June, 2010 at 3:51 pm

Hi Josh,

Thanks for the vid. Listbuilding is crucial to long term success and will keep you from burning out.

It seems that a lot of people get lost as to what kind of content to send to their list and are on information overload which keeps them from building confidence and getting started.

When I first started out 2 yrs. ago I had the same issues and flatly rejected the idea of building a list because I didn’t know how.

I’ve made good money building static sites and blogs that promote a variety of things but fighting to get traffic to each site individually was a real pain, especially when it comes to keeping a good ranking.

Now I have several lists and it’s so much easier to send the traffic where you want it to go.

Cheers
Mike Sweeney (1 comments.)
15th June, 2010 at 3:58 pm

Josh,
Thanks for being so real and candid in all your messages. I’m working on building my list and the traffic part of business as well. Your Article Domination product has been helpful for me. Always good to learn from those that have been there and done it. Thanks Josh
Shawn
15th June, 2010 at 4:25 pm

Josh, great video and great advice. I have been struggling with this myself and am totally guilty of making this vital mistake. I still work a full time job and find it difficult to keep up with my article marketing at times. If I had started building a list 2 years ago I’d probably be making a lot more money than I am today.
Joe Stewart (1 comments.)
15th June, 2010 at 4:27 pm

Hi Josh,

Great video, great point. I’ve made that mistake too. I’ve built a couple smaller lists, but I haven’t remained as focused on them as I should have been.

A couple questions:

1. Do you use single or double opt-in?

2. Do you use an email address box only or do you do first name and email address?

Joe
Sean Breslin (5 comments.)
15th June, 2010 at 4:32 pm

Hello Josh… The advice is sound…Starting work on that process now, and getting thru your report on ethical email marketing which I had half read previously… Now I’m ready to read and implement!
Mark V (1 comments.)
15th June, 2010 at 5:02 pm

Hey Josh,

Thanks for sharing your “AHA” moment with us as it pertains to your business.

I fully agree with you that building your list(s) is crucial to your success. My deal is that I SUCK at article marketing and SEO. I try to use the right keywords and all that but have had minimal success thus far.

This video has inspired me to point the minimal traffic that I do get to an opt-in landing page. Couldn’t hurt, right?

Thanks again,

Mark V
Ed
15th June, 2010 at 5:34 pm

Thanks for this Josh. It was needful actually. Because though I’d heard it so many times I’ve come across someone quite successful who brags that he doesn’t actually need one. Thanks again; it was definitely worth saying. I need to dust off again my copy of INFOSUCCESS FORMULA. Cheers
Dan H (1 comments.)
15th June, 2010 at 5:48 pm

Hey Josh – the one thing I always appreciate about you and your approach is your sincerity. You really do give a damn about your subscribers, you’re not just out there shoving offers at us.

About me: my list building is going pretty well but I am still struggling with monetizing the list. I build the list by giving away a free copy of my book. Every week I send out a newsletter: “Dan’s Tuesday Tips” where I offer an observation or suggestion on busienss and general success and I’ve posted over 100 free ebooks to my blog which can be immediatley downloaded – no opt in required. I do all this to build trust from my people.

Anyhow, those times when i do put an offer in front of them it is not acted on. That is my struggle, doing busienss with the people on my list. IDK if you have any words of wisdom for me about this…
Franck Silvestre (10 comments.)
15th June, 2010 at 6:48 pm

Thanks for the video Josh. Building the list is the first step. Then you need to know how to make them trust you. When you get this and you start selling $1000+ products, you really start getting that it’s important to focus on the list.

I enjoyed watching it. You are actually very good at this.

Franck
Kent F (4 comments.)
15th June, 2010 at 7:09 pm

Good stuff Josh! What is your best method for list-building? What type of page do you direct readers to from your articles? Thanks.

Kent F.
Neil (11 comments.)
15th June, 2010 at 7:29 pm

Hi Josh,

Good video – I finally (a couple of weeks ago) signed up for a getresponse account so I’ll see how it goes. My list has the amazing total of 2 subscribers on it so far, but you have to star somewhere
steven sherin (1 comments.)
15th June, 2010 at 7:30 pm

Good video Josh This is something I have struggled with. I know I need to do this but keep putting it off.

I have been at this about 6 months now.I have about 30 sites and traffic but no money and I am fighting an uphill battle too.

The problem has been I’m working like crazy building sites, doing SEO
etc and the thought of doing more work writing even more copy has put me off. Plus I get swamped with emails and it seems overdone.

But as you talked I started thinking how many visitors have been on my sites since I started and it’s literally thousands and probably thousands of dollars left on the table too.

So I guess maybe its time to work what Ihave to its fullest. Thanks for the reminder.

Steve
Evan Wilbur
15th June, 2010 at 8:35 pm

Josh, thanks so much for the video and of course you are absolutely right. The importance of building a list can never be overstated. I’ve been putting off list building for to long and this video is a helpful reminder to get on the ball.
Evan
Joy (1 comments.)
15th June, 2010 at 9:58 pm

I have been getting people to register on my blogs via RSS. How do you feel that compares to traditional list building?
Evan
16th June, 2010 at 12:07 am

Hi Josh, in the primitive parts of the blogosphere (places like Australia where I live) our internet accounts are limited.

So if you’d provide transcripts with any videos you do I (and others like me) would be very grateful.
Michelle Adams (2 comments.)
16th June, 2010 at 4:36 am

Great to see you doing more video Josh.

One of the first things I remember you helping me with years ago was my squeeze page/opt in form to start building a list. I was surprised at how quickly I reached my first 1000 subscribers and they actually loved hearing from me!

List building along with your New Age Email Marketing process is a great combination for long term success.
nette
16th June, 2010 at 5:00 am

I agree about the list. However, I have some concerns.
If I build a list on a weight loss site, do I only sell only related weight loss products? if it’s an “ex back” site what would I offer my list?
It seems like it only makes sense to build a list on a “make money online” site as there are always new products to offer.
Your thoughts, please?
Neil (11 comments.)
16th June, 2010 at 11:08 am

Hi Josh,

If you only started to make significant amounts of money once you adopted this approach, does this mean that someone that is attempting to build an online income using a network of small sites/Adsense (and no list building) is doing it the hard/wrong way?

Many thanks,

Neil
Minister Dante Fortson (2 comments.)
16th June, 2010 at 2:03 pm

I use to be heavily involved in Internet marketing and I guess in a way I still am. I tried running a traffic exchange for a while, but that didn’t pan out. Now I write books. It has always been a passion of mine. List building was something that I found difficult to do, but recently I started reading up on it. I subscribed to your site (first marketing site ever) and I love it. In the last few days I’ve actually gotten 10 sign ups by giving away a free eBook that I wrote. Thanks for the info. I love the site and will definitely keep reading.
Jim Forbes
16th June, 2010 at 6:00 pm

Hi Josh,

Good advice. With all the IM stuff out there few if any are willing to show their niche site(s) because they are afraid of being ripped off (if they are real marketers).

I would love to see a real nich site as an example of this whole process. I am a member of Hot Niche SPY – maybe you could show something in there to show it to paying customers?.
Jo Tito (2 comments.)
16th June, 2010 at 9:31 pm

Josh! Love your stuff, love what you do and the quality content that you consistently put out there. The video is FINE by the way!!

There are a lot of so called “GURUS” online but you are one of few that I follow consistently because of what you GIVE and offer. I have a folder in my emails with your name on it with all the great content you send!

Thanks,
Jo

PS – I’m nearly done with my first niche website using your $5 a day niche formula. I have purchased auto article submitter but because I am working on a MAC I have to install windows – will get there!!
Josh Spaulding
17th June, 2010 at 2:08 am

@ Ric – Not on YouTube this time… it was over 10 minutes.

@ Mitro – I had successes in many niches before I realized the power of email marketing, but my first list was in the IM niche.

@ Jim – I use Camtasia Studio for screencasts and a Flip HP for everything else.

@ David – Probably a combination of both Where in Indiana? I’m from Washington, IN, lived in Evansville for a year, Indianpolis for 2 years and now in Fishers.

@ Joe – 1. Double 2. First name and email.

@ Dan – I can’t say for sure without do a full analysis, but some niches are just harder to monetize then others. Also, just giving people access to all kinds of free ebooks isn’t always going to build their trust in you. Have you read and used each of them? Can you honestly say they are all good? If your own brother, sister, mother, father, son or daughter asked for your help, is the information you’re giving your list the same info you would give them?

@ Kent – I like good ol’ squeeze pages.

@ Evan – I’ll try to do that in the future. Thanks for the heads up.

@ Nette – Of course if your list is full of people who want to lose weight, you should only promote products related to losing weight. Some niches have more monetization options than others. You just have to do some research and see what options you have. The IM niche is absolutely NOT the only niche that is profitable with email marketing. ALL niches can be.

@ Neil – No, I have make a good deal of money with adsense sites. As you know I used to do alot of niche marketing and at that time I wasn’t using email marketing in conjunction with them, although incorporating email marketing with niche sites can really boost income. I don’t do a whole lot of small adsense sites anymore because it’s just not the type of thing I want to do… it’s definitely profitable though.

@ Jim – Sure, http://www.EthicalIM.com/ or http://www.madcacher.com/
June - Information Marketing Resources (1 comments.)
17th June, 2010 at 10:26 pm

The thing that I find most difficult with having lists is forming the relationships required and knowing what to send them, especially when they are very unresponsive. I hate bombarding the IM niche lists with all the latest shiny things that I get bombarded with, and that often cause me to unsubscribe. With my micro-niches, after a while I run out of ideas.
Kevin Martyn (4 comments.)
19th June, 2010 at 9:02 am

By Josh I know exactly where your at with making videos. I also am experimenting with making videos at the moment, and though it is great fun I seem to be to get through a whole day and have one short video achieved at the end of it. However on the positive side, I have found that they do bring in a lots of traffic, and also get a lots of comments, so stay with it.

Best of luck, Kevin
Leigh (2 comments.)
22nd June, 2010 at 4:06 am

I hear a lot about lists and how it works in any niche so how come you don’t have a list for your Germany site? Not trying to be sarcastic or anything but I have a lot of sites like your Germany one and have no idea on how I would create a list and retain visitors for product specific sites. Good info for IM’ers who are into selling information though, thanks.
Will (1 comments.)
22nd June, 2010 at 12:18 pm

Thanks Josh for reinforcing this.

Getting traffic is tough these days and simply spending money each time you have something to promote is a complete “No No”. Build a list! Build a relationship with your list. Just as josh says here, help them.

If you just build a list to send email after email that shouts “buy this” your list will ignore you. So build a list. A responsive one.

Thanks again Josh.

Will D
Josh Spaulding
22nd June, 2010 at 2:41 pm

@ Leigh – I should build a list on my Germany site, you’re right. It’s one of those niches that is hard to monetize no matter what you do though. Some niches are easy to monetize and some aren’t. If you would like to see a good example of email marketing working in a niche outside of IM see my Geocaching blog Email Marketing works in just about every niche… if you don’t believe that you are very wrong Just look at some of the biggest companies in the world… Apple, Microsoft… almost the entire food/restaurant business etc. etc. etc. they all use email marketing.
Leigh (2 comments.)
22nd June, 2010 at 9:43 pm

@Josh – OK Gotcha. Forehead slapping moment. Even a site like potatopeelers.com could monetize with a list with free recipes and affiliate links to other cooking equipment. Cool, thanks for the inspiration.
Sally (8 comments.)
1st July, 2010 at 12:12 am

Hey Josh,

I have been the same, working hard for traffic and it’s not nice, and way too time consuming, but if I can retain and multiply my traffic like you say, it should be much more rewarding.

Sally
Steve (14 comments.)
7th July, 2010 at 11:02 pm

hi Josh,
I though the video was “Why LINK building works…” until I started watching it and realized it was LIST building…”
I guess I have a one track mind.
Anyway, nicely done video and great graphics. And I agree with your point… it is easier (and less work) to cultivate existing customers than always try to find new ones. Very true. Steve
paul nicholls blog (1 comments.)
11th June, 2011 at 11:11 pm

hey josh

good video and very true

i made my first product about a month ago and my list is building very nicely

i always tell people though that its not always the size of the list that is important its the buyers list which is

if you have 10k of freebie seekers on your list then a list of 100 buyers would out perform it any day of the week

and of course sending value and helpful info as always a must aswell

my list is nearly big enough now where i will soo be able to do some list swaps to really start getting my list into the big numbers

cheers for the video josh

paul