If you’ve ever started and stopped an exercise program, you know it’s hard work to get back into the swing of things. But your muscles have memory and so does your list. It’s just a matter of warming them back up.
In this article, we’re going to walk you through some strategies for warming up an old list. The first step is to reevaluate the purpose of your list, which we covered in List Building Bootcamp Part One.
Here’s a quick recap. Understand what your buyers want. Your product or service must solve a problem that’s keeping them up at night. Revisit the information you have on what drives their needs, desires and problems.
Understand the value you offer your list. You should be able to answer this question anyone on your list – what can you do for me? Your value statement should be simple and full of the “What’s in it for me?”
Now that we have our foundation, we need to respark that list’s interest. Here are five ways to do it.
Strategy #1: Re-introduce yourself.
If it’s been more than a few weeks since you’ve communicated with your list, it’s a good idea to reintroduce yourself and your product or service. If you’ve recently established your blog or rebuilt your website, this is newsworthy. Even if you’ve added a few new videos or blog posts, this is a good reason to reconnect with your list. The email and blog post should be conversational and tell your readers what you do, who you are and the “new” content for them to check out. In addition, let them know what to expect next. Let them know how often you’ll be connecting or posting. These little details build credibility and establish a relationship.
Strategy #2: Tell a story
Storytelling is probably the most valuable marketing tool in your arsenal. A story about a customer who experienced success with your product will help you reconnect with that problem that’s keeping your prospect up at night. It’s way easier to put yourself in someone’s shoes than it is to hear a set of product features. Find those stories and share them
Strategy #3: Offer something free or hold a contest
Want to see how engaged your old list is? Run a quick survey and offer the respondents something for free or hold a drawing. Give away some products. Give away an iPod or Kindle. Do something to generate renewed interest.
Strategy #4: Ask them if they are still interested
Sometimes it’s a good idea to ask your list if they still want to be in a relationship with you. Give them the overview of why you want to communicate with them and then ask them to reactivate their subscription by a certain date. This helps you keep your list current, clean and centered on providing value to people who want to hear from you.
Strategy #5: Go social
If you haven’t been active in your email marketing in a while, use your social channels to reengage your list. Showcase your new content or new products/services. Make the call to action something like – “Get our weekly newsletter for special offers.” Someone who is on your list may not realize they are on your list. When they go to sign up, it will remind them. You could even get creative and make them a subscriber offer on the spot.
Reactivating an old list requires a little work, but it’s well worth the effort. Be sure to check out our other articles on building your list including 3 Ways to Get Unlimited Traffic to Your Website and What Does Your Market Want?
Tags: building your list, Featured, lead capture, list building, warming up a cold list
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