Relationship Marketing – It’s All About Perception
One of the easiest to implement yet most overlooked ways to get the subscribers of your newsletter, or your customers, to warm up to you and feel like you value them and want to help them is to ask them simple questions.
Everybody’s favorite subject is himself or herself so why not show some interest?
Ask questions and do things that require some sort of interaction from your readers. It doesn’t really matter what you ask. You can ask questions that are completely unrelated to what your newsletter is about so long as you get people to respond.
When you get them used to doing things you ask them to do, no matter what it is, it’s easy for them to keep doing things you ask them to do like buy the products you recommend.
The more you can get your readers to communicate with you, the more they will feel like they know and can trust you.
A relationship (as far as an online newsletter or email course goes) is nothing more than two people (you and each individual subscriber) knowing what their place is in relation to each other.
You are the provider of helpful information and someone who wants to help your reader succeed at something.
You must get that across.
Your reader is someone who will learn to trust your advice and listen to your recommendations because you have built up a history of doing things that seem to benefit them more than they seem to benefit you. That doesn’t necessarily have to be true, as long as it seems like it’s the truth to your readers.
Remember, perception (or what people believe) is the only truth that really matters as far as they’re concerned.
As attractive and inviting as this website looks, it’s just one of millions of pages/sites on the internet and just like email messages, can be a very impersonal place, unless you make it otherwise.
What it boils down to is: The Internet is a cold and distant place. It’s just a series of tubes where people dump text and images (or at least that is what you would get out of this video)
That’s actually to your advantage because if you can consistently get across to your readers that you are a real person with real concerns (just like them) and you know what it’s like for them to be in the situation they’re in because you’ve been there, you won’t have any trouble getting people to warm up to you.
People in general tend to like others who look out for them because people (again, in general) think about themselves first. If it seems like another person is looking out for them first then that person will automatically take a high position in their eyes.
In other words, when you’re writing, not every link in it has to be an affiliate link for a product you’ll get paid from.
Understand this…
Your readers are buying products and services all the time that aren’t putting money in your pockets so it doesn’t hurt you at all to tell them about a product or service that you won’t make money from.
This sets you up to make money when you do have something to recommend that will put a commission check in your pockets.
To set yourself up to make money you have to give, give, give and then give some more. Now it’s important to note that you don’t have to give everything away.
Giving (as I’m using the term) means to give of yourself. Share stories with your readers, point them to helpful resources and let them know about things they probably haven’t found on their own.
In other words, offer your guidance. That’s what they signed up to your mailing list for. Not for a bunch of ads they can find on their own.
Are you publishing your own newsletter? Are you stumped for content? No worries, my friend Doug Champigny has the solution for you. Newsletter in a Box is the perfect solution for you. There is over a year’s worth of content for your newsletter, article submissions, or create your own info product from the content! It’s a GREAT resource!
Looking for more ‘Inside Information’ like this, subscribe to my K.A.R. Newsletter (Knowledge, Application, Results) and receive a few unadvertised bonuses for signing up. You can sign up in the upper right hand corner of the page.
Stay tuned for Part II – Guys…you also stay tuned…I will be launching a new website later today that you will be VERY interested in…I guarantee it!
Until next time,
Here’s to YOUR Successes,
Ron
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Great point Ron!
You definitely have to build up a relationship with your list and asking questions to get that interaction is a great way of doing this.
It’s easy to get into a rut and just keep sending affiliate link after affiliate link and in the long run this will only destroy your relationship with your list.
And yes, unfortunately I am speaking from experience on that one.
Doug has put together a great product with the ‘Newsletter in a Box’. I only wish I had found it sooner.
Thanks for the tips Ron, and I am looking forward to finding out what the new website is.
Brett McEllhiney
Brett McEllhiney’s last blog post..Build a Niche Marketing Business – Step 7: Find A Product
Ah and you left out the item that you used at the end but did give a good example – Curiosity. That always helps because people hate to be left hanging and I for one will be watching to see what you are launching.
Mike Paetzold’s last blog post..Blow away the obstacles and get going
Great post Ron,
Liast builders often overlook the importancy of relationship marketing. It really starts with your first reply after a subscriber joined your list.
Well written newsletters can do the trick. I’m going to check your suggestion for newsletter in a box.
Thanks
Fred
Fred Lotgering’s last blog post..The Niche Giveaway 3
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Good post Ron, It is about sharing and offering value. Getting people to respond is difficult though. But I guess the answer is to keep trying. Outside of a few regualars, I seldom get much in the way of feedback. Which tells me that when I do, I should be sure to give it all the attention it deserves.
Earl Netwal’s last blog post..Which is Worse no Meta Tag Keywords or the Wrong Ones?
Great post Ron!
So many people today seem to forget how important it is to try and build a relationship with their list.
Unfortunately, as Earl mentioned, getting people to respond can sometimes be quite challenging, but as long as you keep trying to do things that will help build a relationship with them, I think it is something that will pay huge dividends down the road.
Looking forward to part II!
Jit
Jit Uppal’s last blog post..Viral Tweets – A Very Powerful New Tool for Twitter
Okay you have stoked my curiosity so now I am waiting for the new website. You have found the golden key to keeping your readers and customers coming back for more.
Andre Arnett’s last blog post..You Can Control Your Own Destiny
Good post Ron,
Relationship building is a key part of email marketing (newsletter).
You are right that perception is part of a newsletters success. If you write what you think is great content and your subscriber does not perceive it as good content, he might hesitate at opening your next newsletter.
I don’t know how you can get around your readers perception. You just have to keep trying an hope that you connect with your reader most of the time.
Great Post. Looking forward to you new website.
Lonnie
Lonnie Minton’s last blog post..4 Easy Ways To Build An Effective Opt-In List
You’ve given me some useful insights – thanks!
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