There are so many courses, ebooks, webinars, blog posts, and articles out there dedicated to teaching you how to build your email list and market to your subscribers in a way to bring in a substantial income. The question is, how should you go about learning effective email marketing to get results?
Why not learn from the experts? Let’s look at how you can analyze the strategy of Internet marketing experts who are successful at email marketing.
1. Create a New Email Address
You don’t have to do this one, but I would highly suggest it if you would like to keep your primary email address free of lots of incoming email. Also, I would recommend using Gmail for this experiment as it has a great organization and search system which might come in handy. If you’re already using Gmail and don’t mind sending lots of email in its direction, move on to the next section.
2. Find Some Known Email Marketers
This part is relatively easy. Chances are, if you frequent blogs as much as I do, you have come across the bloggers that are well known in the making money online and online marketing industry. Some blogs to get you started include:
- Zac Johnson
- Chris Guthrie
- Yaro Starak
- Pat Flynn
- David Risley
- John Chow
- Gideon Shalwick
- Katie Freiling
- Jeremy Shoemaker
- Jonathan Volk
3. Create a Email Marketing Analysis Spreadsheet
Next, you need to create a spreadsheet. Everyone likes to organize their data in specific ways, and if you prefer another, that is fine. But if you have a Google Account or created one in the first step, then you have access to Google Documents which allows you to create spreadsheets (in the event that you don’t have Microsoft Excel or another office program).
4. Determine How These Sites Entice You to Subscribe
Here’s where we start our analysis. Look at these sites. How do they encourage sign ups? Do they use:
- Popups? If so, do they use Popup Domination (see example popup designs in this review of the plugin), pop unders (pop ups that appear in the bottom of the screen for a mailing list signup), or other technologies. Generally if it’s a plugin, then there will be a credit / affiliate link to the product somewhere nearby.
- Opt-in Forms? Look at alternative opt-in form placement, such as in the sidebar, at the top or bottom of blog posts, in the header or footer of the blog posts, or other areas.
- Free products? Are they giving away a free report, ebook, auto-responder course, or other valuable content?
These are all things you want to note in your spreadsheet, along with any other details you find may lead to possible list building inspiration.
5. Document What Happens When You Subscribe
This is the part that you might want that new email address for. I want you to subscribe to the email marketing pros that you are analyzing and then take a look at their list from the subscriber’s point of view. The first things to note include:
- Do you get a customized confirmation message or page?
- What do you get in your first email? Is it a simple thank you, contact information, free product, first part of an autoresponder course, etc.
Be sure to note the things that stand out to you. Jot down the things you like and things you dislike – especially things that make you want to unsubscribe immediately.
6. Note What Are They Selling and How
Most sites that do mailing lists are trying to sell you something, whether it is their own product or affiliate products. Take a look at what they are selling to you through their mailing list and how they promoting it. Some marketers start with their product or affiliate product links in the free product you are getting with your subscription, usually in the form of helpful “recommendations” built into helpful tips.
7. Record Email Frequency and Promotions vs. Valuable Content
Not to say that promotions are not valuable, or that valuable content can’t have promotions for something to buy, but keep track of the frequency you receive emails from the mailing list, after the email(s) including your free subscription gift or course. Also, you will want to keep track of the ratio of emails that are sent purely to be informational or purely to promote something they are selling.
What’s Next?
So what do you do with all of your analysis? Apply it, of course, to your own strategy. On a whole, after taking a look at all of these things, you will begin to get a feel of what is popular, what you are comfortable with, and what is successful and will be able to begin to apply these elements to your own list building and email marketing strategy.
Your Thoughts on Email Marketing Research
Have you ever conducted research to learn how your colleagues or competitors are implementing their email marketing campaign? What other suggestions do you have on what to look for and how to apply it to your own plan for success?
