Justin Premick (Aweber Systems)

Tips on growing your mailing list with OFFline strategies (what most Wellness Pros will use), from our favorite newsletter/autoresponder service, Aweber.

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COACH JAZ notes:  Many businesses rely primarily on ONline marketing to grow their mailing list.  This simply won't work for wellness professionals.  First of all, most of us don't have enough traffic to our website to rely on it for all our mailing list leads. 

Second of all, most of us are "meet the people" types who want to go out into the community and really connect with others. 

And we're usually very good at connecting offline.  We need to use those connection points as opportunities for getting the word out about our services. 

The best way to do that is to get people onto your mailing list, so you can continue to keep in touch and build a relationship with them over time.  We call this the "Caboose" of your Marketing Train, and it relies largely on your ability to collect subscribers to your list OFFline, in the "real world."

Justin Premick from Aweber has some great tips about how to grow your mailing list in OFFline ways.  Thanks Justin for letting us share your article!

GUEST ARTICLE:  Grow Your List Offine

by Justin Premick (Aweber Systems)

Spring is finally coming to Pennsylvania and the rest of the
Northern Hemisphere!

I, for one, love the opportunity to shed some cabin fever by
going for a run, taking pictures or simply walking into
Newtown more often. We've got some great local businesses
and restaurants here.

There's simply something about the increase in daylight and
temperatures that makes people more social than we are in
the grey of winter.

As a business owner, you can use this to your advantage,
particularly if you run a bricks-and-mortar store or often
talk to potential customers on the phone.


Collect Subscribers Offline


There are many opportunities to get a new subscriber when
you're offline, in the "real world:"


    People calling you by phone to ask questions

    You can take subscribers by phone. Come up with a short
    explanation of what you're offering via email
    (just like you would on your website) and ask for their
    email address.

    Put them in a spreadsheet and import the new addresses
    daily or every couple of days.


    Visitors to your physical store

    Restaurants, bars, doctor's offices... if you have
    people coming in person to see you, ask if they're
    already getting your specials/newsletter/other
    information.

    If they're not already subscribed, have a signup sheet
    that they can fill out, or give them a card with the URL
    of your site/opt-in form so they can sign up there.


    Conferences, Trade Shows, etc.

    If you have a booth at a trade show, or are going to a
    conference, you're bound to get a lot of business cards.

    Just like on the phone, come up with an "elevator pitch"
    for your list.

    When you're talking to someone and they hand you their
    business card, make your pitch. If they accept, write
    "Subscribe" or "Yes" on the card.

    When you get back from the event, import the addresses
    of the people who accepted.


Only Use Opt-In Methods

Just like in the online world, you only want to collect the
email addresses of people who want to receive your emails.

With so many situations that you can encounter offline, it's
easy to think that it's OK to add a given person to your
list, when in fact they haven't given you permission to
email them.

To help guide you, we've published a set of situations, and
whether or not it's OK to subscribe someone's email address,
on our Knowledge Base:

http://www.aweber.com/faq/questions/263/?212705

You can also read some commentary we've made about this on
our blog:

http://www.aweber.com/blog/email-marketing/collect-subscribers-offline-dos-donts.htm?212705


Follow Up Quickly
  
You've probably heard this before (from us or elsewhere):


  Permission. Doesn't. Age. Well.


An email address collected yesterday is far more valuable
than one collected a month ago.

The more time that passes between someone giving permission
to email them, and when you actually start emailing them,
the less likely they are to:

  * remember that they gave you permission
  * still want your information

This is especially true for offline subscribers because they
may not have been to your website before, and so they won't
recognize your URL right away like an online subscriber can.

So don't wait more than a couple of days to subscribe people
to your list once they give you that offline permission.


Spring Cleaning Your Campaign?


Maybe you're looking at your messages and forms for the
first time in a few months, or you're seeking ways to expand
your email marketing.

If so, be sure to check out our education resources:

  * Blog: http://www.aweber.com/blog/?212705
  * Live Webinars: http://www.aweber.com/blog/live-webinars/?212705
  * Knowledge Base: http://www.aweber.com/faq/?212705

And be sure to contact our Support Team with any questions:

  http://www.aweber.com/support.htm?212705


Wishing you a Happy, Healthy and Profitable Spring!

Justin Premick
Education Marketing Manager
AWeber Communications
http://www.aweber.com?212705
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Thanks again Justin for this great article!  Folks, read our related articles below on why we love Aweber's service.  We also share a free article on why a wellness newsletter is so important.

Better yet, join Helping The Helper today and download our popular Virtual U. workbook, "Wellness Ezines."  It offers 30+ pages on how to grow your mailing list, why you NEED to have a Caboose or keep-in-touch marketing strategy, and step-by-step instructions on launching YOUR wellness newsletter - plus common mistakes YOU need to avoid!

Just click on the link below to access our secure Subscription Form.  You can be on your way to launching a simple, powerful Wellness Ezine or newsletter in just minutes! 

Warm wishes for your success,

Coach Jaz