subject: Can A Marketer Influence A Subscriber's Buying Habits With Free E-books? [print this page] Why can it change your subscribers' buying habits if you always offer free stuff?
It becomes an "expectation" to receive free e-books, and when you do eventually want to sell a product to them, they will not buy! Another downfall can be that not everyone's emotions will go through the roof. That is why your subject line must be compelling to attract their attention to click on it.
A highly fundamental feature of e-mail marketing is to create a bond with your followers, and by doing so, they will learn to trust you every day. So can it affect your relationship with them if you consistently send out something for free? It all depends on the value you supply in those free e-books and how targeted it is to help others.
Here, are the 3 different approaches of using e-mail marketing today. When you do go through these approaches, you will see the different styles of using e-mail marketing.
1. The "conservative design" approach
Many marketers will suggest that you look at a 2-to-1 ratio when you send free information. That means that the first two e-mails should be something beneficial that they can use for free. The third e-mail should be the main "sales pitch" of a product. This is indeed the conventional process which can be used for an extraordinarily long time. Many entrepreneurs implement this, and it does work because they are not risking too much.
The downside is that the subscribers can become unresponsive when the marketer offers so many free e-books. The lack of selling a product makes it difficult to build a successful online business. The goal is to ensure they buy from you for years to come, and this gives you a chance to improve on other parts of the business. Patience is what you will need to grow gradually on getting sales if you use a method like this.
2. The "aggressive" approach
Other marketers will only use the "selling strategy" on a daily basis with an aggressive approach. They believe that their subscribers are there to buy from them, and that is why they signed up in the first place. The marketer is not going to waste any time, and a sales pitch will soon follow on a daily basis. The other reason why this can be effective is that an e-mail ends up in the "spam" folder rather than in someone's inbox. The marketer wants to ensure that maximum exposure is possible every time an e-mail goes out.
The downside to this is that they might have a higher unsubscribe rate than the first method. This aggressive way can tick off many subscribers, and you might even get a malicious e-mail back from them. The primary goal for this approach is to produce as many sales in the shortest time possible without building a relationship with your followers.
Unfortunately, Some online entrepreneurs do perform this as the only way to survive on the Internet, and it can be detrimental to the rest of the industry. Although, not every marketer has the attention to scam their subscribers in buying just anything. This can be a legitimate way of making money online but just with a slightly different plan.
3. The "mixing it up" approach
The personal connection with your subscribers will allow you to explore any means without affecting your sales, or your relationship with them. The fundamental question you should always ask when you start off is: "Do you only think of making money online with your list or do you want to help others succeed in their lives?"
Once you have stopped thinking just about selling and giving free e-books that have no value to it, you will start mastering the art of e-mail marketing. Whether you have a small or big list, money will roll in daily. There is no plan to follow, and there is no need for the aggression of a sale pitch every time. Make sure you send out free e-books with tremendous value and you will outperform the other marketers in no time.
The risk is much lower than the other two approaches once a concrete friendship has developed. Your subscribers will follow you where ever you go, what ever you say and when ever you suggest something to them- They will buy!
