You’ve probably heard some marketer say, “The money is in the list.” They mean that your business is only as strong as the list of people who have given you permission to contact them.
A nation is nothing without the action of its people. To be able to inspire any kind of action, you need to know who the people are and how to communicate with them. So whether the nation you are founding is for-profit or not, the same rule applies — the strength of your nation is in the quality of your list and how many people it’s reaching.
Once you know your nation’s vision, it’s time to build your list by conducting a census. Time to put on your tricorne and grab your parchment. It’s strategy-time.
STEP ONE: KNOW THE PEOPLE
If you’re going to conduct an effective census, you need to know the people and where they’re coming from. Ideally, you’re one of them, or one of the key people on your team is.
There are lots of nuanced cultural things that an insider will know about its nation’s people. But for census-conducting purposes, the question we’re asking is:
How do they communicate? How do they receive information?
Whether its by text message, facebook, email, rss feed reader, twitter, or the good old postal service, we want to find the ways that the people are already effectively communicating. To choose how YOU want to communicate (and therefore, what information you need to collect on your census), consider this:
- Value – Make everything you produce a gift (because life is just better that way). How can you reach out to the people in the most valuable way possible?
- Friction – How easy is it for you to send information, and how easy is it for people to receive it? How can you deliver the highest value with the least amount of effort (both your own and the people you’re serving)? This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to produce things that are short and quick. Sometimes the communications with the greatest return take more time and skill. But not always.
- Signal to noise ratio – Internet-renowned marketer Seth Godin said it best, “A whisper in a quiet room is all you need”. Rather than jumping on any kind of bandwagon, think about the context of the communication. Take twitter, for example. Do you have a strong enough signal to stand out in that kind of noise? Or is all of the shouting going to weaken the effects of your effort?
- Regularity – People must be used to receiving information through the channel you’re trying to share it. Are they checking it every day? Is it one of the main ways they get information? How are they feeling when they get information that way? Are they receptive to it, or are they closed off?
Email, and how to get people to read it
Not everyone loves getting email. Let me rephrase that. Everyone HATES getting crappy emails. People have always loved getting fun, personal mail of any kind.
You know why our emails have a 61% open rate while our industry standard is 22%? It’s not because of the fancy subject lines. It’s because they know we send great emails, without fail, every single time. And by “great”, I mean fun. Personal. And with some sort of usefulness built in.
Your emails don’t have to be fun and personal (though humor and personality goes a long way in making a real connection). But they do need to be clearly meeting a need that your people have. That’s why, when all else fails, “How to do X” subject lines work so well. Not because they are super-enticing, but because they clearly meet a need. If the person wants to know “how to do X”, then they’ll open it.
STEP TWO: GIVE THE PEOPLE A REASON TO CARE
Create a compelling list
People are not obligated to participate in your list-building census just because you tell them to. And no matter how compelling you think “Sign up for my weekly newsletter” is, it just…isn’t. There are so many newsletters out there. Even if your nation is clearly meeting a need that I have, I probably don’t want to get its second-rate newsletter.
To make sure the communication people receive when they sign up for your list is compelling, ask yourself:
What are people getting by giving me their email address (or their cell phone number, or their facebook “Like”)?
You can’t just dangle a carrot on a stick and expect the people to sign up and stay around. Yes, giving them some kind of free offer for signing up for your email list will increase your subscriber count (and we’ll talk about that further down), but if the list itself is not compelling, people will either desert you or resent you as soon as they realize how little value its adding to their lives.
Make a list of what people are getting when they hand over their contact information. Make sure that every benefit that they’re getting is meeting a specific need that your nation is designed to meet. If you can do that, you’ll be a long way toward creating a list that people will want to sign up for.
Create a compelling sign-up offer
For your list to be a quality one, you want the people on it to love being on the list. You want them to love getting email from you, even if you were to offer absolutely nothing additional for signing up. But you will drastically increase your participation if you have a free sign-up offer that is so good that it hurts to give it away.
How do you know your sign-up offer is good? If you keep having second thoughts about giving it away. If you keep asking yourself, “Is all of this worth it for something that’s free?” If you feel just a little terrified that people won’t appreciate it enough because it’s free.
THAT’S when you know it’s good enough.
For our current nation-building project with Treacy Mize, we are creating an email series called “11 amazing days”. The people who sign up for this list are going to discover a theory that they have have about a relationship in their life (i.e. “He doesn’t do thoughtful things for me”). And then for 11 days, they are going to be led in an experiment of collecting evidence against that theory until they have successfully disproven it.
“11 amazing days” is a highly effective relationship re-programming tool that can be used over and over again to get real, lasting results. It’s not just pie-in-the-sky “think happy thoughts” thing. It actually works. And we’re giving it away for free.
It’s painful because Treacy has spent so much time (and money) creating the concept behind it, testing it out, writing the content, and making effective visuals for it. It’s painful because people would pay to get it, but we’re giving it away for free.
STEP THREE: CREATE A LANDING PAGE
I love this step. Why? Because people are so relieved to know that they can just get started and not wait until they have a full-fledged website. In fact, it’s better not to wait. Since landing pages have only one choice (ideally, to sign up for the list), they are more effective for list-building than a website with lots of things to see and do.
What to include on your landing page
The rule is simple: include whatever information people need to identify themselves as part of this nation, and to know that it was created specifically to meet their needs.
On a landing page, it’s important to make the benefits clear, but we like to stay on the laid-back side of things. If you try too hard, people might get suspicious of your motives.
Still, there are some things the people need to know:
- What the list is
- What the list’s benefits are (what they are getting in exchange for their email address)
- What the free download is, if there is one
- What the free download’s benefits are
- A clear entry box and sign-up button
If your stakes are higher (for example, if your census is being conducted to immediately sell a product) or you want to get more effective, you can also include:
- Proof that people are getting their needs met by being on the list (you can use social share buttons or testimonials or both)
- Proof of your nation’s credibility (if you’ve been in the New York Times, say so)
- A sample of what they get in the free download
- A compelling video (again that word again; people throw it around a lot, but it’s actually RARE to find something that is truly compelling)
Ready to conduct your nation’s census?
We love the census-conducting process because your numbers give you immediate feedback, and the results are easily measurable. And if the success of your nation is in the quality (and quantity) of your list, it’s one of the most important things you can do. Best of all, you can do it while the nation is being built.
To that end, we’ve created a handy census-conducting worksheet to help you get started. Print it out, scribble all over it, and you’ll be on your way to building an effective list.
Leave a comment
So I’m curious. How strong is your list? What has been your experience with conducting an effective census? As usual, I’ll be responding enthusiastically (and with toast!) for the next 24 hours in the comments below.
Synchronicity is the shiz. I needed this info right now and it magically appeared! ; ) Thank you.
You are so welcome, Lisa.
Everything you say is right on … AND there are some markets where lists simply aren’t effective. If one’s market isn’t interested in learning how to do what you do, but just wants to pay you to do it … or if the common thread that holds your market together into a niche isn’t a thread that adapts well to creating content they’d be interested in … and I could come up with more “or” concepts, but I’ll stop here – in any event, if you do what you say here, the list will attract sign-ups, but they probably won’t be your ideal clients.
I know this flies in the face of all conventional wisdom about list-building and content marketing, but I think it’s a very important point. And it doesn’t mean, don’t write for your audience, because they will almost certainly expect some sort of content from you. But it’s something to be very aware of: what IS your market, and what do they really want?
It’s painful to go through the creating-a-giveaway, writing-really-good-how-to-content thing only to have a lot of raving fans on your list who aren’t buying, because they’re not your ideal market.
I anticipate pushback on this.
But … I’ve also done my homework on it, and it’s real!
Good point, Grace! A good example would be Anthropologie. Their ideal customer doesn’t want to make an Anthropologie dress…they want to buy it. But I’d still say that their list is super-important. The CONTENT, however, is completely different for that kind of customer.
I wrote a post a while back that deals with exactly this problem: http://sarahjbray.com/2011/03/content-strategy-smartness-1-do-not-write-what-you-know/
Yep! I remember that post.
And I do find that my readers are more into my blog (now that I’ve stopped writing the content-rich newsletter articles!) where I post things that are (a) more personal (but still business-related) and (b) more philosophical and (c) more about the *process* of being in business and communicating with your clients. And as you imply in that a-while-back post, when your audience doesn’t want to do what you can do for them, you still need to let them know who you are and why they’d enjoy working with you.
So, yes, yes, yes. And it all goes back to the incredible importance of knowing your market!
Same goes for me on my personal website. I resonate much more with my readers when I just honestly put out what is going on in my own life and business…and that’s because I’ve built a connection with them over time. My name and my experience means something to them. Whenever I tried more prescriptive “how-to” content, it wasn’t as successful in that context.
With A Small Nation, we’re hoping to build something that will connect with people, even if they have no clue who Sarah J. Bray is.
We’ve been experimenting with different content models, and right now we’re using both. Our “Diary of a Nation-Builder” email series is based on my personal experiences in nation-building. I feel more comfortable writing those in an email environment, rather than in a public website archive. Our public writing is more collaborative, and it’s about discovering what people need and how we can help. Both models can definitely work…just depends on the context and what you’re trying to accomplish.
Well, I don’t know about that. I can make anything I want, but Anthropologie dresses are still my go-to for non-handmade garments. I’m on their list. I shop their sales, and I frequent my local store for gifts, etc.
Okay, so maybe that’s a bad example.
And how I wish I had your skill! Making your own clothes equals awesome.
You could totally make your own clothes if you wanted to. And speaking of Anthropologie; I don’t think it’s a bad example. I think I may be the execption. Not a lot of people are willing to pay 200 bucks for a dress they could make themselves, but how else can I support my fellow designers and Anthro’s relatively responsible philosophies if I don’t talk with my money? (Plus, it’s not always cheaper to make your own stuff – it’s just almost always better)
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@twitter-8442182:disqus ditto for me. I was reading Gwen Bell’s Reverb and had just come to the part where she talks about your list. I took my pad and wrote–must work on this! Then I switched to Gmail and Boom! Sarah’s email on list building was there with such USEFUL steps. Serendipity or deep alignment between my need and the people out there who can help me–not sure. I only know I am grateful. Thankss
You’re welcome, Pearl! Thanks for saying so!
Synchronicity here, too, Lisa. Was just thinking about how much I’d rather have a list than a blog, even, if I had to choose…..
I agree. For my personal website, I’m shifting to a list-only approach within the next few months. There is definitely value in having information archived online (though you may not see the numbers right in front of your face like you do with an email list, it definitely has the potential to reach more people), but you have to weigh the value you’re getting with what you’re putting in.
The great thing about email is that not sending on a regular basis is an ASSET. Kelly Parkinson (http://copylicious.com) was telling me that they’ve done studies on this. Email that is more random gets a higher open rate. Whereas if you’re TOO random or infrequent on your website, people will forget to come back and check for new things.
Sarah, your sh*t is always so good. You totally embody Chris Guillebeau’s moto of being truly and genuinely helpful with all that you do. If you write a book, I’ll buy it. Just sayin’ … On a similar note, I am curious if you have a list of books / reads that you recommend. You’ve mentioned two in the last two comments…
That’s a really good idea. I read constantly (and Chris’ book is a must-read; especially if business is starting to feel complicated — I go back to that when I want to remember that it’s really very simple).
My all-time favorite sort-of-business-y book is The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. INCREDIBLE book for changing your perspective about what’s possible.
For service-based businesses, my favorite is Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port. It’s especially helpful for figuring out what your hourly rate should be. That book is life-changing.
For productivity, Getting Things Done by David Allen is a great place to start, though I would add a healthy dose of Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky. Also, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi will change the way you think about how you want to spend your day.
Fantastic. Thank you Sarah.
Sweetie! Which Chris and which book?
Adore The Art of Possibility and always use the “give yourself and A” story in my programs.
Thanks for the other recommendations. They’re all on my bookshelf. Might be time to give them another look.
Also on my current list, Quiet: the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking by Susan Cain and Introvert Power by Laurie Helgoe. Not biz books, but i’m realizing one of the things tripping me up bigtime in my work is the biz advice I’ve absorbed mostly all seems to be extrovert based. Rediscovering the richness that is introvert.
That’s really good…Quiet was on my list, too. Now I’ll have to add Laurie’s book.
The Chris I was talking about is Chris Guillebeau’s $100 Startup.
Thanks love.
FYI, Quiet is highly researched with almost a reverential quality. Introvert Power is faster, more prescriptive. I liked having them both.
BTW, the latest version of Reverb is such a fantastic read. Totally got me thinking about the needs of others and how to make sure our nation is meeting them.
I LOVE handy worksheets
They keep me focused and clear about what needs to be done next before I go off chasing more shiny ideas. I’ve been a little disappointed with the rate of growth on my list, and this gives me a good direction to go with it now. Thanks Sarah!
Yay! You’re welcome Nicole. Enjoy!
I totally need to work on this! I try surveys and questions in blog posts and Facebook all the time but I have the hardest time getting people to actually answer any of them! I would love to get a better idea of what people want to learn and know more about so I can craft my products and info around those but it’s a vicious cycle when I don’t get responses! hehe Totally loving the worksheets so I’ll have to rethink some of my list building strategies (or lack there of… lol) : )
The funny thing is that even when people DO respond to your surveys, they are often terrible predictors of what they will actually read, purchase, and be responsive to.
So rather than doing surveys, what I do is approach everything as an experiment. I’ll make something very small (for example, an email that I send to my list), and if that gets really great response, then I will use that as the seed for something bigger (for example, a blog post). And if THAT gets great response, then I’ll use it for something bigger (for example, a seminar). And if THAT gets great response, then I can use it for something even bigger.
In other words, I get better results from watching what people actually do in a situation than when I ask them what they *would* do in a situation.
Oooooo I am loving this idea!! This is why you make the big bucks! ; )
This article SO hits the spot, thank you! I am moving my business from here: http://indiepreneurpower.com to here http://leameyerstudio.com (I just put the new home page up yesterday and it is as loose as an out-of-tune guitar string, but anyway you get the idea.) One of my notes to myself is that my opt-in needs to be 5 million times more compelling! I will definitely be referring to your worksheet and if you have any specific advice, by all means lay it on me please! p.s. You are right about your emails, yours is the only one I opened today!
Oh yay! I LOVE your photo on your new home page. Your shoes alone make me want to know you better.
So tell me…what do you believe about cohesive brands, Lea? What do you wish people knew? What is holding your clients back? What drives you absolutely crazy?
If you can figure out what you believe about what you do, I’d bet that the key to what will make your email list (and sign-up offer) compelling lies somewhere in the answer.
Love this Sarah! I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about this lately. I resist those templated newsletters like the plague, and I know that nobody’s lying in bed saying, “Boy – I really could use another newsletter in my inbox!”
With that said, I want to be thoughtful about how and what I email my list. I started emailing blog posts, but that feels a bit redundant and there’s no real incentive to get what they can already get on my site (just more convenient I guess…). So, the question I’m wrestling with is – what goes into the emails that doesn’t go somewhere else? Is it strategic/scheduled, or random – both in content & frequency?
I asked Chris Brogan about this at #WDS and his response was that his email ‘newsletter’ is random content – he doesn’t think about it consciously – he just publishes what he finds really valuable and useful to his list each Sunday. It’s a bit more personal than his blog content, but that’s about it.
I love your emails – they are the only broadcast emails I open religiously. I’m curious – do you plan them out (or do you plan to with your new focus at SJB.com), or do you write when the inspiration strikes? Thanks for this post – very helpful.
p.s. so lovely to meet you last weekend.
Great to meet you too! And great question. For my emails, I just post when I have something to say. Sometimes that’s when I’m inspired; sometimes that’s when I have something for people to take action on. I used to send blog posts, but I don’t anymore; I just reference things that I’ve written if they have something to do with the email I’m sending.
I do think getting blog posts in your inbox can be valuable to people who don’t use RSS and don’t want to miss anything, but I wanted my emails to be something that people couldn’t get anywhere else.
This whole discussion is hugely, wonderfully timely. I’ve been percolating on it all day and keep coming back to read and wrap my brain around the ideas.
I am right now mid-creation of an every-other-week, year long meditation program. It’s called 3 Conscious Breaths, which is what I think is an elegant process for people to experience the benefits of meditation, especially bringing it off the meditation cushion and into life in the moment. (It’s also based on one of my most responded to posts of {blush} a few years ago.)
My plan was to offer it free, by email only, as a way of building my list. I’m really enticed by the idea of having email based connection. Intuitively, I’ve thought for a long time the blogging model really was not good for me. My energy is already significantly limited due to health and I could be creating programs of real value over time instead of trying to think of things to blog. However, now that I’ve batch created this chunk of content I’m wondering should I put it on the blog, because then it would be (what’s that phrase for bedrock content?) and I and others could tweet and FB it?
I’m delighted to offer it for free (the plan was to batch create and schedule this now, freeing me to be in my happy little cave and meditate, take care of myself, and create future programs while not looking awol as usual + giving something of value)
I’m also realizing for people to get the most out of it, it would help to have a supported environment with Q&A time, etc. So now I’m considering a Self-Discovery and an Expedition version.
I’m trying to decide what choices to make and as you can see I’m churning. Trying to see it all as an experiment but oh my!
PS, as if that wasn’t long enough, I followed your link to a post you wrote & found your Content Schmontent post http://sarahjbray.com/2010/03/content-schmontent-reaching-outside-of-blogging-box/ for people who never want to blog. Be still my heart. Unfortunately, your chalkboard image wouldn’t load for me. Was it suggestions for other ways to reach your people?
Haha…yes, I loved writing that post.
Here’s the image you’re referencing! http://sarahjbray.com/v5/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/content1.jpg
Sa-weet!
I definitely think there’s value in having content on your website that allows people to learn and discover about your world. Is it possible to structure it differently than a blog would, though? The limitations of a blog is that all of your content gets buried. If you had it organized differently (more as categories of articles, without dates or the expectation of new content), then it would definitely serve the purposes that you mentioned.
Email is great, because you can create a series that releases over time, and people can start at the beginning and end at the end. That’s really fun, because it feels timely, but it only has to be created once for each person. That may be what you were already talking about…I love using email in that way.
Articles, categories. Will think about those. Have long removed dates, but I’m definitely wanting the overall structure to be different as well.
Yes, a series that releases over time is exactly what I’m creating. I’m liking the idea of it very much and know it’s going to free my energy and headspace while providing something really beneficial an on target for my people.
I’ll be honest – I’m overwhelmed and feel like I have to so much tearing down to rebuild properly. I haven’t utilized list building well and need to – because otherwise I’m all over the place!
Your emails I DO open, and lately I’ve noticed I ignore 99% of the lists that pop in – it’s tear down time, or at least redesign time. I can do this – wish me luck! With surgery next week, I think I have 4 days – thanks for the list to help me, Sarah!!
Sarah, you are so freaking smart.