How To Promote Your Blog Using The Power Of Email Lists

Many bloggers are right now turning to building email list to promote their blogs. The days when bloggers relied on just rss feeds is fast fading out. Today every blog you visit has a pop-up or one form of email capture script. Of course many new entraints into the blogging business are following the trail of the “master bloggers!” That is understandable. But very few really know how to use email lists in promoting their blogs. In a bid to have a peep at what most of these bloggers are doing, I've signed up with some of them. But I must say many are simply floundering in murky waters.

Definitely, I don't want to say I'm a master in this but I'm not new to email list promotions either. In fact, I started online without a webisite, writing articles and submiting them to ezinearticles.com with the resource box having an autoresponder link. With this I was able to build a sizeable list to which I promoted affiliate products.

Now building an email list with that method may be some what different from building an email list using a blog but I believe the principles are definitely the same. That is why in this post I want to present you with some 4 tips on how to promote your blog using the power of email list.

Before that, I want to make it clear that I believe email list is much better in building relationships as a blogger. Connectivity and relationship building is much better done using email list. With the power of personalization you can actually put some punch in your email promotions. This gives a far more personal touch than rss feeds. And of course with people checking their emails every day your ability to reach your readers is enhanced.

This is the simple reason I encourage my blog readers to subscribe to this blog by email by clicking here. That way we could be more connected and interact much more better. So if you're interested in becoming a regular recipient of information and news from this blog click here to subscribe right way.

Alright, here are the 4 tips on how to promote your blog using e-mail lists:

1. Target, target, target.

Of course, this may seem obvious. But think about it, is it every visitor to your blog that will want to get into your email list? Is there something else they can get subscribing to your email list? You'll need to carefully determine your ‘market' – the type of readership you want to focus on and the type of visitors you want to bring into your email list. Remember however, that this can vary greatly, depending on the main theme of your blog.

To do determine your target take a look at your main subject and the sub-topics you regularly write about. Who would want to read your blog on a regular basis? What kind of topics would they want to find in your blog? Once they find their way to your site, would they stick around and look at your other entries?

Using your findings create an ebook or an email course and offer this to your blog readers as the ethical bride for giving their contact details. By simply doing this to get the attention of:

a) Those who are totally uninterested at the time they got to your blog,

b) Those who are only partly interested and may not be staying for too long; and

c) Those who have vague interests.

2. Offer relevance at all times

Building relationships with email list demands that your offerings are relevant to your readers' desires. Apart from your blog updates you may want to, from time to time, send offers to your email list. Ensure that these are not only good and usable content but that are relevant to your subscriber based on your blog's theme. Avoid wasting your precious energy by ensuring that when you promote your blog using e-mail list, it will be relevant enough for the recipients to respond positively to it.

3. Be clear about your motives

Most people today are really economical when it comes to giving their email address. This is not unconnected with the abuse to which many internet marketers have put this powerful tool. It therefore stands that, if you want to promote your blog using an email list you need to state in clear terms what the blog is about, what subject(s) will be offered and how they can respond. Don't hide behind vague terms or try to be mysterious. Give them what you promised knowing full well that your subscribers have plenty of other options out there; blogs that are willing to state their offerings in clear, understandable language.

4. Give your subscribers the freedom to opt out

Of course this is one of the requirements of the FTC Act. But it needs repeating here that once you've garnered some terrific responses from your initial foray into opt-in subscriptions don't mind risking a percentage of that number to unsubscribe by offering an opt-out option. Allowing new members, obtained from your e-mail capture, to opt-out is not only polite, it also shows professionalism on your part. Withholding the opportunity for subscribers to unsubscribe is considered rude and makes you seem desperate for readers. If you choose this method of retaining your readers, you risk being ridiculed in the industry. If word gets around, you could risk losing even more potential leads for your e-mail list. To gain respect and eventually, a loyal following for your blog, promote it with your visitors' interests in mind.

Whether you're already building a list or not, consider putting these tips to your advantage. There are various tools out there that will help your build your email list. Some of these come with a prize tag. But there are of course, free options you can choose from.

Remember, an email list is, first and foremost, for building relationships with your blog readers. Build the relationship first and the benefits will come sooner than later!

So, do you think every blogger should build an email list? Let's hear your views in the comments below.