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Auction Strategists Newsletter
Brought to you by Jenni Hunt
www.jennihunt.com
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In this newsletter:
eBay’s Mailing List Feature – Not so good
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One question I get frequently as I talk about the importance of building a mailing list is:
Why can’t I use eBay’s mailing list feature?
If you didn’t know, eBay has a feature that allows store owners to manage a mailing list so you can publish a newsletter. I say ‘manage’ loosely – because if you look closely, there are some limitations that eBay puts on your newsletter that makes eBay more likely your list manager than you… are you surprised?
Before we dig too deep… let’s look at the value of having a mailing list:
1. Trust Builder: A mailing list is a tool you can use to build a relationship with your readers/audience/market. If you have a relationship with your readers and have built their trust, they are more likely to buy from you.
2. Takes Pressure Off of Selling Auctions: If your goal is to build a mailing list then you aren’t as concerned about your auctions selling. Instead, you begin to recognize that your auctions are really just a way for people to join your mailing list. Your listings become more of an advertisement than the single source of revenue for your business.
3. Better than an ATM: I almost didn’t include this because I don’t want to give you the impression that having a mailing list is all about bringing in the dough. It isn’t. However, in most cases, the whole point of building an online business is to generate revenue so you can provide for you and/or your family. The beauty of having a mailing list is that IF you are constantly providing valuable information to your readers… when you have a little emergency that comes up and requires some extra funds – you can simply run a promotion of some sort and generate instant cash. Please understand that the KEY for this to work is that you provide VALUABLE content to your readers. This will backfire if all you are doing is offering promotion after promotion… you will make more in the long run if you have a mailing list that consistently provides information that is helpful to your readers.
There are so many more reasons to have a mailing list… I could go on and on talking about how building a mailing list is one of the least expensive ways to grow your business, how building a mailing list gives you control and authority in your marketplace, how building a mailing list helps you network with other experts in your market, or how building a mailing list gives you leverage with your competition… but, that really isn’t the point of this article.
The point is that even though eBay offers you the option to have a mailing list, the limitations they put on you as a list owner outweight the benefits… by far!
The text of an email may not include any of the following if you are using eBay’s mailing list service:
* Offers to sell items outside of eBay
* Telephone numbers or email addresses
* Links or image references to items not located on an eBay site
* More than 100 eBay HTML tags
* JavaScript or other active scripting
In other words… eBay is in control!
Before you think that that isn’t such a bad idea let me ask you a simple question…
What if something were to happen to your eBay account? Or to eBay? What happens to your mailing list then?
I can’t emphasize enough how valuable it is to you as an eBay seller to control your own mailing list. I’m not just talking about a customer list either… I’m talking about using your listings to gain subscribers – potential customers!
Jim Cockrum has been talking about this very topic for years… in fact, he just finished an auction listing for coaching that sold for thousands of dollars. If you are on his mailing list you probably heard about it… did you notice that he gained thousands of NEW subscribers from the singls listing? He had a ton of watchers… but, gained more new subscribers to his mailing list than anything. He has mastered how to not only have an incredible auction listing… but, also how to harness ALL of the traffic from listing on eBay.
Are you leaving money on the table?
Guys, if you aren’t implementing this strategy… and using eBay to build a mailing list you ARE leaving money on the table.
It took me a couple of years to understand that the gold truly is in the list. I started selling on eBay and shortly after started my HuntedTreasure membership site (a membership site is not the same as a mailing list). Two years later I started building a mailing list for my free Auction Strategists newsletter… who knows how much money I left on the table during those first two years when I didn’t have a list!
It is never too early (or too late) to start building a mailing list… and it is likely one of the best things you will ever do for the growth of your business! I just can’t say it enough… and truly hope that you are already moving in this direction by implementing this strategy to your eBay business.
If you aren’t, and you want to but just don’t know where to start… check out my Start Here List Building Program. It’s a simple, step-by-step 5 week course that walks you through setting up a mailing list that YOU CONTROL.
The course is limited to 100 students at a time, and we are just about half way filled for this next session. I’ll be closing it up within the next week or two… so if you are looking to build a mailing list to build your eBay business – check out:
http://www.starthereprogram.com/yourlist
I’ll make it easy for you… the next 20 people to sign up will receive a $12 discount!
If you are one of the next 20 people to sign up, you can get the entire course for just 15 bucks ONLY WITH THIS LINK:
https://wahmcart.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?adminid=22&pid=6541&quickbuy=1
It’s been 3 months since we closed this course… it will close again as soon as we reach the limit so if you are on the fence, save yourself $12 and get your first lesson immediately!
https://wahmcart.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?adminid=22&pid=6541&quickbuy=1
Enjoy!
Jenni
PS. You can learn more about eBay’s mailing list option here: http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/email-newsletter.html
but, I really don’t recommend that you go that route.
Take control back from eBay and build your own mailing list!
http://www.starthereprogram.com/yourlist
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Copyright 2010 Jenni Hunt, www.jennihunt.com
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