Top 5 Must-Have Secrets for List Building In 2014

Friends are amazing. Friends with expertise in key areas of business development are amazing too! Friends with expertise in areas of business development who are willing to SHARE their expertise with the world are PRICELESS!

Recently, Michelle Glover - an entrepreneur with vast experience and creativity in startups, social media, marketing, branding and effective business strategies and sustainability - shared her friendly expertise with Consumption Conversations. We welcome this guest post by our friend, Michelle! Enjoy!

Guest Post: Michelle Glover, Girl EnTREEpreneur

If you have never studied marketing guru, Dan Kennedy, hold the phone, put the kids in the basement (not really..ok really), order out Chinese, pour a glass of wine and spend the night with Dan (ok, again don’t really spend the night with him. . .although he might like that). You can find his products on eBay and Amazon or buy them from him outright.  They are usually pretty pricey, so you might want to take a page out of the Girl EnTREEpreneur playbook and get ‘em second hand. In any event, if you’ve been around the internet marketing block at all, you’ve probably heard the old chestnut, “the money is in the list.”

Old Dan might disagree. Sure, you need to list build, if you really want to get wealthy on the net, but Kennedy says the money is really in the relationship you have with your list (or herd as he calls it).

Here are Kennedy’s five must-have secrets to developing an awesome and responsive list:

1. Affinity

This is a sense of belonging to a group and the pride of being attached. Why has the Rocky Horror Picture Show kept a cult following since 1975?  It meets participants’ need to belong to something bigger and perhaps more interesting than themselves.  It has secret inside words and knowledge (“toast!” anyone?) as well as its own customs and even dance steps. Still don’t understand?  Just sit down with any rabid Cubs fan and take notes.  Nuff said.
Objective:  You want to make certain each and every member of your herd feels special and a part of something extraordinary. Consider the following list: Inside Knowledge, Special or Secret Words, Uncertainly, Clothing or Style, and Traditions.

2. Attachment to a Person or Personality

If you have any recollection of cousin Doris crying for weeks when Elvis died (and she’d never, ever, not once in person, met him) than you get the idea.  Sure, maybe some of the best business info is by some guy from the Harvard School of Business, but it is way more fun to cozy up and learn from The Donald or Frank Kern or ________.
Objective:  Build a fun (or at least interesting) personality brand that people will want to follow.

3. Interests

This is pretty similar to number 2.  Are you continually interesting to your herd?  Do you do interesting things, meet interesting people, buy interesting things, have interesting (or even controversial opinions)?  If yes, than you’ll attract and keep a herd.
Crazy thought – people who hate Howard Stern actually listen to him longer than people who love Howard Stern.  Why?  They just can’t wait to see what he will say next.
Objective:  You want to be a place where everyone wants to live or would at least like to visit.  Be honest with your herd and do things they would admire you for.
Note:  A way to measure how well you are building interest with your herd is the number of contacts and emails you get from people who want to relate you as a person and tell you their life story.

4. On a Mission From God 

“We’re on a mission from God.” - Elwood of the Blues Brothers
People want to be connected with something that has a higher or more meaningful purpose.  They want to be part of your personal mission from God.
Objective:  Appeal to that higher calling.  Invite them on a meaningful and exciting journey.

5. Frequency

“Gone but not forgotten” does not apply here.  “Out of sight; out of mind,” is more applicable in regard to herds.  Kennedy says you need to contact your herd almost every day – at least in some way.  Maybe you don’t want to email them every day, but certainly make efforts with your social media to keep it moving with new, interesting and fresh information.
Objective: Make sure you touch your community with emails, newsletters, videos, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc. at least 300 days a year.

Bio:  Michelle Glover is the CEO of TheTeaTreeReviewReview and Girl EnTREEpreneur, helping women grow an online business one leaf at the time.
Connect with her at:
Website: www.girlentreepreneur.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/enTREEpreneurz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GirlEntreepreneur?ref=hl