You will want to have other methods of connecting with the people who have chosen to join your list. I have found that inviting them to follow me on Twitter, become my friend (or fan) on Facebook, and to connect with me on LinkedIn and FriendFeed are excellent ways to stay in touch. There are several ways this can beneficial to your business.

Email deliverability is not what it should be these days. Your email may never show up in your prospect’s inbox, or it could get lost among the many emails they receive each day. By sharing what you have to offer on social networking sites, you can remain ‘top of consciousness’ for them in a more substantial way.

I recommend sending a solo email that tells them exactly where they can find you. Also, include the direct links to these sites in the P.S. of your email. Even if someone would choose to unsubscribe from your list  at some point in time, you would maintain your connection with them for the foreseeable future.

I talk here about the many different ways to make money with your small list, but why is that so important? If you think about it, a small list means something different to everyone. I was at a conference recently, and a man was telling me about his small list. When I asked how many people he had, the answer shocked me. He told me that he only had about 20,000 names on his list, and that was why he was setting up his business the way he was. His niche was one where the people who were making money typically had more than 100,000 prospects. That is definitely not the norm, no matter which niche you are in.

My idea of a small list is one with just a few hundred names. I believe it is important to make money with a list that size so you can create a marketing plan that will work well for your niche. That may be to give your prospects good content and tips on a regular basis, to invite them to a teleseminar regularly, and to ask them to click on a link to read your articles and blog posts. You will make money by promoting your own and affiliate products and services to them on a regular basis. As long as you give more than you take, people will tend to stay with you and buy from you.

Your list will love to hear about the live events you attend. I do this regularly, building trust and connecting with my people. Many times they end up attending the event through my affiliate link, as was the case when I attended Big Seminar last week.

For those who are unable to attend, providing updates on who is speaking and what is happening can be a way to include everyone in the event. You can do this by posting to your blog, emailing your list, and holding a live teleseminar during the event.

Be creative and share what you are doing at the event with the people who are in your community.

You gave your prospect something when they originally signed up with you. It may have been a special report on your topic, an eBook, an audio recording, some tips, or any of a varity of other things. Even if you gave them helpful tips, give them some more.

Set up a series of 10 autoresponder messages to go out over a 20 to thirty day period. This means they will receive a new tip every 2 to 3 days. Number them, and make sure they are helpful and informative so your prospect will be able to put them into use right away.

By numbering them, people will look forward to receiving each one in sequence. End each message with an action step or call to action, such as asking them to comment on your blog or visit a specific site. Many people will save these tips in a folder on their computer, or even print them out. Never underestimate the power of the information you are providing to others.

Sometimes we assume that because our clients found us on the internet that we must continue to work with them only online. Nothing could be further from the truth! You can build great rapport with your list by taking them offline as quickly as possible.

As soon as someone signs up for one of your products, courses, or services, send them a postcard or an envelope with a small gift. These ‘lumpy’ packages are lots of fun, and can contain anything from an eraser to a notepad. The point is that you are reaching out to them in a way your competitors likely are not.

Better yet, pick up the phone and thank them personally for their purchase. Ask them if they have any questions about what they have just ordered. I started doing this early on, and was amazed that many people had never received such a call. Many of them went on to spend more money with me during the next 30 days. This was because they felt I was accessible to them and would be more inclined to help them to achieve their goals.

Even if you have already done this in the past, write another e-course for your list. This is a great way to generate additonal income over time. Choose a topic your list wants to know more about and create an e-course with five lessons. Each lesson should only be about four paragraphs long, so it will fit easily into an email. You can deliver this e-course over a period of days through your autoresponder system.

At the end of each lesson include a link to an appropriate affiliate product, or own of your own if you have a product or course that would make sense. I have written an e-course for you here, titled “How To Write A Free E-Course For Ongoing Profits“. Eventually you can create paid e-courses, but start with free ones when you are just getting started online.

It will be a huge mistake if you assume that the people who join your list can read your mind. In fact, they may not be reading your blog or your articles either. It is up to you to let them know what you are up to online.

The way I like to do this is to send them an email about once a month asking them to read one of my articles or my latest blog post and to leave a comment. I include a shortened link to what I want them to read, making it simple for them to click to read what I have written. Last week I sent them a link to a post I had written about Labor Day and what it means to me.

Also remind your list of the products and courses you have to offer. This can be done even if you are recommending and promoting affiliate products. The important thing to remember is that the people on your list have no idea what you are doing unless you tell them.

This may not be the easiest thing to do, but look for current events that you can connect to your niche. For example, when the Amazon Kindle made some changes, I wrote to my list and told them about it. Then I reminded them of the webinar training I had done to show how to submit your eBooks and short reports for publication by Amazon for Kindle users.

The idea was that my list would be interested in knowing about the Kindle because I teach eBook writing, as well as internet marketing. This was in the news so I jumped on the story and shared it with my list.

Once a month you can do an online search for stories related to your topic. Keep your eyes open all the time, but if you spend one hour every month doing this type of search it will really pay off. This helps to position you as an expert in your field.

Connecting with the people on your list in order to build trust and rapport should always be a priority. One way I have done this is to ask them for articles they have written to use for some of my blogs.

I started several blogs back in 2005 and 2006. They were on a variety of topics, including dog training, reinventing your life with passion, and one on health and fitness. Over time I lost interest in writing regularly for these blogs, but I didn’t want to close them down.

By asking my subscribers to submit their writing to these sites, I am creating a win-win situation. They get to have their writing published on blogs with page rank and I have fresh new content for my blogs. One person even wrote to tell me someone had purchased the product he was promoting in his post, so he was very happy. 

The way I asked people to submit their writing to me to publish was by creating a short video that explained exactly what I needed, and then sending it out as an email to my list. You can view that video here, if you want to see what I mean. This combined my training in the area of article marketing with being able to promote the people who are on my list.

Are you confusing your prospects with your autoresponder messages? When you email your list, remember to only include one message. The biggest mistake you can make is to try to talk about two or more things in one short email. Remember that a confused mind will always say no.

Instead, write a short, three or four paragraph message that gets to the point about what you are wanting to share with your list. Tell them the details. Be specific. Ask them to take action.

I am still amazed at the email I receive that are telling me about two or three different things. I’m not sure what the author wants me to do, so I do nothing. Take a look at what you have already written and make some changes now. You’ll make more money and your prospects will be clear on what action you would like for them to take.