In this installment of List Building Tips, I want to talk about something as innocuous as signatures. If you think you can't build a list from something so simple, you might want to read this article.
Ah yes, the signature. One would think that the average person doesn't even pay attention to signatures. Well, it kind of depends on what comes BEFORE the signature. And THAT is ultimately what I'm going to focus on in this article.
First thing we have to do is figure out where signatures appear. Well, the most common places are at the end of emails and forum posts. Let's start with emails.
I know a lot of people will say that if you're sending out an email to somebody then they're probably already on your list. Well, that's not entirely true. If you have any kind of web presence, like I do, you're going to get people writing to you out of the blue with questions. One way of getting them on your list is with a simple email reply answering their questions and then, subtly at the bottom under your signature, include a description and link to your newsletter.
If the email you sent answered the question that was asked and actually helped the person asking it, there is a very good chance that they will notice your signature, notice that you have a newsletter, and just might subscribe to it thinking that IF they do, they're going to get even more great advice related to the subject that they're interested in enough to write to you in the first place.
Point is, in any email correspondence that you have, including a signature with your newsletter link gives you just one more opportunity to get a subscriber. Even if you only get one subscriber per day using this method, that's 365 new subscribers each year. Trust me, every single one counts.
What about forum posts? Well, most forums have rules when it comes to signatures. Some don't allow them at all. Some only allow a few lines. Some only one line. Whatever the restriction is, it doesn't really matter unless signatures aren't allowed at all. But if they are, they can be very effective in getting subscribers. The key is in what comes before them.
That is your forum post content. And this is where so many marketers drop the ball. They'll respond to a forum thread with a line or two answer that really doesn't help the person asking the question much at all and yet they expect to have people signing up to their list in droves. It doesn't quite work that way. But, if you answer questions in depth and really contribute something of value to the forum, your posts will not only be read but they'll also draw attention to your signature. In fact, I get a number of subscribers from my forum post signatures.
Don't minimize the signature. It may seem innocuous. But used correctly, it can be a very powerful tool in building your list.
To YOUR Success,
Steven Wagenheim
