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SubmitThe List Guru Reveals How He Built A 100,000 Subscriber List
By Peter Murphy
Expert Author
Article Date: 2002-11-11
Steve Goodier holds a B.A. in anthropology and sociology and an M.Div. degree from Emory University. He is the author of numerous books about personal development, motivation, inspiration, and making needed life changes. He has a highly successful newsletter that goes out to 100,000 subscribers.
PETER: Steve, thank you for taking the time today to share some strategies that will help any newsletter publisher to be more successful. I have a number of questions I would like to ask you.
The Life Support System, your inspirational email newsletter with 100,000 subscribers, is now well established with a loyal following. Could you talk a little about why you think you have been so successful when so many newsletter writers have just a few hundred or only a couple of thousand subscribers?
STEVE: I believe that there is a universal need in people to feel as if they are making a difference. They want their lives to matter. I try to write to the most basic human needs we experience and to tell people that they DO matter and that they CAN make a difference - even if it is not global.
I also feel that we are bombarded by the negative when there is really so much that is GOOD around us. We need to be reminded of what is good. We need to be up-lifted and encouraged to be our best.
When people finish reading any Life Support System article, I want them to feel more hopeful than when they started, and more ready to give their very best to life. People need this. They need something that will consistently help them feel stronger and more encouraged.
PETER: Personal growth is obviously the focus of your work. How have you used these principles and strategies that you teach in building your online business?
STEVE: I used the principles I teach from the beginning. To illustrate, I teach about "choice." We make our own choices. I took responsibility for my feelings of discontent in my previous work and made a choice to do something different.
I teach about "honoring yourself." I honor myself by discovering my passion (writing), my potential and my purpose (to communicate LIFE through my writing and teaching). I reasoned that the Internet provided a larger audience for my work than I presently had!
I teach about "affirmations." I had lofty and beautiful dreams about how I could write for people through the ezine as well as by publishing books. I created positive affirmations that worked toward changing my attitudes and behaviors that held me back.
I teach about "now" as the time to begin. I quit my job, took out a second mortgage and jumped in with both feet. I would either sink or swim, but there was really no turning back.
I teach about "goals" as the way to attain your dreams. I set small steps - a list of 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000, etc. and celebrated the milestones along the way. I set goals on writing my books and, one step at a time, wrote seven books in three years.
I teach about the "energy" we get from other people. My wife held me accountable and supported me every step of the way. She, too, quit her job and worked full time with me for the first 2 1/2 years of this adventure! She encouraged me and helped to "talk me down" when the way became scary. The first letter of each of those words -- Choice, Honor, Affirmation, Now, Goals, and Energy -- spells "change."
I made a serious life change and I'm learning that, in this business, one must be in constant change to survive and excel. I am learning to embrace change and use it more creatively.
PETER: At a time when there is so much educational material for ezine publishers and site owners covering the technical aspects of the business, what advice would you give them to help them make the most of their own potential?
STEVE: It was important for me to discover what I COULD and COULD NOT do. I could write. I could not do much of the technical work of electronic publishing, including Web design. Some of it I learned. Some of it others did for me.
I believe that one does not have to know EVERYTHING about the technical aspects of Internet publishing to succeed. But it is important to know what you CAN do. What are your strengths? What is your passion? Spend plenty of time in that area.
Learn also what your limitations are. It is all right not to be able to do everything well. There is someone who can help you in the other areas. Finally, don't be afraid to learn. I've been on a fast learning curve now for three years and it has become a normal part of my life. I no longer fear learning something technical - we delude ourselves into thinking that we CAN'T do something or that we are "technologically challenged."
PETER: Ezine publishers need to produce original quality content again and again to keep their readers coming back for more. Any tips for enhancing creativity?
STEVE: My best tip is this: become a student of life. Listen intently to others. Read. Learn. Make notes when you get an idea and develop a good filing system. Not all writing sessions feel creative. Write anyway. Good ideas don't always come easily - keep trying to make the idea better. Sometimes creativity flows; but it will never flow if you don't write. And get some rest. I'm really not very good at this...but when I rest I feel more creative when I return.
PETER: Success through a positive mental attitude is a cliché nowadays. However what can people do when nothing seems to be working out? How do you stay positive when all you see for your online efforts is apparent failure?
STEVE: Discouragement is a part of Internet life (and, of course, a part of life in general). Furthermore, people promise the world on the Internet -- easy money, quick solutions, and eternal happiness by next Thursday afternoon. We soon discover that it just isn't so.
I've learned two important things about discouragement and the Internet:
1) If something is not working, try it differently. What worked last month may not work this month. Talk it out with somebody and try it a different way. That is both the exciting challenge and the greatest frustration of the Internet -- it is always changing.
2) Keep focused on the big picture. Your life is greater than your Internet projects. Focus on what truly matters: for me, it is my family, my relationships, and my spiritual life. I've often felt that if these greater aspects of my life are in order, then I have the energy to persist when I feel like giving up.
And in my case, I remember that my writing may have made a tremendous difference in the life of SOMEBODY, even though the business feels more like a struggle at times. I sometimes go back and re-read letter of thanks from people who were affected by something I wrote.
PETER: Getting more subscribers is an ongoing obsession for most newsletter writers. What has worked best for you?
STEVE: Advertising in ezines has worked best. Advertising on Web sites has also worked fairly well. Search engine placement is important, and I've done well in "pay per click" engines. And "word of mouth" growth has been effective, but, of course, hard to measure. I've tried just about everything and I return to these techniques as the best sources for new subscribers.
PETER: Before we go Steve, how do people go about signing up for your newsletter?
STEVE: All people need to do to subscribe is to send a mailto:LifeSupport-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or go to http://www.lifesupportsystem.com for more details.
Thanks again, Peter. Best to you!
About the Author:
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report: 10 Simple Steps to Developing Communication Confidence. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: http://www.howtotalkwithconfidence.com/report.htm