After reading countless articles and hearing success stories of people creating small fortunes with opt-in lists I'm sure you've all heard the saying: 'It's All About The List'. Make sure that before you start building your list, your web site is complete and without any bugs. Is the layout simple yet appealing? Is all the information on your product, service, or business opportunity correct? Is your contact information clearly indicated? If you are going to be driving traffic to your web site to build your list these things are absolutely critical. You only have a few seconds to make a good first impression and keep visitors on your page. As interested parties browse through your site make sure you have an easy to follow opt-in form for subscribers. All you really need is their name and email address. The option for them to leave a phone number is nice but don't make it compulsory. Don't be surprised if some leave fake numbers. As long as you have their email address you will be able to contact them in the future. It often takes multiple correspondences to illicit interest in potential customers or business partners. Just because subscribers opt-in to your mailing list doesn’t mean they are going to 'bite' instantly, so be patient. Create an email campaign using an Autoresponder that will run anywhere from 1 to 2 months so emails you have already written can be automatically sent to your mailing list subscribers every few days. Be creative and touch on a variety of subjects related to your business. Never push your business down your readers' throats if not you will see many unsubscribe from your list in a hurry. That is career suicide. The goal is to keep them on the list, constantly reading what you have to say and offer, and possibly contacting you to purchase something. Better yet, they may want to work with you in your organization. Use your list to engage in 'Attraction Marketing'
Here are several ways to build and maintain profitable opt-in list.
1) Earn your audience's trust. Before mentioning your products/services/business establish a good rapport with your readers. Make sure you never come off pushy and that your web site looks professional. Brand YOU Inc. and build a solid online presence so you can be referenced by anyone who searches for you online and gain credibility. Creating listings in search engines takes time so work hard at it and do so constantly. You will need this approach to drive traffic to your page anyway, so it is a given. Set up a blog and update it regularly with useful content. Link to your main business page from your blog. Release several articles to popular article directories and write about the topic you know and have used for your site. Leave a link to your site in your resource box as part of your signature so readers can visit your web page. Participate in forums and provide expert advice and recommendations. When you feel that people trust you already, you will be able to build your own opt-in list confidently. You can build a base as well with other forum users. You can encourage them to join your list and be kept up to date on news. Friends are always good customers. Leave a link to your site as part of your signature so that all posts invariably point back to your business page. Creating these useful back links is vital to have a steady stream of web traffic.
The certain truth is, the money will only come in when the consumers and subscribers believe and trust in you. They want a product or service that could be a good exchange for their money. People are not going to buy something out of your recommendation if they don’t know you. Long lasting success in any business can only become a reality with valuable relationships. Nothing is better than word of mouth. If people are interested in your business opportunity they will want to join because of you, not because of the company you are an affiliate for.
2) Find a product or service that people want and need. If they don't have to change their buying habits you will have a much easier time with promotion. Do your research well and you will eventually see results. Also, provide your subscribers with promotional material that they could actually use and spread around. Including viral marketing elements as part of your email campaign such as surveys, games, jokes, audio clips, video clips, and self-help tips will help spread the word quickly about you and your business. Getting people involved and excited will keep the ball rolling long after your initial investment of time and effort. These viral elements can also be used in forums where you can promote links to where these tools can be found.
3) Make friends with other opt-in list users. This is beneficial especially if some of your subscribers have already launched a successful opt-in list themselves and are successful business owners in their own right. These are people that have the experience in this venture and experience is still the best teacher. While there are many articles available for you in the Internet to use, there is nothing like getting a first hand account from someone you trust.
Experienced opt-in list users will be able to tell you what works and what does not because they have gone through it. While different situations occur for different people, the general concept can still be very helpful. Building a profitable opt-in list doesn’t happen overnight. There are many preparations and challenges to go through. Opt-in lists are built from scratch. As your list grows, you should also maintain the quality of your list. Keep it organized and manageable. Your main concern is to ensure that your subscribers are always happy and satisfied so that remain on your list for years to come.
Gopal (The Musical Mad Scientist and Entrepreneur)
www.boom.thevfusiongroup.biz
