When it comes to succeeding online there is no doubt that having a list of your own is a major factor. When it comes time to promote the reality will be that you either have a list or are at the mercy of those who do.
There is so much published, and so many products sold, about list building that confusion can set in.
List building, at its core, is actually very simple. It’s a multi-step process that works every time it is used.
Here are a few keys to successfully building your list, and profiting from that list once it’s built.
A target audience
It has often been said that “you can’t hit a target you can’t see.” So true.
I find that many people who want to make money online, and want to build their list, don’t take the time to think about their potential audience.
One of the best ways to do this is to draw a profile of the person who might join your list.
Here are a few clarifying questions that might help …
- Do you want to reach men or women or both?
- What stage of development are they in? Newbies? Experienced?
- What is their most pressing problem?
- How can what you offer solve their problem?
- What alternatives to what you offer do they have?
Just answering a few of these questions can get you closer to having an “avatar” of your ideal subscriber or customer.
Something of value to give
Facts are facts. People join your list more easily when you offer them something. After all, they have a problem and are wanting a solution, or they would not have visited your site.
So offer them something of value. Something unique.
Something that gives them “results in advance”, the ability to take some action now (or learn something new) that brings them closer to solving their problem.
Here are a few things that work well.
- A one-page resource guide of suggested tools or products.
- A checklist to make doing a task easier.
- An insider’s guide to getting something done more easily.
- A self-evaluation guide to help them know what they need to do next.
The more you can engage a visitor with your information the better. A one-page PDF works wonderfully well for doing this.
Why a one-page PDF? Because people are busy and a one-page guide gets read.
Traffic to your op in form
The secret to getting traffic for list building is this.
You want to reach people who have already demonstrated that they will join a mailing list.
This is why ezine advertising is so effective. Ezine subscribers are just that … subscribers.
If they subscribed once they will subscribe again. And this time to your email list!
So how do you reach these subscribers and not bust your budget? Here are a few suggestions.
- Solo ads to highly targeted audiences.
- Text ads inside ezines sent to the audience you want to reach.
- Facebook ads that reach a highly targeted audience and cost very little.
- Facebook promoted posts that go on the timelines of people who follow you and the people who follow them.
- Banner ads in forums where participants have registered to participate.
- Mailing lists of leaders in your chosen industry.
Every industry offers lists galore, and many of them don’t cost an arm and a leg.
If money is tight, try Facebook first.
Promoted posts work well for list building, are highly targeted and cost very little.
Something to say after they opt in
Once a person opts in you want to begin sending them messages to help them get closer to their goal.
These messages are about them, not about you. While it’s fine to sell your products and talk about how you can help them, the messages need to be focused on helping them achieve their goals.
That is what they care about. Your messages, and products, are simply a vehicle to help them get where they want to go in life and business.
What should these messages say? Here are a few suggestions …
- Helpful tips about one specific topic.
- What to avoid when trying to accomplish their goals.
- Offers to answer their specific questions.
- Reviews and recommendations of products you use and love.
- Personal insights (if applicable) about how you overcame a challenge or accomplished a goal similar to the one they face.
When done well, list building is a natural process that is easy to do. It’s a lot like holding the door open for someone.
They want something … they want to go through the door.
You have something … you are holding the door.
They see your offer, they take action and go through the door.
No begging. No negotiation. No “ethical bribes” whatever that means.
Just one person who can help offering help to someone who needs it.
Simple really. And very effective.
Because helping others is a beautiful thing indeed!
