Opt-in List Basics – Part 2

Let’s assume by this point you already have a quality autoresponder service. But if not, go out today and get an account at either Get Response or Aweber. These services are the most used by internet marketers because they are both reliable and flexible enough to meet your needs.

On average, across most niches or market segments, people say that a subscriber is worth about $1 in revenue each month. But in order for the revenue to be generated, there are some steps that you first have to take. But the good news here, with just with a basic level of math, you’ll see that it will only take about 20 active subscribers on your list for it to break-even. And it will take VERY LITTLE work on your part, to build your list to 20 in the first month.

Building a list from zero, means first having a free e-course, a free newsletter, or a free e-zine. In each of these three types of lists, your subscribers will get to know and trust you because you are emailing them on a regular basis.

How frequently you mail them will depend on your market, your base of subscribers, and even how much time you are able to commit to the development of your list. Ideally, your first set of messages should be at least three in the first week. If you wait too long, your subscribers may forget entirely who you are and why you are emailing them.

To be sure that doesn’t happen to you, simply remind them at the opening of your first few messages.

E-courses are typically seven to ten messages in length. Each message should be brief, but sould also teach something of value.

Remember that your subscribers are PEOPLE (just like you). So in order for them to see value in your emails, be sure to provide great content that they can use.

Growing a list also means you need traffic. So developing targeted traffic is also a skill that you need to build too.

There are hundreds of sources of free traffic available to you. But one of the best that can produce immediate traffic is article directories.

Ezine Articles for example, will place your article on their first page once it is approved. So you’ll be able to gain some instant exposure. The resource box is the block of text which follows the article, where you are able to state your expertise as well as present an offer for your free e-course, newsletter, or other online publication. Link back to a page on your site with minimal information … just enough to invite your visitors to sign up and start receiving your content.

Although having a opt-list of 10,000 or even 50,000 is a sustainable goal, the truth of the matter is that most marketers have a list that only ranges from 1,000 to 2,000 subscribers. So be encouraged with every new subscriber that you gain and set your subscription goals in small but achievable milestones.

Opt-In list Basics – Part 1

If growing an opt-in list is important to you, you should offer a free e-mail newsletter to build one effectively. You can make it attractive by having a catchy and compelling title, and needless to say – great content. With a newsletter you build brand identity and a relationship with your subscribers – both of which lead to greater profits in the long run. To get started you’ll need to determine your topic, get subscribers, and monetize. Let’s delve a little deeper into each of those topics.

First, you need a topic. To be successful, your topic has to have two crucial characteristics: (1) demand, and (2) quality content.

Demand

Determining interest and demand are essential. One of the most common mistake new marketers make is that they launch a product or business they are interested in without taking into account what the customer wants. In a nutshell, there is no demand for the topic. To avoid this fatal mistake, use keyword research tools such as the Google Adwords tool or WordTracker to make sure people are actually searching for the information you will be providing. Not having enough demand or a product is one of the primary reasons that over 80% of business failing the first two years. Don’t be statistic; do proper market research.

Quality Content

To develop great content, it really doesn’t matter whether your information is written or in a multi-media format, the process doesn’t change.

There are key questions to help with ideas. What problems is your market grappling with? What can you offer to help solve those problems? What is the pain they are experiencing? Put yourself in the shoes of someone in your market, and start answering these questions with the prospects needs in mind.

The ideal method is to always provide new content to your opt-in list that you either wrote yourself, or that you had ghost writer produce. But realistically speaking, to keep a newsletter jam-packed with content, it is a good idea on occasion to re-use existing content that other writers have written. If another writer has provided a truly useful piece of content, your subscribers will benefit from it if you offer it to them.

Article directions abound with this type of content, and it is encouraged to use it as long as you don’t change the content and give credit to the author. Be sure to proofread the material for grammar and spelling errors though. Your reputation is at stake, so present your information in the best light possible.

Get Subscribers

To gain subscribers, advertise your newsletter on your web site as well as on free eZine directories. Offer an incentive for signing up. Also, if you determine that the demand is there, translate your newsletter into other languages. This will extend your market reach and could even increase sales of your revenue-generating products and services.

Monetization

To monetize your newsletter, advertise your own products relevant to your market. Also, advertise affiliate programs that you belong to when they compliment the topic.

With any type of recurring communication to your opt-in list, you’ll benefit in a number of ways which includes more traffic to your site, as well as reminding your subscribers who you are and the great solutions you have to their problems.