When you start out in internet marketing, you’ll probably focus on building your site, developing quality content, and then doing all the legwork to build links and rank your pages. You are the Holy Grail to be on page 1 of Google, right? Well, what happens when that becomes a reality and you have a steady stream of views? Do you count only on your content to capture their attention? Wouldn’t it be great if you could find a way to keep in touch with them?
Well, there is, and you’ll want to consider building your own email marketing list and applying your own email marketing strategy.
If you’re thinking “If email is such a great marketing tool, why don’t I buy a list?” then know this. First of all, finding a legitimate email list broker is becoming increasingly difficult and buying the wrong list could land you in CAN SPAM law trouble.
Second, the big problem with these lists is that they are not targeted leads. They didn’t specifically ask for what you have to offer. You might get lucky and maybe some might be interested, but chances are most of them won’t.
So what is the solution?
Build your own list.
That may sound a bit daunting, but it really isn’t. Also, which list would you rather have? Eighty addresses where the subscriber specifically opted in to your email, or a 1,000-email list filled with people who’ve never heard of you before? Would you have more fun and interact more at a party where you knew everyone, or a place where you didn’t know anyone and they didn’t know you?
It’s about building relationships.
So how do you motivate that Google visitor to sign up for your list? Well, you want to reward them in some way and one of the best ways is to give that visitor something of value for free.
Free downloads.
There are tons of free things you can give away to your list. You can give away things like free articles, free PDFs, videos, software downloads, free ebooks, and free templates. Think of something your market is interested in and give it away to help build your list. You can put the giveaways on your website and password protect it so that only your list knows the password. You keep giving away free stuff to your subscribers and that will keep them happy and keep them coming back for more.
Write your own Ebook.
You could write something that gives your subscribers what they are interested in. A good ebook is likely to attract a lot of subscribers. Many successful marketers use this tactic to get people to sign up for their list. If you think writing an eBook is hard, think again. After all, you’re not after the Pulitzer Prize, you just want to provide valuable information.
You can start by writing 15 articles of 1,000 to 1,500 words that will benefit your readers. These articles can cover something generic or you can break it down into smaller niches. The important thing to remember is to offer them quality content and that your writing is original.
Put all your articles in notepad or Microsoft Word. And then create an attractive graphic design as a cover. Be sure to include your name, your business name, your business address, and a statement that the content is copyrighted. To get even more traffic, tell your readers to refer others so they can get a free copy too.
When you’re done with your document, you can convert it to a Portable Document Format file using a free PDF converter. Done, you are the proud author of an e-book.
If you’re not that good at writing, you might want to think about outsourcing the entire process to someone else or even buying the best PLR sites for a ready-made book.
The more you cater to your list, the better off you are in the long run and the more money you’ll make from this email marketing strategy.
