If you have been around Internet marketing circles for any length of time, you've probably heard about how profitable having an e-mail list can be. As long as these people have taken the time to opt in your list, it really tells you that they're interested in hearing what you have to say. Although there is a bit of controversy over exactly how much each list member is going to be worth to you on a monthly basis, you would probably be surprised to learn that many individuals are making a full-time income with just a small, responsive list.



There are a lot of different reasons why you would want to build a list. One of the main reasons is that you would have a way of contacting these individuals on a regular basis. It is not really necessary for you to sell them something every time you contact them, this would tend to drive some people away. What is important, however, is that you develop a relationship with these individuals to the best of your ability. E-mail tends to be rather impersonal and if you're able to make it more personal for them to receive an e-mail from you, they will be more likely to read it when it shows up. What this will eventually mean is that the people on your e-mail list are going to provide you with a source of traffic and revenue for a very long time to come.

Personalization of the e-mail really begins whenever they first subscribe. If you are not collecting a little bit of additional information other than their e-mail address, you are really leaving a lot of money on the table. At the very least, you should be collecting a first name so that you will be able to insert it into the newsletter. There are usually placeholders that are available in order for you to do this automatically. By inserting it into the subject line, you will increase your open rates quite a bit. If you address the e-mail to them specifically, they will be compelled to read what you have written.

One of my favorite parts about running a newsletter is the fact that I will be able to get traffic to almost any website that I desire. A lot of us spend a considerable amount of time trying to get new people to visit their websites regularly. If we aren't e-mailing our list in order to invite them to come to the new websites as well, we will be stuck in a never-ending cycle of trying to get to traffic. Our newsletter is a constantly available resource of website visitors. Make sure that you use it to the best of your ability.

Finally, you may be able to start some of the best viral campaigns by getting your newsletter involved. After all, most viral campaigns start with a very compelling offer and information that is so good that people feel as though they need to pass them along. Start the ball rolling with an e-mail to your newsletter and you would be surprised with how quickly the viral effect will take place.