Tell me, does this describe you? You're new to Internet Marketing, and you're sitting in front of the computer screen, trying to learn how to be successful. Right? Well, when I first came online, I didn't know anything. I didn't know HTML or how to build a web site. I had no idea about how to get traffic. I had about $50 and didn't know anyone at all!



So, what could I do? I went out and tried to find the most successful people online. I needed to understand what made them successful, what about them all made them successful. I studied people like T. Harv Eker, Alex Mandossian, and Jay Abraham, among others, and it dawned on me. The single common thread running through all of their success stories was that they had enormous lists. They had these huge lists of people that they could call, write, or email anytime. They could offer them valuable information or products, and make money, any time they wanted or needed to have it. Well, I realized that if I wanted to have that same kind of success that I'd better start list building, too.

Yet, I had no clue about where to get a list, and I'll bet you don't have any idea, either. I used the joint venture method through List Crusade, and as they say, the rest is history. The secret to maintaining your business, though is to always be list building.

Though some of you undoubtedly already know this secret, there are probably more of you who don't know where to begin. Where can you find people who will join your list and be excited about your information and offers?

The first thing you have to do is to define your niche. What's your hobby? Are you a gardener? Do you like crossword puzzles? Or, when you're not working, what do you enjoy doing? If you're into NASCAR, great! If you're a sports fan, super! What about kids? Are you a parent? Any of these topics would be great for list building. The trick is to find the people who like the same things that you do, and guess what? They're your target market.

Where do you find these people? The Internet makes that pretty easy. You no longer need to join ten different gardening clubs to meet people, but then, if you're into gardening, you might. But you probably never stray far from your own town. With the Internet, you have tons and tons of gardeners available, and they aren't just local, they're national, and throughout the world!

You might want to check out Google Groups (http://groups.google.com). Plug in "gardening," or another description of the niche you're going to be list building in. What will come back to you is a list of posts in gardening groups in Usenet, which is another part of the Internet. You can access it through Google, or some people use Outlook Express or other stand-alone software to access it.

Make sure that you study the group a little before just jumping into any discussions. People can be touchy about inane comments or stupid questions, and you'll pay the price. So, study the groups, make some good posts, and people will click on your link and some of them will join your list.

Online forums are another great place to find people in your niche. Go to any search engine and type in "gardening forums," and you'll get a whole list of forums back. Forums are like Usenet groups, but rather than being free-for-all, they're usually moderated. But the same courtesy applies. Don't start posting right away. Read through some posts, and introduce yourself before you start writing in the forum. Decide what aspect of your niche they're most interested in, and then, provide some great information. Do it every day! Become a regular. When you give people things they can learn or are at least interesting with your comments, people will want to know who you are and more about you. Chances are that they'll click on your link and maybe join your list.

Offline friends are also a good place to find list members. Your friends may not even realize that you have a gardening report or that you operate online. If you're part of a group that's particular to your niche, why not ask the moderator to announce your newsletter, ezine, report or whatever at a meeting?

Whether they're online or off, anyone who is interested in your niche is part of your target audience. Always remember to keep list building. These are the people who will want to be on your list. Don't try to sell bread to people on a diet, right? Find the right people, and you'll not only build a big list, you'll build a responsive one.