If you've studied internet marketing, you've surely heard the catch phrase, "The money's in the list." And to some extent, it's true - but only if you use your list to build strong relationships with your prospects. After all, who would you rather buy from? A trusted friend and advisor or someone who constantly fills your inbox with spam? Here are seven ways you can build a strong list:



1. Write and Submit Articles

Articles are one of the fastest ways to start driving traffic - and prospects - to your list. Try to write ten 500 word articles on topics in your niche and submit them to directories like EzineArticles.com among others. Because articles are reviewed and posted so quickly, they're indexed by the search engines quickly. You could wait weeks for a static web page to be indexed, but articles start sending you traffic almost immediately.

2. Write a Good Resource Box

After writing ten or more articles, you might be tempted to blow off the author's resource box. Don't fall into this trap! The resource box you use on your article submissions is your one chance to convince the reader to click through to your site, so put some time into it. A good resource box includes a statement that draws the prospect in and a call to action that tells the reader what to do. Spend some time tweaking it before you publish your articles.

3. Give Away Something Free

We all want good, quality content for free - but certain types of free offers do better than others. Free access to your newsletter is not enough to get people to sign up for your list. Most internet marketers offer free ebooks or ecourses in exchange for a prospect's email address. Ebooks are easier to produce, but ecourses can be more effective in the long term, since each message that goes out is another chance for you to build your prospect relationship and make money.

4. Make Friends in Forums

Find forums in your niche and set up accounts immediately. Pay special attention to forums that allow you to use a signature file after each post - use something similar to your author resource box to help drive traffic to your list. Start posting as much as you can, but keep your posts informative and valuable. Don't spam your new forum friends! Posting helpful information will help cement your status as an expert in your field and encourage people to join your email list.

5. Use - Don't Abuse - Your Auto-Responder

Once you've attracted a prospect to your list, don't break the relationship by sending ten messages a day. On the other hand, don't send messages once every three months and expect your prospects to care what you have to say - or even remember who you are. Most internet marketing experts recommend sending your list 2-3 messages a week to keep them hooked without feeling overwhelmed.

6. Language is Key

It should go without saying that spelling and grammar are important - no one wants to read an unintelligible message full of errors. However, it's also important to watch the overall tone you're conveying with your emails. Try to write in a friendly, conversational tone. Start your messages with, "Hey " instead of, "Dear ." Using colloquial expressions instead of formal language will help your prospects feel at ease - and much more likely to buy from you.

7. Don't Spam

It's exciting to have prospects join your list - like having new friends who are interested in what you have to say. The fastest way to break this trust is with spam messages. Spam isn't just limited to Viagra ads or messages from your long-lost Nigerian friend - sending message after message full of affiliate links is just as dangerous. Choose the products you promote to your list carefully, and try to balance each promotional message you send with quality content.