First, let's make it clear what is meant by a list. A list is your personal database of leads that have shown that they are concerned in your niche market. Not only are they interested in your niche, but they have given you permission to send them emails with information about that niche.
The most successful internet marketers use a large part of their marketing efforts just to build a list. Many online marketers would rather have a lead sign up for their list than have them buy something without signing up. Why do they value a list so greatly?
The most difficult part of internet marketing is finding a targeted group to market to. By having a list, you already have a targeted group that has given you agreement to market to them. This allows you to develop a relationship with them as you provide them information and suggest products they may want to buy. It is much easier to market and sell to your list than it is cold leads. The best part is, you can market and sell to them over and over again.
To illustrate the value of a list, think about infomercials that you see on TV all the time. The advertisement companies spend millions of dollars on those advertising campaigns. You may not know this, but their purpose, in most cases, is not to sell the item they are pitching on TV, rather it is to get you on their list.
Most advertisement companies loose money on every TV offer they sell. They know that once you buy from them, they will be able to market to you again and again. It is on the second purchase you make from them that they start to make a profit. Of course, if you buy from them a third or fourth time then they are way ahead.
Your list is the same way. Every lead that subscribes to your list is valuable to you. Your initial product sales to your list may not be one you can retire over but if you have defined your niche correctly and your list is built with leads that are highly interested in your niche, you will see how easy it becomes to sell to them at higher and higher prices.
The secret is to market to them again and again. As a general rule, those that buy from you once are more likely to buy from you again. You need your own list because it becomes the foundation of your online business. It provides you with a customer base that is looking for information about your niche. Having your own list makes it much easier to be an internet marketing success.
Everyone talks about how great list marketing is, but it sure is a lot of work! You've got to set up an autoresponder, develop free content to draw customers in and then get your message out where your prospects can see it! However, the old saying rings true - if it wasn't so hard, it wouldn't be worth it. The following are seven of the top reasons to focus on building an email list:
1. To Make Money
Yes, this is an obvious one - you wouldn't be interested in internet marketing if you didn't want to make money. Building a list of highly-responsive, hungry customers is one of the easiest ways to start making money online. When you take the time to build relationships with your customers and establish your role as an expert in the field, you'll find that that they reward your hard work with their checkbooks.
2. To Gain More Qualified Buyers
Some experts estimate that only 2% of people will purchase a product when they come directly from a PPC ad to a sales page. However, if you can get that person to hand over their personal information and sign up for your newsletter, that percentage can increase by as much as 30%. When people sign up for your list, they've pre-qualified themselves - you know they're interested in what you have to say. You can use this to your advantage by targeting products to the specific interests they've expressed by signing up for your list.
3. For Free Market Research
If you're thinking of putting together a new product, the easiest way to figure out what your customers want is to ask them! Set up a brief survey through any one of the free survey sites available and offer a small incentive to any member of your list who takes the time to fill it out. While other marketers are blindly cranking out products, you can use their responses to create your next product and then sell it back to them. How much easier can it get?
4. To Cut Your Advertising Dollars
Many people use pay-per-click advertising for their new product launches. And while this is a great way to drive traffic quickly, it can get expensive - especially if you're active in some of the more competitive niches. Building a list of customers can dramatically cut your advertising expenses. Suppose you're active in a niche where the average PPC cost is $.30/click. Sending your message to 1,000 list members could save you as much as $300!
5. For the JV Potential
When you have a responsive list, you'll find that other marketers want to work with you to promote their products on your list. These marketing opportunities are a great way to bring in extra revenue with minimal effort, but be careful whom you choose to do business with. Carefully review any product you plan to promote, as well as the terms of the partnership agreement.
6. To Enter New Niches with Ease
Suppose you're planning to enter a new niche related to the one you're currently in. When you have an established list, you've already got a customer base that trusts you and listens to you. You won't need to go out and spend your advertising dollars attracting new prospects - sending a simple promotional message will get you up and running quickly.
7. For the Bragging Rights
Okay - I'll admit it. Ego isn't the noblest of reasons to build a list, but it sure is a good feeling to know that you have 500, 1,000 or even more people eager to hear what you have to say.
Both Mantoshkaushal1 & Elisabeth Kuhn are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Elisabeth Kuhn has sinced written about articles on various topics from Computers and The Internet, Entertainment Guide and Guided Meditation. Ready to build your own list? You'll love the FREE teleseminars by Elisabeth Kuhn's favorite . No autoresponder yet? You're in luck: Get the FREE 30-trial of. Elisabeth Kuhn's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.