3 Ways To Build An Opt In List

If you have an online business you need an opt-in list.

I have read all the articles about people making a million dollars overnight {right} but you really need to have one of your own. I don’t intend to tell you what to do with your list once you have it, every business is different.

There are some people that mail me 3 times a day. I unsubscribe on day 2. Others that only send a daily mail, every single one an affiliate program that does not interest me. I unsubscribe on the third or fourth mail. And then there are the rare few that actually send mail only when there is something interesting to say, or when they update their blog. Sometimes I stay on these lists.

There is a strong possibility that you are losing money with your opt-in list right now. You have a list that you mail to, but they are not buying your products. You spend more for Aweber than you earn from your effort. That sucks, but you can fix this problem. At least they are not unsubscribing!

You maybe hiring writers to help you out, or there are some expenses incurred, even if you have a big list, but only a very small percentage actually buys from you, your still losing profit. You’ll realize that after a few months when you see your statistics and sales figures.

Is Your Opt-In List Not Working?

So what could have gone wrong? Why have others succeeded where you have failed? The most common mistake is that you dived straight right in. You chose a topic where you think could be quite popular and would earn you money. This just not the case. Just because you wrote people from the list doesn’t mean they are going to buy instantly.

Here are some tips for people who have started an opt-in list and have don’t have the results that they want. If you are just starting, these are three ways to build a profitable opt-in list.

1) Make sure you are getting your clients trust. Trust for you and for your products. Just launching your product to a rented opt-in list would not make you an expert and no one would have reason to trust you.

Build a reputation first, so if someone searches for your name they find things related to the product you sell. For example, start a blog on the subject and fill it with articles. A lot of people will post articles with dates that go back months or years, to give the impression of a history. I’m not telling you this is right, but people do it.

If you can, write about the topic you know. If you can’t, then learn enough to make your articles worth reading. Use online forums first to get some knowledge about your product and customers if you really need help.

Join forums from other sites as well. Answer questions and you will be considered an expert. People will follow expert advices and recommendations. You can link to your site in the signature line, but don’t push too hard until you are ready.

When you feel that people trust you it is time to start your own opt-in list. You can build an opt-in list in a dozen different ways.

Here you start with people that have visited your site and forum users (forums where you are active and have proved you have knowledge to share). Ask people to join your list. Put up a link to your site so that they may be able to see what you’re business is all about. Use one of the many tools available to have a pop-up appear when someone lands on your website asking that they join. Remember that pop-ups can be offensive and don’t make it a full page pop up. Don’t resize the users window. Don’t do any of the annoying things that people do.

And let the user leave. Don’t keep popping up windows offering a last chance. You can try one, but after that it is offensive and just pisses people off.

2) Offer a product or service that people want and need. Go to clickbank and find out what people are buying, or read the news. IF is easy to find out shat is selling now. Sell a similar product. You can also fond a product that people need.

I have problems with my right shoulder, there are millions of people like me with joint problems and it is hard to find things other than medicine that gets rid of pain. I have found them, you can too. Find your nich and fill it.

Each time someone buys from you, you add their name to your opt-in list. You can also use sales as an opportunity to have your clients send a mail on your behalf. If takes about 1 minute to put in the html code that launches your client browser and fills in the Subject line and body. All the client does is fill in the names of the people who receive the mail. These names have not opted in, but they are good leads to follow-up with and hope that they opt in.

Careful here, you don’t want to be accused of illegal email practices.

3) Share opt-in list

Once you have a list of 100 people on your list, search out someone else with a list of 100.  DO NOT TRADE NAMES – you send a mail to your list pushing your friends product. Your friend does the same. If you each get 25% of the other list you now have 125 opted in people and can trade with a larger list.

When you each have 125, find someone with a list of 250 and make a deal that he sends to half his list a puch about you and the other half abotu your friend. This increases the chance of you each having signups, and if you partner well you can re-advertise about each other to your own lists.

This is beneficial especially if it is someone who has already launched a successful opt-in list.

Find someone who has an opt-in list and is willing to share experiences with you, as well as the tricks to get your list seen by more people.

In general, be careful about renting a list of email addresses. These people are usually tired of the garbage that comes in the mail and often your mail will never hit the inbox.

Building a good opt-in list will take time. Unless you arrive with a killer product that everyone wnats to sell to their list, you are going to have to build your  lists from scratch.

While you are growing your list, make an effort to maintain the quality of the names. Pay attention to addresses that come back as invalid, and remove them from your list. If possible, gather more information for your list besides name and email. As you build you list, try to get mailing addresses and phone numbers too.

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Tagged as: Build An Opt In List, client trust, Offer a product or service that people want and need, Share opt-in list