Stupid, The Money Is In The List

“Stupid it’s the economy” I’m sure you have heard this famous campaign slogan and I must say and demand that the current U.S presidential campaign must stop this nonsense talk about personalities and return to issues, but let me not digress into politics and end up in a heated exchange of words about nothing! I will leave that for the politicians.

• Instead allow me to state, “Stupid, the money is in the List”

“The money is in the list” is a phrase you have probably heard on numerous occasions whilst you have been an affiliate marketer.  This is because It is not unusual for potential customers to not buy from you when they first pay a visit to your site.

As you very well know, most people prefer to take their time especially at tough economic times like what we are currently experiencing, thinking about their purchase and then probably contact you or have some sense of trust prior to finally committing themselves.

Due to this simple known fact, by putting together a list of targeted prospects you will improve your chances of affiliate sales enormously.  Therefore maintaining a list of potential customers will be extremely be very valuable to you.

Just think about the prospects of being able to send a promotional email to hundreds or even thousands of people and then sitting back whilst the sales come rolling in.  This is exactly what happens when you have a list of targeted subscribers.

• Nonetheless, it is not all about list building.

You must be wise and intelligent in harmonizing all the coordination that goes from the start to the end of the whole buying and selling process.

This is what I mean:

You will need to form a relationship with the names on your list because for them to receive the odd promotional email out of the blue with very little previous contact, they are likely to unsubscribe, which is not going to increase your sales levels whatsoever.

Therefore it’s paramount that you embark in building up a good rapport with your list.

This will not happen overnight but it is well worth the time it takes in the long run.  You should try to send out an email each week with a useful tip or information which at the same time will stop them from forgetting who you are.

The content of the email needs to strike a balance between providing information and promotional material.  There is no need to promote a product every time you send an email.  It pays to give that little extra something such as useful tips, essential information and examples of case studies and this will encourage the growth of trust between you and your list.

If you are able to maintain this balance between providing information and offering a promotional product or service, you will find that a purchase is more likely to take place because the customer feels you have taken the time and trouble to form a relationship with them.

Below are a few useful tips to help you get started with building your list.

In return for your customer signing up to the list, provide a free special report, an e-book or an e-course.

Create a separate page specifically for newsletter subscribers.

In these days of increasing SPAM it is becoming more and more difficult to get people to provide an email address and even if you have free gifts on offer, that free gift will still need to be sold.

• A straightforward opt in page can be used to explain the advantages of subscribing to your list.

Articles are a great way to promote your mailing list.  You should write and submit good quality and relevant articles to on line article directories, including your author bio and a link back to your newsletter page, you are sure to increase your chances of selling more products to those reading your article.

In conclusion what I have discussed above is just a few simple tips to help you start building your list.  However, the way you go about it does not really matter as long as you get your list of targeted customers together and use it to enhance your affiliate marketing business.

Why is Giving Away a Free Special Report a Great Idea?

I’m most certain that as an affiliate marketer, you must have seen or received a free special report elsewhere on the internet as a gift, bonus or enticement to sign up for a newsletter.

In the course of this journey, as an affiliate marketer you must have by now realized that your prospective customers look to you to provide them with quality products and detailed information.

This will entail giving away a quality and informative free special report, which not only will be a great way to build your mailing list but also will enable you to have a lasting impressive standing in the minds of your potential customers, who will regard you as an expert in your field and someone that they can trust.

• Now bear in mind that I used the term quality and informative.

If there is one way of tarnishing your image and ruin your affiliate marketing business opportunities, then flouting crabby report will help you do that. You should always resist the urge to give away something for free for the heck of it. It might come back to haunt you.

The good news is that the report you get to send to your prospective buyers will be on their computer and available for them to access at any time they choose. It is also commonly believed that customers who receive and download a special report feel an increased sense of value to the affiliate marketer.

This is even compounded more if you take the time to produce an interesting report with an interesting cover for your report so as to increase the sense of value on the free report and make them want to download your report.

An interesting question therefore is;

• At what point and time in your affiliate marketing strategy should you write and give away a free special report?

The answer to this question is simple in that you can write your report at any time. However, a good time to write your free special report is when you are promoting your products to your targeted market. This implies that you have already taken your time to discover the needs and wants of your niche market.

For instance, if the product you are endorsing is about how to learn to read phonics program aimed at the parents of young children, your report could include information about how important it is to read to children and how early reading improves the self esteem and vocabulary of the child.

You should then use examples of stories about children who have improved reading skills because of the use of phonics and include some statistics on the subject to back up your theories and portray you as an expert that the reader may want to buy your other products or what you suggest through an affiliate link.

Most importantly remember that your free special report should concentrate on giving the customer the information they need and in no way should it read as if it’s a sales pitch for your product.

At various places within the report you can include your affiliate link to what you consider to be a good phonics program or if you have your own product, then do not shy away from referring the reader to that product or service.

Bear in mind also that it is also important that the products you link to should be of superior quality and also relevant to the subject matter.

• In conclusion, how long do you think your free special report should be?

This is going to depend on the product that you are promoting, how much information is available for sharing and how well versed you are with the product and with your niche.

As a general guide, a reasonable quality free special report should be between fifteen and seventeen pages on average, but reports vary on the target audience and the sort of information they are seeking. I have downloaded and read affiliate marketing niche free reports or internet business free niche reports that are over hundred pages long.

Providing a free special report is a great way to get ahead when promoting affiliate products you feel confident about and have faith in. Why not download my free special report now