List Building Secret #31

List Building Secret #31 - Setup A Free E-Course For New Subscribers

This step doesn't have to be difficult. This free course is the vehicle to promote whatever it is you want to promote, whether it be an affiliate program, your newsletter (which is a given) or your own product. It will also be the catalyst that allows you to contact these leads as often as you want.

I will warn you now, however, that you don't want to contact them everyday, maybe not every week, only when you have something substantial to email to them. This keeps your list happy, and not full of junk emails that no one will end up reading.

First off though, we need a title for your report. No one is even going to subscribe if it doesn't interest them.

This is where a lot of writers really wreck a perfectly good report. You have to make your title as exciting and straight to the point as possible.

Here are a few examples of very poor titles.

Make Money Online

Migraine Relief Report

Create Your Own Products Easily

Play Cricket Like A Pro

I might have been a little harsh to say that they are poor titles, they just lack any spark or imagination.

Here are a few suggestions I have to spruce those titles up, and these can be used in any other titles as well.

Make Money Online In 7 Days With Residual Income Affiliate Programs

Stop Migraines In 5 Easy Steps

Create Sizzling Digital Products Instantly, That Sell Like Crazy

Bat Like Border And Bowl Like Lee, Play Cricket Like A Pro!

So what is the easiest way to create your own free 5 day course?

The best way to create your free course is to write 5 or so articles yourself on the subject your promoting and putting it into a free course.

The problem most people have when they try and do this is that they try and write thousands of words all at once and they get tired and never complete it.

If you break it down into sections, it's a lot easier. For example, if I was to write a free course on creating your own fishing lures for profit, I would write something like this.

Article 1: Why fishing lures are so profitable

Article 2: How to create your own fishing lures from your table

Article 3: How to automate the whole lure making process

Article 4: How to market your lures offline

Article 5: How to market your lures on a budget online

And in each of these articles, I would weave an affiliate link into somewhere or mention my newsletter. The information has to be of high quality and not just a blatant plug-a-thon. If you do this, you will certainly get a lot of people unsubscribing from your list.

Of course you can't really just send your prospects a bunch of articles, you have to weave them together. For instance, the first email they get could be a thank you for subscribing email, with a don't forget to get your free gift line in there somewhere. This first email, you should try and hook your prospects, so if you have an article section that's better then the rest, put it in the first day.

List Building Secret #30

List Building Secret #30 - Setup A Membership Site Just For Subscribers

Want to really boost your subscription rate? Start your own membership site solely for your newsletter subscribers. You can see a real example at Undergroundtraininglabs.com.

The key here is to make sure your content is fantastic, so much so that you could actually have paying customers for it.

Keep it updated constantly.

The problem with most membership scripts is their security features, or lack there of, and I've found one script that I'm really happy with and it's under $100. http://www.membershipclientpro.com  

Another thing that can come in handy when running a membership site is an organizational tool. If you've had any experience with running a membership site, after awhile you get quite a lot of content and being able to organize that content for easy reading for your affiliates is crucial.  

Article Manager - http://www.interactivetools.com

is a content management software tool designed to let non-technical users manage a news-oriented website. Manage articles and categories, multiple writers and editors. Upload images, create content with the WYSIWYG editor, syndicate your content, and more. It can save a busy webmaster hours of tedious HTML edits every day. 

List Building Secret #29

List Building Secret #29 - Don't Buy Mass Email Lists

I was just reading a post on a well known marketing forum today and I read a post from one guy who said he had access to a list of 800,000 email addresses from people who were interested in making money.

He said his friend owned the list and was willing to let him use it for a mailing, but he said not to mention his name at all in the mailing.

This should have been the first alarm bell for this guy. Not to mention that this guy wasn't sure how the list was compiled or how the people subscribed to this list.

It wasn't even just one big mailing list, it was a bunch of lists stuck together.

If this guy does decide to mail to this list, he will be accused of spam, he will get into major trouble and he will NOT make any money worth the effort.

Never EVER send emails out to lists you don't  know anything about EVER. Never buy bulk email lists.

List Building Secret #28

List Building Secret #28 - Make Sure To Keep Your Newsletter Off Spam Lists!

Here are some very useful tips to make sure you stay out of hot water when it comes to being called a spammer.

* Make Sure Your Email Message is Compliant with the CAN-SPAM Law.

* Make sure your list is double opt-in

* Keep detailed records of all subscribes and unsubscribes. IP addresses, when they subscribed when they unsubscribed.

* Don't ever purchase bulk email lists or harvest emails from the Internet

* If you use co-registration companies, make sure they are reputable and don't use shady methods of traffic gathering.

* If you have an Affiliate Program, make sure you include an "anti-spam" provision in your agreement.

* Avoid using spam trigger words like "spam, free, special, guaranteed" etc....

List Building Secret #27

List Building Secret #27 - Give Your Newsletter Personality

What makes you different from any of the other newsletters out there in your market? 1 thing and 1 thing only.

YOUR PERSONALITY.

Don't be a lifeless drone, add some spark to your writing, be funny, be witty, be controversial, just don't be boring!

Tell a story. Stories are a great way to get people hooked before they realize you are actually selling them anything at all.

Find below a story I used to promote a work at home affiliate program.

Are You Different?

I don't know about you, but I've always thought I was different to my peers. This is an amusing story that will probably strike a cord with most people who read this book.

When the kids at my school were playing at lunch time, like kids do, I was setting up shop just outside the main oval. The canteen at school never really sold much in the sweet variety, so I use to bring mine to school from the local store as they were much cheaper and had more variety.

I use to come to school with a bag full of lollies and let me tell you, I was one popular kid. Kids were always asking me for lollies all day and it was getting very annoying, so I had to do something quick.

I got sick of giving my hard earned pocket money lollies out for free, so I decided to set up my own little black market lollies trade. I use to buy all sorts of different lollies you could not get from school and I then raised the price 500%. I purchased lollies for 10 cents and sold them for over 50 cents. The market was so big, I had to actually double my supply. In one day I could make $20 just by selling lollies I brought for $5.

Of course, I had certain "high roller" clients that I would give cheaper prices to, which was only fair, as they brought in most of my business. I also had a few people that you gave free lollies too, just to keep the peace.

Eventually more people started doing what I was doing and I had a little competition on my hands.

I stopped selling lollies after a few months as the demand was getting to hectic and the local store had called my mother.

I knew I had a passion in life, but I didn't realise what it was until I was in grade 10 and I quit school to pursue a career in direct mail. Marketing was and is my life, I love it. I read everything I can get my hands on and I have a collection of books that resemble a bookstore.  Of course back then I wasn't sure if I wanted to do anything seriously with marketing, but I knew I didn't want to work for anyone but myself.

Everyday I stop and think about what I would be doing if I didn't find out about the joys of working from home, and I never would have if it was not for my father who taught me there is more to life then working 9 till 5 everyday.