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Secrets
to Building Massive Opt-In Lists
By Shelley Lowery
An opt-in list
is the absolute most effective marketing tool available on
the Internet. Not only do they provide you with a direct
line of communication with your target market, but they also
enable you to develop a trusting relationship with your
subscribers.
The key to
using an opt-in list effectively is to develop a large
subscriber base. If you've struggled with increasing your
subscriber base, this article will reveal some of the most
effective methods used to build an opt-in list. If you're
not using these methods, you're losing hundreds of new
subscribers each week.
If you really
want to build a massive opt-in list, you MUST provide your
potential subscribers with an incentive. The competition on
the Internet is fierce. You can no longer simply tell your
visitors what your publication will provide and expect a
large percentage to subscribe. It simply won't work.
There are
thousands of publications online and most of your visitors
are probably all ready subscribed to many. Why would they
want to subscribe to another one? Sure...you'll get some new
subscribers, but how many? Enough to build a massive opt-in
list? The truth is, if you continue to build your list
simply by displaying a sign-up box on your site and listing
your publication at the listing sites, it will take years to
develop a massive list. You MUST give your visitors a reason
to subscribe.
Incentives
Using
incentives is a highly effective method of obtaining new
subscribers. However, your incentive must be of value and be
of interest to your target audience.
Some popular
incentives include:
- Exclusive
ebooks that provide valuable information that will be of
interest to your target market
- Special
reports that provide exclusive, detailed information in
regard to a specific subject
- Special
software programs that will assist your visitors
If you're not
comfortable developing your own incentive, there are
hundreds of great ebooks available online that you may
freely distribute. You can find some here:
http://www.web-source.net/free_ebooks.htm
Subscription
Exchange Incentives
In addition to
using incentives to gain new subscribers, you can also use a
subscription exchange. In exchange for your visitor's
subscription, you could provide any of the following:
- Provide
access to a "members only" area of your website
- Provide a service
- List their website within your Directory or Search Engine.
In order for
your visitors to use your services, they agree to receive
your publication.
Popup Windows
Although popup windows can be irritating if not used
correctly, they provide a highly effective means of obtaining
new subscribers. The key to using popup windows effectively is to combine them with your incentives.
Design a small popup window that utilizes "cookies" and only
displays the first time your visitor enters your site. This window should contain information about your publication and
incentive. It might read something like this:
Subscribe to A1 Marketing Tips and receive a copy of the
highly acclaimed ebook, "Secrets of the Internet Marketing Gurus" completely free.
Your subscription box should follow this sentence.
You can find a nice popup script that utilizes cookies here:
http://www.web-source.net/javascript_popup_window3.htm
You can find a complete list of sites offering free scripts here:
http://www.web-source.net/web/JavaScripts/
You can find a collection of popup window FAQ's that will
answer just about any question you may have here:
http://developer.irt.org/script/window.htm
Alert Boxes
Although using popup windows with incentives is a highly
effective method of obtaining new subscribers, there is one other method that is even better. When combined with an
incentive, this method will literally double your subscriptions
instantly. It's similar to a popup window, but it doesn't require your visitor to fill out a form.
When a visitor enters your site, an alert box will appear. This
alert box should display text requesting their subscription and
information about your incentive. Your visitor can choose to
click on "OK" to subscribe or "Cancel" to close the alert.
The alert box is displayed via a script that extracts your
visitor's name and email address. If they choose to subscribe,it then sends their subscription request, via email, to your
subscription address and adds it to your database. In addition,
you can send personalized messages to your subscribers, use autoresponder follow-ups and provide your subscribers with
"one click" unsubscribe links within your messages.
To increase your subscriptions even further, you can also
place a subscription box on each page of your website.
For further information, visit:
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/web/jump.cgi?ID=513
Conclusion
No matter how many new subscribers you may acquire, the
key to a successful opt-in list is keeping them. The relationship you build with your subscribers will determine
your success. Above all, you must provide your readers with quality content. They subscribed to your publication for a
reason. If it doesn't meet their expectations, they'll simply
unsubscribe.
Once you've developed a trusting relationship with your
subscribers, your personal recommendations will be a very effective method of closing sales. However, it is very
important that you only recommend a product or service that you truly believe in. Your professional reputation
depends on it.
Copyright © 2001, all rights reserved
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the author of Ebooks: A Complete Guide to Self-Publishing. Stop by Web-Source.net and download a free
copy. It is jam-packed with valuable information and will teach
you everything you'll need to know to create a professional ebook.
http://www.web-source.net/free_ebooks.htm | 