The #1 Thing You *MUST* Have Before Even Thinking About Building An Opt In Email List
Its not a website.
Its a smart autoresponder and mailing list software.
Be aware, I just said smart autoresponder. Not a cheesy one, I mean regular one.
You know what a regular autoresponder is. Its the thing that a lot of people use when they are out of the office or on vacation. It works like this.
Lets say you are emailing a friend that is out of town. You send the email and then instantly you get a reply back saying something like this, Im out of the office right now, Im on vacation and wont be back until Tuesday the 21st.
Well, thats a regular autoresponder.
What you want to have before you even think about building a list is a smart autoresponder. Heres how it works, when someone sends it an email it captures their first name, last name, email address, date stamp, and IP address.
Thats just if they send an email, now what if you had a form on your website or a popup
It will capture almost any information that you want and get this.
It will give you the ability to run an unlimited number of follow-up email campaigns to tens of thousands of prospects on auto-pilot!
A smart autoresponder will handle thousands of simultaneous follow-up campaigns - a task that would be impossible to manage manually. (working for you 24 x 7 whether you are online or not, accepting subscriptions and sending out your follow-up messages)
They are actually three kinds of autoresponders.
The first kind is software based. Its a piece of software that you install on the computer just like you would Microsoft Word, or Act!. Usually a one-time fee. e links, link exchanges ,search engine optimization,, trade links
The second kind is a third-party autoresponder. These all have a main website where you go to login, usually using your individual username and password. Once you are in and you are able to email your list. Your information is hosted on their server with everyone else. They usually charge monthly fee.
The third kind is a server-based. Its installed on your own web site or web server. Its not a service that runs on someone elses servers, so there are no monthly fees.
You are about to discover the right autoresponder so your email marketing marketing efforts wont get stopped in its tracks.
Lets look at them in greater detail.
Definition: The first kind is software based. Its a piece of software that you install on the computer just like you would Microsoft Word or ACT! Usually a one-time fee.
Problems: What would happen if you leave home without your computer Well, you would not be able to talk to your list. Not widely used.
Definition: The second kind is a third-party autoresponder. This is when you have to go to a main website just like www.thirdpartyautoresponder.com (thats not one) and login using your username and password. You are subscribing to their service. Then you are able to send emails to your list. This one is hosted on their server with every other customer they have. They usually charge a monthly fee. Used by a lot of people.
Problems: A lot of people recommend this kind, you know why Because they want the residual (ongoing monthly) money they get from the company or because they do not know better.
Heres a few other problems, remember you are hosting your list on their server so they can and will charge you an outrageous amount of money when your list grows. Also one big thing I have found that most people are not aware of....
... All of the emails are not going through to the subscribers lists.
Why
Well, lets say you, Joe Blow and I were using this service. Joe blow is building his list wrong and spamming people. Well, Joe Blow just really devastated our business. Because... when he got in trouble for spamming they shut down his IP address and the IP address that was attached to his email is the IP address of the server and that means it is your IP address too.
In other words, even if you build you list correctly, you wont be able to get your emails through because Joe Blow just screwed it up for you and I.
So the one that I recommend is the third kind.
Definition: A server-based Autoresponder. Its installed on your own web site or web server. Its not a service that runs on someone elses servers, so there are no monthly fees. All emails come from your websites IP address and the only person that could get in trouble is you.
If you get stopped, its your fault, not anyone elses.
Warmest Regards,
Matt Bacak The Powerful Promoter#1 Best Selling Author & Trainer
Copyright 2005 Frontier Marketing Intl, LLC
Matt Bacak, The Powerful Promoter and Entrepreneur Magazine e-Biz radio show host, became a #1 Best Selling Author in just a few short hours. He has helped a number of clients target his specialty, opt-in email direct marketing systems. The Powerful Promoter is not only a sought-after internet marketer but has also marketed for some of the worlds top experts whose reputations would shrivel if their followers ever found out someone else coached them on their online marketing strategies.
Any business today, be it online or off needs a solid foundation, without one a business will topple.
Think of your business as a skyscraper, each level or floor is a different function within your business. Your skyscraper may contain a newsletter floor, an automated follow-up floor, a floor for free reports, an eCourse floor, a networking floor and so on. The height of your particular skyscraper (business) depends upon how many floors or functions operate within your business, each is important and one does not function without a strong foundation.
The foundation of all of these floors is based upon email marketing.
Think about it for a second. Your skyscraper did not start to build its floors without first starting with email marketing and the building of a good, solid list. You certainly would not have a newsletter floor without a list. If you didnt have a list, then who would you send your newsletter to No need for an automated follow-up floor, because if you didnt do email marketing, you didnt gather an email address from a prospect, therefore there is no need to follow-up.
Look at your skyscraper and you will notice that email marketing is its foundation and that ALL of your floors center around email marketing.
Ok, so we have determined that email marketing is the foundation of your business. We are referring to ebusiness here, however, in the real world you have lists as well, client lists, business cards you have collected of prospects, and of course have put them into a database, or list. The point is, although we are focusing on eBusiness, the foundation is the same regardless if it is a business online or off, it just has a different label.
When we refer to foundation, typically we refer to a building and any architect will tell you the deeper the foundation, the taller the building. How tall the building is able to stand will is related to how deep the foundation is laid.
Your skyscraper (building) works on the same premise. You dont need just a list - you require a deep foundation of email marketing.
So, with that said, what do I mean by deep Ah, ok, before you read further, grab that coffee, settle into your chair, read and learn, for once you have learned about the foundation of YOUR skyscraper there are no limits to how tall it will be. Ready Ok, lets get rolling.
Diversity - we mentioned floors, a newsletter floor, eCourse floor, and automatic follow up floor. Do we use our email marketing to build just one list and use that list for all our floors No, we have lists and even sub-lists, lists being the operative word here meaning we have more than just one, we have many lists. When you buy stocks you dont put your money into just one, right No, you diversify. you spread your money around. With email marketing we build and spread ourselves around and have more than one means of generating and building our lists.
Effective - having several lists is fantastic! But, (yes, have to hate those buts) you have to know how to work them effectively to get the maximum advantage out of them. Quantity is great, but it doesnt mean jack if there is no quality. You need to know how to work those lists in order to turn a prospect into a customer.
Education - you cant just throw on the Siberia Polyester Suit and expect to hard sell your prospects or subscribers. You need to build trust and create a rapport with them. You do that by educating them. Give them something that will help them, give them good, quality content and valuable information that they can sink their teeth into. You are essentially building a relationship with them. In the real world you get to know your customers because they come back to your store, time and time again, why People will do business with people they know, like and trust, it is no different online. Give your prospects information they can use and you will create the trust, rapport and yes, they will buy from you.
Proactive - you have to think ahead, constantly and consistently think about ways to build your lists and to provide your prospects with good content. Keep putting that content out there in front of them so they can keep purchasing from you. If you develop a product of your own or use someone elses think ahead, ask yourself, now what can I do to make this more effective and deepen my foundation. Can you include something that would add value that builds upon the relationship you have with your prospect while at the same time adds to your lists Think proactively and as they say outside the box!
Well now, you have a good working knowledge of what a deep foundation with respect to your skyscraper and that, that foundation is email marketing.You understand that diversity is where its at, the more out there building lists for you the better. Once you have these lists you need to be effective in how you work them and to do that you educate them. Give them something that they can sink their teeth into and use in their own business. Build that relationship with them, build the trust and rapport and they will buy from you again and again. Finally, you have learned to always think ahead and always ask yourself how can I use this to build a list
There is nothing more important than building lists. Everything you do should be structured around adding more prospects - with their permission - to some sort of list you have going, be it your newsletter, your eCourse, a free eBook, whatever the case may be. your function as the Architect of your skyscraper is to build and keep building the foundation, through email marketing and YOUR lists.
How do you build lists and grow an even deeper foundation Well, I already gave you a few ideas, build your lists through offering a newsletter, eCourse and Free Reports, the possibilities are only as limited as your imagination.
Need a little more help
Then checkout Autopilot Income Streams - this eBook is one that I highly recommend and use on a consistent basis. It will help you develop eCourses - which can be turned into a Report or eBook and use as an effective viral marketing tool. Check it outhttp://www.profitspace.com/ais
Denise Ryder is a Marketing Coach writing from her home office in Northern Ontario (Canada). Imagine What YouCould Accomplish With a Marketing Coach in Your BackPocket! Take the No Cost TEST DRIVE!