Chapter 3 - “Why BUYING An Opt-In List Is The Worst Thing You Can Do For Your Business”

The title is a strong statement, I know. But it needs to be addressed.

Some email marketers – the self-proclaimed “email marketers” – will tell you that the easiest and best way to build your list is to simply purchase one. Sure, it’s real easy to acquire a list for your email marketing by just buying one. They're not too expensive, and they provide you with a long list of names and email addresses. Ok, I’ll buy that…it may be the easiest, but it’s certainly not the best. In fact, it’s the worst way to build your list.

It may be easy, and you may quickly gather a large list of email addresses – but all of those email addresses are nothing more but addresses. You don’t know the people on the receiving end of those addresses. Essentially, the people on the receiving end are uninterested people who will deem any information you send to them as SPAM.

If there is one major concept that I've learned from all of my mistakes (yes, I’ve made my fair share of mistakes…but learned from all of them) as an email and Internet marketer, is that the easiest road is never the one that brings you the best results.

The problem with buying an email list is that none of the people on that list know who you are. More than likely, since they didn’t directly sign-up for your free newsletter or eCourse, they will see your message in their inbox, look to see who sent it to them, realize that they have no idea who you are, and will hit the “delete button” before even reading what you have to say.

You aren’t given the opportunity to develop a relationship with your list.

When your subscribers know who you are and respect your personality, they will buy from you time and time again.

That’s exactly why it is so beneficial to build your own opt-in email list. Yes, creating a list from scratch is the more difficult and time-consuming solution, but at least it is a solution.

Purchased email lists rarely (if ever) bring the desired results, so the money you spend on them might as well be flushed down the toilet.

The most important thing to do when trying to build your list is to make sure that your subscriber really is interested and willing to read your messages to them. Because if they’re not eager to read your first message, then they certainly won’t read your 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 10th message.

Email marketing isn't about blasting a bunch of strangers with sales pitches and information they don't want and didn't ask for. If you really want to achieve results with your email list, you need to build your own.

Here is a list of questions you need to ask yourself when building your email list:

1.Who is your target audience and what do you have to offer them?

2.What kind of relationship do you want with the recipients of your mailings?

After deciding on your target audience, this is probably the most important question to ask yourself. Your emails should not be a salesletter. Let me repeat that, “Your email messages should NOT be a salesletter.”

Your website is where you sell them on your offer. This is where you put into effect all of the "Salesletter Strategies". NOT IN YOUR EMAIL LETTER. Even if you're not blatantly throwing advertisements at your subscriber, but you're intentions are to "sell to them" in your letter, they will know. They always do, and this is what leads to your email (and future emails) being sent almost immediately to the Deleted Items folder.

Your newsletter and emails are a way to build TRUST and a lasting RELATIONSHIP with your potential customers. Email marketing isn't a "wham, bam, thank you mama" sort of approach. It takes a little time to really gain the trust of your future "marketing partners" (as Jimmy Brown calls them).

Respect your subscribers and they will return the favor – guaranteed.

Just simply share your research and knowledge with your list and only recommend top-notch goods and services that you've personally checked out and that you honestly believe will help your prospect.

3.What method or methods will you use to collect email addresses?

This is basically what I’ve been covering over the past few chapters. But if you haven’t caught all of the ideas yet, keep your eyes and ears peeled because there are some dandies coming up! You will want to WRITE DOWN your ideas. What are you going to offer? How are you going to entice your visitors to sign up? Be sure to write down these ideas, because trust me…if you don’t write them down, you’ll forget them!

4.Will your emails come in the form of ads, newsletters, deals and specials, company announcements and press releases, or discussion lists?

I think the best way to present material in the BODY of the email is to make it short and sweet. You want to lead the reader somewhere else other than the email.

Don't bog it down with tons and tons of info. Simply right something catchy that will show your reader where to click on "Check out Lesson #1" of the eCourse that they just signed up for. Then, in each email following, you can do the same. They will get used to your email style and won't delete them.

The link that you give them to click on should send them to a page containing the eCourse lesson, free eBook download, newsletter in HTML format, or any other sort of offer they opted-in for.

The BODY of your email SHOULD NOT contain gobs and gobs of text. Think about it - do you ever read all of that crap when you receive an email from someone other than your friends or trusted individuals? I know I don't.

Think about this…if you tried to send a message to a random list that you just bought, what would you say? The message can’t be personal. You can’t talk to them like you know their interests. It’s impossible. And if you try to talk to your “purchased list” like you’re their friend, they will see right through you. They’ll know you’re trying to sell to them every time I can’t think of one person who wants to be “sold to”. So why waste your money on buying email lists when they don’t work?

Once you build your own list of loyal subscribers, you’ll start to realize that each one of them trusts you, the information you’re giving them, and the recommendations you suggest.

You’ll be able to talk to them like a friend or partner, instead of a random person you “bought”. Like I said in our last chapter:

Remember: “Respect the people on your lists, and they will respect you - guaranteed.
A trusting relationship goes a long way, even with email marketing.

Moh. Ali Albar
I rewrite this article of E-book “Email Secrets Exposed”
www.InstantPopover.com

Chapter 2 - “The Golden Rule Goes A Long Way – Even With Internet Marketing”

While there are many marketing strategies that you can use and implement to make money, if I had to choose ONE strategy, it would be to build a list.

Some marketers will disagree and say that testing and tracking is the best strategy. In my opinion this is not a marketing strategy per se, but it's without a doubt a darn good business practice. You should put this practice to work, but be careful ‘cause you can overdue it.

Building a list is one thing, how you build a relationship with that list is KEY, and there is an art and a science to it.

How often have I read posts on marketing forums where someone says, "I have a list of 10 or 20 thousand and I'm barely making anything"? That’s an easy one…quite a bit!

Then there are people that know how to build very high quality lists and earn huge profits from relatively small lists. You’ll be surprised that some marketers make gobs of cash from a list of less than 1,000 highly-targeted customers. And I know a few marketers who don’t even care to build a list of 50,000 subscribers. You know why? Because they know how to treat the subscribers that they’ve already got.

The Golden Rule goes a long way – even with Internet marketing. “Treat others the same way you would want to be treated.”

I don’t’ know about you, but I definitely don’t like to be “sold to”. I want to read good, quality information. And if the author recommends something here and there, I’ll usually check out their suggestion – but what’s most important is that you treat your subscribers the way you would want to be treated.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is they don't treat their customer list as a LIST! Some studies indicate that roughly 30% of your customers will buy from you again and again, yet many people are afraid to market to their customer list.

There are some niches that have never ever seen this kind of multi-media and you can literally blow them away with your valuable content. Valuable doesn't necessarily mean a lot of content.

I've realized that taking a "customer-for-life" approach and making them "raving fans" will pay off HUGE dividends.

Now, you might be asking, "how in the heck do I build my list?”

Well, I've had great success using Pay Per Click Search Engines, writing articles, press releases, setting up joint ventures with eZine editors/owners, search engine optimization, and using viral tools such as giving away free reports, free eBooks, and free audios, and using the other strategies I’ve listed in Chapter 1. I wasn’t lying to you in the earlier chapter when I gave you the top ways to build your list from scratch.

One of the keys here is to step outside of yourself and try and think like your potential customer.

Also survey your visitors. Ask them what their biggest problems and challenges are and what kind of solution they are looking for. Then GIVE it to them.

I know that sounds like an oversimplification, but you'll be amazed at how many people don't ask their visitors what they want. They assume they know better and tend to create a product before ever asking people what they want.

Build a list, build a relationship with that list by providing mind-blowing, over-the-top content, give them a free report or product and show them that you're a genuine human being that really cares about them, and you'll have them fighting at your virtual door wanting to buy your products or services.

Moh. Ali Albar
I rewrite this article of E-book “Email Secrets Exposed”
www.InstantPopover.com

The Most Compelling Opt-In Offers “Suck Your Readers Right Into Your Offer”

1.Offer a FREE Newsletter.

I know you’re probably thinking, “Free?” Yes…this has been proven to be THE best offer to collect opt-in email addresses. If you offer to provide potential subscribers with information they need (and don’t have to pay for) – information that they are actively looking for – they’ll be glad to subscribe to your newsletter. These people WANT to know more about what you have to say! These are the people who are most likely to be open to future offers from you – once you have established a credible relationship with them. It has been reported through rigorous research that up to 50% in sales can be generated from newsletter auto-responder follow-ups! It’s also been shown that offering free newsletters is the single, best thing to offer to increase your opt-in e-mail list. By giving away Free information early on, chances are you’ll be rewarded later with several backend sales.

2.Give Away a Free eBook.

It’s a great way of getting more subscribers and growing your online business. You need to make sure that the eBook is of quality information or you will lose ALL credibility with your subscriber. Your customer will see right through you if you give them a free eBook full of unattractive information. You don’t want to lose these customers just because you were too lazy to write something of quality. Remember, these people are truly interested in what you have to offer them, so you don’t want to lose their interest right from the get-go. If you do this properly, you’ll see return visits from these loyal subscribers. And you know what that means...more sales for you!

3.Offer Free Articles About a Subject Related To Your Product or Service.

This is a very powerful list-building tactic. Subscribers gained from articles are more predisposed to what you have to offer because they practically opt-in pre-sold. Plus, your credibility as an expert in your field has already been established. By offering information, which your visitors will find useful for free, you can get them to sign-up to your list (i.e. "Enter your email address here to receive your Free Guide").

4.Give Away a Series of Free Reports.

If you offer to teach your visitors about something they are interested in, at no charge to them, you will not only be able to build your list quickly, but you’ll also boost your credibility as an expert in your subject. The best way to distribute free reports is via an auto-responder delivery system. You can set it up so your visitors will receive their reports on specified days of the week/month. You should also offer your visitors the entire series of reports in exchange for their email address (or some other fair trade).

5.Give Away a Free Download.

You can’t beat a free download of a “trial version” of software. If you’re selling software, this is the ideal incentive for your future opt-in. Of course, since you collected their e-mail address when they downloaded the product, you’ll be able to offer them any special discounts on the ‘full version’ of your software just before the trial version expires.

There are no hard and fast rules about how you should hold or store your email lists (though online auto-responder services are the best, in my opinion) but it must contain the ability for people to unsubscribe (i.e. people must be able to request not to receive any further emails from you). Providing this ability shows your subscribers that you operate a respectable list and you are far less likely to be accused of spamming.

Without a doubt, the hands-down best, and most compelling opt-in offer is a Free Newsletter. You will not only get a truck-load of opt-ins, but you will also be able to expose them to your company and your offer many times over the course of a few months!

When done correctly, email marketing can become your most powerful way to generate sales. Your opt-in incentive needs to entice potential subscribers with a benefit that is strong enough to overcome the common objections of not wanting to share their personal contact information. But once you have their email address, you must design the proper strategy of promoting your product if you want to boost your sales from your opt-in list.

These devoted subscribers are sitting there waiting for your offer – so make sure you know how to present it in a way that will entice your ‘new best friend’.

Moh. Ali Albar
I rewrite this article of E-book “Email Secrets Exposed”
www.InstantPopover.com

Online Autoresponder Services

1.ListPing.com – This is by far the easiest and most effective autoresponder service on the
‘Net. And the best part is that they have an unlimited follow up autoresponder service and offer an unlimited number of lists. Not all autoresponders can boast this.

2.GetResponse.com – another great service. This one offers a free service as well as a “Pro Service”. The free service is very limited, but if you upgrade to “Pro Service”, I assure you that you’ll be happy.

3.FreeAutoBot.com – this service is free to use, but remember, “most things are never free”. With this service, your emails will include small ads from freeautobot.com

The more people you have on your lists, the more potential customers you have. It’s been reported that up to 10% of subscribers to a newsletter will be converted into a sale. And these people are truly interested in what you have to say. When done correctly email marketing can become your most powerful way to generate sales.

Your email lists should only contain addresses for which people have willingly given you their contact info (i.e. “opt-in subscribers”) – anything else is deemed SPAM.

Most email addresses are submitted to lists via a form on a web site. You can convince people to subscribe to your list in a variety ways, some more successful than others. In the next few chapters, I will supply you with the most powerful means of increasing your opt-in subscribers. But for now, I want to fill you in on the most persuasive and enticing incentives to offer your future opt-ins.

Moh. Ali Albar
I rewrite this article of E-book “Email Secrets Exposed”
www.InstantPopover.com

Chapter 1 - “Why Your Site Needs An Opt-In Email List”

Word of Caution: If you’re not totally committed to getting the most from your website and online business, don’t read another word. Only read on if you plan to absorb everything that I’m going to teach you, and you plan to put it all into action. Developing goals and a plans-of-action are the first step to succeeding online; but taking action is the only way you’re going to fulfill your wants and desires. Only read on if you are going to put into action everything I will be teaching you. It's best to print this eBook out, highlight areas and take notes as you learn the exact steps needed for uncovering the gold mine of profit through email marketing.

All right, let’s get started – on to Chapter 1.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably heard it a thousand times before, stored it in the back of your memory bank, and haven’t had the desire to go back there to get it. Well, now’s the time to start acting on what I call “The Undiscovered Gold Mine.” What I’m talking about is the marketing power of an opt-in email list.

To most recognized Internet marketers, this is no “undiscovered secret” at all, but to most “newbies” and those of you who have not been practicing this powerful marketing campaign; you’ll be astonished by the capabilities this tool will provide you. Trust me, you will discover a whole new realm of profit once you maximize your loyal opt-ins and present your offer properly.

You may be skeptical about asking your potential customers for their email addresses. It’s very understandable. I was the same way. Like you, I didn’t want my visitors to think that I was snooping into their privacy. And these days, people are becoming increasingly wary about handing over their email addresses to just anyone. But there's a gold mine of opportunity in those e-mail addresses, and many marketers don't take the time to look for it.

In this first chapter, I’ll show you why opt-in email lists are so important to your business, and I’ll hand over the most compelling opt-in offers that will have your visitors instantly signing up.

So many unsuccessful websites simply do not mess with creating email lists. And you know what? This is why tons and tons of websites fail. It’s sad to hear about a business owner who spent a small fortune driving traffic to their websites but the sales just didn’t come like expected.

Notice that I keep referring the plural – “Lists”. The more you have, the better your business will be. You’ll develop relationships with each one, figure out what each list needs, likes, and wants.

Remember: “The more lists, the better.”

It’s a fact that hardly anyone ever buys anything the first time they visit a web site. In fact, studies have determined that it takes a typical Internet customer about seven visits to a single website before they buy anything. If you’re just depending on hits alone, you’re in trouble.

The number one reason for collecting e-mail addresses - and using them - is for establishing an electronic, permission-based, relationship with loyal visitors and customers. It would seem that the practical benefit of collecting e-mail addresses is obvious. Yet conversations with novice marketers indicate that many not only do not collect them but also hardly use them even when they do. That's a shame.

Collecting e-mail addresses should be a no-brainer in an Internet-driven market. E-mail is so commonplace and universal that its existence and use are many times taken for granted.

Did you know that…

1. “69 percent of U.S. e-mail users have made purchases online after receiving permission-based e-mail marketing, 59 percent have purchased in retail stores, 39 percent have purchased through catalogs, 34 percent through call centers and 20 percent through postal mail."

2. And, "78 percent of those surveyed say they want to receive e-mail from their

favorite online merchants."

*Source: Doubleclick

If you’re not actively collecting opt-in e-mail addresses and using them for marketing purposes you are missing out on important relationship building, credibility enhancing, and advertisementimproving possibilities that could translate into more sales!

This is your chance to turn one-time visitors into your best customers.

If you're not providing a way for customers and visitors to express interest in hearing from you in the future, you’ve just lost a potential sale.

Remember, your opt-ins are loyal visitors to your site. They have willingly asked you to send them newsletters, ezines, eCourses, promotions, special offers, and other free information. They want what you have to offer them! So why not take advantage of this extremely powerful operation?

The first thing you need to do is sign up for an autoresponder service. There are online services and few software programs out there that can allow you to store and retrieve email addresses, and I’m sure that your webhost also provides this feature. However, I always recommend using the online services as opposed to using a software program or your webhost. You can find much better services through an online autoresponder, without all of the hassle that you’ll get from the latter services above.

I’m not going to go into all of the details about each autoresponder service on the ‘Net, but I would like to give you a list a few services that I find to be very user-friendly and exceptionally effective. In fact, I currently use one of them right now for all of my lists.

Moh. Ali Albar

I rewrite this article of E-book “Email Secrets Exposed”

www.InstantPopover.com