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
Home
All Biz
Resources
Contact Us |