| 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
Ebook Starter - A complete ebook design kit.
Subscribe to Etips, for a wealth of quality
information to assist you in Web Design, Internet Marketing
& Ecommerce. All new subscribers receive a free copy of
the highly acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing
Strategies." http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=bl1
|
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