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Building Your Business with an Opt-in List

By: Kurt Tasche

Before revealing the secrets of the trade, here are some myths that need to be cleared before one starts building an opt-in list. These marketing misconceptions could pose a serious threat towards profitting well from your business.

Misconception #1 Not a lot of people use email

Email marketing is one of the most effective marketing methods in existence today simply because virtually everybody uses email. Look and see how many email fields are required to be filled out on various website forms. A person without an email address is like a person without an online home.

Misconception #2: Email marketing campaigns can offend a lot of people

The not-so secret way to surmount this dilemma is through opt-in advertising. There's no harm in trying to market your business after asking for permission.

Misconception #3 It's stupid to send email to everyone

The key to this predicament is to only email those who have requested information from you, or who have given you permission to send them email.

The Benefits of Building an Opt-in List

After clearing the fog regarding email marketing myths, here's how you can benefit from enlisting the power of email marketing campaigns - building an opt-in list.

However, building an opt-in list is not a piece of cake, particularly for the beginner. Here is a rundown of tips on how to succeed in opt-in email marketing.

1. Strategic Collection of Data

Know which information from your target audience will help your business. Devise a strategy to make people voluntarily provide you with this information.

Overload of data is not good. Ask for the minimal amount of information necessary. Most people aren't comfortable giving all of their personal information to a complete stranger. At the very least, you should request your prospects full name and email address. Do not ask for things like street address and phone number, unless they are necessary for your business.

2. Good Implementation

An old adage says it all - 'actions speak louder than words'. This easily translates to the difficulty one sometimes has to go through during the execution of his or her email marketing efforts. It's to your benefit that various methods, often low-cost or free, can speed up the building of your opt-in list.

Tracking your email marketing results can be difficult. Technology and relevant sources should be employed to make this aspect of your marketing a lot more manageable. Pay attention to where the majority of your subscribers are coming from.

The following are the most widely used methods to leverage your opt-in marketing efforts without overspending:

1. Make use of websites.

Websites are an excellent tool for collecting data and providing you with relevant information regarding your email campaigns. Use forms on your website that request your visitor's information. A website whose major purpose is t to capture a visitors information, is often referred to as a "Lead Capture Page", "Opt-in Page" or "Squeeze Page". Always let your visitor know what they will be getting when they give you their information

2. Make use of print ads, brochures, TV, radio and direct mail.

These are the more popular ways of marketing aiming to lead traffic to one's site. You may want to ask for signups for your email campaign. Make your website more visible through these different media. Offering free electronic newsletters and or free digital products can help motivate people to opt-in to your offer.

3. Maximize your sales force.

Customer service associates can help you make the most of your email marketing efforts. Sales people with proper education on how to aid you in this endeavor can help contribute to higher ROI (Return on Investment).

4. Don't make your point of sale pointless.

Subscriber forms located at cash registers and other high-traffic and highly visible spots can be excellent venues for your business to collect email addresses. In other words, get your opt-in forms in front of as many people in your target market as possible.

5. Conferences or trade shows can work, too.

Giveaway offers or entries in sweepstakes are great for use in collecting prospect information.

These tactics should be applied with caution and should focus on earning the trust of your opt-in list instead of simply collecting information. Always make sure that the forms you use are not complicated. You don't want to annoy your prospects with a difficult to understand subscription form.

With all the different ways of marketing, you can't go wrong with building an opt-in list.

Which brings me to another point, Spam. Spam is email which is sent without permission, and is above all the most annoying aspect of email. Never send any email to anyone you do not know or who has not requested to receive your email. This is illegal in most states, and will sometimes result in your ISP cutting off your online access.

Besides, most people will simply delete your email without even opening it. Which makes Spam email a total waste of your efforts.

An opt-in list is your most valuable asset. Experts say that you can usually make about $1.00 per month for every member in your list. So, if you had a list of 10,000 subscribers, your average income would be about $10,000 per month. This is not an exact science, but is the average for businesses who utilize opt-in marketing.

Article Source: http://www.articlesinsight.com

Kurt Tasche has been marketing online since 2003, and knows the importance of building a list of subscribers. Kurt is the administrator of MyOptingLightning. A free service that can help you build your opt-in list quickly. Get your free account at: www.myoptinlightning.com

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