If you’ve spent any time reading up on internet marketing, you’ll have heard the term ‘the money is in the list.’ While this statement is true, it is also incomplete. Because the harsh reality is that even if you have a list, you aren’t guaranteed the money. Because for that list to work for you, you need to build it the right way while also building a relationship with those on your list. You need a robust email list that you email to regularly. You can’t build a relationship through random emails.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, we need to focus on building the list. Most people looking to create an online business using email marketing get stuck at the very first step. Building the list. Some people poor their energy and their money into Facebook and Google ads. They get excited about sporadic sales, but never see real results from their efforts. Which is why most give up, believing internet marketing doesn’t work.
To Build Or Not To Build
For many trying to get into internet marketing, they focus on the wrong thing. Many focus on SEO by writing articles and hoping people will follow the links to affiliate products. Others spam the net with affiliate links that may lead to sales but never lead to building a list. Yes, you may get some sales here and there by following this method, but you also take on risk.
If you’re building your business based on placing Facebook or Google ads then you always run the risk of losing your business at their whim. You may believe that you can cut some costs and eliminate hassle by sending your prospective buyers directly to the offers, but you aren’t.
By putting your focus on finding the right leads and nurturing them, you take ownership of your business. A robust email list gives you direct access to people wanting what you are promoting.
Building A List Is Simple, Until It’s Not
Anyone can build an email list. You can buy pre-made lists. You can spend hundreds, if not thousands on advertising to drive people to your opt-in page. But, you don’t just want a list of email addresses. You want a list of people interested in what you have to offer.
To achieve this goal, you need to target a specific audience who have specific needs. Those needs have to be in synch with your business. For example, if you specialize in weight loss but your email list consists of only the fit and healthy, do you think they’ll be interested in your message?
So how do you ensure your list matches your business? You create a valuable list through focus. The tighter the focus the more profitable your results.
Set The Target
The very first step is to create a system for gathering email addresses. Once you have this system in place, you can move to the next step of driving traffic through that system.
Whether you’re using ClickFunnels, Lead Pages or building a funnel from scratch, you need a page that tells the visitor what they’re signing up for and what benefits you’ll provide to them. One of the most effective ways to persuade someone to provide you with their email address is to offer them something for free.
Offer a free download centered around your business niche. You can offer a free ebook, a cheat sheet or a newsletter. The offer must provide value.
Once you have this in place, learn how to turn the list into money.