Monday, April 6, 2009

Building a List: The first step in Internet Attraction Marketing

The key to building an online business whether it is for network marketing, affiliate marketing or niche marketing is getting a list.

Acquisition of potential customer’s information is perhaps the most vital thing you can do for your business. It can mean the difference between struggling in relative obscurity and thriving.

So what makes the list such a key component?

First there is Automation.

Automation creates the possibility for residual income and time leverage. These are two things that make Network Marketing such a great business plan. With an autorespond email system you can get these things in all online business types. And if you are doing Network Marketing it only doubles your leverage.

Setting up an automated system takes some upfront effort but then it will run 24/7 and 365 days a year with little maintenance required. You could be sitting on a beach somewhere or sleeping in while your system keeps working for you.

Second, there is Value.

When you have a list of interested people, you can get them targeted information that answers the questions they are interested in. Your name gathering page was geared in such a way as to only collect interested prospects.

Now your targeted content is relevant and is helping people instead of being sent to the recycle bin. And not only are they getting great, relevant content, they are getting it with your name attached to it.

You are building a relationship of trust. Being there and helping and truly delivering on what you promised your leads will create loyal customers who trust in you. This can lead to multiple monetization opportunities.

Rather than just a onetime sale, a List brings you a possible lifetime customer. Someone who is just waiting for the next great opportunity you have for them.

Over delivering on the content and free information you promised builds the trust but it also gives you Posture. Posture is power. It makes you the expert. You become the one to go to; the one to listen to and rely on for information and training.

Now instead of a desperate “salesman” running around desperate for someone to purchase your product or to sign up into your downline you are the expert. Someone who has all they need and you have people coming to you. Your attitude and positioning will change and it is noticeable.
You have more than enough people to choose from. The desperation goes away and you become a leader. A person others want to follow.

Start making a list.

Having a good, highly targeted list and giving that list high value content is quite possibly the most important part of internet marketing. Therefore, one of the first and most important jobs to put on your action plan is to create one.

There are several ways to do this.

1. Get leads to sign up at a lead capture page. Also known as a name squeeze page, a name capture page will get your prospects to give you their contact information. It is focused and highly targeted to fit your niche. Quite often there is an offer for something free such as a special report or and e-book given in exchange for the contact info. If you have signed up for any free stuff online you have seen examples of lead capture pages.

Depending on your skills and experience, a lead capture page might be something you can write and get online. If you are just starting out, a quicker and easier way is to use a premade name squeeze page. These pages are available and some of them are set up with a system that can help you with the follow up required after you get your list started.

2. A second way to get your list growing is to capture their information from a website that you have created. This is a site that has quality targeted content and brings in quality leads. A website is a great way to bring in leads and it can do it using free search engine searches. However this is not for everyone. It takes time to create the website and SEO optimization. Again, there are companies that can help you create a website if you are a beginner and this is the route you want to follow.

3. Finally, you can use social networking as a way to get your name and information out there. This is free and can help you create an online presence. You will still need to create and direct your target audience to a lead capture page (see #1).

So make your plan, define your goals, focus, and then set forth building a list that will push your marketing to the next level.