List building in one time niches?

In most cases there's always a reason to build the list.

In your example, they may stop sweating but whose to say what other conditions they might have that they want to improve etc.

If you're not sure what they want, survey them about their concerns, desires etc.

If you've helped them once they'll trust that you can help them again.

Kevin

If you set up a list you could at least ask them what else they are interested in. I know nothing about the sweating market, but maybe they would be interested in buying nice shirts now that they don't have to worry about soiling them.

Some time after they opt-in and buy the product (or even if they don't) send out a short 3 to 5 question survey asking what their sweating problem has held them back from doing.

Leave the last question on the survey as an open "text input" field so they can really tell you want they want. SurveyMonkey is good for this and you can set up your first surveys for free.

If you don't want to come up with questions for a survey, you could just send out an email asking the same question.

Maybe the people who want the sweating info have things in common - maybe they don't. But you don't know unless you ask.

-Roger

[EDIT - Dang! Posted at the same time again as someone with similar advice!]

Cool - I was thinking I would have to do something similar. Thanks for confirming that.

So let me get this straight, instead of this traffic pattern:

Article ---> Review ---> vendor product

I should do:

Article ---> Opt in list --> review page ---> vendor product

or

Article ---> Opt in list --> vendor product

So you are saying I should setup the first 10 or so emails in my newsletter to land the sale of the product I am trying to promote. Then after that, try and figure out what else I could sell them?

I can definitely see the advantage of setting it all up to go through my list. Currently with just article marketing, my traffic is pretty much gone once they buy and I can never sell them stuff again. I guess this is the whole advantage behind setting up a list and why everyone says the money is in the list.

Let's pretend there is nothing in common with my list. Should I try and market them those mass market CPA offers like teeth whitening, 6pack abs, weight loss products, etc?

Am I understanding this correctly?

Thank you for your replies! This has been pretty helpful so far.

Is there any downside to building a list in these niches? I don't think so. You can offer additional products and try to move them to other lists that they have interest in. Segment these lists out over time and get them on other lists that can offer them value.

Great question.. this is a perfect example for what I'm about to recommend because a lot of people think "their" niche isn't worth building a list in.

First let me say that building a list to a group of targeted prospects online or offline is not only smart but it's the only way to build a long lasting, sustainable business.

About a month ago now a friend of mine called me up and told me his business collapsed because Google slapped him hard. He was an affiliate using Adwords...

I told him about a year ago to start building a list from all the traffic he was getting but he ignored me. Now if he had started building a list when I told him to he would not be in the situation he's in right now.

Imagine having your income go from $1,000 a day right down to $0.00 overnight. It took him several years to get to that level and less than 24 hours to destroy it.

Now, the reason I told you that story is because if he had started building a list his business and more importantly his income would still be alive today. Maybe not $1,000 a day but surely not $0.00 either.

So now that you know building a list is a smart action to take let's look at the market.

There are a few questions I always ask before building a list in a particular market.

1. Is there a group of people actively searching?
2. What is the approximate size of that group online?
3. Are they desperate to solve a problem?
4. Has this group ever purchased anything online?
5. What else could I offer them in the future?

Once I have those answers I'll take a look at the competition. If there is no competition then I would stop right there... But if there is then look at what they are offering, etc...

Next, look for other products and services that compliment this market.

Then look at other products and services that this group may be interested in.

TIP:
1. Search for your markets keyword phrase on Google
2. Go to Alexa.com and enter a keyword phrase. (perspiration)
3. Click on a high ranking site (preventsweating.com)
4. Click on Related Links and have a look.
5. Take that URL (preventsweating.com ) you discovered in Alexa and go to QuantCast.com

Now in this particular example it doesn't show you other sites this group has visited in QuantCast but if you play around with the research you will find other sites of interest to this group.

The whole point is to think outside the box... Now you can be sure that this group is not just looking for the one thing you offer them and you're job is to find those other things.

You could also send them a survey... ask people who you know have this problem what else they may be interested in.

Anyway, this should be enough to get you going a little.

The end result is you have to know a few things about a market before yuo can make your own decision to build a list. Others can agree or not agree to building a list but at the end of the day it's you that has to do the work and decide if it's worth it for your business model and the direction you want to head with it.

Don't just build a list to build a list. Have a clear plan as to what you want to do with that list and you'll have more success with it.

Mike Hill

In one word: Yes!!!!!!!!!

Ok, so you're selling a book on stopping swearing.

Now, why are people looking to stop swearing?

Perhpas they are religious people. What else do you think you could sell them? Bibles on tape perhaps? Or maybe a religious board game?

Or maybe they are trying to look better at job interviews. Perhaps they might appreciate a book on cover letter and resume writing, or improving their interview skills.

Or, they could be trying to be better public speakers or salespeople. Think of what you could sell this crowd. Endless possibilities IMHO.

Are you getting the hint now?

It doesn't matter what niche you are in...You should always build a list. That is what I have learnt....I thought in one market I have that it was not listbuilding niche...Until I had a consultion with my coach about it...boy was I wrong..The list is being built fast and profits going up in that niche....So always build a list

Awesome replies everyone. Thanks so much for the input. I am now going to start working on list building and practicing my skills. I appreciate everyone's input - definitely has gotten my brain working!

This question is one I get a lot when I am teaching my niche marketing students. Everyone should have a list in every niche.

Let's say from your articles, press releases and other sources you have a flow of traffic coming in and only 2-3% are buying the e-book after your review. You are still losing the other 97-98% of that traffic.

Give them a reason to join your list and recommend them on the back end. You'll see your sales increase for the product they didn't initially buy. If you mix in emails with helpful tips, videos with demonstrations etc. for free you'll going to capture their trust and interest even more which will only improve sales.

This also opens up the door for long term communication with them which = more sales if you are doing things right. If you're selling them in every email many will walk but give them value and good recommendations they stay and they buy even if you just an affiliate for a product.

In the offline world in my previous business I noticed 70% of our customer sales were repeat customers and only 30% were passerbys and sometime/seldom shoppers. Now in the online world the numbers are not that lopsided (at least not for me as I get enough traffic to offset that) but the are still significant enough for me to double or triple my income with a list in whatever niche I am in. So if a niche I go into looked like it was only going to make $20,000 a year on the initial conversion test I ran, I can actually expect to double or triple that using email marketing.

Always build a list and stay in contact with them. Ask them what they want to see from you and give it to them. Let me repeat that... ask them and give them what they want. You'll enjoy your income increase.

Unless your conversion rate is 100%, you need to be squeezing, building a list, and following up with prospects about the main offer. I usually program 20 - 50 follow-ups into my AWeber account when I go after a market. It's your follow-ups that turn a 1% conversion into a 3% - 5% conversion, and that difference can make you rich.

And that's before you even start selling them other stuff

Jonathan

Its called Marketing people with the main word we should be focusing on is "Market"

A niche is a sub category in a market so all you need to do is work in reverse.

Male or Female?
How Old?
Single Or Married?
House Hold Income?
etc...

Like mike said above, if you look at all your competitors sites in quantcast.com it should give you a pretty good idea of who your market is within your niche.

For example if you are selling a reverse ageing cream to a 36 year old female odds are that promoting a weight loss product around new years should convert well within this market.


*************
BIG TIP
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If your competitors are collecting e-mail addresses go ahead and get on their auto responder to see what kind of products they are promoting to your market.

They have already done the work and found what works so simple do what their doing in your own way.


cheers,


Derek

Sweet deal. Man I love this forum.

One last question to build on(if you don't mind of course).

Let's take the stop sweating niche again as an example. I've got a product, say an antiperspirant that im trying to sell.

Let's also say I have looked on the internet and found a handful of natural remedies that I can give as useful information.

My question is, what happens when you start to run out of good info to give them? I mean surely you are bound to run out of natural and home remedies that you can recommend. Maybe recommend some Youtube videos, forums, free giveaways, etc? Do you start to rehash some of the other tips you gave early on but in a different format/different angle?

I am just wondering what you all do when you have a niche that is limited as far as useful information you can add to your newsletter.

Thanks again!