Newbie? Why Build a List.

40 replies
New to Internet marketing and are confused just which direction you want to take? Confused about what will make you money? Are you on a budget and need to get started on the cheap? Well I am going to try and save you a few years of aggravation and a few thousand dollars. By helping you avoid the mistakes I made.

I have been involved with the Internet for years, but only within the last year or so have I started making significant money. Have I replaced my day job? Well honestly no not yet, but I am close very close.

You know how you keep hearing about how the “Money is in the List”; well if you hear it enough there must be some truth in it. I avoided it because I just didn’t think it was FUN or SEXY. Guess what it isn’t fun…..its work. But once you start seeing the checks roll in….well at least my wife thinks money is SEXY.

Now for those of you looking for push button wealth let me find you an affiliate link. If you want to make a real income that will make money month after month keep reading.

Building a List is not a push button project, there is no magic wand it is real work. You just have to take the steps that are required. But the good news is there are several blueprints out there for you to follow.

If you run across something that you do not have the technical skills or the time to do just outsource it. There are lots of warriors here that can do anything from create your squeeze page or write your email swipes.

I don’t build my own sales funnels, I come up with the niche and the concept then I have it outsourced. I just have neither the time the skills or the desire. If you do and if you want to do it yourself there are plenty of tools that will help you.

The most important thing to remember at this point is you will not make money overnight. You must apply yourself, unless it is a product relating to List Building you will not even look at the sales page.

Now you just have to ask yourself Is List Building the thing for you?
#build #list #newbie
  • Profile picture of the author Shane N
    List building is super important. I only wish I had started building mine a heck of a lot sooner... I can only imagine how much money I've left on the table by not doing it sooner.

    Great post.

    Best,
    Shane
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    • Profile picture of the author robestrong
      Building a list is key, building a good list is better. Developing a one on one connection with people, actually making friends and contacts with them, recommending stuff that actually works for you, and using a paid platform (Aweber).

      Not setting up a list is the one thing you will continually kick yourself for if you release products without one. I've done it so many times it bothers me to count. It was really the best thing I ever did. If you're a newbie and reading this, WHENEVER YOU RELEASE ANY PRODUCT, BUILD A LIST! Seriously... You only need about a 50-100 subs or so to make it self sustaining (i.e. about $20 a month for Aweber), and beyond that anything else is pure profit.

      There's no reason to NOT make a list.

      Everyone says they hate themselves for not starting earlier, and it's because they mean it. It's not just a meaningless platitude, literally everyone, in literally every niche who's released a product without a list has said the same thing. And it's because they're right.
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      • Profile picture of the author sunray
        Originally Posted by robestrong View Post

        You only need about a 50-100 subs or so to make it self sustaining (i.e. about $20 a month for Aweber), and beyond that anything else is pure profit.
        A list cannot stay on its own like a box of Christmas decorations until the season comes and the box is taken out again. It should get mailed at least twice a moth, and that with good content. If mail is not sent people forget about you, and if the content is not good they will unsubscribe. So, you should calculate your own work on creating the content too. That shifts the profit to begin maybe from subscriber no. 2000.
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        • Profile picture of the author robestrong
          Originally Posted by sunray View Post

          A list cannot stay on its own like a box of Christmas decorations until the season comes and the box is taken out again. It should get mailed at least twice a moth, and that with good content. If mail is not sent people forget about you, and if the content is not good they will unsubscribe. So, you should calculate your own work on creating the content too. That shifts the profit to begin maybe from subscriber no. 2000.
          2000? You charge over a thousand dollars to provide some good content to your list?

          I send them things that I'm actually interested in. Ideas and techniques that work for me. Some of them are products, some of them aren't. Sometimes its some cool free ideas or software that I've cooked up. This is stuff I just like to share. Where are you pulling a 2000 mark from? Of course you need to provide value to your list, but 2000?
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  • Hey Joey,

    I just gave similar advice to another warrior. Aside from the basic squeeze-page setup (you'll find plenty of tools to build one easily here in the Forum's WSO section) and an mailing list host (such as Aweber, Getresponse, etc.) you will need to create a truly valuable "ethical bribe" to entice your visitors to opt-in to your list. Then continue to provide valuable content and tips. I call this "romancing" your list. You know how in real estate it is mostly about location, location, location? Well, with successful opt-in lists its all about value, value, value, which in the end leads to trust. When your subscribers trust you and you're not "spamming" them to death with a daily "buy-this-so-I-make-money" email offer you will start to see substantial returns over time. Think about what your visitor's problems could be or if you can, survey them on your site. Then create a real solution (that's value) and offer it on your site in return for an opt-in. You do this consistently and your list will not only be growing, but your unsubscribes will be low and your returns will be substantial. Best of luck in your list building adventure!
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    • Profile picture of the author lloydmc
      Originally Posted by MillionairesMentor View Post

      Hey Joey,

      I just gave similar advice to another warrior. Aside from the basic squeeze-page setup (you'll find plenty of tools to build one easily here in the Forum's WSO section) and an mailing list host (such as Aweber, Getresponse, etc.) you will need to create a truly valuable "ethical bribe" to entice your visitors to opt-in to your list. Then continue to provide valuable content and tips. I call this "romancing" your list. You know how in real estate it is mostly about location, location, location? Well, with successful opt-in lists its all about value, value, value, which in the end leads to trust. When your subscribers trust you and you're not "spamming" them to death with a daily "buy-this-so-I-make-money" email offer you will start to see substantial returns over time. Think about what your visitor's problems could be or if you can, survey them on your site. Then create a real solution (that's value) and offer it on your site in return for an opt-in. You do this consistently and your list will not only be growing, but your unsubscribes will be low and your returns will be substantial. Best of luck in your list building adventure!
      One thing I must say to all new-coming list builders is to HAVE FUN doing it. Establishing a relationship with your prospective subscriber can go a long ways in both your prosperity and their attitude towards your business and yourself.
      have fun, and actually look at it as an adventure.
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      • Profile picture of the author Joey Starkey
        Originally Posted by lloydmc View Post

        One thing I must say to all new-coming list builders is to HAVE FUN doing it. Establishing a relationship with your prospective subscriber can go a long ways in both your prosperity and their attitude towards your business and yourself.
        have fun, and actually look at it as an adventure.
        Like lots of IM'ers that came before me I avoided list building. The reason
        because it didn't seem like fun.

        But it really is fun......and an adventure all wrapped up as one. I love checking how many
        new subs I get each day.

        Checking my sales. If you are not building a list start today.

        Joey Starkey
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        • Profile picture of the author rmolina88
          Originally Posted by Joey Starkey View Post

          Like lots of IM'ers that came before me I avoided list building. The reason
          because it didn't seem like fun.

          But it really is fun......and an adventure all wrapped up as one. I love checking how many
          new subs I get each day.

          Checking my sales. If you are not building a list start today.

          Joey Starkey
          I wanted to avoid list building for the longest time because I didn't feel confident that I could have a relationship with my subscribers.

          Now I realize the relationship with my subscribers is the absolute best part of list building.
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          • Profile picture of the author JimDucharme
            Originally Posted by rmolina88 View Post

            I wanted to avoid list building for the longest time because I didn't feel confident that I could have a relationship with my subscribers.

            Now I realize the relationship with my subscribers is the absolute best part of list building.
            And the key to success IMHO as well. Relationship building takes work, but it's much easier if you really do share a sincere interest with your subscribers and demonstrate a passion for it. Share is the important word here, relationships are two-way so, don't forget to invite feedback and suggestions.

            Regards,
            jim
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  • Profile picture of the author yoyoyhs
    But where or how I get the traffic to my squeeze page?
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    • Profile picture of the author Joey Starkey
      Originally Posted by yoyoyhs View Post

      But where or how I get the traffic to my squeeze page?
      Media buys
      Solos
      Forum marketing
      Free WSO's
      PPC

      Just to name a few. Which niche are you building a list in?

      Joey Starkey
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  • Profile picture of the author Sarevok
    Work is the key here.

    Just remember to stay constant, or they'll say "Who's this guy"

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    • Profile picture of the author Joey Starkey
      Originally Posted by Sarevok View Post

      Work is the key here.

      Just remember to stay constant, or they'll say "Who's this guy"

      Good point. In your email title always make sure that you identify yourself.

      [iBuildLists]
      **Joey Starkey **
      *Weight Loss Lessons*

      Branding is EVERYTHING.
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      • Profile picture of the author sndas
        Banned
        list building helps to make money if you start through product selling or WSO.
        Your list will grow with your great products and money will come to your Bank.
        Well said. I appreciate!
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  • Profile picture of the author ratracegrad
    Building a list will open up the door to so many different opportunities. Here are some of the opportunities you can find with a list:

    • You can use your list to sell solo ads.
    • You can use your list to drive traffic to affiliate sites and earn commission when someone buys.
    • You can send traffic to your own products that you create thus keeping 100% profit.
    • You can win Affiliate competition by driving more sales. This allows you to win commission on sale of the product as well as the money from winning the competition.
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  • Profile picture of the author rmolina88
    99.9% of all the people here say list building is the thing they would have done first if they started all over.
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    • Profile picture of the author Dustin Lyle
      And I'm going to concur that List Building, list "having" is what separates the money makers from the money fakers... It is the proverbial "hub" that joins all the separate "spokes" of the Internet Marketing "wheel".

      "List in hand, your the man!"
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    List building isn't always profitable. I know alot of new beginners who get more sales by leading people straight to a sales description/letter page - as opposed to generating a lead first. If anything... BACKEND CUSTOMER list building is the most important thing of all.
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  • Profile picture of the author khooster1
    I guess most newbies do not see the need/power of building a list. The conversion for Getting a opt-in is definitely lower than sending directly to affiliate links. However, building a list require more cash investment. Newbie will avoid this.. They end up doing Adsense or using free Traffic methods.. These take time.. End up giving up too soon.
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  • Profile picture of the author trustedmarketer
    Great post as it addresses something I want to focus on.

    My only problem is not finding a campaign/offer that will convert. Any high in demand campaigns/offers blueprint would be greatly appreciated especially for newbies
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    Contact me for the most Powerful Business Programs that will give you Daily Profit and the predicted huge price appreciation from Bitcoin
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  • Profile picture of the author Nicole K
    The advantage of building a list and having a good relationship with your subscribers is that you can sell to your list again and again. Imagine having subscribers buying from you throughout your lifetime compared to a one time purchase through your affiliate link.
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    .
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  • Profile picture of the author madchef1962
    If you decide to build a list, then you must stay in contact, like they were your best friend or a family member. Treat them with respect, give them useful information and email them regularly and not always with your offers.
    Good luck with your list building.
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  • Profile picture of the author Joan Altz
    Well, for me, I'm not a good pretender of being a "friend" to subscribers and all that crap, so I have not succeeded with a list. I have succeeded by leaving people the hell alone and being straight with them.
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    • Profile picture of the author Joey Starkey
      Originally Posted by Joan Altz View Post

      Well, for me, I'm not a good pretender of being a "friend" to subscribers and all that crap, so I have not succeeded with a list. I have succeeded by leaving people the hell alone and being straight with them.
      Joan List building might not be for you. In the offline world I am in sales so this
      just an extension of what I do everyday. Only using a different medium.

      Good luck with your online ventures.

      Joey Starkey
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    • Profile picture of the author robestrong
      Originally Posted by Joan Altz View Post

      Well, for me, I'm not a good pretender of being a "friend" to subscribers and all that crap, so I have not succeeded with a list. I have succeeded by leaving people the hell alone and being straight with them.
      You can do that too. I've never gone for the uber close friends schtick either, although I do end up making friends with a number of them. But that said, you can be straight with them. Just provide value.

      I once did a bit of a series on high social proof WSOs. Essentially systems that you couldn't fail with just due to the huge amount of success people (and myself) have had with them. I literally told them I would be selling stuff to them, and I even put a specific tag in the subject line so if they were or weren't interested they could either read or ignore it at their discretion.

      No need to be fake, just make sure you're providing value. That's what it boils down to. There's a basic underlying reciprocation that goes on in anything resembling a relationship -- building a large list just lets you scale that average reciprocation by multiplying the distribution of value you create one time. It's a win-win for everyone.

      If I try something out and I like it, or better still (as has happened a couple times), something works for me, I'll either recommend it if it's not my product, or make up a video or write about it as a freebie.
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  • Profile picture of the author larryboy03
    Build a large list, give lots of FREE quality content/products away, then after a while offer 1 random product but do a review on it and give them a good reason why they should buy it and explain how they can gain a benefit from it.

    That seems to work well.
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    Do you have a website making money and want to sell it? Contact me, I'm looking to buy sites monetized by Amazon and Adsense!!
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  • Profile picture of the author paul nicholls
    of course list building is important, it's something that i have been teaching for a long time but one thing that always comes up is "i don't have my own product"

    selling your own product is much better but you can still build a list and sell affiliate products and then as you're making money you can then create your own product as you progress

    As Joey says it may not look all fun and exciting but the fact is it works and once you get things moving and seeing results you will love building a list

    I have tried adsense, amazon, cpa lead etc and they work fine for some extra income but to take things to the next level and to really build a stable business you need your own list, it's just the way it is

    If you're thinking about building a list you're best off sacrificing a paid product to build your list rather than give away some plr garbage for free and lose all credibility from day 1

    Paul
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  • Profile picture of the author Sue McDonald
    List building is one of the major parts of your business but as you build your list you have to build a trusted relationship with that list.

    Always have a series of follow up emails that provide good content with an occasional recommendation for a related product in your particular niche. If you are going to give free PLR away make sure that you read through it and make changes and also change the graphics at Fiverr for $5.

    If you give away a quality product, your list is more likely prepared to buy from you when they see a paid product that you are recommending.
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  • Profile picture of the author RachelLily
    Lead Generation is the lifeblood of any business and if you're going to become a leading internet marketer, you will need to build a list of subscribers and then build a relationship with that list. It really is as simple as that.

    In fact, many top internet marketers believe that you will roughly make a dollar online per subscriber on your list. We think that's accurate. If you're looking to start to make money online then you will need to focus on building your first list of subscribers.
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    I make $50 every 3 hours. Learn my methods here: eliteincomeprofits.com

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  • Profile picture of the author eniggma
    I agree building a relationship is a cool feeling. I get random emails from someone who has joined my list thanking me because a certain email in my sequence hit home for them.

    If you want to learn how to build a good relationship with your list and focus on real value based marketing then check out Autoresponder Madness by Andre Chaperon. Its hands down the best course I've ever gone through.

    I too put off list building for a long time and tried other things first cuz I wanted that instant gratification of quick cash that most newbies are looking for. After I wasted enough time and money I started to really examine what was at the heart of most successful online marketers and I kept coming back to the same fact. The list!

    To the newbies out there still spinning their wheels buying wso after wso and jumping from method to method, please save your time and money amd focus on building a reponsive list. There's a reason so many say its the key to success.
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    "Successful people do the things unsuccessful people won't do" - (Somebody successful) :)

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  • Profile picture of the author Rob-T
    Great information Joey, especially for newbies. This is probably one of the most important steps.
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  • Profile picture of the author napoleonfirst
    Before building a list you need to know the ins and outs of a niche. Then you can use an OTO as a thank you page in a squeeze page. The next step is to educate the list and send them low-ticket offers, filter your list and send high tickets to your top buyers.
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    • Profile picture of the author Joey Starkey
      Originally Posted by napoleonfirst View Post

      Before building a list you need to know the ins and outs of a niche. Then you can use an OTO as a thank you page in a squeeze page. The next step is to educate the list and send them low-ticket offers, filter your list and send high tickets to your top buyers.
      One of the hardest things for me to do is convince a new list builder to avoid the IM niche. If they are new they just have way too much to learn to pull it off.

      It is so much easier to do something that you like and enjoy. Plus chances are they already know more then their subs on their list.

      I have 2 weight loss lists that I do well with (I just had some really good domains and there is so many things to that you can cross sell.) Ok I need to lose 50 pounds and I am on a constant diet.

      But I am planning a list in the Model Rocket niche. I am an avid model rocketeer and will be till I die.
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  • Profile picture of the author howtogurus
    My list is worth about 70% of my monthly sales, so it is vital. Make sure you segment your list so that you can do split testing. My practice is to divide the list into 1000 email segments. I can always send an email to all the segments, or I can send different versions to different segments for response testing. Also it is easier to sell to a previous customer than to sell to a new customer, and of course that previous customer is in your list.
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    • Profile picture of the author Joey Starkey
      Originally Posted by howtogurus View Post

      My list is worth about 70% of my monthly sales, so it is vital. Make sure you segment your list so that you can do split testing. My practice is to divide the list into 1000 email segments. I can always send an email to all the segments, or I can send different versions to different segments for response testing. Also it is easier to sell to a previous customer than to sell to a new customer, and of course that previous customer is in your list.
      Good info here for sure.

      I segment my lists but mainly just for buyers and info seekers. The buyers get different information. As I feel that the info seekers are just sitting on the fence or are afraid to take action. I also do a different segment if it is someone that has reached out to me for more information or is requesting special attention.

      Joey Starkey
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  • Profile picture of the author Ben Gordon
    Building a list is so important because you get leads that you can market to over and over.

    Look at these sample statistics.

    PPC ==> 1000 clicks => $1k
    PPC ==> 2000 clicks => $2k
    PPC ==> 3000 clicks => $3k
    PPC ==> 10000 clicks => $10k

    List ==> 1000 click => $1k
    List ==> 2000 click => $1k
    List ==> 3000 click => $1k
    List ==> 10000 click => $1k

    To build a list, you need money upfront, but once you have the leads you can market to them over and over without spending more money (other than autoresponder fees). That's the beauty of having a list... and the clicks keep coming back. So your lifetime CPC would be around $0.05 instead of $1 (I hope that makes sense).
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  • Profile picture of the author Shining JS
    Yes, list building is important. Building your relationships with your subscribers and adding values are also a critical factor to determined your success on list building
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    • Profile picture of the author tsunamistarter
      I work with business entrepreneurs outside of internet marketing...local business owners who are struggling to generate warm leads and traffic to their business (both online and offline). Does anyone have tips on the easiest way local business owners can generate a list without having to be techie or an internet marketing specialist?
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      • Profile picture of the author Joey Starkey
        Originally Posted by tsunamistarter View Post

        I work with business entrepreneurs outside of internet marketing...local business owners who are struggling to generate warm leads and traffic to their business (both online and offline). Does anyone have tips on the easiest way local business owners can generate a list without having to be techie or an internet marketing specialist?
        This 1 is easy ask them for the email addresses as they are checking out. Every trendy store in the world does it now. My favorite is Godiva Chocolate we go in every month for a free piece and we buy more when we're there. That free piece of chocolate makes them about 10 dollar sale at least once a month. Oh yeah my wife and kids are on their list as well
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  • Profile picture of the author owenlee
    One of the adv with a list is that you can always have a flow of targeted traffic whenever you want too. You may also make a few sales from the email that you sent out.
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