What is List Building?
ByOne of the hardest things in business is actually drumming up the business. Whether online or off, you need people to DO SOMETHING if you want your business to be a success. For online business, one way to reach the people that will be most interested in your product or service is through list building.
What is List Building?
In the fewest words possible, list building is the process used to create an inventory of people who fit the niche market you are promoting. The
assumption usually is that if you cast a wide enough net to find people, you will eventually find the right people. This method is not only backwards, but also costly in time and energy. Instead, cast your net to catch only your niche market – go smaller when building your list.
There is more than one way to develop a list for your business. Here are just a few of the more popular (and successful might I add) ways:
- Opt-ins
- Free Giveaways
- Contests
- Email Marketing
- Article Marketing
- Blogging
Whatever methods you use, it is important to know where you are coming from and where you are going before others will follow you.
Getting Your Name Out There
In order for others to follow you they need to know who you are and what you stand for. To that end, you will want to network with others. Your time is better spent building your brand before you build your list.
Do you routinely buy from someone you’ve just heard of? Not normally right?
Neither does anyone else. That is expected in business. Trust is earned over time and you must begin with curiosity in order to build up to trust.
Viral marketing is one of your best assets when it comes to getting noticed and building your list. Ask JV partners, complementary businesses in your field, other business owners, etc. to help you out. If they have websites, blogs or are a part of forums, let them pass the word around about you and what you do.
On your end, visit websites and blogs associated with the product or service that you sell. Get involved, ask questions, and show your face. These are the people you will ask to endorse you to lend credibility to your products.
During your promotion, your traffic will increase. People will know what you have to offer. Now you can use one, two or all of the above bulleted methods to begin building your list. Visitors will lend you their personal information (name and email) if they like what they see. From that point, it is up to you to keep them interested enough to become a loyal customer.
