What is List Building?

There is so much talk these days about list building it may be difficult to translate what exactly is list building and how it could benefit your business. In today’s marketing environment, having a list of clients and prospect is important to every business and should be an integral part of any marketing strategy, especially those who want to use online marketing efforts. But how many people really understand what is meant by a “list” in online marketing terms? And what is list building? A simple yet accurate definition would be that list building is a process of developing a database of like minded people online who would be interested in the kind of products or services that your business offers. In other words, your list is your first and main market where you can hope to achieve the most success in selling.

The premise behind list building is that you have more than one opportunity to sell to a potential customer because they have given you permission to do so by opting in to receive your ongoing communications.

Once you have a person on your list, you can keep sending them information on your products and services and continue to educate them on your specials and discounts that you may be offering from time to time. The more frequently a person is exposed to information about your site and the products available there, the more familiar your business will appear to them, although perhaps only subconsciously, the more inclined they will be to buy from you when they need what you are offering.

Research has shown that less than 2% of people buy anything from an online business the first time they come across it. Do not let this figure depress you. In fact it is a positive. More people are buying more goods and services online everyday and online businesses are the least affected by the economic slow-down and recession. So, if more is being sold online each day, but less than 2% of the sales are made on the first contact, that means that subsequent contact and long terms relationships are where the money lies for the online business. So, the critical factor to getting your business profitable is to be able to gain the trust of complete strangers who will never meet you. It is not as tough as it sounds. If you have a list and keep sending information to the people on it– a new product development, a special price, a contest or some tidbits about you and your life - they will become familiar with you and will begin to trust you. Soon your name will be associated with the product they are interested in and they will eventually buy from you when the need arises.

The goal is to provide valuable content to your list. If you continue to market and sell them, chances are they will ask to be removed from your list. People seek out information, tips and strategies that will help them improve their lives and if you can be that conduit and continue to educate and be a valuable resource, your list will continue to grow.
Be prepared to start small, a list will not grow overnight. As in any relationship, it will need time to develop. And remember the more valuable information you can provide to your targeted list the more effectively you will be able to continue to grow your list and eventually sell your products and services.

©Kellie D’Andrea & Associates
Want to use this article in your newsletter or web site?You can, just include this complete blurb with it: Kellie D'Andrea is the creator of the BLAST system and publishes "The Marketing Edge" a FREE award winning ezine for small business owners who want to gain the competitive edge with strategic marketing and branding techniques that actually work. Find out the 23 Common Mistakes Most Entrepreneurs make with a FREE report offered at www.kelliedandrea.com.

Add More of You to Your Content

By now you are probably familiar with email marketing and may even be familiar with an
ezine (pronounced e –zeen from the root electronic or e – magazine), and may even be
using these marketing techniques in your business already. Some marketers may tell you that ezines are dead, a thing of the past. I would tell you that ezines are one of the most cost effective and strategic marketing techniques out on the market today.

So why aren’t more entrepreneurs grabbing onto to this wonderful idea and running with. Most likely, because of the fear that they need technical expertise or will need to hire a graphic designer not to mention a lawyer to understand SPAM laws. With all that, online marketing and ezine publishing may appear that it is going to cost you a lot of money so why bother?

Because you do not need technical expertise, a graphic designer or a lawyer specifically to manage SPAM not to mention the most important reason why – your competitors? Right now, many of your competitors are setting up an online marketing system or are thinking about it. Here is your opportunity to beat them to the punch, own your market and reach far more customers than you could through traditional methods. Online marketing is not something you should ignore, it is something you should embrace and has the potential to boost your business and profits very easily and without technical or graphical expertise.

The single most important item in successful ezine publishing is your ability to produce useful, informative and entertaining content for your readers on a consistent and frequent basis. From the words of Shoeless Joe Jackson in the 1989 movie “Field of Dreams”, “If you build it, they will come”, or in our case “If you write it, they will come”. People have a natural tendency to seek out information and a need to learn about new things. By offering valuable content, you are filling this need and developing a relationship with each of your readers and you will eventually develop a following.

Here are some tips to help you successfully connect with your readers.

1) Write your articles with your readers in mind. When you write, you should write from the customers’ perspective and be able to answer the question, what will my reader get from this article and how will it benefit them.

2) Try reaching your readers through personality – yours and theirs. To create emotional ties, you need to appeal to your readers on an emotional level, something they can relate to. Add a piece of yourself to your ezine and make it real. You want your readers to feel a sense of kinship to you and to feel they are just like you. In order to that, show a bit of your personality, humbleness and humor.

3) Be Real and Authentic. It is okay to share something about yourself and to share your opinions. No matter what your beliefs, politics or views are, it is okay to share a little bit with your readers so they can get a sense of who you are. Just make sure not to use caution when discussing strong topics such as religion and politics and be sensitive that not all may share your views. Let your readers know that it is okay for some readers to be different and still connect with you.

4) Show you care. Ask your readers for their opinions, ideas and views. Share the results of a survey in your next ezine issue and write an interested article based upon the results. Not only does this fuel ideas for new content, it helps you keep a pulse on what your readers are looking for.


©Kellie D’Andrea & Associates

Want to use this article in your newsletter or web site?You can, just include this complete blurb with it: Kellie D'Andrea is the creator of the BLAST system and publishes "The Marketing Edge" a FREE award winning ezine for small business owners who want to gain the competitive edge with strategic marketing and branding techniques that actually work. Find out the 23 Common Mistakes Most Entrepreneurs make with a FREE report offered at www.kelliedandrea.com.