Kerrie Sheehan’s Blog

E-mail lists are gold. You can mine a good e-mail list to sell over and over again to the same customers for years. Treat them right and they are yours for life. These aren’t just a mindless list of prospects, these are people who have chosen to follow you and will come to feel they know you. You may be daunted by the prospect of establishing a list, but it is actually very simple. And once the machinery is in place, you can let your autoresponder handle the details for you.

Double Opt In Subscriptions

To set up a good subscription list you will need to open an account with an autoresponder. An autoresponder is a service that manages your e-mail lists and provides what is known as a double opt in subscription, which verifies every e-mail recipient on your list wants to be there. It works like this:

• Customer lands on an opt in page and enters an e-mail address.
• Customer is advised to check inbox and confirm subscription.
• Customer follows link in e-mail to confirm.

This way, every address on your list will have chosen twice to subscribe, hence the phrase “double opt in”. The value of this list cannot be measured because it will target people with an interest in your niche who have already agreed you are not spamming them. Of course, you will make it easy for anyone to unsubscribe when they want so there are never any issues.

An Offer They Can’t Refuse

Once you have an autoresponder, you will need an offer to induce customers to sign up for your e-mail list. You can offer a report, an e-book, an mp3 download, or a shareware application. Digital products convert well because they offer instant gratification and inspire confidence in the customer. The better your offer sounds and the less the customer has at stake, the more likely you will overcome any reluctance and get that magical e-mail address.

You can use your autoresponder to send each new e-mail address a series of pre-written e-mails that introduce them to your list and deliver a slowly building sales pitch.

You will also be communicating to your entire list on a regular basis. You can write to share information about:

• Products in development
• News in your niche or industry
• Tips that help them succeed with your products

And every time you give your list good information you will not only be building goodwill, you will also have an opportunity to end your e-mail with a call to action.

Autoresponders Make It Easy

If you have ever tried to manage a subscription e-mail list on your own, then you can appreciate that autoresponders have made e-mail list management a breeze for any business. Your e-mail list will be your customer base for years to come and the sooner you start collecting e-mail addresses, the larger your e-mail list will grow over time. If you haven’t already, now may be the time to explore list building strategies for your business.

To find out more about strategies and the benefits of building your opt-in list, lead capture and squeeze pages visit http://www.superteammarketing.com.