In a previous article, I showed you how to write an article.
If you are planning on building an email list, then knowing how to
write articles will be an indispensable skill for you.
(You can find that article here:
http://www.smallbusinesshowto.com/newsletter03032003.html)
The reason why is because you are going to need content for
your newsletter. There are some excellent sites out there
that offer great free content for your newsletter, but if
you want your newsletter to stand out, you will need to
write some of your own content.
Now you've probably heard it said a 1000 times by the
top online marketers: the single most important thing that
you can do is build your list.
I challenge you because there is a second part to this:
build a relationship with your customers and readers.
Provide them with content that they can use and products
that they want. You'll have loyal subscribers who will buy
your products.
Ok, so how do you build a list?
First, there's two types of lists that I recommend you
offer. You can use either one or both.
You can build a newsletter and/or offer free tips or a free
course.
1. Newsletter
Before you do anything else, you need to
decide what your newsletter is going to be about.
Be specific. You can't write about everything.
If you've created a target market for your business, then
you'll know what you are going to write about.
For example, my newsletter, Small Business Success is for
small business owners, but I am looking for specific small
business owners, people who have 10 or less employees or no
employees at all, but they do most of the work themselves.
They may work at home, but they may have an office.
My goal is to provide them time saving tips and tools to
help them run their businesses faster and easier. I want to
help them make the most valuable use of their time so that
they can make more money.
Once you've created your newsletter idea, write a few
articles to publish. Don't wait until you're ready to
publish because it's very difficult to publish a newsletter,
especially weekly, when you're working under a deadline.
Next, you'll want to visit some newsletter directories and
study comparable newsletters to help you write your
newsletter description. You want to do this because you will
be promoting your newsletter and you want a description that
will get you subscribers.
Here's five directories you can use to help you:
http://www.EzineSearch.com
http://www.EzineWorld.com
http://www.E-Zinez.com
http://Ezine-Universe.com
http://www.BestEzines.com
Once you've completed your description, begin submitting
your newsletter to these directories then submit to as many
other directories as you can. Currently, there are 40 major
directories that will drive plenty of traffic to your
newsletter.
2. Autoresponders
Now, I'm sure my friend Mac thinks I'm
picking on him again. After all, he sells metal polish.
There's only so much that you can say about metal polish.
For people like Mac, autoresponders provide the perfect
solution.
First, he could provide a weekly tip to customers on how to
get the most out of each type of polish he offers.
Second, he could offer a weekly training tip for
distributors to help them sell more of his products.
The goal is to remind his customers and distributors of his
products.
With the right autoresponder, not only could he load
messages to be automatically sent out at regular intervals,
but he could send out product updates as they become
available.
Here are some places that you can find free autoresponders
to get you started:
http://www.getresponse.com
http://www.freeautobot.net
http://www.responders.net
The important thing to look for is unlimited messages, the
ability to post messages to your list, and if you are new to
HTML, form script.
Again, your autoresponder can be promoted much the same way
as your newsletter list, but don't forget to put a sign up
form on your web site.
Although this is an involved marketing technique, I believe
you will find it to be the least expensive and most
profitable technique in your marketing arsenal.
About the Author
Jinger Jarrett is the author of "10 Ways to Promote Your
Business for Free", and the free ecourse, "How to Really
Start Your Business in 30 Days." Get your free copy of her
ebook by subscribing to her newsletter. Send a blank email
to SBS@parabots.com or SBSecourse@parabots.com to get the
ecourse.