If you run an online business you know how important your “list” can be.  A list that will  will read your valuable content, buy your products and services, or buy your affiliate offers.

Slow and steady wins the race.  When you follow a certain formula, you can build an opt-in list and  add at least one hundred subscribers to that list week after week. And you can do this without depending on Search Engine Optimization or any secret formula.

And you can multiply that number to the thousands, once  you become familiar with the process and set up a replicable system. A major mistake made by internet marketing newbies is their thinking that the number added this week has to exponentially increase the next week. This is a total misconception.

Use the classic model to start small with your plan development, and rise in slow increments with the numbers. It is best to steadily build a list, without expecting overwhelming numbers in the beginning of the process.

Think about this, when you consistently add  more than one hundred subscribers to your list on a weekly basis that means you will generate one thousand subscribers in just ten weeks.

These one thousand subscribers have the potential of netting you a thousand dollars or more each month…if you nurture and maintain your list as you move through the process. This can translate into a twelve thousand dollar income from just this one list of subscribers.

The essential component is your squeeze page, the page designed to convert your website traffic into your subscribers. If you need some ideas for a squeeze page you can Google ‘squeeze page templates’ and get some ideas.

Modify the wording of the template to match it to suit your needs, and then upload it to your web hosting. In addition, you will need to incorporate your autoresponder code into the template.

Two of the autoresponders we recommend are Aweber and Getresponse many internet marketer’s  Autoresponder of choice.

You can get some traffic generating ideas by finding ezine articles written by other marketers in your chosen niche. The purpose of doing this is to compile a list of marketers from your niche who are email list owners.

To build your experts list, start by visiting forums in your selected niche, a google search, social media or obtaining the ezine articles as an email list subscriber to various other marketer’s lists.

Reach out and personally contact individual marketers via email asking if they would sell you a paid solo ad to their list, and what the cost is to send it out to their subscribers.

In many cases this can be an economical way to reach your target audience. Being strategic and thoughtful in your list selection can result in adding hundreds of new subscribers for less than fifty bucks. Ask to place  an ad in these expert’s ezine’s close to the top, as it will get much more traction than placing an ad at the bottom of their publication.

A Google search will result in a large number of ezine articles for you to source. To save time you may want to research the Ezine Directory. This is a free directory that is searchable for directories by niche and subject. This is not to be mistaken for the directory of ezines which costs $197.  You can also register for the Ezine Directory (free) and do a basic search. To do a more extensive search will cost $19.95 a month which can include the number of subscribers per list and more. If you have an ezine you can submit it to the site for free. .

Remember that with a well maintained email list, each subscriber generally equates to at least one dollar per month as income.

There will be some ezine owners who will not consent to a paid solo ad, but many of them will since it will be profitable for them. It only takes a few quality list sources for this to produce the needed traffic to your website. This is great technique that will help you build your opt-in email list. Expect to pay between $25 and $100 depending on the number of subscribers the ezine has, the length of time it has been published and other relevant factors.

Remember that with a well maintained email list, each subscriber generally equals at least one dollar per month as income.

Create a funnel with a simple optin such as a free or highly discounted offer and as you build a relationship with your list you can start inviting them to take advantage of your higher ticket items.

Once your list begins to trust you – if they like what you have to offer, they will look forward to your emails and buy more of what you have to sell. It is important to remember that people want to know what you can do for them or how you can solve their problems.

Any customer who makes one purchase has a higher probability of making future purchases, this works especially well with offers that cost ten dollars or less.

These members are much more valuable to your business than the subscribers who never purchase anything. However, don’t devalue those subscribers, as they may refer others who will buy what you have to offer.

This strategy works when you are consistently providing valuable content.

New customers will be more open to your future offers, and will remember you from their previous product purchase, so your follow up email offers have a greater likelihood of producing more sales for you.

Keep in mind they will expect you to present them with exceptional value over and above the cost of the product. When you do this, it will lead to future sales and more importantly build a loyal following. And they will be more inclined to tell others about your business, and promote your products as an affiliate.

An illustration of a valuable offer:  you have a product that costs almost one hundred dollars that is not selling well or not selling at all. Offer this same product to new subscribers at a highly reduced price (for instance 90% off) and watch what happens. If the product is of value to the subscriber she will jump at the chance to purchase. Especially if you add the element of urgency to the promotion (eg. sale ends by  a specified time). This is also a good way to test the value of a product in the marketplace. If you cannot even sell it for the 90% discount, chances are, its not worth the anything to the prospect at any price.

Remember that during the process of building an email list, it is vitally important to supply quality, informative content to educate the subscriber, You can weave in your promotions without hard selling. YOu want your audience to know you have a solution to their problems and that solution comes in the form of your products and/or services.  The goal is to get them excited about you, your emails, and buy more of your products.

Be respectful to your list subscribers, and always avoid sending them stuff with a ton of offers with no valuable content. You main goal should be to make their lives better.

If they feel that you are motivated only by money they will unsubscribe, maybe send your emails to the spam folder, or delete them all together.

They will know that you care about them by your actions. This will result in building a list of dedicated, loyal customers that you can continue to market to for as long as it serves their needs.