Don't Be Squeamish About Making Money From Your Opt-In List

By Denise Hall

Many Internet marketers don't understand why they must build an opt-in list. Others don't feel they should send follow-up emails to their list, just a one-time mailing when new members request information or a weekly newsletter, but no sales info.

The funny thing is, offline businesses use the same marketing concepts all the time and no one thinks twice about it.

Maybe an example of offline list-building and follow-up will help put the concept of making money from your opt-in list into perspective...

I sold Avon products 20+ years ago. As an Avon representative I had to find my own customers by talking to friends and relatives and going door to door. After all, how could anyone order from me if they didn't know I sold it?

By contacting people on the phone or knocking on their door, I was building a list of prospects, people who might be interested in buying at some point. This equates to building an opt-in list online.

Every two weeks I would give these prospects Avon's current sale catalog with my name and phone number on the back. A few would call me and place an order. But I discovered that if I called the others to remind them the sale was ending in a couple of days, my sales tripled!

This process of giving prospects new catalogs and checking back to get their order, equates to follow up emails in online terms. The money really is in the list, both online and offline - it's easier to sell to existing customers and prospects than to go out and find new ones.

Do you see what happened with follow-up? My sales TRIPLED! If I hadn't made some phone calls (online = emails) to follow up with potential customers my income would have been only 1/3 of what it was. I would have had to do 3 times the work to make the same amount of money.

I was reluctant at first to follow-up with my Avon prospects, afraid they would feel I was like the pushy car salesmen we all hate. But I learned that with a little nudge (follow-up) my sales tripled. And without it, I was leaving money on the table.

The same marketing principal applies to online marketing... list-building and follow-up are the key to generating a good income rather than just putting a few extra bucks in your pocket.

About the Author:

Denise Hall is owner of several websites and enjoys helping others learn to become successful online, too. Get this simple, yet powerful, 6-step system that shows you how to grow your list, provide your readers with the content they crave and start making more money than you ever imagined from your list. Visit http://www.home-business-on-a-budget.com/6steps.htm