In this second post on list building, we are going to talk more about building and managing your new list.

Building and managing an optin list provides the list owner direct access to potential customers. As we discussed in the last post, building and managing an optin list includes making it possible for website visitors to fill out an online form in order to sign up to receive email updates from you. These emails can contain updates, information, or news related to your latest products and services.

As you should know, building and managing an optin list is very important. Your list can be used in many ways. It’s a proven marketing technique, that many businesses use to keep customers, subscribers and website visitors updated and engaged in your business.

Gathering email addresses for your optin list can be done in several ways, using many different types of services, scripts and software. For today, we are going to talk mainly about using an autoresponder script or service.

An autoresponder script allows a subscriber to fill in a form and send it in to a specific address. The information is then processed and included in a database file. After that, the list owner can send a personalized reply to the subscriber to thank them for joining their list.

There are several types of autoresponder’s available. They are divided into three main types: remotely hosted, locally hosted, and desktop hosted.

For many list owners, locally and desktop-hosted are far preferred over remotely hosted. Although remote hosted are a very good option in some cases, locally and desktop hosted autoresponder’s will allow you complete control because you are running the program on your own site.

If you have a domain name, you can use as many autoresponder’s as you like, all of which will match your domain name. When you use a remotely hosted program, you won’t be able to use your domain name with the autoresponder, unless you pay for a premium service. Instead, you’ll receive an address from the provider that resembles their link. This can be great for some, although many prefer to have their own domain name listed in the autoresponder.

If you use your own domain name with your autoresponder, you can normally keep it secret that you are using an autoresponder. When you send out emails using your autoresponder, it will display your website email, making it very hard to detect an autoresponder.

If you use a remotely hosted autoresponder, those you send messages to will notice that you are using an autoresponder. If you are just starting out and happen to be on a tight budget and have the technical skills required, a remotely hosted autoresponder may very well be the best solution. You can use it until you get more money and get back on track, although you shouldn’t use it long term. Remotely hosted programs can get expensive very quickly; as the monthly charges will add it quick each month you use the program.

You can find remotely hosted autoresponder’s all over the Internet; all you have to do is search on Google, Bing or Yahoo. Aweber and GetResponse are very popular among marketers although I do recommend Active Campaign as it can grow with you .

Although locally hosted autoresponder’s may be preferred by many, they do have their disadvantages. Some types will limit how many domains you can install them on. If the vendor doesn’t provide free installation, you could have a problem installing the script, as most require some degree of technical experience. Although you have complete control over the program, locally hosted programs don’t have as many features as remotely hosted programs. Also, deliverability may be less than compared to a remotely hosted solution.

Desktop-hosted autoresponder’s are good, although they have disadvantages. Some types will limit how many copies you can install on different computers. To get the most from them, you’ll need a computer that is always connected to the Internet. You’ll also need some experience to set them up, and they aren’t recommended for those who have large mailing lists. As with local hosting, deliverability may be less than compared to a remotely hosted solution.

Although there are 3 main types of autoresponder’s the type you choose should depend on your website and your needs. What’s the best idea for you may be completely different to someone else. When you make your final decision, you should always decide on what you need for your company, then pick the solution that works best for you.

Remember, building and managing an optin list is one of the best and most effective ways to increase profits for your business, so it’s important you do it the right way.

That’s it for today’s post. In your next post, we will be talking about building a relationship with your news subscribers.

In today’s post, we are going to go over some of the important do’s and don’t of list building, so that you can get started building your own profitable list right away.

One of the most powerful tools in online marketing is an email list. An optin list is simply a database of people’s names and email addresses. Usually this information is collected from them via a web form, which gives the list owner permission to send subscribers periodic emails on specific topics that interest them.

The best part of this powerful tool is that it gives the list owner the ability to communicate and build a relationship with people who are interested in their business, products, or services. When it comes to effective list building there are a few do’s and don’ts that you should know before you start your own optin mailing list.

First lets go over some of the things you should do:

– Always inform people that they can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time. Be sure to let them know that their information is safe and that you will never rent, sell or share their email address with anyone.

– Make sure that let your subscribers know what you will be sending them. It is important that you ask people permission to send them promotional email when they subscribe to your mailing list so that you can reduce your risk of being accused of sending SPAM.

– Be clear about how people can benefit from subscribing and how often will you contact them. Let them know exactly what they will be receiving.

– If you can, contact any new subscriber as soon as you can. Welcome them with notes and tell them what to expect. A good autoresponder service will help you do this automatically.

– Make it easy to subscribe by having a highly visible optin form or link on the main pages of your website. Signing up should take as little time as possible and don’t ask for too much information right away. A name and email address is all you need to get started.

– After someone subscribes then you should collect more data. For instance, you may want to know their company name, industry, or location. You can do this by including a survey in your emails to gauge interests. It’s important to understand where people are coming from so you can make adjustments in your communications or promotions.

– When you write an email, put yourself in the reader’s shoes and ask, “Why shouldn’t I hit the delete key right now?” Your readers didn’t subscribe because they want to hear a sales pitch. They have a reason for wanting information from you. It could be to save time, money, or effort, or improve productivity and success. Your emails must be compelling enough to convince people to sign up, valuable enough to keep them wanting more, and useful enough to pass along.

Next, are the things you shouldn’t do:

– Add everyone who has ever emailed you to your list. Always ask permission first.

– Purchase bulk email lists that you are not 100% sure that are optin. Always have evidence to prove the legitimacy of the email addresses.

– Never abuse the trust of your subscribers. This is a sure way to ruin your reputation, business and your chance of success. When you abuse your subscribers and bombard them with unwanted email, they will ignore your messages, unsubscribe or even worse report you as a spammer.

– Don’t offer fantastic incentives for subscribing. Although this may seem like a great idea, you will end up getting subscribers that only want the reward, not to learn valuable information about what your business, products and services can do for them. Instead, use incentives that are useful such as a free report, seminar, or more information about your products & services.

– Don’t bombard your subscribers with too many emails. How many are too many? This will depend on your message. During the subscription process, let people know what they are getting before they join.

– Don’t be reluctant to address the needs of your subscribers. Keep your information focused. It is important to give them what they want. This will keep them on your list and wanting more. If you’re information drifts off topic or is too generic you will lose subscribers as fast as you get them.

– Don’t spend too much money acquiring email addresses. An optin list is a valuable asset and that means there is an investment on your part to build and maintain it. But, budget reasonably and in advance, find the most cost effective ways for reaching your target audience and know exactly how much it will cost to acquire each new subscriber. Keep in mind potential revenue, and lifetime value of each customer, and chose accordingly.

That’s it for today’s post. In the next post, we will be talking more about building and managing your new list.