Just about any online marketing guru will tell you that building a mailing list is critical function of achieving success and profits online:

“No matter what you do, what you make, or how smart you are, the most valuable thing you own is your list of customers.”
Perry Marshall – Google AdWords Guru

Looking for new prospects? Who isn’t! You probably have hundreds you’re not paying attention to… your present customers.
Jeffrey Gitomer – Sales Guru

But how do you convince people to give you their email address so that you can promote your products to them at some future date?

First, you must entice them to give you their email address. This can be done by offering something of value in exchange.

Some ideas:

• An informational eBook – Example: a “how to guide” for setting up Google Analytics

• A white paper – Example: A report that analyzes a current technology that captures the interest of your target audience.

• A special report – do your own original research and prepare an exclusive report – Example: MarketingSherpa’s Annual Email Marketer Survey - Real-life Marketer Data

• Money making/saving information – Example: 10 Ways to Cut Costs on your Google AdWords Campaign

• Case Studies of people and businesses that a have achieved the success that your target audience is trying to achieve – Example: Detailed personal stories of 3 people who have lost more than 100 pounds and exactly how they did it.

• A Video – Example: A Raleigh real estate buyer’s agency offers a free video on what to look for in a home inspection.

What kind of information can you provide that your customers will gladly trade their email address for?

In my next blog post, I’ll talk about the second part of the equation – keeping people on your mailing list after they’ve received the initial reward.

Tags: Marketing //