Building An Opt-in Email List

If you’re involved in any type of internet marketing, you know how important it is to get your marketing message in front of people who are receptive to reading it or hearing it.  Sending your message to people who are not interested is a waste of time and resources,so identifying people who might be interested can save you time and money and increase the success of your marketing campaign.  So how do you find out who’s interested in reviewing your materials?  Use an opt-in list to build a listing of interested individuals so that you can make your marketing materials as effective as possible.

Avoid List-Building Mistakes

The number one mistake many gung-ho online business owners make when building an opt-in list is that they forget about the opt-in part and concentrate on the list building.  You might be tempted to grab all the business cards you’ve collected over the years and pore over your e-mail address book and then send your newsletter or e-zine to all of the people you have found.  This completely defeats the purpose of opt-in lists because you take away the permission aspect of this type of marketing and send your information to people who may not want it.  Not only might this annoy your prospects, it might also be considered spam.

Place Your Opt-In Form Prominently on Your Web Site

Most people won’t go looking for an opportunity to opt in to your e-mail list so you need to make the availability of your newsletter or special report known right at the top of the page.  An opt-in form doesn’t have to be complicated; in fact, it can be quite simple.  Simply come up with a creative title for the newsletter or report you are marketing, use a clever slogan or tagline to get people interested, and let people know the benefits of signing up for your list.  The form can be as simple as two text boxes for the person’s name and e-mail address.  Of course, you’ll need a submit button so people can send their information, but the whole process of creating a form shouldn’t take long at all.

Provide Relevant Information

Once people are on your list, don’t annoy them with constant sales messages or marketing ploys.  Simply provide them with solid information that’s relevant to their business or personal lives.  You can include a short marketing message somewhere in your materials, but don’t make every article or blurb a blatant sales pitch.  Keeping your newsletter or e-zine full of relevant content will keep people interested in reading each month.

Provide an Opt-Out Method

Once people have opted in to your mailing list, they may receive your information and decide that they don’t need it or that they can’t possibly make any more time for sorting through e-mails and reading newsletters.  Give these people a way to unsubscribe from your mailing list so your materials don’t pile up in their inboxes and create ill will for your company.

Using an opt-in list is a great way to market your business if you’re willing to follow the rules and provide a quality newsletter or e-zine.  Use this marketing tool to create customer loyalty and boost your business profits.