Top Three Reasons Why You Need to Build Your Own Opt-In List of Fans

By Adam Urbanski

With all the talk about the importance of building and maintaining a “list” of current and potential clients, strategic alliances, business friends, and fans, it constantly surprises me how few professionals make an effort to do it.

Building such list was one of the fundamental steps of my marketing strategy that allowed me to transform my solo coaching and consulting practice, into a seven figure training and information marketing business.

I want to make sure you understand WHY it’s so important to Build Your Own Opt-In List

1. It’s easier to get an opt-in than a sale.

By “opt-in” I mean someone coming to your website, finding what one of my friends and fellow information marketers calls an “ethical bribe” – something (usually information) they really want, and deciding to give you their contact information (name and email) in exchange for it.

It’s much easier and simpler to just type in name and email than to complete an entire sales form. Plus, giving up an email address is a lot less risky than revealing credit card information.

Finally, an opt-in is “free.” So if you present people with something they really want, something that will be helpful to them, this will be a great first step towards building a long-term, trusting, and profitable relationship.

2. It builds trust and relationships.

Having a list gives you a chance to continue building trust and relationships with your subscribers, clients and future clients over a longer period of time.

If someone comes to your website, it’s virtually impossible for them to start liking and trusting you enough to want to buy from you or hire you as a service provider right away.

However, if you provide them with good information, they’ll start to warm up to you. They’ll start to be convinced that you are a real person and a real business. They’ll know you provide quality solutions and services. And with time they very likely engage in business with you.

3. It increases your sales…

Having the ability to communicate with your fans time and again – each time providing them with valuable information, will increase your chances for gaining your first sale from them, as well as repeat sales.

Once the person becomes your subscriber they will have opportunities to take a look at your offers while continuing to build a relationship with you.

With your own opt-in list you have the ability to invite subscribers to become first time customers – and you can do it over and over again, until they purchase something from you or tell you, “That’s enough, I’m out of here.”

Either way, it’s a great situation. If they purchase, they are acknowledging that it is a good match. If they leave your list, they’re acknowledging that they were not a good match. They need to go elsewhere.

You need to realize there is nothing wrong with people opting out. They’re simply indicating to you that it was not a good match between what you’re providing and what they’re looking for. The worst thing you can do is build your list and then never communicate with your fans worrying they will leave.

Never despair when people leave your list, unless you have a mass exodus. If people leave your subscription database in droves and you don’t know why, there is most likely a big problem.

Again, it’s easier to get an opt-in than a sale. It gives you a chance to build trusting relationships. It also gives you an opportunity to invite people to explore your offers. They’ll not only make original purchases, but also repetitive purchases throughout the weeks, months and even years.

Now you know all the basic reasons WHY you need to build a bigger list. And it really is not that hard, but you just have to start!

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• Building A List From Scratch; How To Build A Responsive Subscriber List
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