Showing posts with label MLM Success. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MLM Success. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Building your downline offline


From the desk of Mike Serra    

Most people that join some type of MLM business are normally told by their upline to market to their family and friends which is not a terrible statement.  Then they are directed to internet marketing like video marketing, social media, article marketing, pay per click marketing, email marketing, and many more.  Most people are focused on online marketing and never think about using offline marketing which has been working for centuries.  One in particular is using yard signs, which is commonly used in the real estate industry.

Yard Signs aka realtor signs are a great tool for exposing an opportunity and recruiting locally.  I'm sure you have seen several of these signs driving around your neighborhood.  To be honest I don't know why this method of advertising isn't used more often when it comes to building your MLM or Network Marketing business.  This strategy is very easy to duplicate and is very cost effective.  I place about 15 signs at a time in one area and it normally produces about 10-20 calls a day for about 2 weeks.

I'm sure your next question is how do I get my hands on some of these yard signs?  Cheapsigns.com is a great place to get your signs created.  My preference is Supercheapsigns.com but both are cost effective ways to get your message across.  I learned that it is recommended to use a yellow background with black lettering which gets the best results.
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Now it's time to eliminate the tire kickers by wording your sign as such.  $150,000 PER YEAR WORKING FROM HOME Don't Believe It? Don't Call! 888-###-####.  This is just an example so you can word it how you want.  Now instead of getting random phone calls it is a great idea to use a voice mail recording so you can sort your prospects. Phonepower.com and are great tools to do just that.  With phonepower.com you can create an 800 number or a local number depending on your preference.  I have a script that I use for my voicemail that is very direct and to the point. 

Once you get your yard signs, the best place to put them is by busy intersections and highway off ramps.  One thing I would suggest is be very careful of enforcement activities.  Local officials can possibly fine you $100 per sign if not removed in a timely manner. I found that placing signs on Friday evenings and then removing them on Sunday evenings work with no problems at all.

Once you get your yard signs, the best place to put them is by busy intersections and highway off ramps.  One thing I would suggest is be very careful of enforcement activities.  Local officials can possibly fine you $100 per sign if not removed in a timely manner. I found that placing signs on Friday evenings and then removing them on Sunday evenings work with no problems at all. To get an even better response you could use some good sales copy too! For example you could write ‘Tired of driving to a job you hate?’ or something to aggravate their pain a little. (You can have that idea if you like!)
If you place these signs in some busy intersections you could get quite a few leads per day.
Also think about where your target market hangs out? Where do your prospects like to go?





Monday, November 5, 2012

The 1,2,3's Of MLM






Network Marketing, 'MLM', and Multi Level Marketing are all terms that refer to the same type of business model. While many close-minded people outside the industry (and others who've tried it and failed), have biased or negative wrong impressions, and despite the fact that it is used and abused by many crooks and con-artists, this business model has exceptional performance potential.
There are bad apples in every bunch, and this industry has more than it's share. But it can produce outstanding results if you know how to find the right company. And to maximize your potential, there are a few simple concepts whose understanding is critical to your success.
Unlike franchises or conventional businesses, Network Marketing, MLM, and Multilevel Marketing are the only business models that take advantage of all three of the important, yet misunderstood principles of:
Passive Residual Income - Leverage - and Geometric Growth.
And the combination of all three of these elements is what gives the Network Marketing business model it's synergy and exceptional performance potential. In fact one outstanding company I'm aware of has actually built designed synergy into their business model.
7 7 Poor Reasons to l forces with a minimal investment of time and money!
Whether it's a franchise or conventional business, both require major investments of time and money, and special skills if you hope to be really successful. Even the relatively small percentage who achieve true success usually take years just to break even.
On the other hand, with the advent and popularity of the Internet and the rampant quest to "Get Rich Quick for Doing Nothing", many people have gotten all excited about affiliate, associate, referral, or co-op programs as they are sometimes called. But very few of the thousands of these being promoted have any real chance of making any significant money for the vast majority of people who get involved.
A perfect example is an email I recently received from one of these programs who claim to be 'the best'. They bragged that they were paying "over $400,000 in commissions each month!" and have "now grown to over 650,000 affiliates!"
Those are interesting statistics some might get excited about. Let's see... if they're true... They're paying an 'average' of $.61 per affiliate... That's sixty one cents ! Wow! How would you like to retire on that?!
They claim later in their letter that some are making $10,000 a month. If that's true, then to come up with an 'average' of sixty one cents each, the vast majority have to be making absolutely nothing.
There is a much better way to achieve your dreams!
But you have to:
1) Take the time to understand these three critical principles -
PASSIVE RESIDUAL INCOME - LEVERAGE - GEOMETRIC GROWTH
Then...
2) LEARN TO ASK THREE SIMPLE QUESTIONS! - so you can teach what you know to others.
If you're even moderately successful in networking, you undoubtedly understand and believe in the three principles above. If you haven't yet had the success you desire, you may not completely understand these principles, or how to get them across to others. Highly successful networkers have learned how to ask the right questions, then help others understand and take advantage of these important and powerful concepts.
Unfortunately these principles are not well understood by the majority of the population. And that's just one reason why so many fail at network marketing. There are lots of other reasons, and it would take a book to cover them all. But this is one of the more common ones. Because if you don't understand or believe in these principles, it's impossible to help others fully comprehend and appreciate them.
Let's face it, our educational system trains (or brainwashes) us to be conformists, to do what others tell us to do, and to prepare for a JOB, not an entrepreneurial business opportunity. So those of us who crave our independence and freedom, head in that direction in spite of our education, rarely because of it.
And even though many people claim they'd like to be their own boss or own their own business, only a small percentage of the population possess the necessary desire for success to risk stepping out of their 'comfort zones' to pursue their dreams.
Most people are afraid of failure, and for them it may be better and easier to live life in a rut. Others are satisfied or even happy with their jobs, incomes, or lifestyles, and that's great for them. But if you're one of millions who yearn for more freedom and control in your life, you must understand the following three principles to achieve True Success in Network Marketing.
Residual income is recurring income that continues to come to you long after the work you've done to produce it has ended. There are lots of ways to produce residual income. But many people don't understand it. Others have never thought about or been exposed to it. And unfortunately, many ways of producing it are out of reach for 'average' people.
Successful authors, actors, musicians, and insurance agents are some of the more familiar avocations that produce residual income. Probably the simplest and best example of passive residual income is interest earned on money in the bank or other investments. It gets paid or credited to you without you having to invest any more time to produce it.
Using the "virtual millionaire" concept I will explain below, if you had a million dollars in the bank earning 6% interest, that would produce about $60,000 of annual income (before taxes). So if you have any source of passive residual income producing $60,000 or more a year, you are a "virtual millionaire".
And with the right business, that can be much easier to accomplish than trying to overcome all the roadblocks to accumulating a million dollars in the bank. Instead of Uncle Sam fighting you all the way (taxing all your income), he actually becomes an active partner by giving you all kinds of tax breaks and incentives to succeed.
There are only two sources of money:
1) PEOPLE AT WORK, and 2) MONEY AT WORK...
THAT'S IT!
The simple goal of Retirement & Financial Planning is to make sure you accumulate enough money (or income producing assets), so that when you decide or are forced to retire, it will produce enough PASSIVE RESIDUAL INCOME for you to enjoy the lifestyle you choose for as long as you live.
The same concept holds true in Network Marketing. But Leverage, and Duplication or Geometric Progression, can help you build it much faster in the RIGHT Network Marketing program.
One of the first questions I often asks prospects is:
"If you had the choice of doing a job and earning $500 once, or getting paid $100/mo for the rest of your life, which would you choose?"
You'd be surprised at how many answer $500! These people either, 1) are not good prospects or, 2) need some education. That question is one quick and simple way to pre-qualify people. Those who don't understand that principle may never achieve their true potential.
Obviously $100/mo. will surpass a 'one time' $500 relatively quickly. And if it lasts for a few years, or better yet - the rest of your life - it will really be a blessing. Producing enough passive residual income can make you a VIRTUAL MILLIONAIRE in a relatively short time, compared to working for someone else and scrimping and saving for 30 - 40 years.
A VIRTUAL MILLIONAIRE is someone who has enough money coming in every month, WHETHER THEY WORK OR NOT, to support the lifestyle THEY CHOOSE, for as long as they live. It's also nice to have something SIGNIFICANT to pass on to your heirs or favorite charity.

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Many people have a hard time understanding this FACT and mistakenly chase false promises of quick or easy money. That's why there will always be crooks and con artists in the world pitching "get rich quick and easy". Successful people ignore them. Naive or greedy people usually get burned.
Residual income is NOT about "get rich quick", even though with the right opportunity it's possible to produce a small fortune in a relatively short time.
If you're especially talented or have the time and money to invest, you may have some success in less than a year. And many people do. But without a major investment of time or money it takes most 'typical' people a year or two of part time work to generate a decent income, and another year or two to really hit the big time. But achieving success with 2 - 4 years of part-time effort beats the widely accepted 'standard' plan of slaving 20 - 40 years working for someone else to make them wealthy!
Most people who fail at network marketing either choose the wrong company or just give up too soon and quit because they expect INSTANT results. But because the real beauty of residual income is on the back end, not the front, once you build it you have the financial security and time freedom to do anything you want the rest of your life!
The RIGHT network marketing opportunity allows anyone, with no prior experience, special skills, or large capital outlay, to build long term, passive residual income. 

A critical component to building long term residual income is offering high quality, high demand, value-priced, 'consumable' products or services that people use and re-order month after month.
Because of this simple fact, the top industry in Network Marketing by any measurable standard is Nutritional Supplements and Personal Care products. Some people refuse to consider this industry because they don't take supplements themselves or don't understand the 'Big Picture' and successful business model of this industry.
Do you think Burger King and McDonald franchise owners invest hundreds of thousands of dollars because they like to eat fast food burgers? Not hardly! They understand human nature and trends in society. We're a convenience oriented society, and a large part of the population would rather eat low cost convenience food, even if we know it's not good for us.
But there's also a booming trend toward improving your health, improving your life, and developing personal and time freedom. Many 'opportunity seekers' completely miss or ignore these trends in society. If your business is in front of multiple long term trends, you dramatically increase your chances for success.
I'm not saying it's not important to believe in and use your own products, because it is! But for true success you have to recognize major trends in society, and your products or opportunity must meet ALL the highlighted criteria above - high quality, high demand, value-priced, and 'consumable'. (And in this case, 'consumable' does not necessarily mean just 'edible'. It means used and/or re-ordered on a regular basis.)
And with the right business the rewards can be much more than just financial! It's hard to put a price tag on the goose bumps you feel or tears that come to your eyes sometimes when someone thanks you profusely for introducing them to a product that has had a major impact on their health, their life, or their financial situation.
Unfortunately some people never grasp the importance of this additional benefit. Most good people want to feel they are doing something worthwhile with their life. And it's not just about making money, even though many narrow-minded or greedy people will try to convince you it is. It's also about helping others. And doing both , can make the right business doubly rewarding!
But your business also has to have profit potential. Some 'price-based' products or services have lots of competition and limited profit potential. If you choose a business like that you have to do a lot more volume and it's hard to build loyalty, which is an important element in producing long term passive residual income.
Every successful person or business (in or out of Network Marketing) takes advantage of leverage. There's only 24 hours in a day! And no matter how talented you are or how much you get paid per hour, if you don't take advantage of leverage you're limited by the number of hours in a day. By learning to leverage your time, you can also benefit from a percentage of other people's efforts, and dramatically increase your income and freedom.
If you're reading this article on the Internet (on my website or someone else's), or in a magazine, that's one simple example of leverage. I don't have to be physically present to teach you something. I may be sleeping, or vacationing on the other side of the world while you are learning or sharing this information.
Unfortunately in most traditional businesses, the only ones who benefit from leverage are the owners or stockholders. The loyal, hard-working employees do most of the work. The unique and wonderful thing about the Network Marketing business model, is that everyone has the same opportunity to become the 'owner' of their own business - with a fraction of the investment of time and money of a traditional business or franchise.
And instead of worrying about training people to become your competitors, in network marketing the people at the top have a vested interest in helping others on their team succeed.
Again, the question I ask prospects here is:
"If you had the choice to receive 100% of one person's efforts, or 5% of 100 peoples', which would you choose?"
And again, if they answer 100%, either: 1) they're not a good prospect or, 2) they need a remedial math class or additional education.
Many talented people would rather just depend on themselves, and have difficulty grasping the importance of this concept.
Obviously 100% of one is always only one. But 5% of 100 is five. That's a 500% increase and is significant! And with synergy, sometimes it can be even more!
Not only will the total result with leverage almost always be a lot more, but your income is not dependent on only one person. If it is, and that person gets sick or injured, disabled, dies, quits working, or decides to go on a long vacation, your income could stop!
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But if your income is produced by the activities of many, it is much more dependable. Even if something unexpected or negative happens to one or more of those people, it only has a minor effect on the total production. That's what allows people who understand and take advantage of this to live the lifestyle they choose or get paid while on extended vacations.
It's great to get paid while you're on vacation or doing other things you love! That's one of the many advantages of leveraging your time, and is just one of many reasons so many high income professionals from all walks of life are flocking to get involved in Network Marketing.
Many professionals who make great incomes, get frustrated at the 'bottom line' after putting in long hours just to cover overhead and miscellaneous expenses. No matter how much you earn per hour, if you don't learn to leverage your time, your earnings will always be limited by the number of hours you can work in a day. And nobody wants to work 24 hours! But even with a small network marketing organization, you can produce equivalent results to working 24 hours a day, with a fraction of the individual effort.
Learning to leverage your time (and money) is an important step toward gaining Financial Independence and Time freedom.
3) GEOMETRIC GROWTH - DUPLICATION - POWER OF ONE:
The best illustration I've seen of geometric growth is the penny-a-day example. It's also frequently used to illustrate the benefits of tax free compound interest.
If you start with one penny, and double it every day 30 days, how much will you have at the end of 30 days?
If you haven't heard this before or don't remember, go ahead and take a guess. Day two you'd have 2 cents; day three you'd have 4 cents, then 8, 16, and so on. How much at the end of 30 days?
I've never had anyone who hadn't heard this before come close. So don't feel bad if you don't, and I promise not to laugh. Ready? Did you pick a number?
Would you believe over FIVE MILLION DOLLARS?! ($5,368,708 to be exact!) That's right! Most people don't believe it until they punch it out on a calculator. And even then it's sometimes hard to fathom. But it's true. Isn't that amazing?
That's a simple illustration of how networking can work. If I can teach you, I've doubled myself. If we each teach someone else, we've doubled again. And as this goes on and on it can produce amazing results in a relatively short period of time, just like the penny example.
The easier your program is to do and the lower the cost to get involved, the more people you can appeal to and the more potential for geometric progression to work. Programs that are too complicated or expensive for 'average' people to do will always hinder your growth.
Great salespeople can succeed at almost anything they apply themselves to. But not many people have the talents, skills, or desire to be great salespeople. IT'S NOT DUPLICATABLE!
The Network Marking business model is about a lot of average people doing a little, not a few talented people doing a lot.
While lower cost of entry can be an advantage, many programs that are 'free', don't offer any real potential for significant income, and often attract people who aren't willing to work to build their business. So REALISTIC INCOME PRODUCING POWER is an important area to consider.
Joining a 'downline club' or any other program that promises any variation of - "we'll do everything for you" - will never produce significant LONG TERM passive residual income, because the majority of people who join are looking for a free ride or are too lazy to build anything significant. None of these programs have ever worked long term and none ever will. It's a simple fact of life successful networkers accept early on.
The penny a day example is a great model for illustration, but in 'real life' it never works exactly like that. Some people never recruit anyone, and others find 10 - 20 - 30 or more. It helps to understand human nature, and an IMPORTANT, but little known reality called REVERSE GEOMETRIC GROWTH.
Understanding this important principle is also critical to your success! If you'd like a more detailed explanation of that important concept, send me an email or give me a call letting me know you want to learn more about REVERSE GEOMETRIC GROWTH. I'll be happy to send you a VALUABLE FREE REPORT.
Or you can visit my "RETIRE QUICKLY" website below and request another FREE REPORT SERIES offered there.
Despite the fact it rarely works in reality like it's illustrated on paper, the principle of GEOMETRIC GROWTH is still one of the THREE PILLARS TO SUCCESS with the RIGHT Network Marketing Business Opportunity. With the RIGHT business and these POWERFUL PRINCIPLES, even average people who are willing to work and to learn can achieve their dreams. And above average people may exceed their greatest expectations.
If you can UNDERSTAND and BELIEVE IN those three principles, and find the RIGHT company, you will succeed in Network Marketing. If you're willing to TEACH these THREE principles to a few others, the results might just amaze you!
The beauty of Network Marketing is that you can get started with very little investment of time or money, and no major changes in your present lifestyle. Eventually, passive residual income can give you the FREEDOM to live the lifestyle YOU CHOOSE, and pursue and enjoy your dreams - whatever they are!
I read somewhere that, "according to IRS statistics, in 1984 20% of NEW millionaires came from Network Marketing. By 1994 it was 50%. It's predicted that by 2004, 70 - 80% of NEW millionaires will come from the booming Network Marketing industry." I don't really believe those statistics. But no matter what the percentages are, certainly many new millionaires are created every year in the Network Marketing industry.
Many positive CHANGES have been made in the industry, and several simultaneous MEGA-TRENDS help make this the best time ever to get involved! The time to start is NOW! But it's important to pick the RIGHT company and industry!
IF YOU UNDERSTAND:
1) The IMPORTANCE of 'CONSUMABLE PRODUCTS' ... 2) The REASONS for the popularity of the Nutritional Supplement Industry... 3) The importance of high quality, high demand, value-priced, products... and 4) The principle of a 'TREND 2000' COMP PLAN ... (see my "Nine Secrets to Success..." article previously mentioned)
YOU'RE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO HAVE ABOVE AVERAGE SUCCESS!
Successful Network Marketing offers many benefits: Passive Residual Income - No Boss - No Commute - No Dress Code - Income Tax Reduction - More TIME for kids, family, hobbies, or whatever is important to you - Above Average Income - and much more.
If I had to sum it up in one word it would be FREEDOM! - Freedom to work as much or as little as you want, to come and go as you please, and to spend more time doing whatever is important to you. Once you experience this FREEDOM, you'll wonder how you ever lived any other way!
There's no free lunch though. It's like riding a bike. If I asked, "Would you rather ride a bike uphill or downhill?" most normal people would say, "down." But in order to coast down the hill, you first have to ride your bike up. Once you start, you may find yourself enjoying the exercise and additional benefits of improving your strength, endurance, and health. The same is true in this business. You have to 'climb the hill' (learn the business) before you can 'coast'. Many people learn to enjoy the process of becoming better people, helping others, and improving much more than just the financial part of their lives.
There are many routes to the top of the hill. Some people choose to take a gradual incline and may take a little longer to get there. Others prefer the direct route, and choose to pedal directly up the steepest side. The beauty is, the choice is yours. We can show you the routes, and you decide what's best for you. We'll be there to encourage and guide you every inch of the way.

Leverage Your MLM Team









Enjoy with Savings while Sun Bathing with CheapOstayOne of the most important skills that you will need to learn in this industry is to leverage your MLM team, especially if you are just starting out. If you are not doing it, you are limiting the success you could otherwise achieve. Why do I say that? Network marketing is all about team work, and if you are doing it alone you will find that (1) you will have less time for yourself as you sponsor more reps into your business, and (2) you are going to be less happy being in the business.
So before I go on talking about how to leverage your MLM Team, you first need to understand How To Build A Duplicatable MLM Team. By training your team to become duplicatable, you will have the opportunity to have more time freedom for yourself, and focus on the things that really make you happy in life. Okay, so once we are ready to build our MLM team, how can we leverage them? These are my personal experiences and I hope that they do help you and that you apply them to help you with your own business.
One of the best ways of leveraging your MLM team is by working with your direct sponsor, and/if not your sponsor’s sponsor. Assume you are making a call to one of the leads you got and you have created a great relationship with him and he starts to build some trust for you. He starts finding out more about you, your company and wants to join you, should you sign him up right away? Maybe we should assume your prospect is looking for a new MLM company to join but they are not sure if you are the right person they should sign under, what should you do now?
The best way to proceed is to mention that you will give him some time to think through it and FOLLOW UP with him at another time. This is the point where you want to ask him when will he be free again and tell him you will be calling him at that day and time. That is also when you want to schedule a call with your sponsor to get on a 3-way call with you. During that phone call, you want to introduce your sponsor by edifying them – and sharing how much they have achieved, or how much they have inspired you and let them do the talking. Your sponsor should of course, in turn edify you and share why it is so great to be working with you in the business.
By leveraging your sponsor’s success in your MLM team (after all, they sponsored you) and mutually edifying each other, your prospect will be more attracted to join your MLM team as he sees that you are in a team that is supporting one another and making each other feel good. By having a “sample” of what it would be like in your community, your prospect will likely say “YES” to joining your opportunity.
Another way of leveraging your MLM team is through social proofing. By social proofing, your MLM team can conduct interviews with you to ask how you managed to sponsor reps into your business, creating video testimonials for you and sending them to you. 
 You want to return the favor by helping your MLM team members by conducting interviews and the likes for them too.
Remember, leveraging your MLM team is all about helping one another and building more trust and credibility for one another. The more people on the outside can see how much value that you and your team bring to the table, the more they will want to work with you.

Do's and Don'ts of Network Marketing

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The first thing people realize when they join a network marketing company is that they have a lot to learn in a short period of time. They have to learn the specifics of their new company, but not only that, they also have to learn how to talk to people about their business opportunity and it’s products. Yet people don’t really take the time to learn the most important skill in this industry– which is marketing.
There are many ways to market, but nowadays the most effective approach is marketing on the internet.  The internet has by far the widest audience to market to.  There is no where else you can write one post about your business, and millions have access to seeing it. There are many places small business owners go to market online including MLM discussion forums, but the most popular avenue is on the various social media platforms.  These would include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, YouTube and others. There is a big difference between marketing online as opposed to marketing offline. When deciding to market your MLM online through social media, there are a few do’s and don’ts that you must to be aware of.


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Don’t:
- Don’t over post.  No one wants to see the same posts over and over again.  This will quickly annoy any friends that you have generated.
- Don’t add friends and fans just to have a high follower count.  Make sure you have a strong connection with the fans you do have.
- Don’t make income claims.  This refers to anyone who’s only interest is to tell everyone how great their business opportunity is.
- Don’t recruit everyone to your MLM that you meet online. This can ruin your reputation before your business has a chance to get off the ground.
Do’s:
- Build a genuine following by giving out helpful information to your friends and followers.
- Add a few friends or followers every day. Seek out those who are connected to you in some way, be it MLM, social media or other common interests.
- Build relationships! This should be your number one goal, and share something personal about yourself when you are requesting friendship.
- Provide information of value so people have a reason to engage in conversation and return for more tomorrow.
- Think of social media as a party. Mingle around, get to know people, be friendly, and after both people have had a  chance to get to know each other, then and    only then, can you talk business.
Just always remember when you are marketing with social media, you are not only marketing the opportunity and MLM company you have signed up with, you are marketing your self! People will sign up with you over less experienced marketers because you have created a true and lasting relationship through your social media channels… Most importantly, have fun out there!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Power OF Twitter: Building your email List




A popular Twitter account is a way to reach customers, no matter the aim of your business. Tweet about news relevant to your business' industry or post updates regarding your business' products or services. The more Twitter followers you get, the more people you can potentially interest in your business. Build your email list via the Twitter platform and email news that won't fit within Twitter's limitations.
If the short character limit of Twitter is not a problem, you can create email lists comprised of your Twitter followers. Instead of having to solicit their email addresses, you can simply Tweet them via an exclusive list. For example, if you know that only some of your Twitter followers are interested in products for women, you don't have to Tweet all of your followers. Under the drop-down menu on the main page, select "Lists." Create a list, name the list and select which of your followers will be on the list.

Build Your Followers

A simple way to invite Twitter followers to enroll in your email list is to post the email list sign-up instructions in your Twitter profile. The more Twitter followers you get, the more potential email list subscribers you have on hand. Ask followers to retweet your posts and put hash tags relevant to your business in each post so that people interested in the subject are more likely to stumble upon your Twitter profile.

Provide Incentives

Once you have a number of Twitter followers, provide incentives for them to sign up for your email list. For example, Tweet a link for email list sign-up and offer a discount or a prize for a random follower who signs up for the email list within a certain time period for the first time. Tweet that if you get a certain number of email sign-ups within a certain time period, you will give out a free item or service to one lucky new member of the list.

Tweet About List

When not giving out a random lottery incentive for signing up, Tweet about the general benefits of your email list. For example, when you send out a discount code via your email list, Tweet about the exclusive email list discount offer. If your email list gets first notification of new inventory, Tweet about how your email list followers were the first to get a look at your new products. Remind your Twitter followers to sign up for these exclusive regular benefits.

Why Build An Email List?


Email marketing is one of those touchy subjects. Some love it. Others fear it or don’t understand it. Some recent conversations on Twitter say it’s dying or (fill in with new technology of the day) is an email killer. When I hear these statements I know this means it is a marketing method that will be around for a while.

While building and maintaining a list can be a little work, the rewards are well worth it. I’m not going to go into list maintenance, segmentation or, marketing strategies here. I want you to understand why email is important to you today and why you want to build a subscriber list as soon as possible.

Only a percentage of all people online have a Facebook or Twitter account. Although many people are flocking to drop their brands in these playgrounds, they’re only hitting a fraction of the online population.

If you were to sign up for Facebook, Twitter or any other site on the Internet, what’s the one thing they’ll ask you for before letting you register? Yes, they’ll probably ask you for your name or set up a username and password but all sites ask you for an email address. Why is that?

Because everyone has an email address.

People read their email (I’m going to ignore spam and email delivery issues here). Unlike most social media options, email sits in an a recipients inbox waiting patiently to be opened. It doesn't matter if your reader is on vacation. In seven days, when they return from the beach, your email will still be sitting there waiting to be read and it will be one of the first things they go through when they’re back online.

Which leads me to…

Many people hop on to Facebook everyday and see what aunt Gertrude is up to in Florida. They play their games and share links and patriotic sayings but they don’t wonder what’s the next important business message I’m going to get?

Email is different. We check it regularly to see if anything important has come in. We even have it automatically load on our phones so we can be accessible for business where ever we are. Email is where we go to really find out “what’s happening?”

Yes, we all expect some junk in the inbox. It’s just like traditional snail mail. We sift through it eagerly searching for something more exciting than the new process for covers on the TPS reports. We want to see what exciting friend has emailed us. We check to see if smelly Stan down the hall was fired yet.
This is where you come into the picture. This is where you provide a small escape from their day-to-day boredom of life. You have the opportunity to give your list something of value and brighten their day.
If you’re mixed in with friends and business, you’re on the same playing level. You’re important and that is where the money is.

Over the past couple of years the online marketing masses have flocked to Facebook and Twitter. They preach loudly, “You can communicate directly with your audience.” And, they’re correct. These are wonderful tools to do so. There’s real time interaction and the ability to create a quick and easy following with hundreds, thousands or, hundreds of thousands of followers and fans with a few simple clicks. But, what if?

What if, with a few simple clicks, Facebook deletes your personal or fan pages? What if Twitter’s fail whale makes a permanent appearance and never leaves? Chances of it happening are slim, right? But, what if?

These are great places to start a conversation and engage readers however, once you’ve been kicked off you’re out of the conversation. You don’t own your content. You don’t own or have access to your market anymore. And, if you don’t have an email list of your subscribers you have absolutely no way of contacting your readers to tell them what happened.

An email subscriber list is yours. It’s yours to have and to hold, until death (or unsubscription) do you part.


Because it’s your list, you can download a copy and save it to your hard drive. If you have issues with your email provider, you can move it to another provider and magically continue business with little interruption.

And, since it is yours, it’s becomes an asset to your business. If you someday decide to leave or transfer your business you’ll have a tangible asset of value you can sell to a buyer.

When a reader signs up for your email subscription they’re raising their hand and showing interest. They want more information. Give it to them.

If you’re using a double opt-in email provider (you are using double opt-in, right?) you’re ensuring the subscriber actually wants you to contact them. First they give you their email address. Next, they click a link in their email to confirm they signed up. It’s a qualifying mechanism. Now it’s up to you to keep them happy.

Many big shot marketers get you on a list and then pummel you with affiliate offers for every big launch that comes up. That’s not a great way to run a strong permission marketing list. It does work but you’ll lose a lot of the list over time and constantly need to look for new subscribers. If you want to keep your list responsive provide value more often than you’re promoting offers.

Send a newsletter every month or two weeks. Make sure it contains special content you aren’t providing on your site. Give them a reason to stay subscribed. Always hint at the next big idea coming to their inbox soon.

They’ve given you permission. They’re not just a fan or a follower, they’re a member of your list. A member is more valuable than any fan or follower.

Give your subscribers a reason to stay on your list because you want to scream…
Visitors come and go. Maybe they’ll click on a banner ad or buy your product but once they’re gone, they’re gone. If they subscribe via RSS then read your content in a 3rd party reader and rarely visit your site missing all your money making mechanisms.

Email allows you to send them the post, a teaser, or whatever copy you want to use to drive your subscriber back to your blog. This forces them to see the ads and other money making mechanisms on your site.

Plus, and here’s the fun part, you can email affiliate offers or direct offers for your products without publishing it live on your site. If you want to have a special money making weekend you can send an email or two that lead back to a hidden page on your blog with a special offer just for subscribers. Or, you can send an affiliate offer of a product you recently fell in love with and want to share with your subscribers. Either way, it’s a more responsive way to making money than publishing a post to your site and hoping people will see it.

If you have any experience with direct marketing you may have heard, “the money is in the list.” If you haven’t started building an email list then I hope this is a friendly jolt to start building your list today.
It doesn't require much effort to maintain and, just like other pieces of the online marketing puzzle, once you start you’ll wonder why you didn't do it earlier.

If you’re using email now, what motivated you to start building your list? If you’re not, what’s stopping you?