Viral Marketing With Opt-In Lists

What is effective opt-in list marketing? Is it hard to establish a large opt-in list subscriber base? What do you need to do to keep your opt-in list active? Is your opt-in list marketing technique really going to be successful and will you earn money from such a technique?

Many online entrepreneurs have discovered that sending promotional material to people who have subscribed to their opt-in lists boosts sales and traffic. By delivering a compelling marketing e-mail you are able to present customers with new merchandise and/or new opportunities which can lead to immediate sales, as well as informational material that could potentially boost your sales in the future. The effective use of an opt-in list lets you work smarter, rather than harder. Where time equals money, using effective opt-in list marketing techniques is also using effective time management. Simply writing one e-mail and sending it to several thousand interested people makes the best use of your time. It enables you to spend more time on other moneymaking pursuits, thereby increasing your bottom line. And isn't that what marketing is all about - the bottom line?

With numerous sites on the internet offering the same products or services, the competition can get pretty stiff and your site could get lost among hundreds of other sites offering the same merchandise. Therefore, by reaching out to the potential buyers through e-mail marketing, you take yourself out of the competition environment and offer your product directly to the consumer. When offering them compelling information in your e-mail message, you can actually have them reaching for their wallet before they ever get to your site. The key here is creativity. In the first paragraph of your e-mail, it is critical that you grab your reader's attention right away; before they hit the delete key. For example, if offering a product that's designed to prevent something potentially disastrous, you might include a headline in your e-mail such as this:
YOUR DATA IS IN DANGER!!! Or if your product is designed to give your potential customer something you might say: TODAY ONLY - FREE DOWNLOAD!!! Make sure that the content you provide after your headline explains your offer clearly and precisely to your subscribers as well as presenting them with other action-provoking information. Remember the e-mail you include in your opt-in list marketing strategy is not intended to give your customer all of the information that might be found in a sales letter. It is merely to entice them to click on a link in your e-mail to take them to your sales/money page which is where you'll want to give your full presentation. Your e-mail might even be called a teaser ad, one that is meant to get your customers to another place - your sales page. Always remember to keep your information light and interesting so that your subscribers will want to continue reading. What they don't want is a stuffy sales letter! When people decide to subscribe to a sites opt-in list marketing product, they are looking for something that will help them gain something, or prevent them from losing something. or something that will make their life easier, or help them to be more successful. Clearly state what the features and benefits of your product are while at the same time giving them examples of how your product will help them/save them. It is very important to make sure that your opt-in list subscribers look forward to receiving your e-mails. Keep the content of your e-mails within the focus/niche of your market. Don't send an e-mail trying to sell boats to an opt-in list that is snow skiing oriented. If you do, your customers will quickly learn to hit the delete key when they see your name, or they will be standing in line to unsubscribe from your opt-in list. Your customers need to get pertinent information about their interests from you as determined by the site at which they originally subscribed. By continually supplying niche specific information that has some benefit to your opt-in list subscribers, you will ensure that they will look forward to receiving your e-mails, and they will have confidence in knowing that you have a good understanding of their interests/needs. And while you want your customers to take you and your products/services seriously, you also want them to see that you can be fun and entertaining too. Add a little color in your e-mail; add some photos and articles that are related to your niche; give them something to smile about or maybe even a little banter. You want to show them that you're human too and not some "marketing machine" that's just out for a buck. Make your material eye-catching. Pique their interest with visual effects. Get their eyes moving through your e-mail.

It's also important to pay particular attention to your content and articles. If you don't feel comfortable writing your own copy, hire a copy writer to write your content for you. When your copy is full of grammar and/or spelling errors, the reader tends to start focusing on these mistakes rather than the message. This seriously hurts your credibility. After all, what kind of a business person are you if you can't even spell. If you're writing your own copy, use word processing software like Microsoft Word to check your spelling and grammar. The few minutes it takes to proof your copy is well worth it. It's important to be seen as a professional! Additionally, let go of the professional jargon; "Talk to" your subscribers. There's nothing worse than trying to wade through some very dry marketing material. Use pertinent examples, common expressions, and down-to-earth content. When writing your copy, try to put yourself in your potential buyer's shoes. Is this material easy to read? Is it easy to understand? Does it make sense? Is a compelling? Will it result in an action? How would you like this product/service presented to you?
It's also necessary to ask yourself a few questions about the product or service you're trying to promote. Is this a product/service that my customers really want? Something they really need? Could the sale of this product potentially hurt my reputation? Selling an inferior product in order to make a quick buck is definitely not a good marketing strategy. Bad reputation= No subscribers / No subscribers = No effective opt-in list marketing. Conversely, consumers are more apt to try a product or service when it's presented to them by someone they trust; someone with a good reputation, and hopefully that's you.

The ultimate goal of any effective opt-in list marketing strategy is to have a list you can market to that...
#1- wants your products/services
#2-has trust in you, and
#3- is willing to tell others about you.
To have effective opt-in list marketing, you must always consider your subscribers and what they need or want. They should always be put first, in front on your desire to make money. It just stands to reason, the more effort you put into finding and selling what your customers want, the more money you will make. Find it... e-mail your list about it... get sales... make money! That's effective Opt-in list marketing!