Tuesday, October 23, 2012

List Building Tips (Part 13)

Today we continue with the series on List Building Tips. Last time, we talked about JV Partnerships. I hope that you have been able to find suitable partners for your online business. Networking with other site owners is also a good way to expand your business reach.



Let's take a look at two more tips this week...

33. Allow republishing

Many site owners and list owners see republishing as a process that has the potential to lower the value of their “unique content.” Unfortunately, in perceiving the republishing process this way, they deny themselves the opportunity to grow their influence and to gain additional subscribers.

In particular, republishing allows list owners to spread access to their content, gain influence, and encourage new people to join their list.

Furthermore, it is relatively simple to do: whenever you create an article (either in your newsletter or elsewhere), simply include a resource box below (or a header above) that contains information about you, the author and a link to your newsletter. You should explain that you allow the content to be republished, provided that it is unaltered and references you.

In addition to simply allowing republishing, you should make proactive attempts to get your articles republished. Seek out relevant sites, and try to get them to consider your content.

Of course, you can use the usual sources to self-publish your articles in a prominent place. However, a better strategy may involve seeking out high-profile Internet-based magazines and attempting to get your work featured as a feature article.

34. Add testimonials to your squeeze page

When it comes to getting subscribers, it is always a good idea to try to increase your conversion rate. Why? Because it is the quick and easy way to add more people to your list at a faster rate without changing your traffic generation strategies at all.

One way in which you can convert at a higher rate is to add testimonials to your sales letter or squeeze page. Of course, the central focus should be the opt-in form; and you should avoid distracting visitors away from it. However, dressing the margins with testimonials or including them after the opt-in form is never a bad idea. It will build rapport with your visitors and encourage them to trust you and your list.

How do you get testimonials? Simple. Just ask your current subscribers to send an email with their testimonial.

Written testimonials are fine, but if your readers are capable, it might not be a bad idea to include audio or video testimonials. These, of course, are more difficult, but having them on the site will greatly improve the image that visitors will develop of you.


Watch out for more List Building Tips next time! ^_^


Thursday, October 4, 2012

List Building Tips (Part 12)


When you work online, it is usually advisable to work closely with like-minded individuals. It is no surprise that from time to time you will see and hear of JV (Joint Venture) Partnerships. There are a number of ways by which you can go into JV partnerships. This edition talks about the three most common ways by which you can engage in the practice.


32. Setup JVs with other list owners

As mentioned previously, cross-promotional methods are some of the least expensive ways to promote your business. And while they might take a while to take full effect, they can often generate tremendous results that will massively grow your list.

One particular type of cross-promotion is a cross-list joint venture partnership. This typically involves identifying a number of list owners who might be able to provide some type of joint venture partnership value. Included below are some of the possible cross-list JV partnerships you might consider:

A. Product Partnership

Very frequently, two partners will collaborate on the creation of a single product that they will then promote to their own lists and to others. At first, you might see this as a means to sell products, not grow your list, but think again!

When your partner promotes the product to his or her list, your name and your site will now be associated with him/her. This will immediately endow you with the trust of his/her readers, which is something that could otherwise take you years to gain.

With these types of partnerships, more is almost always good. As long as you have enough time to manage each of your partnerships, adding additional products and promotional events to your calendar will only serve to expand your influence and gain you subscribers.

B. Promotional Partnership

Instead of collaborating on the creation of a product, you might consider collaborating on a joint marketing scheme. That is, rather than simply agreeing to cross-promote each other on your own lists, you could agree to promote each other in a more broad sense. This collaboration might involve referring each other to clients and to individuals in the inner circles of your respective businesses.

C. Specialized Partnerships

Instead of adopting either one of the strategies above, you might consider adopting a more specialized partnership. That is, you might focus on product creation (and, thus, back-end promotion of your own site), while your partner focuses on promotion of the product through his or her list.

This type of partnership arrangement has the potential to provide both profits in the short run; and, in the long run, back-end subscriptions. However, in general, it will be hard to maintain unless you have a JV partner whom you can trust and are able to work well with.

Look into your business at the moment and ask yourself as to what type of JV partnerships you have entered. If you haven't tried it, I encourage you to do so. 

My text ad exchange, Winning Solos T.A.E., has a number of JV Partners to promote increased membership. If you also own a text ad exchange program, feel free to contact me and talk about a possible JV partnership agreement.