To build a large mailing list, you need to offer something of value to your subscribers and find a way to connect to possible sign ups. Your offer should have both immediate and long term value.

Start by deciding what you’ll give to your subscribers as an incentive for signing up. This can be a small report or it can be an email series describing how something is done. Decide what your subscribers will want, then give it to them. To keep them from unsubscribing, offer them a long term benefit beyond just affiliate emails.

After you plan for both your immediate reward and long term appeal, it’s time to get your list opt-in in front of people in your niche. Some of the best ways to do this include:

• giveaways
• paid ads in other newsletters
• article writing
• forum posting

If you are in the Internet marketing niche, you are probably familiar with giveaways and have possibly used them to build your own IM list. Consider using them for non-Internet marketing niches as well. Contact others in your niche and see if they would be willing to contribute to a giveaway that you are forming. Spend time working with the contributors and on marketing the event.

Another way to build a large mailing list is to target readers of other newsletters. If you haven’t yet, subscribe to your competitors’ newsletters. See which ones offer sponsorship in their emails and contact them to see how much an ad would cost. The advantage of this is that the people who opt in to your newsletter are likely to open and read your email.

If you don’t have the budget to advertise or the resources to run a giveaway, you’ll want to consider free methods such as forum postings and article writing. These methods take time and your list won’t grow quickly, but with some effort you will add new subscribers every day.

For forum postings, simple go to busy forums in your niche that allow a Web address in the sig file. Follow the rules and don’t spam. If you offer helpful information, people will click on your link and sign up. For articles, you want to focus on offering helpful but incomplete information. Use the resource box to encourage users to sign up for the full story.

By taking the right action, anyone can build a large mailing list.

Melanie Mendelson is a stay-at-home mom who has made over six figures with her Internet home business. Do you know the secret to earning six figures online? Download Melanie’s “6-Figure Secret” free at Go for Your Dreams.

An ezine can keep you in front of your prospects, help you market to a pre-screened list of people, and promote your credibility — all the things a paper newsletter does. But with an ezine, you can do it more frequently and at less cost. But not all ezines are created equal. Here are six ways to make yours pay off.

Discuss relevant issues. The Web demands current content. Your readers want to know what’s happening in your industry now. If you’re not offering a current perspective on your industry, they’ll look elsewhere.

Don’t be a spammer. Only send your ezine to those who actively opt in. You don’t want a distribution list full of people who didn’t know they signed up for your publication. When you start sending it to them, they could think it’s spam — and your reputation could suffer. Make your subscription list opt-in, and you’ll have a smaller group of readers — but they’ll all be interested in your business and expecting your publication.

Show up frequently and regularly. Ezines should generally be sent out more frequently than paper subscriptions. Some businesses send daily, while others send weekly. No matter your schedule, your ezine should be delivered on a regular schedule. If you’re not regular, your prospects won’t get into a habit of reading your ezine.

Offer good content. A well-written article makes a big difference. Keep your tone accessible and informative. Stay away from thick techno-speak, unless you’re writing exclusively for an expert audience. Make sure there are no grammar and spelling errors — they reflect badly on you. If writing isn’t your strong point, hire a professional. Your ezine makes an impression on your customers every day — so make sure your content is good.

Keep it short and scannable. Your readers may only have a few minutes each day to read your ezine. Make sure it’s concise and easy to scan, with short paragraphs, bulleted lists, and bold subheadings. This way, your readers can get the gist of your message in minutes. With long articles and dense blocks of text, they’re more likely to lose patience.

Sell at the end. Your ezine should not simply be a marketing vehicle. If it does, don’t expect to keep subscribers. You must offer information of value first. Once you do that, you’ve earned the ability to include a brief marketing message. Don’t overdo the sales tone, however; instead, simply offer something of further value, such as a free gift or a discount on your services to all subscribers. This will ensure you get a spike in business every time you send out an ezine.

Ezines are powerful marketing tools that allow you to collect pre-screened emails and keep in touch with prospects. Keep it relevant to your customers’ needs, and you’re sure to succeed with yours.

Jennifer Williamson runs Catalyst Writing Services, a successful article writing business in southern Pennsylvania, writing for clients all over the world. Get in touch if you need a freelance writer, or visit her writing blog for up-to-the-minute writing tips and tricks.

Downloadable infoproducts are perfect for this — admin costs should be very close to $0 post set up. Just make sure to send the download link after confirming the subscribed email address… having it in the Welcome/Confirmation Email sent to new subscribers, for instance.

TIP: To discourage the hit-and-runners (what I call the bozos who subscribe, get the freebie, then immediately unsub) . give away two or more infoproducts, or break the freebie into two or more pieces, and send the each download link to new subs on separate, succeeding days. Autoresponders can be set up easily to do this, such as those provided by AWeber.

This first installment of a 2-parter (free access until 4/17) tells you what you need to know before sitting down with a broker to shop for lists to use.

Read “Renting Email Lists…” »