So, you’ve got an opt-in page in place. You’re driving traffic to it. And folks are joining your list.

Congratulations!

Now what?

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How do you keep these people ON your list?

You need to do several things, but there are four CRITICAL things you must do:

Let me briefly introduce them, and then I’m going to change the way you look at your list and give you an incredible advantage over most other list owners in “making money” from your list.

Really, there are only four basic “kinds” of mailings you might send to your list members.

1: INFORMATION

Content. Stuff that your list members can use and benefit from reading … directly related to the “theme” of your list. And, I might add, information is the REASON they joined in the first place.

2: PROMOTION:

Secondly, there are promotional pieces. Advertisements. In other words… offers. These include things like solo mailings, new product announcements and paid advertisements. This is where you are going to make your money, whether through your own products or through that of others.

3: A COMBO PLATTER: There is a type of mailing that might best be described as “combination”. It’s a mixture of both promotion and information. A newsletter is a perfect example. It has both advertisements and useful (it better be!) content.

4: PARTICIPATION: Last, there is what I call “participation”. This type of mailing is rarely used because most ‘marketers’ (and use that term very loosely!) don’t recognize the incredible opportunity in using it. A “participation” mailing is any message to your list that gets them “involved” some way in building your business.

So, those are the “kinds” of mailings that you probably send to your subscribers… information, promotion, combination, participation.

It’s all about “offering a proposal”.

Now, it doesn’t take a real rocket scientist to figure out the first three.

While there are a variety of different ways to share information with your list (articles, special reports, mini-courses, interviews, videos, for example), and I think you get the idea. It’s all about content.

There are a variety of different ways to send promotional mailings (solo mailings for your products, affiliate products, reprint rights products, services, subscription sites, and such) you get the idea here as well. It’s all about selling something.

There are several different ways to interweave content with offers (an article that promotes a product, a video tutorial that shows how to use a paid tool), once again, you get the idea. It’s about blending content with an offer.

The problem comes in on that fourth one: “participation”.

Most people don’t see the value in it.

Most people don’t use it.

Most people don’t know HOW to use it.

At least not effectively.

In my next post, I am going to go over the ways you can get your readers to interact with you…believe me, you won’t want to miss that one. I’ll share some of the responses I’ve received from some of my readers….(don’t worry, names will be changed to protect the guilty…)

Hey, if you liked this post, leave me a comment and let me know (it’s that participation thing, ya know;))

Til then…

One of the biggest hurdles that writers face when they need to write a lot of articles is how to come up with newer and fresher content. The best way is to brainstorm and come up with different ideas. But since that can get you to the point of wanting a sharp stick pushed in to your eye, here are some simple tips that might help you decide the subject of your next articles quicker.

To start with, you need to decide what type of an article you would want to write. In general there are four categories:

The List Article

The most common type of article found on the internet it is the easiest to write as well. All it needs is putting together a bunch of associated information. Examples of such type of articles can be:

“Three Ways to Change Your Readers’ Perception of You ”
“Four Deadly E-Book Mistakes”
“Three Reasons To Get Into Internet Marketing”

These types of articles have three essential parts

1. An introduction
2. Short paragraphs of minimum 2 lines describing the various objects that your article addresses.
3. A short conclusion.

The “How to” Article

This is the most interesting type of article as it describes how to make something new. Everyone likes to experiment once in a while, don’t they? These kinds of articles are generally of the form

“How To Write An Ebook”
“How Not to Become a Phishing Accessory”
“New Computer – Old Email, or How to Back up and Transfer Your Email” etc.

Just a quick plug; these are all titles of articles that I have written and you can find at EzineArticles.com

The Review Article:

What would you do if you were a golfer and you just bought the latest putter that hit the market, and all of a sudden, you are sinking everything? From 5 footers to 25 footers and you can’t miss the cup. Now, there are some that would buy it just because it’s made by (insert your favorite club brand here), but there are more that would want to get a second opinion, or some sort of review. People are looking for other opinions all the time. In this way the popularity of review articles does not come as a surprise.

The essential issues that need to be touched upon by review articles are:

The USP (unique selling point) of the product. What results does it promise.
How much of that claim does it fulfill.
Are the benefits worth the cost; and if so, who can be the prospective buyers to benefit from this.
Make sure that whatever way you choose for writing review articles you adhere to these three guidelines.

The Round Up Article

This is also a simple kind of article writing. All you need to do is to consult various sources or experts and provide an overview of a situation. This is kind of a general deduction made on the basis of certain given parameters – like general remarks, facts, arguments and judgements. It’s kind of a rounding up piece.

For example:

Now that you know about the various types of articles, you can channel your creativity in a proper course. Diversify your literary skills in exploring issues that are not exactly mundane or commonplace.

Speaking of articles and what kind to write; my friend Doug Champigny has just released another niche plr package. This one is dealing with three very popular topics. Best of all, Doug has gone above and beyond and has included:

• PLR ebook,

• Professional salespage and download page

• Amazing minisite graphics,

• WordPress blog theme to match each niche,

• 5 PLR articles for each niche,

• Affiliate graphics to help your affiliates sell that ebook!

That’s for ALL THREE niches!

Grab your PLR Spectacular 3-Pack before he decides to raise the price.

Stay tuned for the last post in my article marketing series, coming soon. But before you go, go up top and check out the giveaway events that are upcoming or currently going on….tons of gifts to choose from.

Until next time,

Here’s to YOUR Online Successes

Has the economy got you down?

Are you one of the thousands who have lost their job in the past months?

Don’t fret…I am going to provide you with 3 compelling reasons why you should have the attitude that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and why you should get into Internet Marketing right now.

To begin with, the Internet has revolutionized the way businesses, both large and small, can advertise their products and services and attract new customers. One small one page website or set of articles submitted to article directories can start a torrent of traffic to any website that provides what people are looking for.

The same marketing revolution can work for the unfortunate who have been hit by the hard economic times of the near past. If that is you, it’s possible that you can get into Internet Marketing by selling (or giving away) ebooks, software or services to anyone looking for that type of information or help.

It’s not difficult to do or start, and can make you a lot of money.

Here’s three reasons marketing on the Internet should be part of your game plan:

1. Starting an online business is easy.

Compared to a brick and mortar business, online businesses do not require large amounts of money, time or equipment. If done right, your online ventures can be making money and profit for you in days, instead of months or years.

2. It doesn’t cost much to start.

With Internet Marketing, you do not have to build, buy or lease a building or storefront for your business. There’s no costs for new office furniture, employees, equipment, insurance, or salaries.

What’s not to like about that?

What you will have to spend minimal money on is:

Your internet connection. Although you can get by with a dialup connection, I highly recommend a high speed connection. In the long run, it will serve you so much better.

Hosting fees for your new website, which start at “Free” and can run anywhere from $5 a month to much more…many good hosting services can be had for $5 or $10 a month. Research it.

I recommend Dreamhost

Autoresponder fees to send your customers automatic “Thank You” emails and updates on your products.

Use any good search engine to find the service that fits your needs. My recommendation: Aweber

Design costs can be pricey, but can be avoided if you know how to create your own headers, attention-grabbing bullets and “Buy Now” buttons.

There’s graphic collections all over the Internet for website graphics that you can purchase for a reasonable price and use on your own website.

Copywriting can make or break your Internet Marketing business. Your sales page has to be compelling enough to make your visitors take action and buy your products or services (or opt in to your mailing list). If you cannot do it yourself, consider hiring a professional copywriter or ghostwriter to do it for you. Whatever it costs, it will be money well spent in the increased sales it will bring.

Lastly, but definitely the most appealing:

Running your own business from your home gives you complete freedom.

You get to set your own hours, forget about getting dressed up and driving to an office or store in traffic and enjoy your family everyday…

not just on weekends.

A successful Internet Marketing business can change your whole life and dramatically increase the quality of that life.

If you would like more ‘inside information’ on how to set up and get your internet marketing business off the ground, be sure to sign up for the ‘Knowledge-Application-Results’ newsletter in the upper right hand corner of the page. I provide that information on a regular basis.

It’s your dream…start living it!

Til next time…here’s to YOUR Successes

Ron