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“I don’t have a list! What do I do?” I have been asked this question countless times. My answer is always the same; start right where you are. I’ve been making my living (and a great one at that) on the Internet for many years now. But it wasn’t always this way. There was a time when I made no money at all online. The two primary reasons were no market reach and no subscribers. Today I have both. But each took time to build. I had to be willing to start where I was. The challenge many people have is rather than putting consistent effort into both market reach and building a list they procrastinate. Or they get sidetracked with activities that are not going to monetize their business. Building a successful business by way of the internet is a discipline. Don’t ever believe for a minute it is not. It takes work, commitment, dedication and focus. Anyone who tells you otherwise is likely not making money online. Simple as that. One of the most important things you have to consistently do is build your list of people who are interested in you and your information. In the past we were somewhat limited in how we could do this. Today, there are countless ways to build a list. 1. A traditional opt in subscriber list through 1SC, aWeber, Infusionsoft, Constant Contact, GetResponse or any number of providers. Keep the long-term in mind as you begin to build your list. Some people look for all the free service providers. Free may not be in your best interest based on your growth projections. 2. Feedblitz or FeedBurner via your blog. Both allow you to build a list of readers who are requesting to receive you posts as you blog. Every time you post on your blog those who have subscribed by way of the RSS feed will get your post delivered into their email inbox. 3. Friends on Facebook. Building a friend’s list is a great idea but not if all you are going to do is market to them. For everyone to get the most value you need to be a “real” personality on Facebook. However, be aware that not everyone is who they say they are. Use discretion with how much information you share. 4. Followers on Twitter. Some people swear by Twitter while others think it is a complete waste of time. If you are only posting promotional information you are not creating value for others. Plan out your tweets to create the most value. You can use something like HootSuite to schedule out your tweets. This way you spend a few minutes posting tweets that will show up throughout the day rather than all at once. 5. Connections on LinkedIn. I really like LinkedIn due to the quality of professional relationships I can build. The key to success is to post high value information. There are some people who are doing no more than promoting their products and services. This is NOT the way to get the most out of LinkedIn. Contribute to conversations; post information you find from other experts that would be of interest to group members, post questions, and always think in terms of how to build relationships. 6. Subscribers on YouTube. The more quality videos you post the more subscribers you will get. Make sure to include keywords in the title of your video and throughout the description. This makes it easier for people who are interested in your content to find you. 7. Article marketing. This is one of the most effective ways to build your expert status as well as your opt in subscriber list. At the end of your article include a resource box that has some type of high value giveaway. When giving information away think in terms of going above and beyond expectations. These are only a few of the many ways you can build a following of people who enjoy, and look forward to, your information. When you’re viewed as a viable resource people will visit your blog and website. Make sure you have a way for them to subscribe to something when they do stop by your blog and website. However, in order to build a strong following you have to go above and beyond the norm. In years past it was a lot easier to get people to subscribe to something than it is today. Nowadays your information has to be stellar from the start. The challenge many people have is they are so fearful of giving away content thinkng that if they give stuff away people won’t have a need to buy their information. The opposite is true. When you provide incredible free content people are more inclined to buy from you when you have offers. But again, your information has to be stellar. Take my 3 part video series – How to Make Money with Teleseminars. It is nearly 2 hours of solid content. This is something I could easily charge for, but I prefer to give it away. Regardless of whether someone invests in my other information or not they have received incredible value from the complimentary information. Not sure what to give away? Here are a few recommendations. Video series MP3 files eReports eBooks Teleseminars Webinars It’s amazing how stingy people are with their free information. They seem to think somehow people will magically find them, join their list and suddenly sales appear. It doesn’t happen this way at all. The fact is, those who are doing great online are those who are constantly providing great information. Free information. What is your standard practice? Do you constantly offer great information to your market or are you still thinking about that first freebie you will offer? If you’re still thinking about what to give away isn’t it time to get off the dime and put something to market? I daresay it is. What do you do to build your list? What is the most effective method you have used? 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