A lot of newbies to the world of affiliate marketing don’t realise that there are quite literally dozens of ways of making affiliate commissions.
One often overlooked way is the newsletter or mailing list method. A newsletter / mailing list can help you market in a very targeted way.
By building a mailing list, you can have a list of people to communicate with directly. Instead of targeting new business exclusively through organic SEO, pay per click, and through social media optimisation, you can get right in front of people who you’ve qualified as interested in buying whatever it is that you are selling.
What Can You Do With Your Mailing List?
• Email marketing – Launching a product, got a special deal, fire sale, or promotion going on? Send an email out to your list. It can direct them to your “buy now” page.
• Write a newsletter – Weave interesting articles into a weekly or monthly newsletter that intrigues people into buying from you.
• Make an e-course – Set up a weekly course that helps your customers learn something. There may be products or services that go along with that course that you can benefit from. And, giving that value can also help you build trust so that future sales can happen.
• Set up an autoresponder series – Through a mailing list, you can walk potential customers through a sales pipeline repeatedly. As long as they remain opted in to receiving communications from you, you can link them to various sets of messages, such as: invites to courses / product launches / webinars, offers, white papers, and more.
With mailing lists, another great benefit is that success can be measured. You can utilise tools that help you understand read rates, click throughs, and other statistics so that you can hone your skills and tweak your approach.
Marketing through direct emails and through autoresponder series is just one of the many ways you can make money online. There are many ways of building a mailing list and there are some do’s and don’ts. Learn all you can about successful list marketing techniques and this can be another way to build credibility and create income and wealth.
Sean Rasmussen
Aussie Internet Marketer
Learn Affiliate Marketing with Year Of The Affiliate © 2012
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Sean,
I was wondering if it might be more effective to purchase/rent a list to start with. This would I imagine help build your blog and social media following.
I think that you are onto something there Angus
I’m not sure on the quality of leads that you would get with purchasing a list, however you could look at doing a Joint Venture with somebody with an established list who can provide you with targeted responders. In turn you could provide a service to them and reduce any costs that this may incur.
The problem with buying a list is that you then email to people who haven’t asked you to. They haven’t signed onto your list voluntarily.
It is also difficult to verify how that list was built and how geneuine it is.
Trying a JV is a different matter – there you get access to another marketers list – but he mentors you to the folks who have signed onto his list
A lot of reliabel marketers advise against purchasing lists.
Hi Angus,
buying a list might sound tempting, but you never know what you will get. And also – would you be happy if you all of a sudden get emails from someone you don’t know and whom you haven’t invited to actually email you? I know I wouldn’t …
.-= Renee´s last blog ..How To Enjoy Healthy Diet Food Even With A Busy Lifestyle =-.
I agree with the above comments Angus, buying a list is not something I would recommend. You would probably find that marketing to a purchased list could get you in all sorts of trouble, not to mention a very, very poor conversion rate and lots of unhappy email recipients
Building a mailing list for affiliate marketing is a great technique for making money online. I think it’s a bit down the track for me but definitely something to tuck in the back of my mind.
.-= Melanie Braggs´s last blog ..Building Chicken Coops =-.
I am still struggling with adding pictures and videos etc to my first blog site. School holidays is making it very hard for me to read all the stuff I have to learn. Just a few more days till I can concentrate properly!!!!
Cheers
Leigh
.-= Leigh Aubrey´s last blog ..Easy Salmon Pie =-.
It sometimes gets like that Leigh. You seem to be anxious to get back into it – that’s a great feeling isn’t it. It’s the passion continuing to build up.
I’m sure it will all come together for you when you have more time to concentrate Leigh
Hi Sean,
Building a mailing list has been on my to-do list for a while and I keep putting it off. I have spent a lot of time going back and forth over what I’m going to be offering my readers.
But, I’ve seen that this is a topic that you’re going to be covering in the Learn and Earn Competition. So, I’m thinking I’m going to be building a mailing list in the very near future.
.-= Jazz Salinger´s last blog ..Finding Your Passion =-.
Everybody always says the money is in the list, even when I do offline mlm with herbalife it is the same…contact your contacts…and theirs, through them…I have yet to build an online list as I haven’t tried to work out how to use an email capture…errr..thing… like Aweber. Is Aweber hard to set up?
I don’t think you will have too many problems with AWeber Jody. They provide plenty of support and online video tutorials to get you underway.
I concur. AWeber is easy and user-friendly
Aweber is a great email marketing software package Jody. As I am still learning the ropes I signed up with MailChimp.
They give you a few hundred free email sends before you need to start paying. So basically you can use it to setup mailing lists, triggers and do a few test email sends before moving over to Aweber. You may even elect to stay with them but at least it gives you taste for what you are in for.
Cemil, I take it that Aweber doesn’t allow the free emails like Mailchimp? Is Aweber a more advanced form?
Cath
AWeber is a paid service Cathy. It is probably the most widely used services around and does just about anything you want, highly recommended
You know, I am really embracing the concept of Marketing more and more lately as I explore this realm within the bounds of high ethics, and yet I’m finding myself wanting to fall back on my heels with this part of strategy. I really don’t enjoy hard-sell, nor unwarranted idiotic…. don’t start me.. and yet I’m on a great many mailing lists who offer bargains that I may like or not. I guess it’s a pride thing, but my trust bar is slowly recognising that this e-mail part of the business can be done with class and with good intention. Breaking our own walls is an interesting thing, don’t you think?
.-= Jo Carey-Bradshaw´s last blog ..Wealth Creation – Coffee and Internet Marketing =-.
Most definitely Jo as you say “this e-mail part of the business can be done with class and with good intention.”
It is a good way to establish trust and credibility with your recipients – if you give free valuable information and resources first and most of the time. They will then be more likely to buy when on the odd occasion you offer a service or profuct for sale.
They will also be more likely to be repeat customers too.
Hi Sean,
I can definitely see the benefits of building a mailing list for affiliate marketing & it is on my to do list also. I am currently working on building a blog & enjoy reading your excellent tips for affiliate marketing.
.-= jeremy´s last blog ..jlagatule- RT @gurubob- True influence is not forcing people to say yesit is systematically destroying their reasons to say no – GuruBob =-.
I agree with comments about how building a mailing list should be done with the highest integrity. When you are the recipient of emails that you haven’t subscribed to, it can get quite annoying.
I can, however, see the benefits of building a mailing list for Affiliate marketing.
My job now is to do it. My husband and I do have some sites where we don;t take advantage of setting up a list by allowing readers to opt in. That’s next on the agenda.
Cath
I’m well aware of the benefits of building a mailing list for Affiliate Marketing but I’ve always had an aversion to maintaining a mailing list. Maybe I just don’t have that Internet Marketer killer instinct.
Of course, the biggest challenge is coming up with a good reason as to why people should sign up for your mailing list. And I hate the the pitched that go one for 200 lines telling my why it is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
I guess I’ll just have to find a way to be more subtle if I want to establish a mailing list.
.-= Don White´s last blog ..New Ireton Data =-.
I agree with you Don – but a mailing list is at the basis of effective affiliate marketing. I too dislike immensely those overlong emails that go on and on and on – saying nothing but repetition of the main point – that they want to screw us.
I use my list to provide free, good actionable tips and ideas – and only occasionally offer a product. And, I keep them brief.