Building Opt-In Lists - Building a Bigger Customer Base With a Mailing List

Every offline business coming online is hoping to do two things - to brand their company and products to a wider audience and create more sales to boost cashflow, purchasing power and/or profits. But most make one common mistake when marketing an offline business online - they fail to realize the importance of building a mailing list from their first day online.

Businesses of all sizes, whether primarily offline or online, should make building a list a major part of their online marketing focus. In the offline world a person needs to physically walk out to leave your business - online it's as simple as one mouse click and that prospect is gone. And with them goes any chance to follow up with them since you had no idea they were there in the first place.

The solution is building a bigger customer base with a mailing list - and this applies equally to offline and online endeavors. Online, you should be using every reputable means to build a mailing list and offer your targeted prospects the choice of being on your physical mailing list or your digital opt-in list. Use opt-in forms on your websites and blogs, build squeeze pages designed to give away helpful information to those who opt-in, etc. Offline, ask each person who walks through your door or phones for information if they'd prefer to be on your physical mailing list or your e-mail list, and be sure to mention that you sometimes offer deals or discounts only to those on your prospect lists.

That's how to build your mailing lists, so now let's look at building a bigger customer base using them. Since you know those on your mailing lists are targeted prospects interested in your particular niche, it's easy to judge what information, products and services would be of interest to them. Use your mailing lists not just for hard-sell pitches, but instead to educate your prospects about the various topics, introduce them to new products or services you're offering, and give them special time-limited offers available only to those on your lists.

That combination of information will do numerous things to help with building a bigger customer base - it helps them understand what best fits their needs, keeps them aware of innovations that might make your new product or service of greater help to them than their current solution, and keeps your company top-of-mind for your prospects. And the time-limited offers not only provide a strong reason to buy now, but also keeps them on your mailing list longer for fear they might miss savings they want to take advantage of.

In short order, once you begin building a bigger customer base with a mailing list it all becomes routine, and you'll automatically start adding as many people as you ethically can to your prospect lists. Just remember to always treat them with respect and position yourself as the most helpful company in the business to stand head and shoulders above your competition when it comes to building a bigger customer base and retaining more profits at the end of the year!

Marketing mentor and speaker Doug Champigny is a world-famous online marketer with a major online presence who often appears live onstage at marketing seminars, conferences, conventions and workshops around North America. With more than 35 years of online and offline marketing experience, Doug Champigny is uniquely qualified to teach you how to succeed in online marketing through his Internet Marketing Coaching and his Affiliate Marketing Coaching programs. Doug created both of these programs himself through his PowerStart Marketing division, and gives his students direct access to him and his vast wealth of marketing knowledge both during their course and afterwards. Give your marketing the PowerStart it needs today - enroll now!