Quality Content Will Grow Your List FAST

Among all the strategies you can use to promote your list, providing useful information that your target audience wants is the best thing you can do.

Quality content will grow your list FAST as your readers pass your information on to others, and tell your friends about your expertise.

Quality content attracts readers and subscribers almost on its own. You won’t have to work as hard or promote near as much if every message you send to your list contains quality content your readers crave.

For example, if your target audience is dog lovers, providing them with fresh and original tips to help them best enjoy and care for their canine friends will bring in subscribers quicker than you can say, “Fido”!

You could include articles and information on:

– How to care for dogs
– What to feed specific breeds to keep them healthy
– Training a dog not to jump
– Teaching new dogs old tricks
– Choosing the right breed for individual lifestyles
– Dealing with grief in the loss of a beloved pet
– Where to go on a dog-friendly vacation
– Anything else related to your topic.

These are the kind of articles that your target audience scours the Internet for. Giving it to them will create loyal subscribers who can’t wait until the next issue arrives in their inbox, and who tell everyone they know to sign up for your mailing list.

Think of your personal reading habits. Most everyone who is online has subscribed to a mailing list or two in a topic that interests them. You probably have as well. Are you still subscribed? Why? If you unsubscribed, what made you leave?

We sometimes say it’s because we don’t have time to read, but if the truth be told, we stay subscribed to the lists we really value-even if we don’t have time to read every single issue. So what’s the REAL reason you left?

Tired articles? Nothing new or original? Same old stuff you see online everywhere else? Probably.

And your subscribers will be the same way.

But if you offer quality content that meets the need of your most targeted subscriber, you can bet your bottom dollar that subscriber will stick with you.

So, how do you ensure the content you’re providing is what your readers want? By conducting a little research and see what’s popular in your niche arena.

For instance, looking at dog lovers again, what books are dog lovers reading right now? What products are they buying? What movies are they watching? Visit dog lovers’ forums online and see what they’re talking about. Chat with your friends and family who have dogs and find out what they would like to read. All of these things can offer clues as to the kind of content your subscribers would like.

Keep on top of current trends in your niche market so you can beat your competition with the breadth and depth of your knowledge. While they’re serving up the same tired articles about the dangers of puppy mills, you’re telling your readers about the latest research in flea collars and how to raise a vegetarian dog.

Once you know the topics, then it’s just a matter of writing some informative messages that provide that content in an easy-to-read, conversational style that lets your personality show through.

Providing quality content will always be the best way to grow your mailing list. It’s what people are looking for when they subscribe, and it’s what will keep them coming back for more, and telling others about your list, after they do.

Seven No-Cost Ideas for Building Your List Locally

One often-overlooked source of subscribers for online businesses is their local community. We can get so focused on the online world that we forget we live in a town or city full of potential customers! Here are some simple ideas for building a huge list by marketing locally. Start with one or try them all then keep adding to your methods as you go for the best results.

1. Write a column for your community paper that offers tips and advice for your target audience.
If your topic is of general enough interest (like gardening, parenting, business, etc.), the paper may be interested in publishing it with a link to your website.

2. Create a simple flyer and print several on brightly colored cardstock.
Laminate them and post around town where subscribers can see them, such as on public bulletin boards or in laundromats or the town library. For best results, limit the text to a short blurb and your subscription URL. For instance, if you target crafters, your poster could read, “Free Craft Tips!” and the URL. These will last longer than plain flyers and cost less than printed signs.

3. Join local networking groups, chambers of commerce, and service groups.
Not only will you break the isolation of working mostly online, you’ll also be exposed to dozens of potential partners, advertisers, and customers!

4. Contact a local radio station and ask if they’d allow you to sponsor a contest for their listeners.
Radio stations are constantly looking for promotions and prizes, so your chances of a “Yes” are high! Direct listeners to your website so they can enter the contest and include the stipulation that everyone who enters will be added to your mailing list.

5. Search for places your target audience frequents and promote your mailing list there.
For instance, if you target parents, contact area hospitals and pediatricians and let them know you have a free mailing list that offers parenting tips and information, and ask if they could include a flyer in the packets they hand out to new moms.

6. Don’t forget your local Craigslist.
Craigslist – the online version of the local classifieds – has become such a huge draw that even Internet newcomers seem to know about it – and visit! Take advantage of this free ad opportunity. Just be sure to list your ads in the appropriate locations and follow all the rules to keep from being flagged.

7. Get in conversations.
We often don’t take advantage of opportunities to tell others about our business, assuming that because it’s online, “ordinary” people won’t be interested or understand what we’re doing. That’s a big mistake – people are people, and you’re as likely to find your next customer next door as you are on the Internet. Get over your hesitation to tell others about your online business. Explain what you do and ask if they or someone they know might be interested in your product or service.

8. Speak!
Local service clubs, hospitals, women’s groups, senior centers, and the like are always looking for low- or no-cost speakers. Pick an area of your expertise that will be of interest to the group, and contact them about holding a seminar or talk. Make sure to bring your business cards or promotional items.

Stretching outside your comfort zone is a sure-fire way to expose yourself to new prospects. Think of everyone you come in contact with as a potential subscriber to your list, and realize that if they need what you sell, you’re doing them a favor by solving their problems.

Author Bio: Lucinda J Warner is the author of Affiliate How To Online, to get more FREE tips and content rich lessons visit her site, Affiliate How To Online.

Category: Marketing
Keywords: marketing, email list, grow your list