Today I am going to share with you another affiliate marketing mistake. Actually is The BIGGEST mistake that an affiliate marketer makes.
The biggest mistake is..
Not Building A Subscribers List By Capturing Email Address
What most newbie affiliate marketers do is sending traffic directly to the affiliate product. If you are doing this then you might loosing money even when the half of the visitors you send buy through your affiliate link! You will never leverage your affiliate commissions by sending them directly to the merchant.
Let me explain. When you want to drive visitors to an affiliate product you are going to use different traffic and marketing methods. These could be pay per click search engine advertising, banner advertising, search engine optimization, link exchange, article marketing, forum marketing, social marketing or web 2,0 traffic from websites like YouTube, Squidoo, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Delicious etc.
What you will do is struggle to get new visitors every time you want to promote a new affiliate product. If you promote 5 different products you have to do all this work 5 times. If you promote 10 products then you will have to go through these 10 times. Have you ever wondered how much time, energy and money you will have to spend to promote 50 or even 100 different affiliate products or services?
Yes that’s right. 100 more times!
You will never going to leverage your affiliate commissions! Never, unless you hire a large team of people just to promote all these products each using a traffic method.
By driving traffic at your own websites and build your email list, the next time you want to promote something you will not have to go through all these traffic methods from the beginning. You are only going to use one.
Email marketing traffic.
Suppose that you drive traffic of about 1,000 visitors to an affiliate product. Most of all these visitors have never heard of you or about the product. They are not sure if they can trust you, the merchant or the affiliate product.
You are making only one attempt per visitor to achieve a sale. They either buy or not. Well 99% of all those visitors will not buy right away, if they buy at all.
Once you have your own email list of subscribers all you have to do is write and send a simple email message promoting an affiliate product.
People rarely buy from their first visit. They are not sure if that product is going to help them. Most of them want to see multiple solutions so that they can compare the different affiliate products.
So if you don’t collect email addresses, your marketing effort is a one-shot wonder. People like buying from people they know, like and trust. If you’re not giving people a chance to get to know and trust you, don’t be surprised if they don’t buy.
“So what exactly do I need to do Andreas?”
What you need to do is build a list of contacts from people that want to solve a specific problem. You have to use an autoresponder company such as Aweber, GetResponse, Prosender etc. By having them on your subscribers list you will be able to offer them different solutions and when they buy you make a commission.
That is the important thing here. You are providing a valuable service by saving people the time and money of research. You are helping them by giving them the shortcut to the best possible products so they don’t have to waste their hard-earned money on rubbish products.
So how do I start building that lists?
There are hundreds of products that can show you how to build that list and hundreds of different list building methods. If you are a newbie affiliate marketer here is a video course that will show all the steps on how to build an email list properly, step-by-step.
Ok please dont make the same mistake that let me struggle for YEARS online. If you dont have a list get one today!
Thanks for reading. I would love to read your comments and hearing from you!
Andreas
PS. You can find more affiliate marketing mistakes here:
- Affiliate Marketing Mistake #1
- Affiliate Marketing Mistake #2
- Affiliate Marketing Mistake #3
- Affiliate Marketing Mistake #4
- Affiliate Marketing Mistake #5
So how do I start building that lists?
I have a video product that will show you all the steps on how to build an email list properly. Just go to www.BigListsBucks.com
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Hi Andreas,
I am guilty of not building lists.
You are 100% spot on, you are leaving cold hard cash on the table.
I have built lists now, but boy do I regret not doing it earlier.
Pete
Pete Carr´s last [type] ..Blogging-Why You Should BePart 1
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 9th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Hi Pete.
I regret of not building that lists too!
To be more specific I was making this mistake
for more than 6 years! Can you believe it?!
I just cant imagine how much traffic and money I “lost” on all that period.
But even if I started building my lists a few years ago (6) I would FAIL, because as every newbie cares only about making money.
(You can read a related blog post here:
http://www.andreasspyrou.com/affiliate-marketing-mistake-4/
Since I started building that list and understood the importance of that list, finally
my first priority is to help people and my subscribers as more as I can.
Andreas
Hi Andreas
Absolutely agree with what you’ve said about building your email list first…it saves a ton of time in the long run.
As you say you are providing a service to your readers, so it’s really important to promote products that will benefit your readers and not just promotions to make you money.
You’ll often hear the phrase ‘the money is in the list’ when really it should be ‘the money is in the relationship you have with your list’.
Welcome to the challenge
Cheers
Steve
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 9th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Hi Steve,
Yes it saves a TON of time in the long run but unfortunately most people (including me) couldn’t see it even after “running” for a few years. To be honest I feel like I was running in the marathon X6
If all you do is promote, promote, promote to your list you will make less and less and less money even if your list is getting bigger!
Subscribers are people and not just numbers. If you only care about making money they will know it right away.
The money is IN the GOOD relationship with your list.
Cheers,
Andreas
Hi Andreas, great post. Yes, a list is a very useful tool for us all and we should start to build one straight away. I think we must be responsible in our use of our list though.
Enjoy the journey.
Mandy
Mandy Allen´s last [type] ..How do you relax
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 9th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Hi Mandy.
Thank you for your good comments and totally agree with you. Its THE most important tool for every marketer. Without it your might NEVER succeed!
Enjoy the challenge journey too!
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas,
Well I have to agree that people should be building their lists!
As co owner of WizardResponderPro.com , we do try to provide an affordable solution to those wanting to avoid the higher costs of the big companies. So there really isn’t an excuse not to build a list.
But as Steve mentioned – the important quote is that the money is in the RELATIONSHIP with your list….
As You said – you are providing a service, and if people are happy with the recommendations you give them, it will usually lead to a longer term relationship and hence more sales and profit than just referring people straight to an offer when affiliate marketing!
Good Post Andreas
Randy
http://www.RandolfSmith.com
Randy Smith@Internet Marketing Rambles´s last [type] ..Warning – Guru’s Are Like Governments!
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 9th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
Hi Randy.
Wow! I didnt know that you are running an autoresponder service!
I havent tested your service but it is really cheap (price). 10.000 subscribers for only $11.97?! Most autoreponder companies charge up to $50!
So I guess there is no excuse for not start building that list Randy. Isnt it?
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas, I totally agree with every word you’ve written.
Personaly i would say that having your own list is as important as having your own website or blog.
I also have to agree with Steve King when he said it’s about building relationships with your list.
Bearing that in mind i only recommend products that are from people that i know and trust. I’m still in the building process and my reputation is very important so i don’t just send out emails willy nilly. After all my reputation is more valuable than any affiliate commissions.
This is a great post for the 100 blog comment challenge Andreas, lots of people can learn from this.
I’ve added your details to my contributors page and would like to add you to my twitter list but have found 3 people on twitter with your name. Could you let me have your twitter name and i’ll add you to the list.
Regards, Barry
Barry@The Newbies Guide´s last [type] ..Bloggers- Need A Little Lift
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 9th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
Hi Barry,
Thanks for your good comments.
I chose to include this post in the challenge, because a lot of people are going to read it – therefore I can help a LOT of people avoid my biggest mistake.
A good relationship with your list and your reputation is MORE important than having a website or a blog. Of course the combination of all these is needed if you want to grow your business.
Regards,
Andreas
PS. My twitter can be found at:
http://twitter.com/andreas_spyrou
Hi Andreas,
Great contribution and sound advice particularly for those of us in the early stages of our new careers.
I have yet to start to build my own list.
I agree with Steve, et al, that establishing a sound relationship with potential customers HAS to be the prime directive because if customer do not trust you they will certainly not want to buy from you, will they?
I know though that like Barry, I would not like to promote a product from a source that I was not happy with.
I look forward to reading more of your useful information.
All the best,
Richard
ps Tweeted your post
Hi Richard.
Thank you for your good comments and for tweeting my post.
Exactly. You can have a list of 100.000 subscribers and make $0 and you also can have a list of 1.000 subscribers and make $100.000. Ok I am overstating it a little bit but you got my point..
If you havent started building your list then START TODAY!
Please dont make the same mistake that let me struggle for YEARS online.
If money is the problem then you can use ProSender.com or Randy Smith’s autoresponder service WizardResponderPro.com
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas, Good post and good point about getting an email address and building a list. A good marketer should have everything revolving around building a list. You can look at a list this way, a list is people who have raised their hand telling you they are interested in your subject matter.
Treat them well and don’t sell to them all the time. Treat them in a way you can build a relationship by giving good tips and valuable information. Then when it comes time to recommend a product you will be in a better position to make a sale.
Who would you try to sell to- your list or just people at random? Terry Conti
Terry Conti´s last [type] ..Sell your ebook on its own or put it on Clickbank What do you think
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Hi Terry,
Exactly! These are the points for a successful affiliate marketing (or selling your own products)to your list. Random selling is ‘useless’ and you can confirm it in the long run.
Thanks for your good comments.
Andreas
PS.
Considering your latest blog post. “Sell your ebook on its own or put it on Clickbank…”. Building a list of affiliates will be one of your most efficient list.
Hi Andreas,
Yes, you are right and no matter how many times the importance of building an email list is talked about it seems that many aren’t still getting it.
Anybody who aspires to have a good long term online business must be building their email list.
Vance
Vance@Email List Building Plugin´s last [type] ..Build Your Opt In List With Any WP Theme Using Squeeze Plugin
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Hi Vance,
Yes many people arent still getting it, but I know what’s keepping them from starting building their list. I used to be one of them for MANY years!
Lots of newbie affiliate marketers think that building an email list is only for those that have their own products, which is totally wrong! That’s why I wrote this blog post. To help newbies understand the importance of having an email list.
Andreas
A very useful reminder Andreas.
I was lucky enough to catch on about list building in my first year, however I used to manage my subscribers manually. Being lazy and a bit disorganised that mean’t they didn’t get very good service.
Subscribing to Aweber was the best thing I have done for list management. NOW I can still be lazy, but my subscribers get excellent service – automatically.
Good luck with the 100 comment challenge Andreas.
John
John McNally´s last [type] ..JESUS “Son of Man”
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Hi John,
Yes you are really lucky. Most people start building their lists after doing everything else that promises instant cash for a couple of years. (I used to be in that group too
)
Dont worry if you started managing subscribers manually in the start. Michael Cheney also started that way but look on him now! Making such mistakes are required if you want be successful in the future.
Good luck with the 100 Blog Comments Challenge too!
Andreas
Hi Andreas,
I believe most of us make the same mistake with not building an email list straight away. But when we’re first starting out, there are so many things to consider with just getting blog posts up.
One other thing you made me think of is the post that I chose for this challenge. I probably didn’t think clearly about what might happen as a result of 100 people visiting my blog. I’ve been part of these lists before and I’ve had marginal success with people visiting. S
So, I gave a link to a post that had 80 something comments already. I thought it would be nice to achieve 100 by being on this list. I’m sure that will happen now. So, what I’m saying is – stop looking at that one and comment on some different ones please – lol!
Live and learn, right? I suppose that is the point that you’re making with this post about building email lists.
Cheryl@backlinks´s last [type] ..Link Bait – Posts That Get Stumbled
Hi Andreas,
List building is the backbone of a success internet business but so many strating out just don’t seem to understand that…
Yes! it took me a while but now I have started building my list…still need work on my set up and follow up.
Good post Andreas and all the best with the challenge.
Cheers
Bryan
Bryan McHeyzer@The Internet Intern´s last [type] ..Increase Your Squeeze Page Conversion Rate!
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
Hi Bryan,
Building an email list is the first and most important step. Unfortunately if you want to be successful online you have to go further than this and have to WORK make mistakes and learn from them!
Thanks for your good comments and good luck with the 100 Blog Comments Challenge too!
Andreas
Hi Andreas
I couldn’t agree with you more. Your list is one of your greatest assets, if not the greatest so it’s important to treat your subscribers well and build a good relationship.
Good luck with the 100 Comments Challenge, I hope it brings you lots of new subscribers as well as comments.
Best Wishes
Lynn
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 11:42 pm
Hi Lynn,
Yes a marketer’s list is THE most important asset. Then comes the good relationship that you have with your list.
Unfortunately lots of newbies dont start building that list before trying everything else online. I spent a lot of my time and energy on other unimportant things too! Many newbies affiliate marketers think that because they are doing affiliate marketing they dont need to build an email list which is totally wrong!
I wish I knew that a couple of years ago..
Thanks and good luck with the 100 Blog Comments Challenge too! And remember. New comments and new subscribers are ‘useless’ if you dont gain that good relationship.
Take care,
Andreas
Hey Andreas
Excellent Post! You have provided some very sound advice for any one wanting to get into affiliate marketing.
Not that I am an expert but I have been told that building a strong and responsive list is the way to create marketing success on line. I will definately check out your video on this subject. I look forward to also checking out your other tips on affiliate marketing.
Many Thanks
Stan
Stan Young´s last [type] ..Technology is changing our world-Entrepreneurs- Did you know-are you ready for the Challenge
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 12th, 2010 at 11:01 am
Hi Stan,
Thank you for your good comments.
NOT building an email list is one of the BIGGEST mistakes that newbie affiliate marketers make.
Of course building an email list also comes with building a good relationship with them. Its 100% true!
I hope you will learn something from my previous posts. I will share more affiliate marketing mistakes on the following blog posts so be sure to visit my blog often.
Take care,
Andreas
Hey AndreasSpyrou,
Great Post. Spot on.
List building is the most important part in internet business.
Thanks for sharing this great Post mate. Awesome work.
~Dev
Devesh´s last [type] ..8 Ways a New Blogger Can Succeed
Hi Devesh,
Thank you for your good comments.
Yes list building is THE most important part in internet business. Many newbie affiliate marketers think that because their are affiliates they dont need to start building a list.
I wish I knew this when I first started!
Wish you all the best,
Andreas
Hi Andreas
Excellent post. List building is the most important part of your business.
Stay healthy
Alex.
Alex Fyfe´s last [type] ..Exercise And Harm
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 17th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Hi Alex,
Thank you for your good comments.
Yes building a list is THE most important part of any kind of business. Unfortunately lots of newbie affiliate marketers are making this mistake thinking that because they dont own a product they dont need to build a list.
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas,
As a beginner this is the mistake I was doing by not building a list.I will give it a try.Thank you for your great tip.
BlogTech Online´s last [type] ..List of Best iPhone Apps for Internet-Communications
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 17th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Hi Andrew,
I was making this mistake for years. Please dont just “give it a try” for a few months and then quit. You have to put all your effort on this and I am sure you will see a big increase in your business!
Take care,
Andreas
Building your list is smart and effective but you dont need expensive services like aweber and the other mentioned in the article. There are lots of other cheaper email solutions and you can also buy a script for a one time fee and install it on your server.
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 17th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Hi,
Yes I agree that there are also other options available. A cheapest autoresponder service is like Randy Smith’s autoresponder WizardResponderPro.com.
However I would NEVER install a script on my own domain. A good autoresponder service is “working” for you so that your message is delivered to your subscribers. By having it on your own server you will have to be very careful. If someone complains about your emails your hosting provider and also your internet provider might shut you down very easily!
Take care,
Andreas
Do you have any good list building strategies? I tried to use article marketing last year to drive traffic to the squeeze pages, but I couldn’t get enough traffic and nobody was confirming their subscription. This was in non IM niches by the way. After a few weeks I had around 40 subscribers and 2 confirmed subscribers. Any advice would really be appreciated
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
Hi Roxanne!
You should never only try one method to build your list. Article marketing can bring you good and targeted traffic. You DONT need to get 1 million visitors to build a good list. It has to be targeted as more as you can. “Health” subscribers is not targeted but “health insurance for college students” are.
Dont stop article marketing just because it didnt worked yet. Keep writing! Remember: 10 articles can bring you 0 traffic BUT it is very possible 1 article to bring you thousands of visitors.
If your articles are getting enough views in the article directories but you are not getting visitors to your websites then you need to increase the conversion rate. Try correcting your “bio box”.
As I said article you should NOT only use article marketing to build your list.
You can use other methods to build your list such as:
Pay Per Click advertising on Facebook, Yahoo!..
Adswaps – when you have a list of 100+ subscribers you can start adswaping with other marketers in your niche. You just send each others offers of a free item to your own list.
You can build niche blogs by using WordPress. (you can use PLR as content). Build quality backlinks to get search engines traffic. You can build squidoo lenses or Hub Pages.
Join Giveaway events in your niche. You can find them on websites such as http://www.newjvgiveaways.com etc.
Join different forums in your niche and create a signature with your link there to your squeeze page. (make sure you read the terms of service).
Remember list building takes time and work!
Yes I also have lot of unconfirmed subscribers. But dont worry. Probably these people just entered a fake email.
Anyhow what I recommend you to do is to tell people on the “thank you page”, that they have to confirm their email address IF they want to get the freebie.
(That way if someone entered a fake email he will have now to enter his real email).
Dont give the free gift on the “thank you page”. Instead give it on your first follow up message.
OK Roxanne I hope this helps!
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas
As an engineer, I know that computers are rubbish at one of tasks and unless you have a list this is exactly what you are using them for. The power of computers comes from repetition, this allows the computer to do its thing and for you to live on the beach or stay in bed.
Once you have a list and are giving them great information, when a new offer arises, start up your process for promoting this offer and let the computer take over.
This has worked for me, my first list building event, this time round was a JV Giveaway event with my own product. This has resulted in my list being built while I sleep.
igor
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 18th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
Hi Igor!
Exactly you have to set up your autoresponder and building your list. Then you have to give them really good information and help your subscribers as more as you can. Then you DONT just start promoting any offer. Try recommending a service or a product (that will help your subscribers) as an affiliate and also include your own offer there for example a bonus to increase your affiliate conversion!
Before you can live on the beach, staying in your bed and not have to go to your JOB and making all the money you are dreaming while you sleep, you have to work as you would work in any offline business. And one of the most important things to do in your business is building a targeted list of people that have the same interests in a market that has money.
Thank you for your comment.
Take care,
Andreas
PS. I corrected your link..
Hi Andreas:
You have got a great post here. Without list building an Internet business is incomplete. And list building is almost impossible with out autoresponders. A great post here. I will like to come back and read future posts.
In order to complete the 100 comment challenge mission, you will have to read my blog post and leave a comment also.
Thank you
Fran Aslam
Fran Aslam@kw Luv´s last [type] ..How To Write An eBook That Is Included In The Best Seller List
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
Hi Fran!
Thank you for your good comments.
Definitely. Without list building an Internet business is incomplete. Perhaps is the 95% of your business!
Be sure to come back soon. I will blog more sharing more valuable information for free in the future.
Take care,
Andreas
PS. I will read your post soon and let you know what I think.
Hi Andreas
You are right, your list is your business, whether you create and sell your own products or sell affiliate products or a combination of both without a good, responsive mailing list you are dead in the water!
Stuart Turnbull´s last [type] ..We need your ‘make money online’ ideas!
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 20th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
Hi Stuart,
Thank you for your comment.
I was in that water for a long time! But thankfully my business is getting now, closer and closer to the land
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas,
The profitable and sustainable way to do IM is through email marketing. And that requires a list. You can’t sell much to a parade of passers-by, that is to be watched only.
Cheers,
Jose
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 20th, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Hi Jose,
Exactly! You cant improve your business with a parade of passers-by. You need to build a good relationship first or else you will leave a lot of money on the table.
Take care,
Andreas
Hello Andreas,
Build a list is the first thing that the gurus tell you to do!
I asked a guru once about a product he was promoting and he said if it wasn’t going to help me build my list, then I didn’t need it. I took that advice to heart and I am slowly but surely building my list.
I think about that every time I am getting ready to do something related to my business. Will it help me build my list? If it doesn’t, then I don’t need it!
Good thing you caught on, huh?
Good luck and I will be back(gotta read about all those other mistakes we make!!)
Take care and God bless!
Lisa~
Lisa´s last [type] ..How Did I Get HERE
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 20th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Hi Lisa!
Yes its a good thing that I caught on (EVEN if I was a few years late)..
Gurus tell you a LOT of things. List building is the number 1 but most newbies dont try it because you have to invest about $20-$30 dollars every month.
My first priority since I started building a list (2 years ago) was (and STILL is) is to build a list and a really good relationship with the subscribers.
I will share more affiliate marketing mistakes that lots of affiliate marketers make, in the upcoming posts. So be sure to subscribe to my blog list to let you know Lisa.
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas
Very Nice and Informative Post you have here.
List building most probably is the most powerful element for internet marketing for the various kind of business indeed.
And with an AR, it just make it way easier than before. I am using Aweber now. And I knoe ProSender is actually a private label of Aweber.
So what AR do you used, Andreas?
Cheers
Jasonser
Hi Jason,
Thank you for your good comments.
Yes list building is THE most important element in the internet marketing including affiliate marketing.
Without an AutoResponder you CAN build a list HOWEVER you CANT MANAGE and have the same results as when using an AutoResponder company. There are LOTS of disadvantages if you dont use an AutoResponder company.
Yes ProSender is a private label of Aweber.
I am with the GetResponse company.
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas,
I cannot believe how many times I’ve read it over and over about building that proverbial list! But the amazing thing is…I take it to heart every time I read it because it really is the single most important element to successfully making a living online.
No doubt that everything we do online…should contribute in some positive way to out list building.
Sound advice…thanks for the great reminders!
Kathy
Kathy Dobson@Outsourcing to the Philippines´s last [type] ..HiveDesk…Track Your Outsourced Workers Time
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 20th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Hi Kathy,
Its the important element and although I heard about it over and over about it I didnt wanted to try it until 2 years ago. BAD decision!
And YES! Everything you do online should also be an attempt to grow the list.
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas,
You are soooooo right. You are leaving so many leads and possible customer on the table. You have spent all the hard work and time on getting the traffic to see your affiliate offers.
Make sure you at least get an email address. You can then build on that through email marketing. No relationship marketing. Then you can keep in touch with you list and once you have them on your list and treat them right they will stick with you and trust you.
You don’t have to find that person again and you can send them related products or offers. Your list is the back bone of any Internet Business. Treat it with respect.
Thanks
Craig
Craig´s last [type] ..Put Your Email Marketing On Auto Pilot By Using An Auto responder
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 21st, 2010 at 10:22 am
Hi Craig,
Thanks for commenting.
Definitely. The list is our back bone of our internet business no matter which model we use.
I cant imagine of how many people I “lost” all these years but also these people lose the knowledge that I could give them! All my mistakes I’ve done and all success I was achieving on the current time!
Take care,
Andreas
PS. I can see that you’ve fixed the problem with the ComLuv. I had the same problem but its now fixed by just registering to the official site and removing the URL from the errors table.
What you say is of course quite right but in spite of that a number of affiliate marketers make a nice living without building a list.
List building has got a whole lot easier now with Facebook Groups.
Sandy Halliday´s last [type] ..Failure Is Not An Option In Making Money Online
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 22nd, 2010 at 12:24 am
Hi Sandy,
Yes of course there are affiliate marketers that make thousands of dollars every day by using PPC advertising, Facebook advertising etc. HOWEVER they still leave a ton of money on the table without building that list!
If they can spend enough money on advertising to reach the potential buyers they can make a ton of money online. But will they be able to reach them again WITHOUT advertising and spending AGAIN all that money? Unfortunately no they can’t! Will they be able to spend the less money on advertising after a year? Unfortunately no they can’t!
If you want to make affiliate money in a long term, without doing all that hard work again and again and again and spending more money on advertising every day then you definitely need that list!
Take care,
Andreas
Hi, Andreas,
You have an excellent blog with some mighty good info. I am signed up to get reports and I will definately be back for more info. What an inspiration your are!
Thank you so much,
Fran T
Fran T´s last [type] ..Betalains to the rescue!
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 22nd, 2010 at 4:27 pm
Hi Fran,
Thank you for your good comments.
I’m trying to help as much as I can!
Take care,
Andreas
PS. Tell me what you think about my free report..
Hey Andreas,
Really good post. This is definitely a huge problem I see a lot of people making out there. It is especially common when you go into smaller niches and see people promoting products (even their own) and they never try to capture the email address.
Good job pointing that out.
Peace,
Darren L Carter
Darren L Carter´s last [type] ..Free Atomic Bomb Survivor Inspiration Book – Finished!!
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 22nd, 2010 at 4:24 pm
Hi Darren
Thank you for your good comments.
Definitely its a huge problem but unfortunately most people dont invest into building that email list. I used to be one too! Most affiliate marketers will say that they dont need a list. Sure they dont if they dont want to build a long-term business and have a lot of money to invest on advertising every month!
Take care,
Andreas
PS. I corrected your name. You typed “arren L Carter” by accident..
Hey Andreas,
When I first started learning affiliate marketing about a year ago, I actually started off using a squeeze page, but no one subscribed so I guess it didn’t matter anyway…lol:)
Thanks for this post.
J
The Cartoon Coach
Carstarphen´s last [type] ..Which Online MLM System is really the best
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 23rd, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Hi Jeremiah,
List building with a combination with affiliate marketing is not that once you get started. You have to keep up trying.
You have to check out a few things.
ex #1.Your traffic.
Without traffic you will never be able to build that list! You have to get as more targeted traffic you can on your squeeze page.
#2. Your website conversion.
You have a lot of targeted traffic but none sign ups? Check out your squeeze page elements for errors. Do you visitors understand(in LESS than 5 seconds) what you are offering for free? Be sure to have a headline with a strong message.
Also check out your freebie offer. Is it appealing enough or just a normal gift that the potential subscriber can get anywhere?
Keep in mind these quick tips and try again.
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas
You’ve hit the nail on the head there, Andreas, not just for affiliates but for any internet marketing online business.
I’ve posted a link to this page on identi.ca for you (makes a change from Twitter!)
Martyn Boaden´s last [type] ..What Was Your Biggest Challenge When You Started Your Internet Marketing Online Business
Hi Martyn,
Exactly! List building is for every kind of online business. However since I’ve noticed that many affiliate marketers are making this mistake I wanted to emphasize it and give another remind on this CRUCIAL mistake.
Thanks for posting a link on identi.ca and promoting my blog post.
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas,
The money is in the list, the money is in the list! This should be the top of your business list when starting out. I can earn more from one mail shot then a whole month of products. List building is an awesome way to generate revenue and relationships with your audience.
Great post
Daniel Sumner´s last [type] ..Self Learning – Outsourcing – Student and Teacher
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 24th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Hi Daniel!
To be more specific “The money is in the list of buyers and the relationship with the subscribers…”.
Unfortunately “building a list” was in my “queue list” for many years!
Thank you for your good comments,
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas, I’m glad I stopped by, this is an excellent post and great comments. List building is the cornerstone of online marketing, especially for affiliate marketers. It requires some serious focus on the details the more involved you get. Aweber, for example, is able to track everything about your list, i.e, who opened, who clicked through, and who didn’t open or who didn’t click through. That’s why we’re always getting second and third emails from marketers. They’ve checked their Aweber list stats and are sending out the same or a similar email again to everyone who didn’t open it the first, second, or even third time around. An autoresponder is a powerful tool in the right hands. Take care, Steve D.
Steve@bookmarking´s last [type] ..Bookmarking URLS Favicon Style
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 25th, 2010 at 8:11 am
Hi Steve,
Thank you for your good comments.
Exactly. List building is important for anything you do online including affiliate marketing and an autoresponder is definitely a powerful online tool.
Tracking the results is also important because you will find out what worked and what didnt. By using Aweber’s (or other autoresponder) you can see the all the statistics and be able to compare.
Take care,
Andreas
Hey Andreas,
What csan I say…HEAR HEAR, at the moment I am focusing all of my business efforts on building an email list, through giveaways, and to get my prioritys right I have even put my second project on hold, to do so, because I feel its better to get the ball rolling on having a decent size list to promote to over time!
My way of thinking, is a list populated with enough responsive subscribers can at the very least bring you in a regular steady income, so that the one shot sales are a bonus, I feel its the way to go?
Loved the post Andreas….Ed.
Ed@The Ed Files´s last [type] ..Selling on eBay- Can a Nightclub Relate to eBay
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 25th, 2010 at 8:05 am
Hi Ed,
Your list is the backbone of your business so keep focusing on it. Every time you gain new subscribers try helping them by giving them useful information for free.
Take care,
Andreas
I’ve just started building my list, but of course the trouble now is figuring out what to do with the follow ups
This is a great series you are writing here Andreas, I look forward to checking out the rest of it…
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 25th, 2010 at 8:00 am
Hi Alex,
What to do? Ask your list what their problems are and help them solve them..
You can read a related post here:
http://www.andreasspyrou.com/affiliate-marketing-mistake-4/
Thank you for your good comments.
You can subscribe to the RSS or on the blog updates list, to be informed when I have new posts.
Take care,
Andreas
The reason people use affiliates is because traffic is hard to find. Therefore I agree with you, if you have been able to find traffic, use it! Leverage it! And don’t just send them to one merchant, send them to several!
Daniel M. Wood @ Sales Techniques, Motivation and Success´s last [type] ..How to Use Motivation to Accomplish Your Goals and Start Living Your Dream Life
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 26th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Hi Daniel,
Thank you for your comment.
Thats correct. However in order to get affiliates you will still need to find ways to build that traffic BUT once you find it you will be able to leverage it! Thats why there are so many people that are making a LOT of money online. Its because they found how to leverage their business!
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas,
All good sound solid advice.
I have not started list building yet, I want to create some niche market products to promote and giveaway first.
When this is complete I will make a start on my list building.
Regards,
Bill
Bill Murney´s last [type] ..Research- Research- Research
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 26th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Hi Bill,
Thank you for your comment.
Ok you can do this but be careful. Dont get into the trap of “once I will create 20 information products I will start building my list.” Start slowly and dont enter to much markets at once. Create 2-4 information products and then start building that list and help your subscribers.
After this step you can ask your list what they want, so you know exactly what your new product will contain. It doesnt matter if that product will be free or a paid one.
Take care,
Andreas
Thanks for this post, Andreas. You are making a good point with the fact that without the list you have to do all the work over again each time you want to sell something.
Deb@Futures Trade´s last [type] ..Better Connection Today
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 27th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
You welcome Deb!
Exactly, without a list you will need to do all the hard work from the beginning. I was making this mistake for years. And no DONT sell every time on your list. A list is also to be able to contact those people again and HELP them! Without helping them solving a solution the list will be useless!
Keep this in mind.
Thank you for your good comments and wish you all the best with the challenge.
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas
Sounds like a good Greek name. Thanks so much for pointing out what a list is good for. Between your blog and the responses, I’m getting a better idea what a list is for and how to use it. I’d still like to see more examples so, if you feel blog happy, I’d love to read how to use a list and what to send to people. NEWBIE : )
Thanks
Alex
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 27th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
Hi Alex,
Well according to Wikipedia is a common name in Greece, Cyprus, Germany and other countries.
I live in Cyprus and I am Greek/Cypriot/German
Anyway, I am happy that you are getting a better idea about list building. I used to make the mistake of not building a list for at least 5 years! I wanted to save the autoresponder fees but I ended paying at least 6 more for other unimportant services!
Dont make the same mistake! DONT!
OK. I will try giving you more information about list building and different tips in upcoming blog posts and helping you out.
Take care,
Andreas
his is such an important post.This is indeed a topic which has been ignored by many experts & professionals. You have done a great job by bringing this topic into light. I hope quality discussions follow this post. Great job.
Alesandra @ mario and luigi costumes´s last [type] ..WordPress Confusion
Hi Andreas,
The importance of list building cannot be stressed too highly, but as people have said before, even more important is building a relationship with our list.
This is I believe the foundation of a good business and must be put in place.
Thank you for an excellent appraisal of the importance of list building Andreas and great to meet you on the challenge.
Regards,
Brian
Brian Alcock´s last [type] ..So You Failed…So What!!
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 27th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Hi Brian,
Nice to meet you too and thank you for your good comments.
Exactly. Building that list and a good relationship with that list is the way to go.
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas
Perfect! The money is in the list … Though I have been lucky to understand this early on in my internet marketing career I have not really put in action to do so …
Nice post and a reminder to all not doing the right thing!
Cheers!
Abizer
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 28th, 2010 at 9:24 am
Hi Abizer,
Thank you for your good comments.
If you understand this early then why arent you taking action? Start small and try growing your list by using different methods and also learning marketing during the effort.
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas,
I finally got here in my blog hopping travels!
This little challenge has certainly kept us all very busy!
What a perfect post for the challenge. I completely agree on the importance of list building, although at the moment I must admit list building has not been one of my strong points!
I have mainly been focusing on my blog and creating content for it while learning. I just about have my freebie ready to give away and as soon as that is ready I will concentrate on list building more.
However in saying that like Steve said “You’ll often hear the phrase ‘the money is in the list’ when really it should be ‘the money is in the relationship you have with your list’.” This is so true so really the first thing I really need to set up is an email series.
My poor list on my blog must feel rejected they have probably forgotten who I am by now! Ooops on that one!
Randy’s Autoresponder service is excellent, service is brilliant and very personal. Pete is awesome with technical help and always answers emails with out a problem. I have been with Aweber for the last year as it was the original one recommended to me, however after deliberation I have transferred over to Randy’s. A: because it is cheaper!! Like that! but B: Because of the personal service!!
Hope all is going well. I will be back here in the next few days. Ia m tally everyone’s comments as I go around.
Happy Blog Hopping!
Cheers
Jacinta
Jacinta Dean @ Creating A Business Online´s last [type] ..The 100 Blog Comment Challenge Update!
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 29th, 2010 at 1:06 am
Hi Jacinta!
Yes indeed the challenge kept me and others very busy. We have more things to do in out business too..
As I said before I am taking part on this challenge to connect with other marketers and its working! The challenge is just another way to connect but also build the suitable relationship (just like the relationship with your subscribers) with the other marketers.
OK. Well list building and receiving traffic are the two most important aspects in our business. Many newbies fail because they cant get enough targeted traffic on their squeeze page. It’s neither my strongest point or I am a top guru on getting millions of targeted traffic overnight but I am always trying and testing different methods to get targeted traffic to build that list. Some methods work really well and some aren’t as they supposed to work etc.
Yep. The money is in the relationship with the list. If you want to build the best relationship you can with the list you have to create an email series with really good free content that will help them on something.
And another Yep.. You have to email regularly so that they dont forget you. I saw you commenting on other people’s blog, blogging and participating on I.M. forums but I dont remember email me..
LOL
Randy’s service (WizardResponderPRO) seems too good to be true… Is it really that good and the cheaper autoresponder service? If you can do everything like in Aweber and GetResponse then what are newbies waiting for?! If money is the problem of starting building that list now that I’ve discovered WizardResponderPRO there is NO excuse!
I guess I should update my post..
Ok. I am waiting for you to come back!
Take care,
Andreas
Thanks for sharing this information. I have just learned about list building and I am working on it now.
Amy Steelman-Prueter´s last [type] ..Are you up for the Challenge
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 29th, 2010 at 12:32 am
Hi Amy,
Thank you for your comment.
List building and building a relationship with the subscribers is the backbone of any online business so learn everything you can about about it.
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas
Really good and clear blog, very easy to follow.
I used to make the exact mistake you mentioned, sending traffic directly to the affiliate product page, but I stopped that a long time ago.
It’s good you mentioned it because many newbies still make that mistake.
Catch ya soon, Sally
Sally @ blog hopping queen´s last [type] ..Writing Testimonials Benefit You Too
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 29th, 2010 at 12:38 am
Hi Sally,
Thank you for your good comments.
Well it seems that you’ve learned from first hand the biggest mistake and fixed it..
Yes, indeed most newbie affiliate marketers or generally newbies are making this mistake. I did that too for several YEARS! Can you believe it!?
Take care,
Andreas
Hi Andreas, affiliate marketing is something that I have never been very successful at, all thing being equal what size of list do you suggest would see this being successful?
Cheers
Rob
Rob Corrigan´s last [type] ..What Is The Cheapest Way To Start A Business Part 2
AndreasSpyrou Reply:
August 29th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Hi Robert,
Well list size IS important but is NOT as important as the relationship you have with the list and the information plus the recommendations you are giving them.
But lets assume that you are helping your subscribers by giving them really good information and you have a good relationship with them.
It also depends on the niche market and the solutions (offers) you are giving them.
It has to be a good product (solution) with a converting sales page that has good copyright elements.
So you can have a small list (eg. 1.000 subscribers) on niche that has money and spends money (eg. “dieting”, “education”) to solve their problems and make MORE money than a list of 100.000 subscribers that dont have or want to spend money for their problems.
Its not easy to tell how big your list has to be in order to be successful but APPROXIMATELY you can be successful with a list of 5.000-25.000 subscribers (assuming you are doing everything correctly).
Take care,
Andreas