There is a lot of misinformation in internet marketing but the number one biggest universal truth is this:
“The money is in the list.”
I’m sure you’ve heard it many times and I can’t stress how important and how valuable having a list is.
Unfortunately, there are too many people who have been interested in making money online for many months (or sometimes) years but have STILL not built a list!
One of the most frequent questions I get asked is, “Rob, how did you build your list?”.
So I thought I’d answer that in this post…
First Things First
Before reading on it’s important to know:
1. I Have Several Lists
Every other successful person I know on the internet is the same.
When people say, “My list” they actually mean, “My lists”. That is, plural. So there are lists for different niches, products I’ve sold, free gifts I’ve given away and so on.
2. It Takes Time
List building does not happen overnight. Yes, I’ve added hundreds of people to my lists in 24 hours or less on occasions but to get that result I usually had to put in a few days or weeks of…and there’s the taboo word… W.O.R.K!!!
3. There Are ONLY 2 Ways To Build Your List
1. Give something away for free (on a squeeze page or optin form on your site)
2. Sell something (on a sales page)
Both will put subscribers onto your list but the latter method will add buyers which are the best type of subscriber you can get. I recommend you do both though, just as I do.
If you are just getting started you can create a squeeze page or sales page using OptimizePress (fast, cheap and what I use everytime).
Please keep the above in mind as you read on as it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the different traffic and list building methods.
Just keep reminding yourself there are only ever 2 ways to build your list. 🙂
How I Built My Lists
Here are the methods that I’ve used, and you can use too…
1. Giveaways
This blog started as a hobby when whilst I was making money in the stock market niche. In fact I didn’t monetize it at all for around 10 months!
However, I did want to build my audience and subscribers so I participated about 4 or 5 “giveaway” events using this site: newjvgiveaways.com
The idea is that you become a contributor and provide a product (which can be sourced online as PLR for free or at low cost, say $5-10) to upcoming giveaway events.
The contributors promote the event (you can do so on social media or get friends to sign up if you haven’t got a list yet) and the people that arrive at the event sign up for your product and also to your list.
Worth Doing? In my view giveaways are not what they used to be but since they are pretty simple to get going with they are something that is worth doing if the idea appeals and you are just starting to build your list.
2. Blog Commenting
You might think blog commenting is a waste of time but I can tell you some of the most profitable joint ventures I’ve done have started with a comment I dropped on another marketer’s blog.
Emails get lost but pretty much EVERYONE reads their blog comments. Therefore blog comments are a great way of getting on someone else’s radar. Plus you’ll also get a little traffic back to your squeeze page too (think of this as a bonus).
Worth Doing? Yes, it only takes a few minutes, a few times per week to do it.
3. Blogging
I made my first few dollars online in the collectibles niche. Regular readers might know it was in fact in the “Collecting metal lunch boxes“ micro-niche.
I still have this niche site (see here) and you’ll see that it has an optin form on the sidebar. This blog you are reading now has one too and it is always a good idea because it acts as another “on ramp” for visitors to join your list.
Worth Doing? Yes, having a blog is a great platform for building relationships with your subscribers. Remember that the money is also in the relationship with your list too!
4. Solo Ads
This is where you pay another marketer to email their list and promote your squeeze page. Costs vary by niche but this is one of the fastest ways to build your list using paid traffic.
Worth doing? Yes, and especially so if you wish to “kick start” your list from zero. But obviously it does cost money.
5. Joint Ventures
This was is how I drove 99% of the traffic in the stock market niche. You have a product, you get others to promote it in return for a commission. We’ve talked a lot about how to do this before and in the members area but the key is to build relationships first and treat it as a marathon not a sprint.
Worth Doing? 100% YES, super powerful!
6. Content Syndication
Content Syndication encompasses many different traffic and list building techniques that are all about “getting your content in places around the web where your target audience will see it”.
+ Interviews (Giving and Conducting)
If you go through the archives of this blog you’ll notice a lot of posts where I interview experts. Interviewing experts is:
1. One of the fastest ways to create content or a product
2. One of the BEST ways to build relationships for future Joint Ventures
3. A great way to get FREE consultancy and learn a lot about your niche 😉
4. Become percieved as an expert through the “Power of Association”
As you go along you might be surprised that people want to start interviewing you. I’ve done a lot of this including one a couple of weeks ago and another scheduled for this Thursday. Again this takes time but gets you traffic and builds your list with passionate buyers who really like your stuff.
+ Guest Posting
Write an article, get it posted on high traffic websites in your niche. A LOT easier than you might think.
This was one of the key things I did to get my first hundred or so subscribers on my list for this blog. And it’s not a “mickey mouse” strategy either, I still do this today and as with all these list building methods you will find the best places to guest post as you do more of it.
+ Bonuses For Other Marketers
Love this one.
Create a small product (article, MP3 expert interview, video tutorial, eBook etc) and offer it FREE to another marketer so they can use it as a bonus for their product. To get your product the other marketer’s customers need to sign up at your squeeze page.
I used this a fair bit. It puts BUYERS onto your list and involves virtually no work once you have your product. Better still you can syndicate your product to lots of different marketers again and again! 🙂
+ Press Releases
I haven’t done this yet but in the next 7 days I will have.
From what I hear it’s a great method of syndicating content and getting your message out there but I can’t comment on results as yet obviously! The big daddy is prweb.com but there are many other free press release sites you can use too.
UPDATE: Please click here to see the results of my press release
Worth Doing? In my experience, Content Syndication is one of the most powerful and best quality traffic sources you can get. You may only generate a few visitors sometimes but these people often buy again and again (seriously it’s incredible!).
Not only that but all of the methods above are free (unless you pay for a press release) and only take a little time on your part to implement. Can’t recommend Content Syndication enough!
7. Affiliate Recruitment
You create a product and get other people to promote it.
This might sounds identical to joint ventures but it’s slightly different in that most of your affiliates are people you don’t know and never speak to.
I’ve had well over 30,000+ visitors sent by affiliates this year, all for free. For more information check out this previous post or Gain Higher Ground members can see the sessions in the members area.
Worth Doing? Heck, yes! The numbers speak for themselves, it’s an evergreen strategy pre-dating the internet and will always work in the future.
8. Forums
The common method people talk of here is to put a link in your signature and get involved in the forum helping people. Some other members will click your link and sign up for your page.
This is a bit manual though so if, like me, you are not the “chatty” sort that likes to frequent forums then a better thing to look for is promotional opportunities.
Many forums have dedicated promotional areas (either free or paid) and often you can purchase text or banner advertising. The obvious example of course is the Warrior Forum but there are many other forums in many other niches which allow this too.
9. Pay Per Click (PPC)
I have probably added only about 20 subscribers using this method in my life! I used Adwords and 2nd-tier PPC networks, especially 7 Search.
Worth Doing? From this you can probably guess I didn’t get on well with it. However, in reality I gave up and it is something that I’d like to pursue further going forward.
Experts in PPC tell me that if Google Adwords is too expensive and restrictive for you try Facebook ads or another 2nd-tier network such as Miva.
10. Live Events
I’ve been to 2 in the last 2 days and am at another this evening!
You don’t need to attend that many in reality but try to attend one at least once per month. Live events are a great source of joint ventures as nothing beats face to face contact. You’ll also be able to get new subscribers if you hand out business cards with you squeeze page URL on it.
Please Remember…
There are many other methods which you can use but remember you don’t need to do all of them.
The main reason I’ve done so many is that I LOVE experimenting! If you don’t then just stick to 2 or 3 methods. The most powerful ones in my experience are Content Syndication, Joint Ventures and Recruiting Affiliates.
These 3 methods alone will allow you to drive thousands of visitors to your squeeze and sales pages in any niche.
Did you find this useful? Please click LIKE and Tweet if so – I’d really appreciate that. Please also let me know your comments and questions below… 🙂
Hi Rob,
Thanks for this, I’m just trying to get my head around list building – this is just what I needed to get me started! Some really great ideas. I’ll let you know how I get on!
Kate x
Hi Kate,
Great to see you here on the blog and even better to hear you’ll be taking action – that’s what really counts in this business 🙂
Cheers – Rob.
Kate your Unique Sleeps site is awesome – I really love your concept. Good luck with it!
Thanks Rob,
That was a very helpful (and timely) post for me.
I’m working on something now to try and build a list, and I already had one of these methods in mind (Bonuses For Other Marketers) so I may be contacting you in the next few weeks. lol Hope you don’t mind.
Thanks again,
John.
Thanks John,
You are more than welcome to contact me. Of course I make no promises though! But seriously, if your product is good you WILL be able to build you list with it.
Cheers, Rob.
Great content as always Rob. I have learned of a couple more resources in this post that I’ve never heard of before, so that is useful. Also the way you have gone through it step by step, ending each with the ‘worth doing?’, I find that helpful and easier to take in. It seems to cut down on the info overload. I prefer things in ‘list’ form like this. Cheers Rob!
Hi Lisa,
The “Worth a try?” thing is something I tried a while back and people seemed to like it. Glad to hear you found the strategies useful!
Good luck building your list and see you again here soon I hope 🙂
Rob.
Thanks rob excellent blog again, having installed optimizepress it’s a wonderful tool to use the ease in which you can create squeeze and sales pages it’s a must have!!
I see you have not mentioned social media as a tool to build your list is it because you rather focus on the things that work or have not tried it?
Hi Imran,
I do use social media in the sense that I asked everyone to click Like and Tweet in this post. I also have a Facebook page and Twitter account. But to be honest that’s all I do so it generates a little traffic and probably does get me some list signups but it didn’t seem important enough to mention in this post. Thanks for asking though.
Cheers – Rob.
if there’s one thing i’ve learned from using Social Media is by all means use it to build ‘a presence’ but never ever rely on it for sales / profits – In my experience of selling physical goods Facebook is nothing short of a waste of space for generating meaningful sales leads; it tends to be made up of freebie hunters and discount code users – it’s not bad for creating a bit of interaction which leads to some ‘Google Juice’ but direct sales? forget it.
Twitter on the other hand is also poor value in terms of sales but excellent for PR and direct contact with useful industry figures which, if you get your message across correctly, can eventually lead to sales; warning though – it’s usually a long process and many fall into the trap of not seeing results straight away and giving up too early – stick with it and you’ll see results.
Rob is 100% right – by far and away the best ‘profit’ comes from lists – make sure you mange those lists well though and drill down to see what links are clicked in your messages to see what works and what doesn’t – analyse them to death – if you don’t measure them you can’t manage them.
Don’t spend 90% of your time poncing about on Facebook trying to build a useful list – you’re wasting your time – use all of Rob’s proven methods and slowly but surely build yourself a meaningful list – a list that will see steady and sustainable profits.
Hi Ian,
This is the best and most candid comment we’ve had of the blog in recent times! It’s a shame there isn’t a prize up for grabs or you would surely be the winner 🙂
I can’t really add anything to what you say here apart from agreeing 100%.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts
Rob.
ha! sorry if it seemed a bit ‘ranty’ but using Social Media for direct sales is, in my experience and opinion, “The Emperor’s New Clothes of Internet Marketing” – a lot of noise and hype but never actually puts food on the table!
Being candid I have (spread across different businesses):
Facebook – 10,000 ‘fans’
Twitter – 3000 followers
YouTube – 500 subscribers – over 1,000,000 views
Also a presence on Goggle Plus, Pinterest & LinkedIn
List database 20,000 with an 19% average ‘open rate’ for every email sent.
If I had to rank Social Media in terms of direct sales it would be:
Facebook – rubbish
Google Plus – rubbish (unless you like talking to yourself)
Pinterest – too early to call but early signs are rubbish
LinkedIn – rubbish
Twitter – bad, but good (actually, great) for PR
YouTube – easily the best all round – good for ‘Google Juice’ and direct click throughs – nice and targeted too!
Hope that helps a little – please bear in mind these findings are my own experiences from my businesses in differing market sectors.
But my over-riding point is that no matter what sector I’m in, the results from Social Media all pretty much stack up the same.
Stick to Rob’s tried and trusted methods and and don’t get swayed by the ‘one-click results’ promises of Social Media.
Spend 5% of your Marketing efforts on Social Media and 95% on the other method’s Rob shown.
Hi Rob!
You dished out some very effective methods. The method I’m trying to wrap my head around is the Giveaways. Do not get me wrong, I’m sure good things can come from using the method religiously.
But.
Do you think that the people who signup to JV Giveaways are looking to get the product only or can someone build a nice solid buyers list from Giveaways?
Hi Marc,
Thanks for a great question 🙂
You will definitely not get a solid buyers list from giveaways which is one of the main reasons for my reseverations about them in the post. However, this doesn’t mean it’s a waste of time. If you have a list of zero and are relatively new then giveaways are somewhat useful and if nothing else they are a good experience to go through.
If you REALLY want to profit from giveaways then setting up your own is where it’s at! That’s beyond the scope of this particular post though.
Cheers, Rob.
Hi Rob, Your post is really informative. I will surely use a lot of this information to seriously start building list. I have been faffing around for almost 2 years now. Time to get serious.
Best Wishes.
JP
Hey JP,
Great to hear this motivated you – thanks for dropping the comment!
Cheers, Rob.
Hi Rob,
Great list – for building a list!
I have tried a few of those methods. Some with success, some without. I am really looking forward to getting back into it soon. I will be checking out the methods you have mentioned.
Regards,
John
Hi John,
That’s a nice alternative title for this post – didn’t think of that!
Cheers,
Rob.
Hi Rob,
Thanks once again for some great content on list building. As you know from our past dealings – List building is my key focus in my business, and you are right to put such emphasis on it. Marketers who leave it till later on are basically leaving money on the table. In addition, marketers who do not build their lists are forgetting the key principle of building a relationship with their buyers.
I know, obviously, that you know exactly how to do this – but perhaps you may want to tell your readers about building different kinds of lists (not just in different niches). By that, I mean building different lists through the use of automation rules that segment your buyers and freebie seekers (and affiliates) for example. This was the gem I was missing for too long!
I have another one for you too, which we have both used and that is offering free products to go as bonuses in other people’s sales funnels. People are always after value to add to their own products and if you can offer that to them, they will usually allow you to have it wrapped in your own squeeze page. At the very least, the people you JV with in this way will often mail for you or reciprocate in some other way and this is all to the good when looking for new subscribers.
Thanks for the great post.
Paul
Excellent points Paul!
These are a little more advanced in nature but very important. But ONLY when you HAVE a list in the first place of course. So good ideas for a future post – thank you 🙂
Cheers,
Rob.
Hi Rob
It’s a long time since I’ve made a comment on any of your excellent blogs but I couldn’t resist on this one.
Logic tells me how valuable Lists are and to incorporate them in marketing campaigns MUST be an essential pre-requisite.
I regard myself as being a pretty good original thinker when it comes to creating eproducts but that’s as far as it goes!
I’ve spent months trying to work out the ‘nuts and bolts’ of list building but am still as far away as ever and I’ve not come across any product or accessed any advice which tells me EXACTLY how to do it!
It’s frustrating because I should be making loadsamoney by now.
The organisations such as aweber, mailchimp etc. have videos and articles which should help but don’t because although it looks as if the first basic steps will continue into equally easy to follow steps it’s not long before I hit the proverbial brick wall.
Computerspeak jargon and acronyms abound and the videos are so fast that even the simplest steps are unfollowable! To compound the stupidity of it all the video commentator will invariably end up by saying:-
“IT REALLY IS THAT SIMPLE”
Wot a joke! Who are they kidding?
I could go on and on and on ad infinitum but I think that if I’m ever going to get answers it will be by pure chance, probably in 6 month’s time. Instead of writing this stuff I should be working on my next money spinning project. If I ever find out such information as what is meant for instance by Import (from where to where?) I’m going to produce a freebie info product which will save the newbie weeks, months and years. By the time I’ve got the necessary esoteric knowledge I’ll almost certainly be too late with this.
Sorry for banging on Rob. At least you do your best to furnish useful information whereas loads of others just peddle out the same old recycled wotdyercallit.
Hi Ken,
Thanks for your extensive comment and thoughts there.
It’s certainly true that some people are more technical that others. But here’s the thing: All of it is learnable. Yes, it might take to longer than someone else but who cares? Just go at your own pace. In any case, there is no need to get very technical, it’s really all point and click. Plus you can outsource the jobs you don’t like too.
Also, it’s a good idea to stop sometimes and ask yourself exactly what question you are asking. Sometimes it’s easy to get confused because we don’t think clearly about what we are trying to do so no wonder we can’t find the answers!
Finally, ENJOY the learning curve. You can choose to do this. If you view it as a chore then you’ll be impeded so keep going and welcome the challenges. Mindset is a huge part of success!
Good luck!
Cheers, Rob.
Hi Rob
Your post is as informative and well written as ever!
I think Ken (above) and I could be of the same vintage!! I fully sees what he is saying and all this a good learning curve. You have or learnt a knack of putting all the aspects of IM in a clear concise way (more praise!).
Your reply is of course right but as we age I find that the ability to focus becomes more tricky and learning new stuff just takes longer. The cliche ‘stay with it’ and word ‘patience’ come to mind. Do not ‘faff’ but keep the mind active and make notes.
I am about to prepare a check list of all the various steps needed to apply the mind following your route Rob. Each step will need embellishment to tease out the detail. You are right about the questions that need to be asked and hopefully with replies. All this takes time.
I appreciate that this is a ‘Business’ but I don’t want the 24/7 deal anymore.
All for now.
Bye – Mike
Thanks for sharing and taking the time Mike – all makes sense.
Cheers, Rob.
Thanks Rob,
I recently purchased you spy bar and I love it.
You’re very welcome Terry and great to hear you are getting the value with SpyBar!
Cheers, Rob.
I am new to list building so this is a very good resource to get started. Right today I set up a campaign on 7search 🙂
What I like the most about having a list, is the fact you can order ” push button traffic” to your blog or offer for free. Thanks for giving away these nice tips.
Hi Phillip,
Great to see you here on the blog, welcome along and thanks for your sharing what you are doing with us 🙂
Rob
Hi Rob
Great content..thankyou.
What is your view in submitting articles to the directories such as ezinearticles etc. in respect of Internet marketing and making money online?
My view is that is swamped with too much (with a lot of “spun” junk and is now fairly ineffective in bringing traffic to an IM site
What do you think?
Paul
Hi Paul,
Thanks for a good question…
Spun articles and article directories have had their day in my book. Like you say it’s a bit spammy and honestly, having tried it very early on when I started online in 2010 the traffic you generate is TINY! I’d certainly never do it now and apart from the experience I got I wish I hadn’t done it then.
To clarify though I am NOT saying article marketing is finished. On the contrary, guest posting (see post above) is still very effective as will continue to be. It’s just that specifically article directories/spinning is a bad way to go.
Cheers, Rob.
Hi Rob, thank you so much for this post, it really is timely. After one full year trying to make money online (never made as much as cent), I finally got around to building a list. Right now I picked the one I thought to be the easiest, Forums.
But I never thought of the idea you mentioned, that is, looking for promotional opportunities. Forums are really tedious and I was just thinking of moving to something new but that would be a bad idea since this hasn’t yielded any positive results yet.
So I will stick with it until I see some positive results and as well as try the promotional idea you just mentioned.
Thanks and cheers
Ejeks
sorry to interject here but Ejeks, don’t abandon forums! If that’s where your target customers hang out then why go elsewhere?
One of the favourite sayings of ex-Coca Cola chairman Sergio Zyman is “Fish Where The Fishes Swim” 🙂
By the way, tell me more about this SpyBar, what exactly is it?
Hi Ejecks,
Thanks very much for your thoughts on this one, really pleased you found it useful 🙂
You can find out more about SpyBar including a short video demonstration here: wpSpyBar.Com
Cheers,
Rob.
Got to say I am really glad I subscribed to this post. Not only is the post informative but I am getting some really valued information from the comments too….
I like what people are saying about the social media stuff – it can drive traffic but not really impressed with the “quality”…
Interesting points from Ian about YouTube too – people tend to forget that this is now the second largest search engine! And far, far easier to rank high. So, if video is your thing then this should definitely be explored! I have done some experiments and have got some videos on page one within a few days – and they get clicks too.
There is also some mention on here about 7search, I have only recently signed up with this. Not ran any campaigns yet, how do you find it? Has anyone had any success with this? Obviously its far cheaper than Adwords!
Regards,
John
Hey John,
Glad you’re enjoying this – some really useful stuff like you say.
7search is ok in my experience and definitely worth testing but the volume of traffic is relatively low compared to Adwords. Will vary by niche though.
Cheers – Rob.
Enjoyed reading this email really interesting ,useful information keep it coming.
Thanks Brian, I shall definitely keep you updated through new posts!
Cheers – Rob.
Firstly Rob I would like to say that all your posts is very useful to me, so thank you for all the information you have supplied and I just know that you are a good teacher.
I was just thinking abouit some of the comments regarding the future and the developments of the Internet. And Ken’s and Others, question and thoughts.
First there is a small thing called a rtecession going on so it is just an unpalateable fact that people will not buy as as much as they have used to,thru no fault of there own.
Secondly I think that you should not be looking for the here and now because over the next few years there appears to be some major changes including more rules and regulations and changes in how we view everything including blog posts. and may for example go the social media route with more protection for the individual. We have already seeing this evolution in social media and video.
Soon it may not be necessary to have a website.
So it does not matter how long it takes you to master a particular way of doing things
I am over 60 myself (just) so it is difficult but a way to overcome this is to look ahead and see what the trends are and then take the time to understand them so that you can master them at your own pace.
Everything in life is a learning process and will take time. At the moment that is all we have.
All I can say try not to worry just keep at it and maybe we will all be able to succeed
Hi Richard,
Welcome to the blog – nice to see you 🙂
Some interesting points here and thank you for sharing. The only thing I would say is that the internet has always changed constantly and will certainly do so in the future. Moreover these changes are virtually impossible to predict, even though it might seem like we can. So all that matters is what is working right now and when that changes we adapt.
Cheers,
Rob.
I’ve just uploaded a book to Kindle – I’m like you testing out different traffic sources – have you tried mobile marketing yet? I’ve found that you can get some good results with it. It costs a small fee but it does get traffic. The only thing you need to make sure is that you have right product that is optimised for mobile.
Liked reading the post though!
Hi Chris,
Great to see you here.
I haven’t tried mobile marketing although I enjoyed this book which is pretty good: http://www.amazon.com/Mobile-Marketing-Dummies-Lifestyles-Paperback/dp/0470616687/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354033151&sr=8-1&keywords=mobile+marketing+for+dummies
Thanks for your feedback 🙂
Cheers, Rob.
Very straight forward strategy for building a list. Rather than over complicate the matter you’ve broken ti down into small actionable points
Thanks,
Lewis
I’m new to your list Rob but you have quickly become one of the few marketers whose emails I make sure I read when they land in my inbox. I think I found you via Sarah Staars site.
You come across as very sincere and the information you provide is very useful and not over-hyped. I don’t think I’ve heard you use the expression ‘skyrocket’ once!
Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing such helpful information.
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thanks for saying hello here on the blog and great to hear from you 🙂
So glad you are finding it useful and I appreciate your kind words.
Talk soon I’m sure!
Cheers, Rob.
Wow, I have been on a LOT of internet marketing mailing lists, some from the BIG guys who do multimillion dollar product launches but your information is the most comprehensive, simple, and helpful in clarifying the clutter from the useful of anything I have been even close to be able to afford. I am actively implementing some strategies but am looking forward to learning more details to put your strategies into place for my beginning web business. THANK YOU….BTW: If you think these blog posts are great you should join the Gain Higher Ground membership. I am eating the stuff up! And hope to be turning that knowledge into traffic, happy customers, and cash before too long!
Hi Steven,
That’s awesome to hear, thank you very much and it’s great to hear that you getting a lot of value from it!
Keep taking action and focus on list building above anything else 🙂
Cheers, Rob.
Rob,
Very well put. I have always had that feeling that PPC and Google was more of a waste of time and money then anything. Generally just a distraction to say the least. I will take what I learned here and start experimenting in what works best.
Thanks
Hey Justin,
Great to see you here on the blog!
Good luck with the testing, I’m sure the results will help you make more money going forward 🙂
Cheers,
Rob
Rob,
There is always loads of interest in your blogs (for obvious reasons) but this one in particular has a ‘built in’ extra proof factor of the importance of List Building…..and why?
Just look at all the comments! What further proof is needed that list building is arguably one of the most essential parts of Internet Marketing?
Although I don’t exactly know the rules of blog commenting I can see that there can be great empathy between the individuals who have taken the trouble to comment. eg Although Ian (White) would probably be way above my head in the esoteric knowledge stakes someone such as Mike (Hardy) who has obviously studied my picture, is more likely to be able to converse with me on a more similar level.
A question Rob before I infringe any rules:-
In a blog comment is it permissable to include a URL to ones site and/or an email address?
I notice no one seems to do this so I assume it’s not on until I’m told differently.
With respect and regards
Ken
Ken – I am sure that Rob will reply to this anyway, as he likes to reach out to those who take the time to comment. However, I can tell you that if you inserted a link to your site when you put the comment in, the link is there on your name. I have checked and you did this – so that is where you can put the url.
If you insert other links in the body of the comment – then as long as they are helpful to readers, blog owners are often prepared to let them stand. If you are ‘spamming’ in an attempt to drive traffic rather than be helpful – you will be deleted (and blocked).
Hope that helps,
Paul
Thanks Paul, very helpful and totally correct 🙂
Rob
Hi Ken,
Thank you – it’s always nice to hear from people and I am glad you feel the same!
The blog comments allow you to link to your site from there people can contact you directly if they wish but it’s probably best not to display your email address in comments directly as they can get picked up by spam software programs.
Of course, you are absolutely correct on list building – it is the big key to success 🙂
Kind regards
Rob
Hi Paul
Many thanks for your helpful advice.
Being a geriatric thicko, I can’t see how you managed to check that I’d put a URL and email address into my comment since the published version doesn’t show this. I bet it’s patently obvious!!!
Anyway thanks once again for being so helpful.
Am I right in thinking that the number of comments on a blog is a good barometer not only of the blog owners expertise and character but also the strength of the subject matter.
With regards and respect
Ken
Hi Ken,
No problem at all. I just clicked on your name and it took me to your page. That is how I checked. I cannot see your email address. That is logged to update you if there are more comments in this thread.
Your assessment of the ‘number of blog comments’ is certainly accurate in this case. Rob is a quality marketer and he picks good topics to post about!
It is not always the case though. Some blogs have loads of comments – but they are all spam – usually posted by some automatic ‘bot. Other blogs are full of excellent content but lack traffic, so do not have loads of comments. The secret is to read the comments and posts carefully. Those written by real people are usually obvious. In addition, and I think this is the best test, the blog owner should reply to every comment. Not only is this courteous, it shows that they are real people who are engaging with their own content and with their readers.
Again – Rob is very good at this.
Glad to be of help.
Paul Dunstan
Hi – Have just read your posting on list building and found it really useful and very comprenehsive. Thank you. list building is one of the most i.mportant things but building relationships is also important. Knowing how to get started with this is something which is never really explained properly.
Anita
Hi Anita,
It’s a pleasure and thanks for the feedback. Agree that it’s an area which is sometimes hard to know how to get start so glad this helped a little 🙂
Cheers, Rob.
So many here. I have started with facebook ads. I am not keen on testing others likke you have.
Hi Latha,
That’s a good plan. Keep in mind I tested these over a long period of time. Pick one method and stick with it until you get results. Right now, Facebook ads are definitely a great traffic source for most niches 🙂
Cheers, Rob.
Rob,
One of the best summaries of traffic generation that I have ever seen!
I particularly like the Content Syndication item, especially about producing a ‘bonus’ for other, well-established IM people.I have long thought that the best marketing strategy is to find such ‘watering holes’.
I have a question though: are there any ‘hubs’ where someone like me could post such a freebie, in the hope that someone with a large list of relevant customers will pick it up?
Thanks …
Richard
Hi Richard,
Great to see you here on the blog and thanks for your kind words, really glad you enjoyed this post 🙂
I love Content Syndication and although I’ve never found it to drive a huge volume of traffic (like say affiliates or solo ads or FB ads can), the quality tends to be extremely high (i.e., higher than volume based strategies).
Plus it’s often very passive to as the content you get out there tends to have a very long lifespan on average.
This said, I’m struggling to answer your question on “hubs”. It’s an interesting idea. I’ve certainly had many people approach me for Content Syndication opportunities after they have seen my stuff featured and published in other places. Of course this didn’t happen in the beginning but it grew with time.
Therefore the best advice I can think of (at least as I type) is to just steadily get stuff out there. It might take a little time but it does cumulate and start the snowball rolling. Also if you look at syndicating *repurposed* content (e.g., take an article you’ve already written and rewrite it slightly for someone else’s newsletter, members site, bonus for a product or blog for example) it doesn’t have to be a lot of *extra* work either (this is basically what I do 90% of the time).
Hope this helps a bit Richard – thanks again for stopping by 🙂
Kind regards,
Rob.
I am having good success with posting on the Warrior Forum, and I used a tracking link in my signature, so I am seeing decent results on people clicking on my signature link. That is pretty targeted traffic there. I am planning on adopting some new methods I read here, very helpful, and jvgiveaways I had no idea about.
JVGiveaways aren’t that exciting or effective anymore really Mike so don’t worry. Great to hear you’re getting results though that’s excellent! Thanks for your comment 🙂 Rob.