When List Building Is A Waste of Time

In this article I explain why building a list is not all it is cracked to be and that it is not the size of the list that is important but your relationship with that list that is key.

You will read various boasts on the internet by internet marketers who claim to have built a list of thousands in double quick time. What they do not tell you is how many and how quickly a huge chunk of those subscribers unsubscribe.

Anyone can build a big, unresponsive list by giving away a free gift, whether that is a video or report or ebook. Really successful internet marketers build quality lists of responsive and loyal subscribers.

How do they do this?
They give away free stuff alright but very valuable free stuff..great content or reports. They do not abuse their subscribers by trying to peddle every affiliate product that is released. They recognise that the most important aspect of their list building is the relationship with their subscribers and do not abuse the trust that is placed in them by peddling rubbish at every opportunity.

They ascertain the needs and wants of their subscribers and cater for those needs by giving useful, relevant free content.
After a period of carefully building trust and a relationship with their list members, then and only then are they in a position to exploit the valuable asset that is their list.

Invariably a subscriber will face a choice between purchasing a product from a number of affiliate marketers. It is quite obvious which marketer will win with sales and conversions-the one who has built a relationship with quality content and tips.

The next time you see claims about the size of list made by some hot shot affiliate marketer, think about how responsive that list might be, how high his unsubscribe rate is and what his subscribers really think of him.

Many people have no problem signing up for the free stuff..converting those people to purchasers takes a little more skill, integrity and a more subtle approach.