If you are new to online marketing, you may well have already heard the saying "the money's in the list". But you may also be wondering "what is this list" and just how do I get one!

Your list is basically a list of people, usually names and email addresses, but it can also be phone numbers or addresses, depending on the type of marketing you are undertaking. These people should already be interested in hearing what you have to offer, and are sometimes referred to as hot prospects, which means that they are potentially ready to purchase items or services that you can offer them.

This type of marketing is also referred to as Direct Marketing, as you are sending information directly to an interested party, as opposed to other marketing methods, such as newspaper advertising, where you are relying on customers to see your advert and respond accordingly.

But just how do you go about building your list?

Well, there are many ways to build a list, but what you want are contacts that are ready to listen to what you are offering. You can have a list of thousands, but if it is not focussed then it can potentially be useless.

So how do you get a focussed list?

Relationships! Generally if you have a relationship with someone, you will have trust. If people trust you, they are more likely to buy from you. Simple! So you need to be building relationships online, building a brand, so that people know you and trust you. Never forget one of the golden rules of sales, "People buy from people".

One of the best ways to increase your profile and build relationships online is through social marketing, using sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Using these free resources on a daily basis will soon have your brand come to the attention of many people, and if you then are able to direct these interested parties to your own site, you can collect their name and email address, to add to your list.

Substance – however, you do need to be able to offer something of substance, something of value, otherwise why would someone want to know more about you? Writing articles, such as this, can help to increase your brand and help increase your credibility online.

Having good products to offer is also vital. If all you sell has no real value, your customer base will soon leave you, making all the hard work you put in to get them a complete waste of time. Always remember, if you are building a serious business online, you need to act in a serious manner, just as you would in any other business.

Published at internet-marekting.hahasas.com