How to Generate Your First Subscriber

As the old Confucius saying goes:

“a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.”

The same can be said for building a mailing list:

“the process of building a big & responsive mailing list begins with the conversion of a single subscriber.”

This is even more true with building a mailing list.

Once you learn to convert a single subscriber, you can simply repeat the process again and again.

So what does converting that first subscriber entail? This is what I'll explain in this report.

Offering Valuable Content is a MUST

Now, valuable is in no way synonymous with “unique.”

Too many list owners don't provide enough ORIGINAL content.

If you can purchase high-quality content that is available elsewhere, it is still valuable content, and by offering it, you are giving your customers value. However, if you have the capacity to do so, you may want to create or pay a talented person to create the content for your mailing list.

If you are offering unique content to your subscribers and you can boldly claim that on your squeeze page or in your copy, that will add an additional incentive for them to join your mailing list.

Give Subscribers Immediate Gratification

Often, the most important part of baiting prospective subscribers into subscribing is simply offering some specific item that will give them immediate gratification.

If they've found your squeeze page, it is probably because they were looking for information about your topic or item on a search engine. This means that they are probably looking for the solution to some specific problem. Determine what problem most of them have (note: it is related to what they are searching for to find your site) and then create some specific PDF report or video that addresses that exact problem.

When they opt to join your mailing list, they immediately receive that report or video, giving them instant gratification, and also making them more likely to trust you in the future.

Use Powerful Copy and Psychological Triggers

When you create a “sales page” for your mailing list, there are a number of different approaches you can take:

You can simply create a long sales page with an opt in list at the bottom, as many people have done in the past (and as many people still successfully do today);

or you can create what is called a “squeeze page,” which limits copy and emphasizes the opt-in box.

Whichever you use, you will want to clearly emphasize your mailing list as a solution to whatever specific problem they are attempting to solve.

Additionally, you will want to communicate the exact benefits they will receive by subscribing, along with that benefit that will give them “immediate gratification.”

One of the most powerful tools you can employ on an opt-in page is a psychological trigger. There are a number of "triggers" you can use such as creating urgency, limiting, building curiosity, a "reason why", zeigarnik effect and more.

But the most easiest way to start is by using "power words". These are words that will immediately prompt someone to take action. Some frequently-used power words are words like:

“scientific,”

“proven,”

“tested,”

“powerful,”

“unstoppable,”

“guaranteed,”

and “free.”

All of these words will prompt people to immediately make a decision.

If you'd like a BIG list of "power words" you can grab my WebCopyWordsThatMakeYouRich. It's a FREE resource I created to make your sales pages convert.

Make Them Feel Safe with a “Privacy Policy”

No one needs to tell you that Internet scams are rampant, especially when it comes to so-called business opportunities. Likewise, no one will need to tell this to people reading your mailing list sales copy.

In fact, if you don't give them a reason to believe that you aren't a scammer or spammer, they may simply bet that you are and opt not to join your list.

This is precisely what you need a “privacy policy.” This can be as simple as a disclaimer that states that you absolutely will not resell the person's information or use it to spam. You may want to go even further and include a link to a full page of your Privacy Policy.

So Where Does All of This Bring You?

Completing all of these processes brings you to a point at which you have an opt in page that is ready to convert traffic into subscribers. You should now be past that “first step.” You have automated the opt-in process, and your subscribers should be converting themselves, as more and more traffic lands on your squeeze page. If not, you should test your page and try tweaking it until your visitors begin converting themselves.

Some things you can try testing and tweaking:

Headline

Adding/changing the incentive/bonus for joining

A "reason why" they should join your list.

Now that you have done all of this, you will need to figure out what to do with the people you have converted into subscribers. You have several choices.

Send Subscribers an E-Course
One of the best ways in which you can entice someone into buying is to slowly gain their trust through an ecourse. This is why so many opt-in lists offer a free ecourse. Once the prospective buyer opts-in, the seller then courts them through a series of emails – and finally offers a product or service.

You can take this same exact approach with your mailing list - offer the ecourse, court the subscriber by giving away useful information, and then send them a pitch once you have gained their trust.

It's widely seen to use a 5-7 day/part ecourse, especially with paid products. It has been proven by professional advertisers that people buy on the 5th - 7th time.

Your ecourse should provide meaty content the subscriber can use immediately. Don't offer any heavy products.

Send Subscribers Low-Price Offers
Rather than sending your subscribers affiliate links for every product you've ever seen, wait until you find a gem and send it to them, or conversely, send them a number of useful, but low-priced offers. This is a good way to get them to trust you: once they've made a small, cheap purchase, they'll consider making a larger, more expensive purchase.

Just make sure that your low-priced offers are of high-value and actually share real information - not rehash.

Never Put Greed Above Relationships
One of the most important elements of building a successful list is the relationship between you and your subscribers. Even though you may eventually have thousands of subscribers – most of which will never even talk to you – you can build a relationship with them through the way you approach them in your automated lessons. Consider this carefully before you send out an affiliate link for the newest "this will change the Internet forever" ebook, course or DVD before you've read or watched them yourself.

While short term gains may seem like they could outweigh long term gains, they almost never do in reality. In reality, people who take that approach tend to experience high mailing list attrition rates.

Let's Wrap it Up...
A journey of 1000 subscriber conversions starts with the first subscriber conversion - and a relationship with 1000 subscribers, who you may never talk to, starts by treating them all as you would that first subscriber. Keep this in mind when you build your mailing list.

Start by figuring out what it takes to convert people who are interested in your specific niche. Determine what it is they want. And also figure out how you can reasonably provide it for them. Tricking them in the short run will always be costly in the long run. Instead, plan to build a long-lasting, mutual, and positive relationship with your subscribers. This is the first part – getting that subscriber.

The second part—treating those subscribers as you would the first—is equally as important.

Many people start off with the slick idea that they can build a mailing list with no effort and no investment; and then simply bombard members with offers. This really does not work. Instead, treat all of your subscribers well, and you will find that they will be ready and willing to purchase from you when you actually offer them something of value.

Written by: Aurelius Tjin
Founder Unstoppable Internet Marketing
http://www.unstoppableinternetmarketing.com/


John V
http://urlfreeze.com/JCV/EmailMarketingSecrets
http://urlfreeze.com/JCV/BlogProfitsBlueprint/

John C. Vincent/CEO/The Opt-In Magic System
http://YourBloggingLessons.blogspot.com
http://Blog-4Dollars.blogspot.com
http://Opt-in-Magic.blogspot.com