Top 7 Tips for an Organically-Grown Subscriber List

An organically-grown subscriber list is one that's been cultivated 100% naturally. Much like garden vegetables, your organically-grown subscriber list will at first be smaller than those whose growth was enhanced using artificial means. But the fruits of your labor, your subscribers, will also be sweeter and packed with "vital nutrients" to help your business thrive. Harvest a perfect crop of interested prospects, and weed out the feigned interest and fake number counts that make you look good but yield no real business!

Organically-grown subscriber lists are "truer" than ones that were bought or rapidly collected in mass quantities. The reason is because each subscriber is hand-selected and fresh-picked based on a high level of interest. Some subscribers may arrive on your list by chance and picked YOU out as their expert to learn from. Others, you may gather in your business dealings after networking with them any number of times. The important thing is not so much HOW you got them to click the "subscribe" button on your submission box, but the fact that they possessed a strong desire to do so.

Where to obtain organically-grown subscribers for your email newsletter?

1. Articles.

By writing original articles and circulating them around the Web, you can attract fellow businesspeople who share your ideals and appreciate your ideas. Link your article to a landing page where your reader can learn more and include a newsletter sign-up box on the page.

2. Networking.

Participating in online forums is the perfect way to get to know people slowly, in a no-pressure situation where folks can take their time in realizing ways you might help them to further growth. If the networking site you belong to offers you personal page, add the link to your ezine or newsletter so acquaintances can sign up easily.

3. Referrals.

As you expand your circle of contacts, folks who walk away pleased with your services will likely recommend you to their friends and associates who may also have a need for what you offer. If a friend-of-a-friend makes an inquiry but doesn't seem ready to commit to paid work yet, suggest they sign up to be on your list to receive free marketing tips each month.

4. Classified Advertising.

Find a highly-trafficked, reputable site to post the news about your business, and wait for people to find you by way of their own searching. Take out an ad in the newspaper and do the same. Try a less aggressive approach in a few of the ads, with an invitation to join the subscriber list.

5. Sales Letters.

Pursue a group of businesses who may find your offerings useful with an informative sales letter. In this letter, isolate their wants and needs and position yourself as having the solution (i.e., the product or service you sell). Keep the letter campaign going with follow-up mailings. Include "join our newsletter list" as an alternative option to buying the product.

6. Volunteering.

People are often hesitant to pay your fees when they don't know what to expect from your work. If you're just starting out, offer up some of your time by helping someone for free. Sure, everybody wants to get paid, but you have to start somewhere and that's by offering a sample of what you can do. Once you've built their confidence with complimentary assistance, politely offer them the option to sign up to receive your email newsletter.

7. Your Website.

To me, this goes without saying, but many internet marketers start off with no website, and that's like having no home. Your business needs to take root and you must give people a place to go when they want to know more about you (and did I mention sign up for your newsletter?). Yes, your domain is literally your domain! Send people there at every opportunity, work on your search engine position, and soon you'll be sowing the seeds of a well-tended business.

Copyright 2006 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.

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