Many people don't create a mailing list when they start their online presence. They feel that they don't have enough information to share with the list. This is a huge mistake. Email marketing is not dead. You need to start building your mailing lists now.

Although you don't need to send out a large newsletter every week, it is important to begin building your list Principal email list.

Your market and the information they are receiving will determine what you send your email list. Any combination of these could be done:

* Monthly, weekly, or bi-weekly HTML (colors and pictures) newsletter* A text-based monthly, weekly, or bi-weekly email

* An ecourse

* Daily, weekly, and monthly tips lists

* A series autoresponder messages

* Follow up messages to clients or customers

* A list of upcoming events, such as teleseminars

Your email list will grow loyal followers if you treat them right. They will also be more likely to accept your offer to give them something.

How do you build your email list?

Before you can send messages to a list, you must have subscribers.

A program designed to send out messages to subscribers is the best way to build a long-lasting list. It also helps you to comply with Can-Spam laws regarding sending messages to large numbers of people.

These are the two programs that I use most frequently with my clients, and they are industry leaders:

These programs allow you to quickly set up your mailing lists and begin collecting emails so you can start sending out your email promotions.

Opt-ins

Once you have created a program for managing your mailing list, you need to create a mailing list opt in form that people can fill out to subscribe to your list.

It may be a good idea to give subscribers a gift in return for signing up. This will help you to entice them, and may increase their interest beyond just your offer.

A graphic might also be helpful. It is worth testing pop-ups, exit pop-ups to see if they improve sign-up conversions.

Confirmation Page

You will need to confirm the opt-in of people who have filled out an opt-in form with their email and name. This is so you can be sure that they did indeed request the information.

You must optimize the confirmation page. You should let your subscribers know if you have provided a special report.

Send them to your website and make a special offer. You should make suggestions about where to take them, since they are already on the page.

Now is the time to send emails

Now that you have subscribers, they have confirmed they want your data. You need to send them valuable content!

When you are sending messages to your mailing list, there are two things that you should pay particular attention to: your open rate as well as your click through rates.

Open Rate

Your email subject is one of the most important factors that can affect your open rates.

The following qualities are required for your subject line:

* Keep it short - Email programs can cut out long subjects and long subject lines are more likely to be ignored.

* includes the recipient's name - Personalizing your email subject line will help you get the attention of the person to whom it is being sent. It's rare for someone to not respond when they call their name. The same applies to an email. People want to see your name so they can understand what you are saying.

* sounds personal - If your subject line sounds like it's a personal message to the person opening the mail, there is a better chance that it will be opened.

* is not misleading - Do not try to trick your subscribers into opening something by writing misleading subject lines. It is illegal under the Can-Spam Act and will turn off your subscribers in a major way. You risk losing your subscribers if they open an email expecting one thing, and then open another email to find out the other.

Click through rates

Okay, so you have their attention and they opened your email. But that's just the beginning! In every message that you send, you must include a call-to-action.