subject: Build Your List By Creating A Free Giveaway Or Ethical Bribe That Makes Sense For Your Market [print this page] In order to build a list of names and email addresses, you must offer your prospects something in exchange for that information. You must give them a legitimate reason to give you their contact information. We refer to this as a free giveaway or an ethical bribe.
Long ago - before about 2005 - people were anxious to receive your newsletter or other email announcement. Those days are gone forever. In order to connect with your prospects on the Internet, you must give them some information to let them know you are knowledgeable on the topic, to teach them something useful, and to show that you are someone who can be trusted to do business with.
A short report works well for this purpose. It can be just a few pages long, but it should show that you are indeed something of an expert in the area that you are specializing in. If you are having difficulty with this, simply write three articles on your topic and then include them in one document that will become the report you give away. This may seem like a lot, but you do not have to do this overnight. Sit down once a day for three days and write an article in your area of interest. Before the week is done you will have all the content you need for a special report that can serve you well for months and years to come.
You may also want to include an audio recording or a short video that explains what you have to offer to those who decide to learn more about you. This is easy to do. If you want to make it look really great use a program like Camtasia to record you speaking while you are using a powerpoint presentation. In one or two takes you can have a very informative video.It's all about relationships, so put your best foot forward with your free gift.
Remember to keep the end in mind from the very beginning. This means that you must have a good idea of what you want to promote and recommend to your prospects when you are setting up your online business and creating your report or other giveaway. The entire sequence of events must make complete sense every step of the way in order for you to build a list and become profitable in your Internet business.
