Reality Check Part 5

What specific online marketing strategies and tools should you be using to get website traffic that coverts into buyers?

Now the biggest question comes up... how do you actually get your message out to the cyber-public so you can start making money. What online marketing methods really work?

-Search Engine Marketing?
-Bulk email?
-Discussion group participation?
-Opt in advertising?

The list of possible solutions goes on and on. And hey, I've tried them all and then some. And what most people don't realize is that lots of strategies are hyped-up wastes of time and money.

On the other side of the coin though, lots of tricks you've probably never heard of work wonders for getting website visitors and sales.

Here's one more secret not many people know about me...

I'm a cheapskate (Big Time :-) when it comes to promoting my business. Thanks to the Internet and a lot of trial and error, I don't have to spend much money, even on typically expensive things like advertising. For example, here's just one method that works better than any advertising or promotion I've ever paid for, and this costs me about 50 cents a day...

Growing targeted Opt-In lists...

This is definitely one of the best proven online marketing methods I have used since 2004. To put it in the simplest terms, I grow targeted opt in email lists and use tools that automatically email the people on the list -- personally, and on a regular basis.

N0w perhaps you're thinking, "How the heck would I get people to opt-in to receiving email marketing messages the same way you're doing? And the answer to that is easy...

"You simply give away something of value -- a unique freebie, in exchange for some contact information..."

That's right, in order to effectively use opt-in email marketing, you need to offer a unique and free product or service. Of all the ways to grow a potential customer list on the Internet this one method is the cheapest and most effective.

Here's an example of this strategy in action:

Step One:

Every single day hundreds of people download free eBooks from my site. I give them away to both help my niche market and to grow my opt-in list of potential customers. As I write this I have some 5,000+ names and email addresses of potential customers on one of my lists. Every one of them requested a free eBook and gave me permission to email them, which I do with my email newsletter and my pre-programmed follow-up autoresponses.

That means when I have a new product to introduce, I have 5,000+ people who want to hear about it; people I've already helped in the past. When I have a joint-venture to promote with another marketer, I have a huge list of people who are actually looking for the type of products and services I offer. Can you see the power in this strategy?

If you're going to do business online, get used to the idea of giving away freebies. It's the best way to grow your business. Just be sure every freebie you offer is in exchange for your prospects' name and email address. Then save the names and email addresses you get to a "house list" of email contacts and treat it like gold! Actually, I should say, *treat those people like gold*. Start an email newsletter or tip sheet on your area of expertise. Share your knowledge with your list(s). These people are your bread and butter.

***Help them succeed and they will reward you with their attention -- if not now, some day.***

Step Two:

Next, take your freebie strategy a step further. Implement follow-up autoresponder email sequences with each freebie you offer. Get these people more free, valuable information. Cross-sell and up-sell using your autoresponders. Offer free email marketing courses and tutorials. Fully-automated sales tools like auto-followup autoresponders are one of the best ways you'll ever sell to your targeted lists of prospects. Using tools like that is putting technology to work for your business.

That's it... it's as simple as I've just stated and that was just ONE example. (I've got dozens more!)

Part 6 "What Other Online Marketing Strategies Work, John?"

John C Vincent