List building tips are valuable and will help you to grow your business quickly. Almost every day someone will write to me to ask how they can sell their eBook or other product if they do not have a list. My first response back to them is that they must start building a list right away if they are to be successful with an online business. This is a skill that will grow your business steadily over time. I have found the best and most effective ways to get started with list building are with blogging, article writing and marketing, hosting your own teleseminars, social media marketing, and attending live events whenever possible.

The biggest mistake I made during my first year working online was to not take this process of list building seriously and make it a top priority. Instead, I spent too much time setting up websites and going through endless hours of training in search of the perfect business. If I had started building my list from the very first day, my business would have grown much more quickly.

You will need to add an optin box to your blog and other sites to start building this ‘permission based’ list. This is a simple process that can be done using any of the autoresponder services that are currently available, such as Aweber. We cannot expect anyone to sign up for our list without having a good reason, so offer them a free short report on your niche topic that will provide them with useful information in your area of expertise. It used to be that people would join your list to receive a newsletter or email updates, but those days are long gone now that we all receive way too much email on a daily basis.

This report you create need only be a few pages in length, but must convey real value. Even though you are giving this away at no cost, put your best foot forward to make it look and feel as professional and polished as possible. This will be the first time someone sees who you are and what you know on your niche topic so you want to shine. I like to write three articles on my topic and then put them together into a report for this purpose. Then I call it a Special Report and give it a catchy title and tag line.

Now that the person has added themselves to your list the next step is to stay in regular contact with them through email messages. You’ll want to set up some of these in advance as a sequence of autoresponders that will be sent out automatically over time. In addition to these automated messages, stay in touch at least twice a week through broadcast emails.

Your list is the most valuable asset in your business. You may have already heard that the gold is in the list and the follow up. Make sure to continue to build the relationships with your prospects and clients by providing them with relevant content, tips, resources, and appropriate offers. Take care of your list and your business will grow.