There used to be a time when a huge mailing list subscriber
base automatically meant huge online profits, simply because
"advertising" was the biggest name in the Internet revenue
game.

But now the rules have changed, and although online
advertising is still alive and thriving, most web site
owners have come to realize that the only way most people
can REALLY PROFIT on the web is to sell a useful product or
provide a valuable service --

-- And that they'd be better off doing the ad placing
rather than the subscriber-base-building-AND-ad-spot-selling
if they wanted to maximize their business budgets.

Still, building your own mailing list remains a must in any
Internet marketer's handbook, with the idea that you can use
it as your own personal marketing tool.

Because it's a marketing TOOL, it's also supposed to make
your job as a business owner EASIER, and there are
FOUR THINGS you need to remember to make sure it works
(and stays!) that way:

1. Define exactly what you need your mailing list to do.
--------------------------------------------------------

Is it for attracting the attention of new clients, for
keeping old clients interested, or for spotting industry
trends and evolving client needs?

Is it for sending more people to visit your website, for
getting existing customers to order more products, or for
gaining the respect & loyalty of people in your industry
-- which could lead to referrals, partnerships, and other
benefits?

No matter how "worry-free" your mailing list seems to be,
managing it (and its subscribers) still takes up a certain
amount of your online & offline time.

And it really doesn't make sense to waste ANY time on
something you don't even need.

2. Decide on the kind of subscribers YOU need.
----------------------------------------------

The old Internet way of thinking was "ANY kind of
subscriber is a PROFITABLE subscriber" -- but that just
doesn't work on the shaken-out web anymore.

Just like your existing clients, mailing list subscribers
(who are also POTENTIAL clients) fall into 3 categories:

a) the ones who really need what you're offering,
and bring you the most amount of profit for
the least amount of time & effort

b) the ones who aren't sure about what they need,
and bring you minimum profit in exchange for
a lot of coddling & hand-holding, AND

c) the ones who don't really intend to buy any
of your products, but are in for the ride
because of all the "free stuff" you can
give them.

Many old "free web hosting" companies learned this lesson
the hard way, and ended up either charging high service
fees to quickly recoup their expenses (and repel their
thousands of non-profitable members), or closing shop
altogether.

(And that is something you CLEARLY don't want to do.)

3. Define clearly what you expect from potential list
-----------------------------------------------------
members -- and what THEY can expect from you.
---------------------------------------------

Although at first this sounds rather cold & uninviting,
it's actually a rule that's sustained the oldest
successful mailing lists and the best of the new ones.

Our most ideal clients are the ones who hold personal
values & business visions similar to our own. This same
formula applies to ideal mailing list members.

You created your list for a reason; people sign up for
your list also for a reason. If both these reasons are
synergetic enough, then you and your list members can
enjoy a long and satisfying relationship not just through
email, but through actual business interactions as well.

4. Manage smarter, not harder.
------------------------------

A business owner's many responsibilities are taxing enough
as it is, so you don't want the role of "mailing list
moderator" to be too complicated to get in the way of your
other roles. So:

- Combine your website promotion efforts with your
mailing list awareness campaigns.

- Automate as many functions as possible, but step
in with a personal touch when it really matters
to your customer.

- Actively seek your members' input in keeping
your list dynamic & useful for everyone.

- And remain true to your list's original purpose
& vision, creating a real service for you &
your members.

So what if you apply all these principles and you end up
with a list of just 200 members?

If you sent them a single announcement for an online sale,
and more than 100 of them visited your site & more than
50 made actual purchases, then THAT'S a MAXIMIZED mailing
list indeed!

© Tatiana Velitchkov

About the Author

Tatiana is the publisher of: http://www.TheFortunesEzine.com,
the FortunesEzineWeekly at http://www.TakeYourFortune.com,
and owner of the traffic-solution slam advertising sites
http://www.Guaranteed-Hits.com and http://www.Guaranteed-Hits.net