List Building Tips - Referrals

In this third installment of my series on list building, I want to discuss referrals. Admittedly, this is not something I do a lot of and shame on me for it because when I actually DO it, it works. Why does it work and why should YOU consider it for your list building efforts? Keep reading and you'll find out.

Let's start with the premise of our list in the first place. Why are we building it? Well, there could be several reasons actually. But one of the most common is to get a whole bunch of people in one virtual place so that you can send them your message all at once in the hope that MAYBE they'll take some kind of action on that message itself, whether it be checking out an article, watching a video or buying a product. Unless you just like sending out emails for no reason, I'm going to assume that your list has a purpose similar to that in mind.

Now, given the purpose of your list, the one thing you'd like to have above all else is a subscriber who DOES take action. In other words, they read your message and do what you want them to do. And the reason they do it (and this is the key) is because they trust you and trust what you have to say. Somewhere along the line, you've earned that trust through the content that you've sent to them. The bottom line, however, is that you HAVE that trust.

So, let me ask you a question. If you were write to somebody you know who ALREADY trusts you and gets value out of being on your list, and asked them to refer your newsletter to others with similar interests, don't you think that they would gladly tell those in their immediate circle that your newsletter is probably something that they would want to read?

If your skeptical about this, let's take an example from real life that maybe you can relate to a little better.

Your at a bar with your best friend. He's just seen the latest, oh let's say, Batman movie and he says to you, "Man, I just saw that new Batman movie. It was FANTASTIC. You have GOT to see it."

Now think about this. He's your best friend. You value his opinion probably more than anybody else on the subject of movies because throughout your lives together you've always seemed to have the same taste. Don't you think you're going to go see that movie the first chance you get? Conversely, if he said it was horrible, you'd probably skip it.

Referrals are powerful coming from a third party with no divested interest. Of course we could throw a monkey wrench into the works to completely change this (offer a free e-course in exchange for that referral) but let's keep this simple for now. Just ask people who already trust you to recommend your newsletter to others.

If each person on your list who already trusts you and responds to your offer (let's say it's 100 people) gets just ONE person to sign up, that's 100 more people who are likely to end up trusting you as well if for no other reason than the referral that came from somebody who they ALREADY trust.

It's such an underused tactic. I myself don't use it as much as I should. But trust me, when you do use it and use it correctly (and adding incentives just makes it explode) it can really turn your list into a monster.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Backlink Building Service: Link Building Strategies for Foreign Sites

Approximately 50 to 80 percent of online content is in English. Building links for English-based sites is a challenging task. What about international websites and blogs? Search engines operate locally and internationally. A search query in Google will give different results for the same keyword in Google.nl, Google.es, and Google.co.uk. If you want to set up a foreign site and build quality links, you need to learn a few things about SEO and find the best link building strategy for your online business.

It is important to understand that no matter what niche you are in, if you don't have a link building campaign for your website, your content will not be found by your target audience. Quality is a key factor in off-page optimization in foreign marketers. The central component of a successful link building campaign is your website and its content. Start by identifying your audience and then optimize your website so that it can provide value to your prospects. Studies indicate that building links to foreign sites delivers results much more quickly than link building for English sites.

First of all, you should submit your website to local directories. Each country has its own web directories. You may also contact local business partners and offer your products or services in exchange for a listing. Analyze your competitors and see where they are getting links from. Keep in mind that not all links are created equal. Add your site only to the most relevant directories.

Join business organizations in your country. Some of them may offer free advertising space, while others may have member directories where you can submit your site. Write articles and press releases related to your niche. Send them to newspapers, online magazines, and article directories. Include a link to your website in the resource box. Article submission and press release distribution are powerful marketing tools that can generate huge traffic to your site and help you get relevant backlinks.

Add fresh content on your website and include the right keywords. Use research papers, diagrams, and infographics for developing interest amongst locally-based online communities. Hiring a local link building team is a viable option. Encourage your customers to leave feedback and testimonials on social media sites, forums, and third-party review sites. You may also join local forums, provide useful information, and spread the word about your website. Building links for foreign sites is not very different from getting links to an English website - you just have to think globally and act locally.