How-To Discover Your Target

I don't know about you, but when I first started out with list building, I wondered one thing: How can I be successful with Internet Marketing? I had about $50, and didn't know much about being online. I didn't know how to put up a web page. I didn't know how to get traffic. I didn't know anyone at all!

So, what could I do? I went out and tried to find the most successful people online. I needed to understand what made them successful, what about them all made them successful. I studied people like T. Harv Eker, Alex Mandossian, and Jay Abraham, among others, and it dawned on me. The single common thread running through all of their success stories was that they had enormous lists. They had these huge lists of people that they could call, write, or email anytime. They could offer them valuable information or products, and make money, any time they wanted or needed to have it. Well, I realized that if I wanted to have that same kind of success that I'd better start list building, too.

Yet, I had no clue about where to get a list, and I'll bet you don't have any idea, either. I used the joint venture method through List Crusade, and as they say, the rest is history. The secret to maintaining your business, though is to always be list building.

You may have secrets of your own and are already list building, but most new people are probably wondering where to find people who will be interested in what you have to offer them.

First, you need to define a niche. What do you like? What's important to you? Maybe you're a gardener? A parent? Are you into crossword puzzles? When you're not at work, what do you like to do? Maybe you're into sports or you might like NASCAR. And then, maybe you just like to shop at the mall on the weekends. Whatever. Each of these activities has list building potential. Find the people who like to do what you like to do, and they're your target market.

So, now you're wondering where to find these people, no doubt. Ten years ago, this wouldn't have been true, but today, we have the Internet. You won't have to go to fifteen garden club meetings to talk to other gardeners. Of course, you can if you're passionate about gardening, and you probably do belong to an offline group or two, but you probably don't stray far from one or two groups of friends. Yet, with the Internet, you have a whole world full of gardeners and people interested in gardening to approach!

The first thing you should do is go to Google Groups (http://groups.google.com) and type in "gardening" or whatever your niche is. A list of different newsgroups available in a part of the Internet, called Usenet, will come up on your screen. You can access them right through Google, or you can use a stand-alone newsreader, like Outlook Express, Forte's Agent, or other software to access them.

Make sure that you study the group a little before just jumping into any discussions. People can be touchy about inane comments or stupid questions, and you'll pay the price. So, study the groups, make some good posts, and people will click on your link and some of them will join your list.

Read through the posts before just jumping in, though. If you post something that's slightly off kilter, Usenet is a no-holds-barred situation and it can get ugly. Find one of the more civilized groups where you have a chance to thrive before posting. In your signature or "sig file" use the URL to your squeeze page. Make some relevant and interesting comments to the group, and if people like what you have to say, they'll probably join your list.

Another way to find people in your niche is to find online forums. This time, go to Google and type in "gardening forums," and you'll come away with a whole list of places. Though forums are similar to Usenet groups, they're usually moderated. Still, you shouldn't go lumbering into a forum and start posting. Read through the posts and see what the atmosphere is like. It may not be for you. If so, find another forum, and introduce yourself. Then start posting there. Do it every day. Become a "regular," and when you post great comments, people will see your signature, where you've included the URL to your squeeze page, and click to find out more about you.

You can send your offline friends to your website, too. Why not add them to your list? They may not even know about your gardening newsletter. Perhaps the leader of your group could announce it in a meeting.

So, who's your target audience? Anybody that's interested in the same thing as you are interested in. Whether you find these people online or off, it really doesn't matter. Still be list building. These are the people who will be interested in your offers and information. I mean, you wouldn't try to sell fishing rods to golfers. That would be silly. Find the people who are interested in what you're interested in. They'll probably want to be on your list, too.

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Tellman Knudson, CEO of OvercomeEverything.com, is a master at list building. Find his step-by-step list building course at MyFirstList.com (ListTechniques.com).

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