Joint ventures
To understand this, you must
realize that we are not all created equal. It is about swapping
services, such as using each others customer databases or teaming up
with a genius in some field that lacks your abilities or services.
When you sell a product, it is
vitally important to get the customers name and e mail address. This is
done automatically by an auto responder. You know when you sign up for
a service you have to fill in a form to get an email sent to you with
information on how to obtain your service? That is an auto responder at
work! You are now in the service providers data base, or "list" as it
is called.
A bit about "The List"
Building your list is THE MOST
IMPORTANT task for an Internet marketeer.
Lets say you sell soccer gear, and a customer bought a pair of shoes
from you. He had to give his name and e mail address, so he is on your
list now. You know 2 things about this person: He likes soccer gear,
and he knows how to buy on the Internet. With this information you then
base a marketing campaign for related products, say shoe laces and e
mail it to him. Or, you could compile a monthly newsletter telling
about new trends in soccer gear with an offer included. Or, as most
affiliate programs have regular offers you simply relay that offer to
him.
See the potential in this?
When you start out, your list is
Zero! When you build it large enough (say 2000) it becomes a cash
machine! 2000 people crazy about soccer gear with the ability to buy
from you, all eagerly awaiting your newsletter.....Cool!
Well, you are now the owner of a
list but you want more! How about doing a joint venture with someone
with a similar list? You need to find a guy with a list of the same
size as yours, consisting of people who might be interested in your
soccer gear. So, in some marketing forum you strike a deal with this
guy agreeing to swap ads. You mail his ad to your list, and he mails
yours to his list. If you have made the ad in such a way, that buyers
would have to sign up for your list in order to buy you may well have
scored a slice of his customers! The same goes for him of course, so
think out pros and cons before you do this.
It could be, that he is able to get better deals for his list than you
are, and you could loose subscribers. If he sold the balls and you sold
the shoes it would be fine though. Also, if his list consists of people
buying wheel chairs or stamps you might be wasting your time.
When your list grows, you have
something to bargain with. Exponential growth could be the result, so
build that list!
This also takes place as a paid
service, either through regular lists or Ezines and could be a place
for you to get started.
I´m emphasizing this because it easy to get stuck in the learning
process and never actually do anything about it. So find a product and
try to advertise it soon.
