Business Opportunities and Internet Marketing Systems that Don't Work

Highlights

Internet Marketing eBooks
List Builders
FFA & Free Classifieds
Announcement and Safelists
Link Exchange Sites

Announcement Forums, Safelists, and Advertising Groups

All of these are some version or other of an email list or group, where it is "safe" to advertise without getting accused of SPAM. Imagine, 1000 or more people, who all agree to let you advertise to them. So what's the catch?

This is one of those things I just want to holler to people, "THINK!". I have some marketing forums that people try to treat like an advertising list, and it just drives me bugape that they think that anyone on that list appreciates their pushy ads! They don't. They just make enemies. When they get banned from a group for spamming, they go and find a safelist to blast their ads to on a weekly basis (or daily), and smugly smile that they finally found the "right" group.

But safelists and announcement lists DO NOT WORK! They are a complete waste of your time! The only people who use them are people who have not thought it through.

Everyone is talking, but nobody is listening! Every single person on that list is there for the same reason you are - to ADVERTISE! They are NOT there to READ. In fact, many people on safelists just blast their ads every day, while they use a separate email account to collect the emails from the list, which they delete without ever reading.

Are you on the list to see what other people are marketing? Of course not! And neither is anyone else. You are there to MAKE money, because you NEED money. You are NOT there to spend money, and you'll quickly tune out anyone else's attempts to distract you from your purpose of making money. And so will every other person there! There are far more effective uses of your time besides just blasting ads into oblivion.

If you want to market using email, then advertise in a credible eZine that targets your market. It will go to people that are actually interested in what you have to offer. Sure, it will cost you something to do, but what good is a free marketing method that wastes your time?

If you need a free method, then write articles and submit them to article directories. It will get you a lot further than blasting ads to a safelist where nobody gives a rip about what you are selling.

You can also participate in forums that are related to your business topic. Do NOT advertise! Just drop a signature line at the end of every email you send - PARTICIPATE in the forum! Ask questions, post an article, make a comment, congratulate someone, answer a question, post a holiday thought, do something to make yourself a real and giving person. Then people will be interested in developing a relationship with you, which will help your business reputation to grow - a very good foundation for customer growth.

There are too many GOOD things that DO work. Don't bother with safelists!

Written by Laura Wheeler, MicroBusiness Website Developer, and founder of the MicroWebmasters Alliance

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