Opt-In Email– what is it?

 Opt-in email–to put it simply— is the opposite of SPAM.  What is spam?

Spam is when we receive an unwanted message or email without our permission.

It is intrusive and hated by most people. It makes a very  unpleasant user experience— for that reason, not only is it counter productive to spam but it can also get you into a world of restriction on the web.

The opposite of this is using opt-in email.

Opt-in email is where a person gives you the written permission through an opt-in form, to contact them with an email. If you’ve been anywhere on the web recently, searching for information, you’ve probably filled out a form like this. It may ask for your name and email. After filling it out, it sends you to your destination.   Usually when you fill out an opt-in form, your information is being stored on the other end by an autoresponder.  An autoresponder collects the information from the opt-in form in a list and will automatically follow up with prepared emails to the email address you entered in the form.

Now, what does opt-in email have to do with network marketing?

In network marketing, the key is in your list. That is why in the old school method of traditional network marketing, you are asked to make a large list of all the people you know. Then you follow up by calling all these people. Out of this group, you will have people who basically opt-in. They agree to see your presentation— and a percentage of them may sign up with your organization.

This is where many have a problem with traditional network marketing. Most people find it to be a very negative experience to pursue family and friends— on the other hand— it is even a more difficult experience to cold call people we don’t know.  Here is where setting up a system on the internet that uses opt-in emails is a solution.

By setting up your own blog (I’ll go into more detail on that later) and embedding an opt-in form that links to your autoresponder, you can build your list automatically.  You don’t have to build your own website or blog. You can use an opt-in page, also known as a squeeze page. This is a page that has only one obvious function— that is to get your name, email and possibly your phone number. These work very well, but you are limited in the choices you have in getting traffic to visit your squeeze page. You see, the squeeze page purposely lacks content. On the internet, “content is king”. So, your opt-in page will never really get free search engine traffic (organic traffic). You would have to drive traffic to your opt-in page. I can tell you from experience, this can be very expensive.

On the other hand, if you create a blog that allows the search engines to to easily find you. If you create great content, that is optimized with the keywords people are searching for on the web. You will get visitors. Targeted visitors.   You may be thinking,”Why even worry about setting up an op-tin form and autoresponder. If I have traffic coming to my blog, why don’t I just place a link on the blog to my replicated site where they can sign up?”

The truth is — at one time that would have worked. But you wouldn’t be very successful doing it that way now. Why?—The answer is TRUST. Nowadays you need to build trust before a person will lay out any real type of money on the internet. The best way to do this is by opt-in email. You can set an opt-in form on your blog.   You also need to offer something for free. It may be an e-book or video lesson— perhaps a recorded webinar. Whatever it is should be accessed instantly (instant gratification) and be of high value to the user.

 Internet Sales Funnel

In the autoresponder, you will have set up a series of email that will be sent to the person who fills out the form and is now on your list. With these follow up opt-in emails, you will build a relationship of trust. Remember— these are not necessarily sales messages. They should be instructive and informative. At times they may even have links to how to videos. You may even introduce yourself in a video.   At the end of each email you keep your network marketing opportunity link available. Never pushing or selling. Every few emails, you bring attention to it. Eventually a percentage of your list will sign up. What you’ve actually succeeded in creating is called a sales funnel. When set up properly, 80-90% of your process will be automated.

This of course sounds good on paper. But it takes a lot of hard work and a bit of a learning curve to set up. But once it is done — it is well worth it.