The Golden List

How to create your own
Opt-In List

Here are some simple tricks or rules if you will, to creating your own legal and useful mailing list. As you may or may not know, a good mailing list is the gold in your business. You should treat your list as if it were GOLD. Better yet, Treat the people in your list as if they were GOLD.

Why have a Double Opt-In List?

In a nutshell, to avoid being accused of spam or worse yet, actually spamming without knowing. This can lead to a number of undesirable consequences.

First and foremost, you want everyone in your list to WANT to be in your list. This is done by creating what is known as the DOUBLE OPT-IN LIST. There are a number of programs that you can subscribe to, that do this for you. There is usually a monthly fee involved. The cost can vary from FREE to TOO MUCH. I would discourage using a free service because we all know that, most likely, there is a hidden cost. That cost can be as high as having your Golden List sold on the open market. This will destroy not only your list but also your credibility.

What is this double opt-in list?

The Double Opt-in list is simply a way to insure that the names and emails on your list are legitimate and that they actually asked to be in the list. They not only did this but you also have proof that they did. This is very important in today's world of SPAM.

You create and keep a record of the individual's:

Name
Email Address
Date they signed up
IP address they signed up from

This is your proof of their request to be a part of your Golden List and your assurance that you are not spamming.

So how is all this done?

The key here is to start this process correctly by automating it. It may be a simple task (actually, not that simple) to do this manually in the beginning, but we should look at this from the long term perspective. Eventually, your Golden List will be too large to manage by hand. So lets start with the automated process and avoid any future bottlenecks.

The first step is a good Autoresponder Service or better yet, your own Autoresponder Service. I have used a number of Autoresponder services in the past, however, the drawbacks to using a service was not worth the cost for me. I chose to buy my own Autoresponder Script and install it in my own website. This enables me to not only create the double opt-in list that is so important, it also allows me to take control of my automated marketing plan for the products and services I offer.

The Autoresponder system I chose is called Autoresponder Unlimited. This is an inexpensive package that will allow you to automate a number of things in your marketing plan. I purchased it a few years ago with resale rights. This allows me to resell it for whatever price I feel is fair and keep 100% of the sale price. I now sell this Autoresponder system with the resale rights for $19.97.

Now, let us get down to business. The Autoresponder comes with complete instructions on how to set it up. If you purchase it from me, I will assist you in any way I can to make the setup process as simple and painless as possible. The instructions are really very good. Chances are you will have it ready within 30 minuts of downloading.

Once your Autoresponder is set up, this is what you will do.

1. Create your first autoresponder so it sends the prospect a reply indicating that his/her email and name have been submitted to you for the information you are offering. In order to assure that this was not done in error or by someone else, you are requesting that they confirm their request to be in your Golden List by clicking on a link.

2. This link that they click on, is a link to your second autoresponder. (Dont worry, you will not be paying for another autoresponder if you have Autoresponde Unlimited.)

The auto reply from this second Autoresponder, is your assurance that this person has personally requested to be in your Golden List. The autoresponder will send you an email that gives you all the pertinent information about the individual who has just signed up for your Golden List. ie. Name, Emaiil, Date, and IP address.

The Autoresponder not only provides you with this information by email, it also creates a list of your prospects. With the 2 simple Autoresponders that I just described, the Autoresponder system will actually create and track 3 separate lists.

List #1
A total list of all the requests from all your Autoresponders located on your website.

List #2
A list of the first request from your prospects.

List #3
A list of the second Autoresponder that was sent out to verify your prospect. This third list is your Golden List. The Double Opt-In List.

Now you have your first Golden List started. Watch it grow automatically.

Check your Golden List and export (download) on a regular basis. This will vary on the number of names on your Golden List.

Now you are on my Golden List. How can I be of service to you?

Yours in Prosperity,

Isidro Nilsson
Isidro@NewbieLounge.com

Nilsson Technologies, Inc.
1242 State Avenue, Suite I
PMB 268
Marysville, WA 98270