Tactic 9: Pay-per-click ads

Pay-per-click ads on search engine pages can be a powerful tool for generating leads and building a list. The downside of pay-per-click is that it can take a lot of trial-and-error testing to get it right. Many Internet marketers find that they need to invest several thousand dollars before they reach their break-even point.

If you decide to give it a try, monitor activity to be sure your web site is converting the traffic that you’re paying for. If your web site has a high conversion ratio, pay-per-click can be a lucrative investment.

Tactic 10: Writing an eBook

Many Internet marketers shy away from writing an eBook because they think they don’t have time. But an eBook doesn’t have to be—and indeed, shouldn’t be—as long as a physical book.

Hard copy and LCD are completely different media. I’m an avid reader, yet I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to read anything longer than about 50 pages on a computer screen.

Even 50 pages is hard work. Most readers don’t have that much time. A good eBook rarely needs to be longer than 25 pages. Cut out the fluff and get to the point. Readers will thank you for it later.

Storytelling is the best way to connect to potential customers and create a bond of trust. Stories let us know each other better through our shared experiences. When you write content for the Worldwide Web, think of yourself as a storyteller first, and as an Internet marketer second.

If you really want to build the kind of list that dreams are made of, master the art of connecting to people through the stories you tell in your web articles, eZines, and eBooks. There is no better way to build a community of loyal customers around your Internet marketing business.

Tactic 11: Press releases and news stories

Many popular web sites are dedicated to user-created web journalism. Learn how to write direct, clear, and powerful press releases to announce your new products and special offers.

Develop an ability to write newsworthy articles that tie into the interests of potential customers in your target market. A link to your web site in the author’s resource box is a powerful tool for generating leads.

Tactic 12: Surveys and polls

Survey and polls are the pulse of your niche market. They let you know what your potential customers want before they know. People are naturally curious. Surveys and opinion polls are an ideal tool for tapping into people’s natural curiosity.

Many online forums and discussion groups will let you start a poll. By posting your link in the resource box, you create the opportunity to drive forum members and guests to your site. When you use surveys and polls to find out what people really think and what they really want, you gather feedback and build your online brand at the same time.

Tactic 13: Promote affiliate items

If you aren’t already promoting affiliate items, the best place to get started is Clickbank.com. You can find thousands of online businesses to promote as an online affiliate at Clickbank.

You may want to get started by promoting a product that enriched your life in some way. Choose a product or service that you’re passionate about. Write an article to tell others how the product or service improved your life. Include a link to your web site or blog, and watch your list and affiliate earnings grow.

Tactic 14: Hold a contest

Holding a contest is one of the best ways to generate buzz and build a community of users around your web site. If you can’t think of what to offer as a prize, you can get started by promoting a contest with prizes contributed by a joint venture partner. Then switch roles the next time—you contribute the prize for your partner’s contest.

Whenever you get together with joint venture partners to cross-promote a contest or other special offer, you create the type of environment that can spark a customer-generated viral marketing campaign.

Tactic 15: Free online courses
People love packaged learning and entertainment. A free mini-course or web seminar is a great way to drive traffic to your web site.

I searched the Internet for “free online course.” Yahoo returned 157 million optimized results. The market is huge. Focus like a laser beam on your niche market and create targeted content for your potential customers: Customers are hungry for a free online course you haven’t created yet. When you get it online, be prepared to watch your list go through the roof.

Tactic 16: Free software

Millions of Internet users search every day for sites that offer free software. Unless you have your own proprietary software to offer, the best place to get started is at Clickbank.com.

We all use software in every area of our lives, so you won’t have any trouble finding products that appeal to potential customers. You can find over 10,000 businesses to promote on Clickbank.

Choose a software product you’d like to promote. Then find a site that offers a free trial—almost all software sellers offer free evaluations. Write a consumer review of the software; publish it on your web site or blog; and submit it to eZines and article directories.

Be sure to include a link to the free download. By promoting your affiliate’s site, you have the opportunity to capture new leads and earn a commission as well.

Tactic 17: Forums

Forums are a powerful tool for establishing your brand. Posting your comments on forums is a great way to create value for potential customers in a niche market you want to target. Make a commitment to join Internet forums and discussion groups in your industry or field.

Never use a forum for direct selling. The place to tell forum members and guests about your product or service is in your resource box. Forums let you include a name, tagline, and link to your web site or blog at the bottom of each post.

People join forums to connect to persons with similar interests, to share experiences, and to find information that can help them solve a problem. The best way to promote yourself on online forums is to share your knowledge and expertise. When people learn to trust you as an expert, they will go to you when they want to buy a product or service that you offer.

As your list grows, you will want to start a forum for your own community of online customers. A forum is a great vehicle for growing a community of loyal customers and customer evangelists for your Internet business.

Tactic 18: Ads and sponsorships

One of the fastest ways to build a list is to recruit joint venture partners to promote your site. Many established Internet marketers have lists of 50,000 to 200,000 subscribers. When your joint venture partners mail their subscribers to announce your new launch or special offer, your list can skyrocket virtually overnight.
Potential joint venture partners will want an attractive incentive—in the form of high affiliate commissions—to promote your site. When your list skyrockets, other site owners will want you to promote their launches to your list of subscribers.

Tactic 19: Podcasts

Podcasting is one of the best ways to connect to visitors and build rapport. It’s easy to get started with a program like AudioAcrobat. All you need to record you audio messages is a telephone. And you can instantly upload messages to your web site.

Search engines make it easy for Internet users to find your podcasts. Simply submit a summary of your audio content to the search engines. Be sure to use the keywords you’ve already targeted for use in your web articles and web site content. That will help the search engines to know what your content is about.

It’s easy for anyone to start podcasting. Go the extra mile to produce rich informational content that adds something of value to customers’ lives, and your podcasts will drive thousands of leads to your website.

Tactic 20: Free audio or video downloads

All successful Internet marketers know that audio podcasts and video casts are powerful engines that have the potential to drive traffic and generate leads. And you don’t need professional broadcast experience to start creating your own audio and video content.

You can create your own video seminars and workshops using a webcam or digital camera. A program like AudioAcrobat makes it easy to upload audio and video content to your site. Be sure to add audio and video testimonials of satisfied customers to your web site.

When you post new audio and video messages, submit written summaries to search engines to make it easy for potential customers to find you.

Tactic 21: Webinars

Web seminars—or Webinars—are wonderful ways to package your knowledge and expertise. And as we have seen throughout this report, the best way to generate leads and skyrocket your conversions is by building your brand through information products.

Be sure to achieve the full potential of Webinars by creating video seminars and video workshops to post on your web site. All you need is a computer and a webcam.

Tactic 22: Blogs

I have talked a great deal about blogs in this special report. That should have alerted you to their enormous potential for creating word of mouth and generating leads. If you aren’t blogging, you need to get started right away.

- Always remember: Blogging is one of the best ways to grow a community of satisfied customers around your business. And when satisfied customers are so excited about your solutions that they want to tell the world about you, they become powerful customer evangelists for your Internet marketing business—they generate leads for you.