7 Powerful Ways To Drive Targeted Traffic And Build Opt-In Lists For Internet Marketing

Internet marketing success requires two main skills more than any other - the ability to drive targeted traffic to your sites, blogs, squeeze pages and affiliate links and the knowledge of how to build huge opt-in lists fast. These two skills are intertwined, because list-building requires you to drive traffic to your squeeze pages and opt-in forms, and your list, in turn, is the fastest way to direct traffic to your links. As such, it's always best to deal with both subjects at once at you strategize your Internet marketing attack.
Lets look at 7 powerful ways to drive targeted traffic and build opt-in lists...

• Article Marketing - Writing and submitting articles is one of the easiest free ways to start driving targeted prospects to your links - especially when that link leads to a squeeze page with a free PDF, audio or video with more information on the same topic. Stay within the guidelines of the article directory, provide great content and offer more information on the topic through the link in your Author's Resource Box.
• Using Blogs - The first of the interactive web 2.0 technologies to gain wide appeal was blogging - and it remains one of the most powerful methods to drive traffic and build lists. Be sure your opt-in form appears on the blog itself, and use the articles you have at the directories as the bulk of your blog content. Be sure to use the appropriate blog plugins to maximize your SEO benefits, and to hook you up to traffic sources like Twitter, MyBlogLog and Technorati.
• Using Podcasts - A podcast is simply information presented in audio format, usually as an MP3. Since you already have those articles and your blog, now record an audio version of them and place them with the article on your blog using an audio plugin. Be sure to mention your URL in each recording, and check to see if the plugin you're using is building a separate RSS feed for your podcasts - if it isn't, create one manually and submit the RSS feed to iTunes, PodcastReady, Podcast Alley, etc. These directories are accessed by millions of users, and they don't index articles or blogs, so audio is the only way to get your message to their users.
• Video Marketing - Like podcasts, videos are just one more media to present your information in. Whether you use live-action video or create screen-capture videos, you can repurpose the same info you have for your articles and podcasts by making them into videos and getting them out to YouTube, Viddler, etc. Make sure you have the link to your site within the video along with a call to action, and spell out your link in the description area that accompanies each video.
• Using Free Downloads - One of the most powerful ways to get people onto your opt-in list is through a squeeze page - a page offering an incentive to those who sign up. That incentive is usually a PDF report, an audio or a video that contain helpful information on the topic at hand - the topic targeted by your marketing efforts. And you already have the raw materials for the gift - your articles, podcasts and/or videos. Once again, compile the articles, audios or videos into a single download and build a page giving them away to those who opt to join your list. Use the social media sites like Twitter & Facebook, your blog, etc. to drive traffic to that gift and build your list.
• Using Teleseminars and Interviews - Are you an expert in your niche? If so, set up a teleseminar and spend an hour giving out valuable information to your audience. Require a signup to your list for entry to the call, and be sure to include a Q&A session at the end so people get the most from it. If you're not an expert, arrange to interview someone who is and use that as your live call. Be sure to record the call either way, and offer the replay and/or download from a squeeze page for ongoing list-building from it. If a live teleseminar isn't possible, do the interview by phone or Skype and record it, then offer the replay from the squeeze page. Another method is to grab an expert and ask a series of 5-10 questions, then break each question and answer down into a series of podcasts to use sequentially.
• Using Affiliate Programs - Do you have products of your own for sale online? If so, set up an affiliate program and spend some time each week recruiting new affiliates and joint venture partners to promote your products. Set up 'affiliate funnels' - automatic e-courses that go to the prospects your affiliates refer. The e-course should deliver strong content while pre-selling your product and be designed to lead the prospect to buy your product - and hopefully more than one. Be careful not to use affiliate links in your e-course, as you don't want to overwrite the cookies for the referring affiliate. The better the e-course converts prospects to buyers the greater the affiliate commissions you'll be paying out, and the harder your affiliates will be working to drive traffic to your squeeze page, thus making you more money and building your list that much faster.

These are the 7 most popular ways to drive traffic and build your lists, and you should be using and refining all seven on an ongoing basis to build your traffic, your lists and your branding all at once. The results mean more profits for you and an ever-expanding online business that can help you achieve your dream lifestyle!

About the Author

Doug Champigny is a world-famous Internet marketing coach, mentor & speaker and the creator of the PowerStart Marketing 4-week Internet Marketing Crash Course. To learn more about Doug or to book him to speak at your next event, contact him through his blog at http://DougChampigny.com.