The Wealth Gang

Picking the right mailing list software program from the start is absolutely critical, which is something I learned from my own mistakes. If you try to do it yourself or use a company that you can’t scale up with, you’re in deep trouble. All of those email addresses you collected and subscribers you worked so hard to get will go to waste.

And when it comes to email marketing, the average value of each subscriber is about $1 a month. I don’t know where that standard came from, because I’ve had lists worth $250/month a subscriber.

Most mailing list software programs require your users to “opt-in” when porting them over to a new program. So even if you were using iContact and had everyone double opt-in to your list… and even if you have proof of this, most mailing list software companies will require your subscribers to do it all over again.

You want to avoid having to go through the experiences of having your mailing list re-opt in all over again whenever possible. No matter how good or responsive your list is, you will lose at least 50% of your list, but probably more like 75% or more. It just happens for a whole variety of reasons.

That said, you want to pick an email provider that is affordable, but has all the features you need now and ones that you think you will need in the future. Here are some things to think about…

1. Do they require double opt-ins
2. Are entry level, teaser rates attractive, only to have very high prices when you have a big list
3. Is there an ability to segment your list and easily move buyers to a separate list
4. Are there limitations on the number of lists you can create, emails you can send
5. Can you create unlimited autoresponders that will put new subscribers into an automated mailing sequence
6. How good and easy to reach is support
7. How easy is it technically to work with
8. Does it integrate with payment processors, such as PayPal, to remove unnecessary steps for potential buyers

These are just some things to think about. Each mailing list software company has their positives and negatives, but the three big ones are iContact, Constant Contact and Aweber. Aweber, in my opinion, is the better of the three. They have the support and all the features you need to manage a list, but most importantly… the emails you send will actually reach the subscribers inbox. That’s critical!

Its probably why the “Big Dogs” use this email management program – because it has such high success rates in getting people to actually read your message.

Here’s their form to get a free test drive and check it out…

There are, of course, many great benefits to being an internet marketer. Depending on how you run your business, you could enjoy the lifestyle of being self-employed or being a boss. Either way, you make the calls as to how hard you work, and often how much money you make. But besides being able to make your own schedule, take your job anywhere there is an Internet connection, and making more money than you ever would as an employee, there is another great benefit that is rarely discussed.

There are some great tax benefits to being a website owner, Internet marketer and blogger that could, in itself, make it all worth while. Even if you wanted to keep your day job and blog every once in a while to enjoy some of these tax incentives, it would be all worth it.

Before I go in to some of the tax deductions a blogger can enjoy, let me put the disclaimer out there… I am not a CPA or an attorney. I’m not recommending anything here other than suggesting to talk to you accountant about the possibilities of some of these deductions.

So, here are some things that I’ve been told can be deducted, depending on how you run your business:

1. My All Time Favorite is just about anything you buy. How? Let me say this… owning a product review site has many benefits. For one, you could earn a commission for every time someone purchases a product you review on your website. Secondly, you need to try out the product yourself to give it a thorough and unbiased review, right? Maybe now you want to start that electronics review site to help people make informed decisions about their next TV, cell phone, Xbox and digital camera.
2. Your Bills: As a sole proprietor or managing member of your home-based business, you use a certain amount of space and energy of your house for business. That means part of your mortgage or rent, electric bill, property tax and other expenses can be deducted as business expenses.
3. Are You a Media Company? If so, you probably need cable TV, high-speed internet, the latest computers and other media related equipment.
4. Education: Education materials that help you learn your business and become a better marketer can be deducted from your income tax. That means ebooks, your Blogging to the Bank membership, and conferences you attend. So now you not only learn the secrets to making money online, but in actuality these programs are virtually free.

And you don’t have to be a full-time Internet marketer in order to take advantage of some of these tax deductions. If it’s something you do in your spare time, with the intention of building a business that produces a profit, you can enjoy not only the income you can make from your blog or website, but all of these other great benefits. That’s what makes this industry so exciting!

I just came across this video that nicely outlines how to start a blog for profit. No hype – just the facts on how anyone can quickly and easily make money blogging. You can do it on a shoestring budget and in your spare time. If you can stick it out, there’s no doubt that you’ll start to see profits in a short time, and have a nice secondary income in about 4 – 6 months when done correctly.

Of course if you already know what you’re doing, then you know a six-figure business in 2-3 months with little effort.

How to Start a Blog for Profit…

Make Serious Cash With Blogging to The Bank