"List building can make you rich." We have all heard and seen this many times before. "The money is in the list", yet another truism or cliche, depending on how you look at it. How many times have you seen that statement? Thousands?

So, exactly what is "list building"? Let's explore that question. Simply put, list building is the activity of gathering emails of potential customers for future (or present) marketing ventures. Oh, so it is just a way to spam people, right? That is what many may think and many actually express feeling this way about some marketers and their lists.

The real answer is no! Your list is not for spamming. It is not for open abuse by relentlessly hammering your readers with email after email of different products that you want to sell.

Instead, list building should be thought of as though one were building a home and also cultivating a close relationship, at the same time. Careful thought and planning should go into any list building venture, as the customer base forms the foundation of your email marketing business. What is the main reason that many have opted-in to your list? Is it because you offer a valuable home study course or free software? Is it because you offer free optimized website templates?

Put yourself in the readers place, wouldn't you want something of value in return for your loyalty? That is one of the secrets that many "gurus" have forgotten. Give people something very valuable, share useful information and advice with them and watch the money roll in. Remember, if the reader does not view your list as valuable, how can you expect them to view any products that you are asking them to buy, as useful? In other words, where is the incentive?

Does this type of list building take work? Yes, it does. Will your customers/readers appreciate it? You bet! After all, don't you feel more loyal to those that value you and cultivate their relationship with you? Aren't you more likely to buy something from those that you feel appreciate your business? Of course you are! The same applies to those in your list.

How can you analyze the effectiveness of your list building? The two easiest ways would be in terms of sales and also retention. Sales provide the most direct results of your building efforts. Send out an email mentioning a certain product and monitor the actions of your list members. The less visible manner is how long do people stay on your list. The reason that this is so very important is that customers that opt out of your list are people that you no longer have their direct attention. This is one less potential sale and therefore, it is just as important to address the reasons that people are not staying on your list.

Treat those on your list as you want to be treated. Show them the same amount of attention and caring as you expect others to do for you. The extra work and effort will pay off in huge dividends and you will see your business become quite successful as other marketers struggle. The money is truly in the list and approaching list building as a necessary and profitable task will ensure that you reap the benefits of your efforts.

About the Author

Learn more about list building by visiting http://www.earnersguild.com, a popular website that offers list building tips, advice and resources to include information about list building for both new and advanced marketers.