How to Build your List Through Giveaway Events

Because you're just starting your new online business venture, you're not ready to spend a fortune in advertising. So, how about, instead of running an expensive paid advertising campaign, joining a popular giveway event organized by a well known Internet marketer?

Here's how giveaway events work. The host of the giveaway event sends private invitations to list owners (big online marketing names) and invite them to contribute a gift to the event. In turn, these big names send a mail to their subscribers list inviting them to join the giveaway event.

Although many send invite to get giveaway gifts, many also send contributor invitations to their subscribers. This is the type of invitation you should accept if you wish to start building your list. Before taking any action, make sure that you have an autoresponder!

When you've signed up as a contributor for a giveaway event, contribute a gift; which can be:

• An ebook
• A computer software
• A video product
• A membership pass (preferably your own membership site)

As partner in a giveaway event, you're going to build something known as "squeeze page" which is a page that includes an opt-in form your potential new subscribers will have to fill up in order to get access to the gift you provide. Also, make sure to
build a download page where your potential subscribers will be redirected after having signed to get your gift.

Once you submitted your gift as well as the link to your squeeze page and download page, you just have to sit down and wait for the new subscribers to come your way. The more value has the gift you offer, the more subscribers you'll have.

Most giveaway event owners require from their partners to have a subscribers list prior to join their event. Generally, they'll require from you to have at least a substantial list of 500/1000 subscribers.

This requirement is becasue giveaway event owners don't like free riders and also expect from you to promote their event all over the Internet. Some even require a minimal mailing frequency to your own subscribers list otherwise you're out.

Nevertheless, some giveaway event hosts allow newbies to join their event even if they don't have a bunch of existing subscribers. These generally allow you to promote the giveaway event though safelists; which is a good alternative to having to buy an existing list of subscribers.

The largest number of giveaway event contributors and simple members you'll recruit, the highest your gift will rank in the host list; this means that your gift will have more exposition and that you're going to get more new subscribers.

The three things you have to have prior to join a giveaway event and without which you can't do anything from such an event are:

1. A Gift

Unless the giveaway host didn't make any specific mention about it, the type of gift you provide your potential new subscribers doesn't matter. As long as the gift is something you're allowed to give for free, it can be anything ranging from ebooks, software, private label right products, etc. You can even give membership passes away; however, they must be for your own membership site as affiliate links are rarely allowed. Naturally, you can also give away a product you created yourself.

Before you submit a product made by someone else, make sure that you've been granted giveaway rights and that you're allowed to restrict rights when you give the product away. Indeed, you don't want to grant your subscribers "giveaway rights" to a product that is supposed to bring traffic to YOUR site and business as well as build YOUR list.

A great way to also build a list because it attracts people is to provide a viral gift, a gift that allows your subscribers to personalize the gift with their own name or site link and pass in on to their future potential subscribers.

2. An autoresponder

The purpose of building a subscribers list is to have a list to which you can mail your tips, news, offers, and, therefore, before joining a giveaway event you're going to make sure to subscribe to an autoresponder service. There are many autoresponder providers out there, whether Aweber.com; Getresponse.com, etc. You can even set up a mailing list right from your server; just search for such services in your hosting account.

Once you chose your autoresponder provider or script, make sure it is set to require a double opt-in from your potential subscribers, this way they'll have to confirm that they required to be added to your list and you avoid any complaint for spam.

3. An opt-in page

Prior to join a giveaway event, create an opt-in page. It should be kept simple, just add the advantages of the product you offer, add a picture (people love pictures!), remind the reader that they are required to sign up to your mailing list and that they're allowed to cancel their subscription at any time.

Tell them that you'll never share their data with anyone - and make a point NEVER sharing any information regarding them with anyone neither sell their email addresses. Always add your (encrypted) email address to your opt-in page.

The other page that is indispensable to have is the download page. This is the page your new subscribers will be redirected to when they'll confirm their wish to be added to your subscribers list. On this page, add the title of your product, a picture as well as a link that allows your subscribers to download their gift. If needed, you can also add a link for them to download any necessary material to open the gift.

Many marketers also add a back-end recommendation product on their download page. Personally, I don't like this, but you're free do add one if you wish.

There are other ways to build a subscribers list than joining giveaway events. One of my favorite ones is to build lists through niche bloggin.

As a matter of fact, you don't want to join a giveaway event that focuses on marketing products if you wish to build a list of potential customers in the cupcake recipe niche blog that you just set up.

Therefore, you're going to try to build your list right from your cupcake blog. Here's how to do so:

• Write five cupcake recipes
• Find 5 cupcake photos related to the recipes (make sure they're your own or you have license to give them away)
• Compile the five cupcake recipes and photos in a .pdf cupcake recipe ebooklet
• Find a title as well as an ebook cover for your new cupcake recipe ebooklet
• Give this ebooklet for free to your readers in exchange of their email address (see above if you need help to set up an opt-in form)

That's it. Now, each time someone will want to take a closer eye to your five cupcake recipes, they'll have to provide their email address before access the cupcake ebooklet download page.

Once you have their address, you can send them your news, a newsletter, tell them that you made a new post on your blog, and even, send them offers for cupcake related products to buy. This is probably the smartest way to build a list.

PS. Note that this doesn't only work with cupcake recipes, but such way to build a subscribers or customers list works for any type of niche market!