The old saying is that the money is in the list. Well, the money is actually in a good list. Trust me on this, there are plenty of lists that aren't worth their weight in spam. So if you want to build a list that will actually be responsive, you have to walk a very fine line between a number of areas. This article will cover some basic do's and don'ts that should improve the quality and size of your list greatly.

The first thing that you need to realize, and I can't stress this enough, is that you're not going to get somebody to sign up to your list by just telling them that they're going to get a newsletter. Can you say yawnsville? If you want to get somebody into your prized list, you need to give them something; a free report, a small ebook, a software download, something. This will give them a good incentive to join your list.

Once you've got them on board, the key is to keep them on board. This is where things get a little tricky. Because everybody is different, you're going to have some members of your list who will want to be emailed regularly and others who will get annoyed if they're emailed everyday. So you have to try to strike a balance between the two, understanding that you won't please everyone. It's best to email your list maybe a couple of times a week and no more than three times a week. This should keep most people on both sides happy.

The next issue that comes up is what to email your list members. The first thing that most list owners do wrong is send their list members one offer after another. People don't join lists to be sold to. They join lists to get some relevant content to their business that will hopefully help them with building their business. This is where, again, you have to strike a balance between giving them too much content and not enough. Give them too much and they have no reason to purchase any of your products, though they might hang around for a long time. Don't give them enough content and they'll unsubscribe faster than you can blink. If you're going to email your list three times a week, it's best to give them pure content in at least two of every three mailings. This way they will see value in staying on your list and you'll have a few chances to make some sales. Again, it's a real balancing act that isn't always easy.

Finally, you want to make it easy for your list members to unsubscribe. Many list builders bury their unsubscribe links so far down the email after a ton of white space that nobody can find them. This will only lead to ill will and a bad reputation. Treat your list as you would want to be treated.

By following these few simple tips, you should have a list that is both happy and profitable.