Don't Use FFA's To Build Your Newsletter Subscriber List

For those of you who aren't familiar with the term, The
initials FFA stand for "FREE For All" and my advice would be
don't waste your time! FFA's DON'T WORK!

FFA sites are directories where anyone can place their ad
for free. And that's exactly what you get--a zillion people
posting free ads.

When you post your ad on an FFA directory or site, here's
what will happen. You'll immediately get back in response to
your ad a truckload of autoresponder e-mails from every Tom,
Dick and Harriet soliciting you to join their programs.
Hardly anyone ever actually reads your ad. FFA's will
produce next to zero new subscribers to your newsletter.

Here are some suggestions to help you build your newsletter
subscriber list:

1. Put a subscriber box on your web site. People can easily
enter their email address and send it to you. A percentage
of people who visit your web site will sign up for your
newsletter. Just don't scare them off by asking for a lot of
personal information. Put their minds at ease by promising
not to share their e-mail address with anyone else.

2. Announce your newsletter in the e-zine announcement
directories. There are several sites with searchable
catalogues of ezines. These sites get lots of visitors and
are a surefire way to find hundreds of new subscribers. Here
are a few to get you started:

http://www.ezine-universe.com

http://www.escribe.com

http://www.ezine-marketing.com

3. Trade ads with other e-zines. Find newsletters that focus
on topics similar to yours. They'll run your ad in exchange
for you running theirs.

4. Consider emailing a press release to the media. Your
release should announce your newsletter and explain what's
interesting or helpful about your newsletter. There are a
number of press release services that will email your
release. Here are just a few:

http://www.ereleases.com

http://www.majon.com

http://www.majornewswire.com

http://submitexpress.com

Whatever you do, DON'T add people to your newsletter list
who haven't asked to be on it. The spam gods will come down
on you like a ton of bricks! That's why many newsletter
publishers insist on double opt-in. What's double opt-in?

Double opt-in is your protection against the sending of
unsolicited email. For example, after visitors register at
your site, they will receive a confirmation email. By
replying to the confirmation email, your visitors
have "double opted-in" which means that:

1. They are the owners of their email addresses

2. The address is working

3. They indeed want to subscribe

Usually the confirmation action is as simple as replying to
the confirmation request or clicking on a link.