Names and email addresses are the gold dust of the internet. Newbies, you must go after them now. This is your bread and butter. It's also called your optin list. Call it what you like, you must get your own list.

Do not procrastinate on this one. Immediate action is required. Focus your early efforts on acquiring your very own optin list. You'll be well on your way to surviving on the internet if you do the following:

Provide Something Free And Of Perceived Value

Information products are the easiest and least expensive way for you to go. Isn't information what the internet is all about? That settles it then. An Information product it will be.

It must be something of value. It could be a special report on fuzzy dice. An informative email course on the various moods of a dissatisfied wife, (maybe not that topic, but an email course nonetheless). Go ahead and write a few related articles. Use them to compile an ebook and give that away free. You see were I'm going with this don't you?

A Free Swap

We've finally decided to write a special report on 'How To Start A Home-Based Business.' It's a great topic. Investigating it will help you as a newbie. Hold on now, the special report is free, yes.

But let's not just give it away. Use it to get something, like names and email addresses? Glad you suggested that. We'll dangle the special report like a carrot. If anyone wants it, they can have it free of charge. But they must give their name and email address for it.

Building The Most Important Ingredient-Trust

Make sure the special report is chuck full of helpful information. That's vitally important. Your reputation depends on it. Consider this.

Someone gave you information that helped your family. Maybe it even saved you time and money. Then next week your inbox has another email from them. What? Are you going to delete the email? Of course not! It may contain more helpful information.

That's trust-building. Let's say you purchased a product from the internet. That product turned out to be fantastic for your family. It helped you automate the many chores of a busy household.

Remember now, you're still a newbie at this. You don't as yet own your own product, but you're close. Here's what you do. That fantastic product that helped your family so much, become an affiliate of that product.

Affiliate Programs

Its usually free to sign up as an affiliate. The program would give you an affiliate ID. They also give you tools like banners and text ads to help you drive traffic to sell their product.

You're one up though. You've been doing your homework. You already have an optin list of your own. You can and probably should learn to use that stuff. It will give you another option for getting traffic. You shouldn't put all your eggs into one basket.

All of the previous tips come down to this. That fantastic product that helped your family, remember it? You're now an affiliate for it right? Yes'the one which gives you $25 every time you make a sale?

Tell your 350 names and addresses you have captured with the special report about this great product. Let them know how this awesome product helped your family. Make suggestions for them to purchase this great product.

They may live alone, fine. Suggest that they buy it for their next door neighbor or maybe for their grand children. You can do this. If 40 people on your list of 350 purchase the product, you have made a cool $1,000.

Understand now why it is crucial for you to get a list? What are you waiting for? Get cracking on your list. All the best.