How to create your own mailing list with aweber

Having a mailing list is one of the most important resources you can have on the Internet today. Before
the Internet, top marketers carefully managed their mailing lists to generate countless billions in catalog
sales, direct sales, fundraising, grass roots movements and so many other activities. With the Internet,
this process has become so much easier and your audience can wrap around the globe.

This lesson shows you how to create a mailing list using an online service called AWeber. I've used
other onlines services and PC-based mailing list managers and out of all the services I've tested,
Aweber is the best. Using it is very, very simple and they also provide some of the best support and
training I've ever seen from a service like this. The following how to guide will show you how to get
started with AWeber and then what to do after you're up and running.

Create an account

Visit Aweber and open an account. Click the order tab in the top right and then fill out the registration
form. Don't forget to write down your username and password. There are two payment options for
aweber. One is an annual charge and then other is for month to month. The annual charge is the best
value but choose what makes the most sense for you.

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Login to your account

Return to the AWeber web site and log into your account. Before you do, you may want to click on the
video walkthrough link and watch their excellent selection of training videos. At the time of this writing,
they have provided four comprehensive videos walking you through the process of setting up your
account, creating email newsletters with their free template selection, building an effective email follow
up campaign and adding a registration, or opt-in, form to your own web site.

It really is hard to beat the value of AWeber and when you factor in their great training and customer
support, there's little point in messing around with any other solution out there.

Create a list Step 1

Once you're logged in, you'll be taken to your control panel for your account. There's a lot more
available than what you can see in this screen shot.

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To create a new list, click on the Add New link as seen in the screen capture.

Create a list Step 2

In the next screen, Manage Lists, the option at the top is Create List. Click Create List to continue.

Configure your list: List Settings

The first options you'll see after creating your new list are for the basic list settings.

1. Give your list a name: The list name is also a special email address. Anyone sending an email to
this address will be added to the mailing list, which is a handy shortcut and alternative to using a
registration form on a web page.

2. Give your list a description: Short List Description is a short reminder of what the list is for. The
only time someone sees this description is when they click an unsubscribe link in one of your
messages. This description will be shown in the confirmation dialog and a good description may remind

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the person why they joined the list in the first place.

3. Multiple Unsubscribe: Leave this option checked. It allows people to mass unsubscribe if they
happen to be on more than one of your lists. Even if you aren't planning on having more than one list
right now, it could be useful in the future and doesn't hurt anything if you only have one list right
now....so just leave it.

4. Open Rates: Again, leave this option checked. It will help you get statistics about your mailing list in
the future.

5. Click Save: Every once in a while, I forget to do this before moving to the next configuration section.

Configure your list: Company Branding

After you hit Save for the List Settings above, scroll down to the next configuation section. You don't
have to fill this information out, but if you have a Company Name and a Website URL, you should at
least set those items and then just leave Logo URL and Divider HTML Color blank.

Don't forget to hit Save before you move to the next section.

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Configure your list: Reply Address

This section is very important. In fact, you can't do anything with your list until this part is configured.

1. Email address: This is your address or one that you want to use for your mailing list. Many internet
marketers actually use their real address in this field which means that subscribers can hit reply to a
message and ask you a question or send you a comment.

2. Name: This should be your name or something that clearly identifies your list to the subscriber.
When a message is received, this is what people are going to see in their inbox. My recommendation is
that you personalize this. When people see an email from a company name, they are less likely to open
the message.

3. From/Reply: Check this box to make this email address the address used by all the messages sent
from your list.

4. Notifications: Check this box and when someone subscribes to your list, this email address will be
used to let you know.

5. Add: Click add to link this address to your list.

6. Save: In case you missed it earlier, click Save when you're done with a section.

Use your new mailing list

You now have a list! From this point you have two major activities:

1. Create content: On the Aweber videos page, there are two videos you should watch. The first shows
you how to create newsletters and the second shows you how to create a follow up campaign. The
difference is that newsletters are generally time-based emails that you create and send to everyone on
your list. If someone joins a week after you sent the newsletter, they'll never see the message. Follow
up messages are a sequence of emails which are sent to every person that joins your list. A follow up
series allows your list to benefit people no matter what else you happen to be doing.

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2. Add people to your list: Aweber put this video together to show you exactly how to create a web
opt-in form so you can allow people to register for your mailing list.

Get momentum

A mailing list is a great way to present yourself as someone who helps other people get what they want
and need. Don't treat your mailing list like an infomercial. Give value first and sales will follow.

Sign up for other mailing lists in your industry and see how other people are communicating with their
lists.

Learn and do.

Check out www.davesaunders.net for more tips on personal branding and how to market yourself on
the Internet.
When you register, you'll have my personal email address. Do you have a how to question? Send it to
me and I'll be happy to help if I can.

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