When it comes to list building most small business owner aren’t ever really satisfied with their results and most wonder if they could do a better job of attracting ideal clients to their list. It’s often said that the person with the largest list has the biggest business.

The person with the biggest list doesn’t always have the biggest business because there are many other factors that go into building a successful business.

It’s not only the size of your list that counts, it’s how you use your list and the relationship you have with your list that counts most.

First, let’s distinguish what your list consists of. Your list is not the people that follow you on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, or any of the other social networking sites. They could be, but it requires turning those social media followers into people on your actual client list.

Your actual list is made of the people who have invested in you and your business, the people who are interested in knowing what new products and services you have for them and the people who are likely to purchase from you in the future.

So how do you build this list? How do you turn your followers into customers and clients?

There are many ways to build your list. Some ways require a monetary investment. Others might only require an investment of your time.

How much you’re willing to invest to build your list is what ultimately will reflect how big your list will get. Using social media is one of the methods that requires only your time, but can pay off in huge dividends when done correctly and with the right strategies.

If you’re on social media just randomly posting things like what you’re having for lunch or dinner, who you’re with or even just using it to post witty, inspirational, or otherwise unrelated comments, you’re not making the best use of this media. Remember, your followers followed you because they’re interested in something you had available, or something they thought they’d be able to use from you in the future.

If you don’t remind your followers of the products and services you have they will forget you’re even in business. So make sure what you’re posting makes sense for your business.

Pay-Per-Click advertising is a great tool for finding specifically targeted audiences, by using keywords. The focus of this strategy allows you to find better quality clients for your list. Even though Pay-Per-Click requires an investment of money, it’s well-worth it simply because it’s sending you prospects who are looking for keywords specific to your business.

You have to get on the first page of the search engines if you want your business to be found in today’s market. Most people won’t look past the first search page. If your site isn’t coming up, people can’t find you.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a strategy to get your business listed on the first pages of search engines. There are people who can get your site to show up on that first page and you need to take advantage of this to build your list.

Let’s take the focus off your internet options and look at speaking as a list builder. If you host events or speak at seminars or on teleseminars or webinars, you’re engaging in another great way to build your list.

Speaking may be a slower list building process, but if you think about the potential of moving at least 20% of the people you’re speaking to onto your list, it can have a huge impact on your business. For example, if you speak at somebody else’s event and 100 people attend, you move 20 people to your list. How many events can you speak at in one month’s time and have the same results? Even if it’s only 2 or 3 events a month, you’re looking at a list increase of 40 to 60 real quality clients each and every month an, the best part is they are known buyers, not just prospects.

It will take time, and possibly money, to build your list but being strategic in the process is the key. It’s a strategy that can make a big difference in successfully building your business.

Author's Bio: 

Diane Conklin is an author, entrepreneur, coach, consultant, event planner, speaker and copywriter. Diane is a direct response marketing expert who specializes in showing small business owners how to integrate their online and offline marketing strategies, media and methods, to get maximum results from their marketing dollars. Diane also shows entrepreneurs and small business owners how to outperform their competition by measuring their marketing, and strategically use multi-media campaigns to stand alone in their marketplace as the go-to provider for their products and services.

She is the co-founder of Complete Marketing Systems and for more than 15 years has been showing small business owners how to start, build and grow Information Marketing businesses where they take knowledge they already possess and turn it into passive, ongoing, leveraged profits.

Through her company, Complete Marketing Systems, Diane helps event promoters market, plan and manage their live events, workshops and seminars, using cost effective, multi-step marketing strategies that put butts in seats, without the promoters losing theirs. As an Event Marketing & Planning expert, Diane has planned and produced multiple events grossing over $1,000,000.00.

As a business and marketing strategist, Diane has been involved in numerous campaigns grossing over $1,000,000.00 in sales several times in her career.

Diane has proprietary home study systems, coaching programs, and provides done-for-you services in the areas of Social Media, Information Marketing, Direct Response Marketing, Direct Mail and Event Marketing, Planning and Management.

As a speaker, Diane has shared the stage with the likes of Joan Rivers, George Foreman, Dan Kennedy, Bill Glazer, Lee Milteer, Harry Dent, Lee Phillips, Fabienne Fredrickson, James Malinchak, Dov Baron, Peggy McColl, Marshall Sylver, Alex Mandossian, Marie Forleo, Barbara Corcoran and many others.

Diane was voted Information Marketer of the Year for her innovative marketing strategies and campaigns.