Building Your List through Joint Ventures

Building your list with joint ventures is the quickest and easiest way to build your list.  I know, I’ve said it a thousand times, but I wouldn’t be harping about it if it didn’t work.  After all, why go through all the effort of building your own list when you can hit on someone else’s?

Start Looking for a Partner on Marketing Forums

If you’re just getting started, you’d probably have to sell the family farm to make it to a marketing convention.  That’s why marketing forums are good.  It takes some work and some time, but if the conventions would break your bank, this is the place to go.

The first rule you need to know is to observe for awhile before you start making posts.  You’ll want to get a feel for the place before saying anything.  Warrior Forum isn’t too snarky, but you can sure bet that on Wicked Fire, you’re going to get negative comments, Rick-Rolled, or worse, if you just jump in and ask for advice, tools, or partnerships.

Building Your Brand in the Forums

With that in mind, you should be building your brand before you start talking about partnerships.  No one is going to want to partner with a newbie.  You have to establish yourself as someone who knows what they’re doing.

As the saying goes, “If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck.”  After having watched the goings-on in the forum for awhile, you’ll see who gets the hard time and who gets the praise.  You’ll also be gathering bits of information about the industry and be able to make informed posts and comments.

Once You Have a Reputation, Propose Joint Ventures

Eventually you’ll notice that you’re routinely treated with respect as you become more knowledgeable.  This is a good time to propose joint ventures.  You’ve established yourself as someone who knows what they’re talking about, so now people will want to work with you.

When you make your joint venture proposal to another marketer, it’s super important that you make it look like a win-win deal.  You have a great product that’s about to launch in a hot niche; provide proof, if possible.  You have a list that you’re willing to share.  It may be smaller than the other marketer’s list, so the list exchange should be an even trade.  In short, make it worth their time and ensure that they have nothing to lose by partnering with you.

Yes, it’s a long, hard road to get to where you can benefit from a joint venture on the forums.  On the same token, at least you’re not jumping into the lion’s den while you’re still a young pup, like you would at a convention.  In the end, it’s worth the mileage you’ve built up in the process, and you will have gone a long way toward being a good marketer in the process.