You may have heard or read the term “the money is in the list”. That’s because once you have a targeted email list of people in a specific niche that you can contact whenever you like, it becomes increasingly easier to make sales. List building is one of most important foundations of success in affiliate marketing.

Over weeks, months and years, you can build a huge database of targeted customers who are at least interested enough in your niche to agree to be on a list and receive more information.

For example, imagine what you can do with a list of 10,000 people who are all interested in collecting action figures.Think of the affiliate sales for the actual figures, price guides, shelving units, cases, cleaners, and who knows what else.

It’s important to realize that you can’t just bombard your list with sales though.

You must build a relationship with them so you gain their trust and don’t come off as a spammer just trying to steal their money.

How can you do that?

Well, in the case of the action figures niche, maybe you could offer them regular tips on fluctuations in pricing, what’s new on the market, etc. to keep them interested and wanting to open your emails. The idea is to give them free information regularly that actually helps them with their interest. Although the information is genuine, you are also using it as a sort of prelude to an affiliate marketing promotion that you slip in now and then – still with their interests in mind though.

Basically, it boils down to gaining trust with free information and not being an over-the-top salesman with pushy marketing tactics. Sure, you might make a few sales at first, but your list will decline instead of grow.

Build a solid relationship with yuor list, be genuine, and you will gain trust and make sales.