Have you ever heard the phrase “the money is in the list”? Your list is your connection to hundreds if not thousands of people who are interested in your products or services. They’re qualified leads. As a business owner, these are the people you want to talk to. However, finding those people can be a challenge. Here’s how to implement a successful lead generation campaign.

#1 Identify who your ideal customer is

This is important because you’re going to want to get inside their head. You want to know what their most pressing problems are so you can solve them. Spend some time researching your audience. What do they need or want?

#2 Create a giveaway, something that they’ll place a high value on

Many business owners turn to digital downloads. This is because they can offer prospects instant gratification. All the person has to do to access the information they want is hand over an email address. Digital downloads can be something as simple as a free report. They can also be:

* An interview (transcript and audio)
* A video
* A downloadable course
* An audio file
* An e-book
* A worksheet or workbook
* A checklist, blueprint or template

Don’t let this list limit your imagination. Take a look at what your prospects need and then brainstorm how you can solve their problems with a giveaway. You can also provide them with an autoresponder e-course delivered over a period of time. This ensures consistent communication until the course ends.

#3 Create a fantastic opt-in form

You have a few choices here. You can create a form and place it on your landing page. The form can be simple and straightforward with a benefit and a call to action. For example, “Learn how to eat all you want and still lose weight. Download this free report now”.

You can insert the form on your website, have it slide over, pop up or pop under ñ itís your decision. You may want to test and track which method offers the highest conversion rate.

You can also create what’s called a squeeze page. This is where your visitors land. They must opt-in in order to move on and further into your website. Your squeeze page can read a little more like a sales page. It can offer benefits and promise to solve your prospect’s most pressing problem.

Regardless of the format you choose, you’ll want to ask for an email address from your prospect. You can ask for more information like a first and last name. However, remember that the more hoops a prospect has to jump through, the more likely they are to click away.

#4 Marketing your offer

PPC has been effective for driving traffic to an opt-in page. You can also use social networking and article marketing to effectively drive traffic to your offer. The more people there are who learn about your opt-in offer, the more people you will have signing up.

Once you start building your list, immediately take advantage of it. Thank your subscriber for signing up and provide them with an abundance of value. Make sure they never regret adding their name to your list. And of course, market to them to build your business and your bottom line. To your success!