Are Traffic Exchanges Good For Leads?

We received the following question from one of our avid readers yesterday…

“Are traffic exchanges and safelists good for attracting subscribers? If so, what is the best way to set up a capture page to attract subscribers using these methods?” Tom W.

Traffic exchanges, and especially safelists, are considered to be marketing methods for beginners, or “newbies” if you will. I don’t endorse safelists at all because of the enormous amount of work involved. You must join hundreds of lists to see any significant results. You will get tons of emails sent back to you as well. You can use email accounts that automatically purge your inbox. To me, it’s just a big waste of server resources!

I have had some success with traffic exchanges though. The folks that frequent these sites are usually new to the Internet–and they are often-times hungry to learn how to make a living online. They are usually promoting something, but don’t let that stop you from using them.

Given the fact that most online marketers never make a dime online, you have a great chance of attracting subscribers if what you offer is of value to them. Here are some traffic exchange guidelines…

Keep it free

Use exchanges for the full purpose of getting subscribers. If you try to sell something, your results will be horrible.

Keep it short

Use pages that have a great headline and subheading. Put the subscribe box above the fold. You only have seconds to make an impact. Basically, you want a one or two paragraph ad that gets your benefits across quickly.

Budget your time

Don’t spend enourmous amounts of time surfing exchanges. Set a time that you surf and stick to it but don’t go overboard.

All-in-all, both of these methods are low on my preferred ways to market your newsletter. Your main goal is to become an expert in the eyes of your subscribers. Experts don’t usually waste time using newbie methods. I think posting in forums and submitting to article directories is a far better way to promote your newsletter.

Thanks for your question, Tom!