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How I built a 55,000 person email list in 2 weeks via Twitter & how you can use the same concept to build YOUR list |
Posted by Brad Callen | March 24th, 2009
Hey guys, I sent out an email about this a couple weeks ago and have gotten some good feedback from it, so wanted to post here to quickly go over the process of what I accidentally did to build a very large email list in a short period of time.
1. I created www.ppcwebspy.com, which is a cool Firefox addon for keyword research. The overall process/flow of the software itself is very viral. (i.e. there is a big incentive for others to tell others about it, other than just because it’s good (which should always be a given if you create and sell anything)
2. I created a short demo video of me explaining how the software worked and what it does.
3. I posted a link to the video on my Twitter page (http://www.twitter.com/brad_callen). The video was nothing special. It was just me explaining the software and talking about how excited I was about releasing it to the public. It was 100% complete, but I was bored while my programmers were putting the finishing touches on it, so I had time to make a video showing how it worked. I made sure to mention that it wasn’t quite ready/complete, but would be soon.
Note:
- At this point, I’ve never mentioned the URL (web address) to where my Twitter followers could get the software… Basically because it wasn’t quite finished yet. I did, however, mention the name of the software.
- I only had about 2,000 followers at the time
4. Within the first day I noticed I was getting some traffic to the website. I checked my Google analytics to see where the traffic was coming from. It was coming from Google only. People were going to Google and typing in the name of the software… Likely because they wanted to buy it, even though they knew it probably wasn’t ready.
5. I noticed some sales start to come in. Luckily I did have the entire buying/sales process finished, and the software was working and ready enough to be sold. There were some minor tweaks left to do on the software, but nothing that would hinder its performance.
6. Each day, I noticed more and more traffic to the site. I started noticing traffic coming from other places. People were now posting the direct link to PPC Web Spy on their blogs, in their Twitter posts etc.
7. People were starting to reTweet my initial video Tweet.
8. This lead to more traffic, more optins, and more sales.
9. People then started promoting PPC Web Spy to their email lists… and I never told a sole about the product!
10. This obviously led to more traffic, optins, and sales
11. After 2 weeks was up, I had built an email list of over 55,000 people and had made quite a few sales of the product… and I hadn’t even launched the product yet to my own email list! In fact, I never really did an official launch for it at all. I was planning on it, but word spread so fast through Twitter that I didn’t have to 
So, what can you take from this?
1. Create a product and create it in a way that people will want to tell others about it. The marketing process needs to be very viral
2. Post a video on Twitter of you explaining the product. You can mention the name and URL even, if you want. (You could offer an incentive for people to reTweet your tweet to help the process)
3. If the product is good and worthy to be talked about, it will be mentioned again on Twitter by others.
4. If the product is viral, it will move from Twitter to blogs, to forums, and then to people’s email lists
5. Use twitter to catalyze a viral campaign. Do it in a way that’s not spammy. Just be helpful and explain what your product does and how it can help people. Remember, Twitter is a relationship building platform first and foremost. So, go into this with that in mind.
That’s it in a nutshell. It all seems very obvious/simple, but sometimes, it’s the obvious/simple things that can make the biggest difference in your marketing.
Good luck!
Brad
Yup, I was one of those pushing it on twitter. My twitter name is @GanderCo.
Thanks! Gary. (from TN.)
P.S. If you’re thinking I’m probably hoping to get some followers from this post, well..
let me TELL YOU something!!!!!! (yer problee rite)
oops, I almost forgot to mention! I’m having a great time with just the free version of
PPC WebSpy!
Brad I saw your twitter post talking about the 55,000 visitors. So knowing how easy it is to miss a tweet I took down the tinyurl and sent to my firend in the UK and one locally. both have up coming launches. One is for a saftware a company wanted to pay 3 million for but instead they formed an LLC. But he needs help and so I sent it to Him. I have your program and as I recall you gave it away for free in beta.
Wgat really impresses me about you is that you are rich but you didn’t go all out and live in a mansion and buy cars but rather you and your wife are both involved in charity work. God bless you. I told that to the 10 year old marketer in UK who will be known in the future. He is a nice guy and got into IM to save his family when dad lost his job. He was 15 then. I sent him some things I thought he could use in his business and he emailed back that he had more free time thanks to me. Like you I like helping good people. Keep being the man you are. Sincerely,Gail Goodman I love IM but I am on workers’ compensation and not allowed to have any other income but I keep learning and help my friends.
This is a really interesting concept, that people should really pay attention to. Social media is nearly “word of mouth” advertising. As you all may know, this is the best sort of advertising a business can ever get.
Brad,
Don’t want to say anything other than awesome,fantastic,great,marvelous…. hmm not spamming..just letting you know how the free version is helping me. Its amazing. Just able to see my competitors feet. Thank you very much for the post even. Am not in the grove of top Marketers as of now but should be soon into it…as am committed to be one of the top marketers by the end of the year…
Hello Brad,
I saw your great post at twitter where you was talking about the 55,000 visitors. I am really glad to hear this marketing strategy.
Thanks for posting such helpful posts,
Sandeep Singh Chouhan
Really this is good achievement to get lot of visitors. But in prospective of business we need customers and email marketing is best solution. If you have very good email lists database you can get more business. Some companies provides quality email lists like industry email lists, business email lists, hospital email lists etc.
Brad,
While some are still coming to terms with twitter and its power its great to read a story like this to learn from. I’m still discovering new ways to drive traffic to my website and have only earned $1.00 from my efforts so far.
I look forward to your future twitter experiments and the results.
Cheers
Rob Mulally
Nice to hear a good case study from the field. These viral tactics combined with curiosity are killer!! I’m off to tweet about some software.
Thanks!
Well, Twitter isn’t a waste of time afterall?
Daniel.
PS I can understand the gist of “what are you doing right now”. But why would my ‘list’ care about me going to the store or changing a dirty diaper?
Hey Dan, I’d pick up a copy of the Twitter Handbook. Google it and you’ll be able to find it. Basically, you should completely ignore that “What are you doing?” question on Twitter. Think of Twitter as a way to network and build a closer relationship with your customers/following. The larger, more intimate following you have, the more sales you will make. It’s all about relationship building. If you don’t think your list cares about you going to the store, or changing a diaper, then don’t post it. Post something that you think your list WOULD care about knowing
I didn’t realize how many people I know are on facebook. I’m a newbie
Hi Brad,
Got your email and signed up for twiveaway.com. I was pleasently surprise to
get 3 new followers in one day from sending your retweete.
Looking forward to many more Twitter followers and Newsletter subscribers after I start my give away campaign using http://www.twiveaway.com .
All the best, God Bless,
Maxwell Cash
http://www.automaticlinkmanager.com
hi brad
in this post you meant 50.000 followers? or 5.000 followers?
I saw your twitter page and i dont see any 50.000 people following you
Hi. A 50,000 person “email list”, not Twitter list
Thanks for this post. I am preparing for my first ever free campaign next month and was doing some research on how to build a list quickly. A small campaign but neverless, an exciting project. You can learn all you want but until you take action, it’s for naught.
Tweet sounds like a useful tool to build an email list. Do you have a target # of “free” plugin download?
[...] Monetizing Twitter Followers Here’s something I did that worked really really well. Internet Marketing Strategies – Learn to make money online! [...]
Hi brad
This post is really nice , i enjoyed this post. thanks
This is an interesting method. I was considering devleoping a video for a recently launched product I’ve made. Do you think this technique would be as effective if yuo had say, 500 followers? Or should one concentrate on building that initial base first?
Wow, thanks for the info.
Especially liked the play by play, not ambiguous, but detailed.
I’m working diligently at building my list and this is definitely a boost.
Thanks again
Unbelievable! who would have thought?
I was pulled in by the headline of 55,000 in 2 weeks. Sounded too good to be true. Well, in your case it was true. Great job marketing.
Seems I need more training on use of Twitter so my number will explode like your did. I need to be viral like you are with your marketing. I think I will take you advice and create a video about one of my service and see how that goes.
Thanks.
I have not yet got single client from Twitter but its something that I definitely try, especially using your strategy. Offer them something and they will come running in droves, i like your strategy. You are marketing guru
Hi Brad,
I own a few of your softwares (paid versions also) and
I must say that you’re really good at what you do- creating
software that help change the lives of people like myself.
Thanks for creating ‘twiveaway’ …!!!
Combine this with the already VIRAL power of twitter makes it
an absolute marketing phenomenon.
Cant wait to see what you’ll develop next.
Thank you.
I make money online by monetizing my blogs with Google Adsense. I am currently studying the tricks of trade on Affiliate Marketing.
Hi Brad,
I’ve purchased Affiliate Elite from you and I am your long time affiliate too.
I just read abt 55000 ‘un-intended’ auto-list-generation through twitter and wow,
it really is astounding.
I doubt if any other person’s tweet will bring about the same results, since you
are an well-established IM authority. But there could be no two opinion that
Twitter really scores above any other Social Marketing tools.
I too am trying my hand with it.
God bless.
i am pretty new to this Make money online stuff. i started making money online by monetizing my blogs and websites using Adsense, Adbrite and Kontera. i have yet to try affiliate marketing.
Yet again i am amazed by your methods. I seriously need to get into twitter.
hi um I downloaded 1 of your books recently “seo made easy”. In in three yes said the way to get indexed by google in 24hrs Is to rent I PR7 or PR6 link. Now I don’t know a thing at Adsense, but than while researching online I came across a ‘2006 blog post say google Adsense bans sites which buy or sell links. What is the case? I trying to setup my 1st Adsense website, and I don’t want to get banned because of renting links.help!
hi just realized this thread is not linked to Adsense, sorry. My first time submitting to a blog. If u can give me a short reply, it be more careful in the future.