One effective, but under appreciated method of building an opt-in e-mail list is to set up and run a free article directory on your website. Internet marketers are always looking for new outlets for their articles and will willingly submit them to free directories wherever they find them.

Most article writers are aware that they need to register in order to submit their articles on an article directory. All you have to do is to build into the terms and conditions of the registration process an opt-in clause in which they agree to receive updates and other information from you by email.

How easy is it to set up your own directory? How much does it cost?

Setting up a directory on your website is not as difficult as you might suppose, nor is it so expensive. In fact one of the leading article directory software packages can be downloaded free from Articledashboard.com. Other software packages can be purchased for a one-time payment of around $30-$50.

In the case of Article Dashboard, you simply download a zip file, then upload it to your server. You will also need to set up a MySQL database, but that too is a simple enough operation. The article directory provider will also run support services to help you through any difficulties during the set-up stage.

Your article directory may look a bit threadbare at this stage as you have just set it up and not begun to publicize it. The way round this is to make use of a service that will populate your article directory with articles. Article Marketer offers just such a service which you can use to keep your directory fully loaded and regularly updated.

That kind of service gives your directory the vital ingredient of credibility that will encourage visitors to submit their article - and opt-in to your list as part of the registration process.

Once your article directory is set up and loaded, you'll need to get to work publicizing it via blog posts, articles on your website, articles submitted to other article directories with your own directory link in the signature file. Make use of ezine ads and add a link to your signature file when you visit Internet marketing forums.

As your directory develops it will attract a growing volume of traffic as webmasters come to collect articles for republishing and readers come to check out the articles. This, and the constant arrival of newly submitted articles will help your website to rise up the search engine rankings. A virtuous circle of increasing publicity and increasing traffic will be created. That in turn will bring more and more article writers to your directory, where they will submit their articles and join your opt-in list.