As an online affiliate marketer you've probably heard the phrase "The Money is in the List" - it's absolutely true. It's not uncommon for your customers to not buy from you the first time they land on your site. Most people think about things and have to have contact at least several times before they make the decision to buy. By building a list of targeted prospects you're greatly improving your chances of affiliate sales.

Once you have a database of subscribers established your list will be like gold to you. Imagine the ability to send an email to a few hundred or thousand people with a product promotion and then watching your sales come in... this is what a targeted list of subscribers can do for you.

However, it's not just about building a list; you also need to take the time to establish a relationship with that list. If you never email your list and out of the blue send them a promotion email the chances are you'll have more "unsubscribes" from your list than sales.

To build a good relationship and rapport with your list will take a little time but it is so worth it once you get the balance right. Try sending out an email at least once a week (any longer and they may forget who you are). In your emails try to achieve balance between promotions and providing information. You don't need to promote a product with every mailing. Give value to your list, valuable tips, valuable information, case studies, and other tips to help them; once you do this your list will grow to trust you and will gladly purchase items through you because they feel like you have taken the time to establish a relationship with them.

Now you know why you should build a list but how do you start building? Here are a few tips:

Create a free special report, eCourse or eBook to give away in return for your customer's signing up to the list.

Create a separate page for your newsletter subscribers. In a time of increasing SPAM, it's getting harder and harder to get people to give you their email addresses. Even if you're giving something away for free, you'll still need to sell that "free gift". Build a simple opt in page which clearly explains the benefits of subscribing to your list.

Promote your mailing list through articles. Write and distribute articles to the online article directories and in your author bio include a link back to your newsletter page. If you write good quality articles, you're increasing the chances that person will want to click over and learn more.

Those are just a few tips for helping you start building your list. No matter which way you go about it, having a list of targeted customers is a great way to build your affiliate marketing business.