Is The Pop-Up Dead?

Busy, busy, busy... but I'm back.

Back to name collection...

A great way to find names in your niche is to rent insert and dedicated space on similar and like-minded sites. You can "sponsor" their existing eletter list for a fee. For more eyes, and more money, you can pay for a sole sales letter... I call it a "dedicated letter."

For some small business owners or first time entrepreneurs... this may just be too expensive. But I've always believed it was worth it and I've tested thousands of lists over the past 8 years.

Online list rental, just like in direct mail, is a great opportunity because you can reach tens of thousands, and even hundreds of thousands, of targeted subscribers instantly for only a few hundred dollars. Well, something it's a few thousand.

Publishers are often eager to work with people who pay in advance for advertising. But I don't like that. I don't trust anyone. ;-)

When at all possible, I prefer to pay after I can see the run dropped.

I generically call these names acquired via online list rentals as “pop-up” names. That is because of the use of the pop-up accompanying the promotion. Let me explain...

You rent the list and run a paid pub... the reader clicks in and reads the promotion. Upon exit, whether or not they've bought or not. I don't care... that's because you include an exit pop that come up on screen and offers the free eletter.

We want a sale, or a free name. Either is a success. Why pop on exit?

I hate pop-ups. Most people do... but they are a necessary evil and I believe in the exit pop because it’s less objectionable.

We use the paid offer up front versus the free offer because it works better. Much better. More people will click into the paid promo because of a perception of value that the paid pub offer gives.

After the online lead reads the promotion - if they don't buy - the free offer says "...here is a something in exchange for spending the time clicking in and reading." The reader feels good because they can take something away from the time spent. You feel good... you've got an email address.

The "pop-up" names acquired from online list rental will typically be the most valuable out of all name collection tactics. Historically that has been true.

But with the pop-up blocker... is the pop-up dead?

Ummm... yeah.

The pop-up is not going to bring in 80% of what it used to... but don't give up hope on list rental as a name collection method.

There is a solution... several actually.

Stay tuned...