An e-course is a series of short lessons that teach your prospect some basic information on your area of expertise. I love e-courses. They have proved to be extremely profitable for me and thousands of others who are working on the Internet. When you are creating your own e-course, think about the topic, what else you will promote, and how you will follow up with the people who sign up to learn from you.

The only mistake you can make is in trying to provide too much information on too wide a topic. Instead, choose just one slice of your niche and create about 5 lessons on it. Each lesson can be two or three paragraphs long – just enough to fit comfortable into an email message that is set in your autoresponder sequence. Each lesson can include a recommendation for one of your products or that of an affiliate. You may want to also include an assignment for them to do to encourage them to connect with you by email. Here is an example of an e-course that has done very well for me in terms of building my list and increasing my income.

I am a former classroom teacher, so the idea of teaching people on the Internet was a natural progression for me. Sharing great resources that teach valuable concepts is part of what I love to do. Today I want to teach you more about how membership sites can change your online business model.

My colleague Heather Seitz has been online longer than I have, and is brilliant at what she teaches. Here is the way she teaches you how to use a newsletter as part of a membership site to build recurring, residual income. I have 6 of these membership sites so far, and they are extremely profitable for me. Watch it and see how it can work for you.

I have also written a short report on membership sites that I would like for you to read. This is how I have been able to set up my sites so quickly and easily.

Even if you have already done this in the past, write another e-course for your list. This is a great way to generate additonal income over time. Choose a topic your list wants to know more about and create an e-course with five lessons. Each lesson should only be about four paragraphs long, so it will fit easily into an email. You can deliver this e-course over a period of days through your autoresponder system.

At the end of each lesson include a link to an appropriate affiliate product, or own of your own if you have a product or course that would make sense. I have written an e-course for you here, titled “How To Write A Free E-Course For Ongoing Profits“. Eventually you can create paid e-courses, but start with free ones when you are just getting started online.

Building your list is the most important thing you can do to increase your online income. Even though I teach you how to maximize your profit from your current list, no matter how small, you must always remember that your ultimate goal is to keep growing your list of subscribers.

Public speaking is one way to build your list and gain credibility with your target audience. When I spoke in March at Matt Bacak’s Marketing Madness event, I not only added names to my list, but also built rapport with the people who were already on my list. They saw me differently when I was one of the speakers

When someone signs up to be on your list by leaving their name and email address, they are expecting to receive the report or recording that you have promised them. It is up to you to deliver fully on that promise to begin establishing trust between the two of you.

Many people are cautious before opting in to anything new. They are already receiving more emails than they would like, but they do want to receive what you are offering them. That first email will set the tone for your future relationship, so make sure to provide them with a download link to your free giveaway, as well as thanking them for joining your list.

We generally do not remember someone’s second or third autoresponder message to us, but we all remember if we received our free gift or not. Make the connection immediately so your list knows that you will keep your word.

Yes, you read that correctly. I actually respond to everyone who emails me. I started doing this back in 2006 when my list was less than fifty people, and I continue to do it now that my list is over 2,000. I believe this builds rapport between you and the people who have graciously agreed to hear from you on a regular basis.

I have found that when I connect personally with someone through an email, they feel like I care about them and their specific needs. None of us like to be thought of as a number. All of us are on other people’s lists, but how often does someone take the time to write back to you when you have a question?

Especially if you are just starting out

Even though your followers on Twitter are not are your list, many of them are your prospects. Include them in what you are doing online by tweeting about it regularly. Be sure to let them know where they can sign up for your upcoming teleseminars, newsletter, internet radio show, or latest e-course. This allows you to invite more people to join your list.

Remember that many people use the search feature on Twitter to find out who is tweeting about topics of interest to them, so be sure to use your keywords in your Twitter updates. Be sure your profile is complete, with a picture of you, a link to your blog, and a brief bio about what you do. Also include your location, so that people in your geographic area will have another wa to connect with you.

My goal on Twitter is to connect with my prospects and give them a reason to want to join my list. Be sure to follow me (I’m @ConnieGreen) and let me know what you are doing so that I can retweet