Last week, I shared with you a technique to grow your list: ad swapping. Today, I want to show ad swapping to you in action.

Imagine that you’ve been in business for about four months. You’ve got your website up and you’ve been promoting your business online but you still only have about 20 people who have signed up for your list -and those are friends and family.

You know ad swapping can help, so you start looking for people similar target market who also have a list.

Even though you want to dream big and reach for the stars, don’t contact an online business guru who has been in business 7+ years and has a following of many thousands. Sure, YOU would have everything to gain by this hotshot promoting your list to her many thousands of followers but what would this guru get in return from the swap? If you only have 20 names on your list, that certainly doesn’t equate to his many thousands. Chances are high that your email offering the ad swap wouldn’t even get answered because she wouldn’t have heard of your before.

Instead, do some research about your competitors and also companies who offer complimentary services or products. If you’re a work at home mom with a service-based business, join some work at home forums or chat rooms and find another mom with a service business. Use your social media connections to find partners and don’t forget to do some local research into area businesses.

For instance, if you bake organic dog treats, contacting local dog groomers and kennels about an ad swap would make sense. The groomers and kennels will likely have different names on their lists than you have and vice versa. Sending an ad for your organic dog treats to the groomer’s customers makes sense because you’re trying to reach the same dog-loving audience. The same holds true when you send out the ad for the groomer. If done correctly and both businesses have lists of a similar size, both should see a rise in email sign ups.

Even more established and well-known business people can benefit from an ad swap. After all, your list can never be too big and marketing your list and business should always be a part of your ongoing marketing plan to grow your list.

Both businesses might offer the same type of product or service but to different target niches. If they like the other’s products and business model and think it will benefit their audience members, it makes sense that Marketer A would promote Marketer B’s list, especially if Marketer B has an affiliate program in place. Offering an affiliate link even just for email sign ups increases Marketer A’s chances of earning passive affiliate income for every name they pass along to Marketer B while Marketer B earns extra money and paying customers from Marketer A.

For example, the world of business seems inundated with competition. But if one established owner offers coaching to moms in business while another offers programs about women’s health, it makes sense to do an ad swap to grow their lists.

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