Before I answer that question, first let me ask you this..

Would you run a business off-line without building a prospect, customer or client list?

I was an insurance agent in a former life (I am still a licensed agent).. Before I was a full-time Internet Marketer.

My ‘client list’ was my most valuable asset; still is. Second only to my prospect list.

My prospect list was valuable because I could follow up, follow up and follow up with these people. And often they didn’t buy a policy on our first meeting or chat. But at some point a percentage would..

My customer and client list not only was important because I could continue to provide the service and valuable advice, tips and content over time that an agent provides, but because the cheapest sale in the world is the cross-sell or up-sell.. and retaining your current business.

So that seems obvious right? And it’s that way with many businesses.

So now you find yourself on the Internet trying to make some profits and build a business.

Why is building a business online any different?

It’s not!

If you want to be a BIG SUCCESS in business and with affiliate marketing, start building a list today!

Can you make money without building a list?

Yes, you can. In fact, almost all those following my Blast Method start out without list building in mind (because they start out just testing markets). And they start building profits before they even think about list building..

And I’ve known plenty of people that don’t focus on it and make money.. I’ve always wondered how much more could they make if they did?

In today’s online environment there are extensions of your run of the mill e-mail list buliding.. you have Web 2.0 elements.. blogs and rss.. forums.. and other ways to build a community and following.

So ALL those things come into play and are important.

And all of them give you an opportunity to establish your expertise and build a relationship with that market! That’s what I did (and do..) with my clients as an insurance agent.

And that’s what I do as an Affiliate Marketer and with my other online endeavors.

We are in the business of building relationships.

The sooner you embrace that idea, the faster your profits will rise, the more sales you’ll make and you might actually build a long term, stable income!

-Matt Levenhagen