Know, like, and trust. How many times have you read those words in my tips? Now you're going to find out exactly why those three words are so precious in internet marketing. When somebody knows, likes, and trusts you, it makes buying from you easier - it doesn't matter if it's Tupperware or your used car.

One of the most important things about your email address list is nurturing it. With this core list of people, you have your readers that potentially want your product or knowledge. In order to nurture your list, you must keep regular contact with your list and encourage them to know, like, and trust you. Once you have this relationship started, it is extremely important to maintain that relationship to prevent it from fizzling out.

When you nurture one relationship, your reputation is everything. When someone feels you are trustworthy, that they "know you" and even like you, they feel comfortable recommending you to others. In maintaining multiple relationships, you are, in turn, maintaining several more through your clients' word of mouth, or their emails, newsletters, and other forms of communications.

If you have ever spoken with a friend about a new restaurant, website, store, or other business, you have expanded their base to overlap with your own. Through your communications, you have helped start a relationship between them and your contact. They must now be in charge of maintaining that relationship, the same as you must maintain yours.

It's the exact principle behind a Tupperware party; you are either invited because you have a friend who knows the host or you are a friend of the host. Because of the relationship, you are more likely to like and trust them, and because of this, buy from them. You want to be the host that people know or have a friend who knows you. In order to achieve this status, there are things that you can do to encourage this.

It is almost identical to a courtship process.

Firstly, you need to let them get to know you. When you establish credibility through your articles, you are encouraging them to like you. When you continue to keep the articles pertinent to the subject they are interested in, they also grow to like you. Because you have continued to upkeep the expectations they have of you, you are earning their trust, and their eventual sale or referral.

You start off by introducing yourself, using your advertisement, article, or newsletter. This is encouraging your clients to get to know you and your product. This is letting them know you have common interests. You then give them a taste of what you have to offer through a "free gift" or special offer.

In keeping regular contact with your list, utilizing the information given to you, from newsletters, emails, testimonials, or other contact, you are keeping the rapport between you and the customers alive and well.

Once they are interested, you can then give more information that is relevant to what they are interested in. An example would be asking someone what their favorite food is, and then recommending a restaurant that specializes in that type of food.

From there, since you have them interested, you proceed to give information and background, along with directions to where the restaurant is or even your favorite dish there. This adds depth to the relationship and further encourages them to like you.

Since they now like you, you can gain their trust by continuing to write and post the articles that expand on your topic or product that they have an interest in. An example of this would be the equivalent of asking the person you want a relationship with if they would like to go to that restaurant with you.

In order to keep that relationship from fizzling out, you must keep in contact. If you stop posting your articles, sending out newsletters, and making these efforts, they will look elsewhere for their information. In other words, if you don't call the person you went out to eat with, they may feel rejected and move on to another relationship that they feel will be maintained. In keeping contact, you are helping the relationship grow and flourish, and in having the relationship, earn the reputation of being trustworthy and likeable.

Now that you have the information to nurture your email address list, make sure you use it and keep the relationships growing and expanding.

Now that you know what to do, start providing additional content that your list will value. Since you're on the right track, your next step will be to grow your list even further, now that you know what to do with it!

E. Alan Cowgill