In this installment of List Building Tips, I want to discuss novelty pages. I know this isn’t something that a lot of marketers think about, but believe it or not, novelty pages can actually build you quite a nice list if done correctly.

Okay, so what exactly is a novelty page? Well, it can be just about anything that isn’t made strictly for the business of, um, doing business.

For example, you could put up a page of nothing but jokes but related to the niche that you’re in. Then, at the bottom of the page, you could have a little message that reads something like this.

“Want to get some more great jokes about (fill in the niche) delivered straight to your email box? Fill in your name and email below and I’ll send them to you along with some great offers that I think you’ll be interested in.”

Make it clear to the prospect that they may be receiving emails promoting products that you feel will be of benefit to them. You don’t want to be accused of sending information that the prospect didn’t ask for. As long as you’re up front with everything, there should be no problems.

Another thing you can do is setup a page where the prospects go on a treasure hunt. They click on various links in order to find their way to the prize. Yes, this does take a bit of work to setup but it’s a lot of fun and can really go viral, especially if you make the prize something worth going after.

Then, what you do, in order to get people to sign up to your list, is let them know that by doing so, they’ll get important hints delivered directly to their email that will help them find the treasure. Of course, also let them know that you might also be sending them an occasional sales pitch. And of course if you want to sweeten the deal, let them know that they’ll also get some kind of free e-course or e-book. Use your imagination.

Why do these novelty pages work? It’s really very simple. They’re not all about work. They’re a break from the daily grind of having to run a business or worry about whatever ailment is bothering you. In short, they’re entertainment. And people LOVE to be entertained. If it’s done in an interesting way AND you actually give them something to shoot for, not only can these pages get lots of opt ins, but they can also go viral like mad if done correctly.

You want to make sure that you map everything out FIRST before you put up one page. If the system isn’t complete BEFORE you put it online for the public, your prospects are going to be disappointed by the experience and they WON’T come back. This isn’t like building a web site that you can do a piece at a time. Everything has to be in place right from the start. In the case of the treasure hunt game, this is absolutely critical.

Other ideas include puzzles, surveys, video pages and so on. Anything that’s not the usual opt in or sales page and is more entertainment than business will work.

Try one. You might be pleasantly surprised by the results.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Want more great list building tips? Check out my review of Paul Myers’ Profit Plan VI at Profit Plan VI and pick up 162 ways to build a large and responsive list.