Marketing to a permission-based email list is a proven, cost-effective
way to increase revenue and improve customer loyalty. How do you
grow your own opt-in email list? The following are five things to do
and five things to avoid. Keep all ten in mind when building your list
from the very beginning.
DOs
1) Leverage Existing Marketing Programs
No one can opt in if they don't know you have valuable information
to share. Whenever you purchase or rent an email list, include within
your campaign a link to the sign-up page on your Web site. Similarly,
include a link to your sign-up page wherever your company is listed
on a partner or affiliate site. Place a PC displaying your sign-up page
in your trade show booth. Radio ads should refer listeners to your
Web site. The key is to get them to your Web site's sign-up page.
2) Make it Easy to Opt In
Once people reach your site, make it as easy as possible to opt in.
The link to your sign-up page should be very visible on your home
page, jump page or other Web page. Evaluate if it can be on every
page of your site. Embed input mechanisms directly on those pages.
Signing up should take as little time as possible.
3) Know Your Target Audience
When someone opts in, request (or force-ask) a limited number of
demographic questions, such as company name, industry or physical
location. You can also include a survey to gauge interests directly
within your emails. Understand where people are coming from so
you can make adjustments as needed for future communications or
promotions. One of the best resources for helping you expand your
opt-in list is your existing opt-in list! Take advantage of it.
4) Consider the 4 Cs
Clear. Concise. Compelling. Customer-centric. When you write an
email, put yourself in the reader's shoes and think, "Why shouldn't
I hit the delete key right now?" Your readers are not opting in
because they want to hear a sales pitch. They have a need-to
save time, money or effort, and always, to improve productivity
and success. Your message must be compelling enough to
convince people to sign up, valuable enough to keep them
wanting more, and useful enough to pass along.
3) Pssst-Pass it On!
"Word-of-mouth" works in the online world too, and it's called
"viral marketing. " A targeted, well-crafted and relevant message
will be passed along. Your next job is to make it easy to forward
your message to others, who will forward it to others, and so on.
If your subscribers' peers like what they see, they will opt in too.
Just be sure to include forward or subscribe instructions in every
communication-place a one-click "forward" link in every email
you send.
DON'Ts
1) Offer Fabulous Prizes for Signing Up
While this might seem like a nice gesture, you'll end up with
subscribers whose motivation is to win a prize, not to learn
about useful information, your company and/or your products
"contest opportunists" who couldn't be further from your
target audience. If you provide useful information, that will
be prize enough.
2) Deluge Your Subscribers with Too Many Emails
How much is too much? It just depends on the appropriateness,
or timeliness, of your message. Set expectations. Let people
know what they're in for before they hit the 'submit' button. After
they've had time to digest the information, ask a sample from
your list what is the 'right' number of emails; they'll let you know.
Otherwise they'll let you know when it's too late-with an unsubscribe
request.
3) Be Everything To Everyone
Your sign-up messaging, as well as the information contained
within every communication, should be focused and hit a nerve.
Don't be afraid to address just one of your audience's needs at
a time. Hit the crucial ones first, and save the rest for future
email communications that will keep them on your list. If you're
too generic, in hopes of getting more people to opt in, you'll end
up being "nothing to everyone."
4) Spend Too Much Money Acquiring Names
An opt-in list is a valuable asset-and that means an investment on
your part to build and maintain it. But: budget appropriately and in
advance. Find the most cost-effective vehicles for reaching your
target audience and know how much it will cost you to acquire
each name. Keep in mind potential revenue and lifetime value
of each customer, and make recommendations accordingly.
5) Live in a Vacuum
Continually view, read and explore how other companies-from
competitors and partners, to businesses in completely different
industries-build their opt-in lists. Most will use the same
tried-and-true techniques, but you'll spot an occasional guerilla
tactic that will inspire you to try something new. and it just might
work for you too.
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About the Author
Brought to you by GotMarketing. GotMarketing an
eMarketing software company, provides growing businesses
with Web-based tools and educational resources that make
online marketing easy, measurable and cost-effective.
Campaigner, GotMarketing's email marketing tool, helps marketers
quickly and easily create, personalize, send and measure a
permission-based email campaign.
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