For my own business, I always tried to get as much mileage out of my email list as I could. I never missed an opportunity to add someone to it, and sadly I did not always wait until I had their permission to do so. Sometimes unrequested adds work, but most of the time they just serve to tick somebody off. It took a while for me to develop an understanding of the practices deemed acceptable for growing my e-mail marketing list and coming by it honestly.
What follows are some suggestions designed to make your email marketing life easier, from those of us who have already experimented with doing it the wrong way a time or twelve….
Ask For It – You have not because you ask not. You want your website to have a form calling people to sign up to receive e-mail updates from your company. If it doesn’t cost them anything, they’re likely to do it. This form should be located on every page of your site with a prominent call to action.
Most email service providers, hereafter known as ESPs, offer some type of tool or program designed to help you create such a form and place it on your site. Once the form has been created, you may need to know some basic HTML in order to install it on your site. Again, place it on every page. You’ll be surprised at how many contacts you get through a simple online signup sheet.
Don’t Go Overboard – Do you remember the popular electronics chain that asked for everything but the name of your dog when buying a pack of batteries? Nobody wants to do business like that, and they certainly don’t want to give up personal information like phone numbers and ages until they’ve established a measure of trust with you. So keep the sign up process simple. All you really need is a name, email address, and maybe their city of residence. If you coordinate e-mail with snail mail projects, then you should certainly ask for a mailing address.
If you treat your prospective customers with respect, then they will eventually share more information with you when you have properly earned their business.
Make It Personal – Sending mass emails can be just a tad impersonal, which is one of the reasons that many of us, this author included, simply trash them without ever opening them. People are much more likely to open a message that has their name on it, so make use of a program that allows you to personalize each email. You may see your rate of response jump as much as 30%.
Make It Part Of The Process – If you are an online retailer, have a place in the checkout process where people can enter their email address to be informed on future deals, sales, etc. If someone has already demonstrated a measure of trust in you by purchasing from your site, they are much more likely to continue that relationship by providing their contact information. Have the option for them to include addresses or phone numbers, but keep it just that, an option. Never try to force someone to give up more than they feel comfortable with.
Keep It To Yourself – One of the main reasons that people don’t sign up for e-mail lists is the threat of having that information sold. Nobody likes telemarketing calls at dinner, nor do they enjoy wading through e-mails advertising products they will never use every time they turn on their computer.
When someone gives you their email information, think of it as a sacred trust. Betraying that trust will do nothing to garner you their future business. Develop a privacy policy which clearly states that you will not transfer or sell their email address to any other parties, and display that policy prominently on your site. And then, keep your word.
Make Use Of Offline Sources – if your business exists in the “real world” (i.e. people can walk in), be sure to have a signup sheet by your checkout where people can leave their information if they wish. Update your email list once a week and be sure to send each person a message thank them for their business or for visiting your establishment.
Snail Mail – Speaking of which, nothing beats a good old fashioned organic mail out, something people can actually put their hands on and read. You can advertise your product or business, and direct people to your website where they can leave their information. You’d be surprised at just how many email addys you can scarf up through this process.
So yes, there are all kinds of ways to build up your email marketing list. Just remember the key word…respect. Respect your customers, don’t wear out your welcome in their inbox, and don’t pass their information on to third parties. Treating people right will not only get you business once, but most likely several times over.
