Jodi’s Email Marketing Rant 2010 Edition!
This post is inspired by Bob Poole’s post yesterday (Did You Just Sucker Punch a Potential Customer?)
He compared spamming people (sending email to someone who didn’t ask for it, doesn’t want it, and doesn’t know you) to visiting a prospect and punching them in the nose when they open the door.
Not good.
So, a few words about permission, list “rental,” and list building.
You Need Real Permission
There are people (even consultants) who think it’s OK to spam a big list “just once.” Or, to use a two-year-old list that they inherited from another company. Or even that it’s OK to send unsolicited emails as long as they’re text, but not HTML (pretty pictures and fonts).
All bad ideas.
Using names you got from a directory, a contact form, or a carbon copy is not permission. The people on that old list opted in for a different company (not yours). Plus, the list that’s two years old is useless. (Jodi’s rule of lists: Lists are like fish. The older they are, the more they stink).
An out-of-the-blue email from a company they never heard of will go straight to the spam folder.
Yes, it’s technically legal to send email to people out of the blue (an odd quirk of CAN-SPAM is that it created more spam).
However, the people who get it will think it’s junk. They will bounce it, mark it spam, blacklist the company that sent it, and after a while the messages won’t get through.
What do YOU do when you get email like that? Do you smile happily? Or do you hit that spam button as fast as you can?
Is a sucker punch the best way to make a good first impression?
The Truth About Buying Lists
Most email lists for sale are garbage. The rented ones are a bit better, but they’re expensive. B to B lists can be up to $350 per thousand names (minimum order 5,000 names). If someone is offering to send the list directly to you, run away.
Reputable list owners have their emails delivered by a third party. If they’re offering to send three times in one month, run even faster. That list has been burned out.
There is NO such thing as a legitimate opt-in email list of 1,000,000 names for $100. They’re all lemons.
How to Get Permission
If you want to reach people, there are better ways than a sucker punch to build your list.
Here are a few of them:
- Write a helpful (not a sales pitch) article in a relevant magazine or newsletter (with a link to learn more about your services).
- Send out a press release.
- Offer a report of some kind (for free) to build up your list
How to Send Out Your Emails
Use a professional email service (like AWeber). They will manage the opt-ins, opt-outs, and the bounces. You can also get tracking data (showing how many people received your email, the number of people who opened it, and how many clicked through to your web site.
Plus, the delivery rate will be higher, as they’re a recognized, legitimate mailer.
There are more tips in my free Email Made Easy ebook. Download it here. No opt-in needed. Feel free to share it.
Image thanks to : pamah
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2 comments
Nice article Jodi!
I liked the last 3 points and Aweber suggestion. I didn’t know such a site exist. I’ll see if I can get help from them.
Permission is the key. It’s also a good way to promote a book. First earn permission through writing articles, blogging, making your customer base, increasing contacts and when you find you have enough credibility. Publish a book!
Kamil Ali´s last blog ..The Band 56ix: How marketing works for musical bands?
Thanks Kamil. You can use AWeber for mailing lists, autoresponders (automatic messages or e-courses sent a regular intervals) and even tie-in your RSS feed from your blog.
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