Category — Email Marketing

An article in Direct magazine yesterday  wondered why so many businesses ignore email and text message lists for marketing.  The author argued that email marketing has many advantages. 

It’s fast. It’s cheap. You can quickly measure your results. You can target it precisely.

What’s not to like?

The problem is twofold. Yes, the delivery is cheap, but the email lists themselves (at least the worthwhile ones) are really expensive. Two, the permission is often questionable. People get added by accident, because they didn’t see an opt-out box, or because someone they met at an event added names to a newsletter. Not good.

You don’t own it

“Buying” an email list isn’t really buying at all. At least not if the people who own the list are reputable. You’re actually renting it. And, it never leaves their control. They will either send it themselves, or have a third-party company take care of it. You can’t look at the names, or keep them. If you want to use the list again, you pay again.

And, those email lists with 100,000 names for $25? Spam. Spam. Spam. Garbage. Best case, you waste your money. Worst case, you’re labeled a spammer and get blacklisted. Also not good.

What about text message marketing?

This has some of the same problems as email marketing lists. You need to get permission first. Judges in several recent court cases have ruled that texting cell phones with unwanted marketing messages still counts as a phone call. Meaning, it’s illegal.

So, what can you do? Tomorrow, how to build your own email list. With permission. No spamming.

Share your thoughts

Have you tried rented email lists? What happened? Or, have you grown your own? What technique worked best?

Image thanks to nickobec

Email can be a disaster (spam), or it can be a great marketing tool. Use it correctly, and you can get great results, at a relatively low cost. Use it poorly, and your name is mud. Here are five tips for using email marketing the right way.

Include a forward to a friend link

Encourage the subscribers you have to pass your newsletter on to their friends and colleagues.  Since it comes from a friend, the email is more likely to be opened.  Links are OK, but avoid forms, as there’s a potential for spamming.

Add a personal touch to your newsletters

For instance, John Jantsch always includes a book and an album (is that still the right word when everything is digital?) he likes.  In fact, I think I’ll take my own advice and start including an interesting book or article in my monthly Quick Tips newsletter.
email.

Multiple subscription options

If you have more than one newsletter, offer readers the option of selecting which newsletters they get.  Have a separate list for special discounts (and first notice of new products).

Don’t overdo the promotion

Your readers signed up to get information.  Keep everything in balance.  If your newsletter is about photography, have two or three articles about photography, and then a link to your new “better portrait photography” ebook.

Link to articles or posts on your blog

Your email newsletter readers may not see your blog. Send them a link to a relevant post. Or, offer the option to get a weekly blog digest by email.

Tomorrow, email marketing lists.

Image thanks to nickobec

Improving your email newsletter doesn’t have to require a major overhaul. Sometimes, tweaking a few small things can make a big difference in the results you get.

Keep it simple

Cut the content and the clutter. Five or six articles can be overwhelming. Instead, reduce it to one main article or feature and two secondary ones.

Break up the  content

Big blocks of text are hard to read online. Break up your paragraphs into bite-sized pieces. In a text message, highlight headlines or breaks with asterisks or dashes.

Test the subject lines

If your list is big enough, try testing subject lines. Send out a small sample with two different headlines and see which has a higher open rate (how many people opened your email) and click through rate ((how many people clicked on one of the links in your message).

Check your stats

Turn on link tracking in AWeber (or whatever email service you use) to see which emails are the most popular. Track the open rate , click through rate, and click rates for each link.

Image thanks to ilco

In yesterday’s cliffhanger, I promised to tell you how to market your services without lifting a finger.

The secret?

Auto-responders. To recap, an auto-responder is an email that you set up in advance. It can be a response to a question, a newsletter, an e-course, or a series of emails on specific topics. For example, I have an email class. It’s an auto-responder that sends a series of five free lessons about email marketing.

You can also use auto-responders to welcome new subscribers to your newsletter. Use it to introduce yourself, tell them a bit about the topics you’ll be covering, or give them a preview sample.

Create a series

Or, develop a series of themed emails. If you run a photography blog you could create a series of newsletters on different aspects of taking photos: one on portraits; another on landscapes; a third on photo composition, etc. New subscribers would get each email, in order, regardless of when they sign up. Unlike regular school, you can start e-classes at any time.

It keeps you in contact with your readers (and potential buyers), and gives you a chance to demonstrate your expertise with tips, ideas, and suggestions on better photography (or whatever your topic is). You can include links back to your Web site or blog pointing to more in-depth articles. Or, point to articles of interest on other sites.

Set up the auto-responder

All you need to do is get an account with an email service provider, such as AWeber (affiliate link). You can have as many lists or auto-responders as you like. The fee is based on the number of subscribers. They have a $1 trial offer, so you can test it out without making a big commitment.

You write the emails, create the list, tell AWeber how often to send the emails,  create a signup link on your site, and you’re done. If you have any questions, AWeber has great tutorials and tech support.

Image: wikimedia
(I really, really wanted to use the auto-pilot from Airplane!, but I couldn’t find a shareable image).

Yesterday Chris Brogan wrote a post asking people to stop adding him to their newsletters without his consent. He pointed out that the fact that you sent him an email once, and he answered it, doesn’t count as permission.

Ironically, as I was writing this post, an email popped up in my inbox. It was from someone who spoke at an event I attended. We never had a personal conversation. She doesn’t know who I am. Yet, she felt it was OK to contact everyone at the event and try to sell her services.

There’s a better way

Use double opt-in

This means you ask for the email address, send a confirmation link, and don’t add someone to your list until after they confirm that they want your messages. It can all easily be done automatically (with AWeber or another service).

Contact people when it helps them

For example, if you met someone at a meeting who wanted a referral, by all means send it.

Or, send an email if you come across something that will interest them. If you talked about Legos and you see there’s an exhibit of Lego art in town send them the information.

Bonus tip: If you keep doing this (sending relevant and interesting information) they’re far more likely to like, trust, and hire you.

Behave the way you would in person

Be considerate. You wouldn’t drive up to a stranger’s house and expect them to lend you money, would you?

Show that you listened to what they said when you spoke. Mention something you discussed, and how much you enjoyed talking to them.

Do it shortly after the event, not months later (when they won’t remember you).

Make it easy to unsubscribe

A bit earlier in the day, Direct magazine reported the results of a study which found that 39% of emailers require three or more clicks to unsubscribe! And 30% send one or emails following that unsubscribe request!

Yes, it’s technically legal to email people without express permission. It is not legal to keep emailing them (at least in the US) after they opt-out. You do have 10 days to remove the name, but it really shouldn’t take that long.

Treat opt-outs with respect

People will always unsubscribe for various reasons. When they do, make it easy. Don’t make them go through three clicks, or wind their way through a confusing menu of options. One click, one page. And, when they go, tell them you’re sorry to see them go.

What do you think?

What are your own email pet peeves? Is unsubscribing from unwanted newsletters taking up way too much of your time? Or is it not a big problem?

Image thanks to morguefile