Building a permission based subscriber list is the first step in developing
strong emarketing tools. While in most forms of marketing span and quantity
are critical measurements, in emarketing a loyal, permission based subscriber
list is a key factor and quantity takes a secondary position. Putting together
your email list is simple:
List the email address of every person with whom you have an existing business
or personal relationship. That could be hundreds of people…clients,
friends, people you’ve met at meetings, people that have given you their
business card.
Ask each of your employees to do the same and in very little time you could
have an email list of thousands of people.
Submit addresses of new friends and associates each month to add to your
subscriber list.
If customers come to your place of business, offer a sign up sheet. Retail
stores, dry cleaners, restaurants, dentists and hair salons can all invite
their clients to sign up to receive special information, advance notice of
events or coupons.
Archive past issues of your eletter on your web site so visitors can review
them and subscribe.
Prominently display a “Subscribe” link on your company web site
and be sure to make it easy to sign up (no surveys or other gimmicks).
Include “Send to a Friend” and “Subscribe” links on your
eletter to encourage viral marketing, which is especially important when
offering ecommerce or discounts or coupons.
For businesses already involved in ecommerce, include a “Subscribe”
link on your Check Out page.
Offer subscriptions to your eletter in traditional marketing pieces --- print
advertising, direct mail, brochures, business cards all can be used to advertise
your eletter.
Always reinforce subscriber privacy by stating in writing that your company
will never sell or distribute to a third party any email addresses.
Do not borrow or buy a list or acquire your email addresses in any manner
that could be considered spam. Your goal is to build a list of subscribers
that welcome you into their mailboxes, react positively to your offering
and help spread your message to their network of contacts. Reaching your
goal starts with a permission based email list.
Claudia Trusty is a partner at
Trusty and Company,
a full service marketing firm. Their new service, eletternews.com, helps
businesses develop and design creative emarketing strategies that get results.
For more information about designing cost effective email marketing campaigns,
visit eletternews.com at
http://www.eletternews.com/
