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 peopleclients, friends, people youve 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. |
