I just finished reading an article that advocates adding all Twitter followers and Facebook friends to your email list. Before you run off and do this, there are several things you need to consider. Your email contact list is key to your marketing success, and, as such, you should love it, nurture it, but don’t abuse it.
Here are some guidelines that work for both B2B and B2C companies:
Ask people to opt in before adding them to your mailing list
Do not add people to your list without first getting their permission. Period. Just because they follow you on Twitter does not mean that they want to receive your emails. Let people choose the communication channel that works best for them. You can send a tweet or create a Facebook post encouraging people to sign up for your email updates, but do not do it for them.
Honor all unsubscribe requests in a timely manner
If someone wants to unsubscribe, it should be a painless and simple process. MailChimp and Constant Contact are two services that come to mind that make it easy for people to unsubscribe.
Keep messages on topic
If you want to keep your email subscribers, don’t lose sight of why they subscribed in the first place. If you asked people to sign up for the latest product news, then this is what they are expecting to receive.
Don’t share your mailing list with others
The best practice is to not share email information. If you feel that you absolutely, positively need to do this, ask first, but be aware that you may lose opt ins if you try to further disseminate your contact's information
Set a calendar of email activities so that you are not sending messages too frequently or too infrequently
Figure out a cadence that works for your product or service and then market on a regular basis. Once a week? Twice a month?
Limit special offers
If everything is a special offer, then nothing is a special offer.
Include social media icons as well as an email forwarding mechanism
Give subscribers an easy way to interact with you on multiple channels if they choose to do so.
Nothing new and earth-shattering here—just some good reminders.
