Every day my inbox fills to the brim with emails trying to sell me something. Maybe I signed up once to .JPG)
get a free download or a free report. Now, without so much as building a relationship with me, the sender feels privileged to deluge me with emails weekly, sometimes daily.
If your marketing campaign includes emails in the mix, then think long and hard about how you’re going to build customer relationships by always leaving them wanting more rather than dashing for the unsubscribe button.
Here are five ways to keep customers on your email list happy and, most importantly, responsive to your emails.
1) Permission not optional: Sending unsolicited emails ultimately hurts the brand, sender reputation, campaign effectiveness and, frankly, it’s illegal. Putting someone on your email list without permission is not an option; it is a basic requirement to which all email marketers must adhere. Consumers are savvy so using stealth methods to collect names on your list will do more harm than good in the long run.
Instead, use a two-step opt-in process requiring a confirmation before the email address is added to your database. For instance, on your website, have a form to capture email addresses. Once the information is provided, send an email with a confirmation link verifying the prospect wants to be on your email list. You’ll also be verifying the email is a valid one.
You can go the extra mile, by sending emails to all subscribers each year to confirm they still want to be on your list. Not only are you respecting your subscribers, you will be cleaning your list at the same time.
2) Establish trust with opt-ins: When someone opts-in, there is a show of trust on their part to pay off whatever promise you made (subscription, download report, etc.) and that you will respect their privacy. Start a respectful relationship by asking only for the information you really need. For instance, first name and email address. If you need an address for shipping physical products, fine, ask for it. Consumers will respect you more when you ask only for the details you really need.
Once a relationship is established, you can use future emails or surveys to create more robust information for your database.
3) Respect recipient privacy: Respecting privacy goes a long way toward building a lasting relationship and staying out of legal trouble. A short privacy policy statement should be included on your opt-in form. This statement can be a link to your full privacy policy, which should be resident on your website. Will you share your list? Will you send them information from other sources? Make your policy specific so subscribers are clear on what to expect and adhere to it. If possible, give them options about the types of future information they want to receive.
4) Give recipients what they want and need: Make sure you understand your recipients enough to give them only what they want or need. And, give it to them in a format (HTML or text) that works best for them. If you go beyond what the subscriber signed up for, let them have the option to customize the information you send them. If you’re using an automated email program, this is easy to do by allowing subscribers to customize their profile and choose only what suits them.
5) Manage your reputation as the sender: The last thing you want is get on an ISP’s bad side by generating too many spam complaints. Stay off blacklists by honoring unsubscribe requests within the 10-day window dictated by CAN-SPAM laws. Monitor and resolve spam complaints and stay current on governing regulations to help minimize complaints.
To learn more about Internet marketing and search engine optimization, visit my site at www.strategywriter.com. Sign up for Strategy Writer News, a free newsletter loaded with proven electronic marketing tips and techniques.
Send your questions to deb@strategywriter.com.
Learn more about Internet marketing and search engine optimization:
Comments