Why Permission-based emailing is so important

If you're just starting your business and/or are new to eamil marketing you should be eager to tap into this highly effective and low cost way to increase sales!

Keep in mind, however, that the value of your email program depends on the relationships you've built up with the people you send to.  emailing people who don't know you or who haven't asked to hear from you is not only ineffective, it can tarnish your reputation as a sender and even prevent your customers from getting your messages.

Your contact list is like a living creature that deserves your utmost care and respect.   And, like a loyal pet, your list needs exercise, nourishment and an occasional trim to be healthy!

Here are some of the most common pitfalls to avoid:

1. Buying email lists.   One of the worst mistakes you can make is to buy email lists. Sellers may even claim that they are selling opt-in lists, but they are defining the term very loosely.  An opt-in relationship really only exists when a person knowingly and willingly agrees to receive email from a specific person, business or organization.  When you buy a list, that personal connection is gone. At best you're getting a list of people who might have have checked a box on a form at some time in the past saying that they wouldn't mind hearing about products related to whatever it was they were originally interested in.  This is not the basis of a lasting relationship!   

    

    

2. Failing to maintain your lists. Over time people's interests can change. The people that once eagerly signed up for your newsletter may no longer be interested in what you sell. They may let you know this and ask to be removed from your list (which of course you should do promptly) but they may just flag your emails for the junk box, delete them without reading them, or otherwise ignore them. A good strategy for keeping your list fresh is to periodically check for people that haven't opened your emails in a while and ask them whether they still want to receive them. A contact that never opens your emails is not doing you any good.

    

    

3. Overzealous sending. Have you ever given out your phone number to someone only to be bombarded with tons of text messages that you don't really want? That's kind of what it's like when you overdo the emailing. Sure, they gave you permission to write, but if you aren't careful you will wear out your welcome fast. Too frequent emailing is the top reason a contact will unsubscribe from your list.