Part 5 - How to Build your own Opt-in List
Compiling a List
The best list is your own, compiled from
people who have bought your products, requested information about your products
and services, or who have contacted you for whatever other reason. It's not a
good idea to surf the net simply looking for names to add to your list. This is
spamming, and means mailing to people who have not requested information from
you and who may be alienated by your approach.
Do's and Don'ts of Compiling a Mailing List
for Your Products and Services:
· Don't buy email lists from dubious sources. Many are gathered
'illegally', without the owner's permission and will result in flames and
possible expulsion from your server. Not to mention the fact you will be
wasting time, money and effort in the process.
· Do consider purchasing opt-in lists or having mail distributed
for you by genuine mailing companies, such as Postmaster Direct. The likes of
Postmaster Direct invite enquiries from individuals keen to receive emailed
messages about specific goods and services. Hence 'opt-in' means people have
done just that, namely opted to receive mailings from appropriate sources.
· Build your own list by collecting names and addresses of every
user contacting you. For example, make sure visitors to your site leave their
email addresses, say as a means of receiving a free newsletter periodically, or
to ask questions, enter competitions, and so on.
· Do obtain software to manage your house list It takes time and
effort to compile addresses manually as well as to mail regularly to
potentially tens of thousands of names on the average house list. A list server
is a software program that manages, updates and distnbutes your list
automatically.
· Do announce your newsletter (the best way to attract email
addresses to your site) in appropriate places:
o Newsgroups and discussion forums.
o On classified advertising sites.
o Using an opt-in mailing service such as Postmaster Direct.
o In ezines.
o Using advertisements in traditional media: printed newspapers and
magazines.
o On signature files.
o On business notepaper, envelopes, product packaging.
o Opt-in Mailing Lists
Don't spam. Not ever. Bad news travels fast
by email not to mention the fact that mud definitely does stick, and for a long
time. It is now illegal to send unsolicited emails to people who have not
requested them. Since Dec 11th 2003 |
