Create Your Own Email Mailing List, Don't Use Rented Opt-in Lists

[mandy]

Article advises against using rented email lists of the "send your email message to 3 million opt-in recipients" variety, and instead offers tips for creating your own email list including putting your opt-in list signup in a visible place on your site, using informational content in your emails, utilizing "send to a friend" features, and more.

You wouldn't cross the street without looking both ways, so why throw your company into on-coming traffic with rented email lists? Rented lists are never going to be as effective as your own house list. Additionally, rented lists can lead to deliverability issues and brand damage.

If you're like most people, you quickly trash or mark unrecognized email as spam. The result of recipients clicking the "This is spam" button a few times could lead your campaigns to be blocked. When you send your next permission-based email to a different set of recipients using the same ISP, it doesn't matter if they are eagerly awaiting your message-- they won't receive it...

full article: http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/9306.asp

[DecorativeDishes]

I have all the e-mail addresses of my customers. I also want to add a mailing list feature to my web site. Does anyone have recommendations/advice.

I feel I can do at least one mailing to my old eBay customers without alienating them. I would like to include a way for them to opt in to keep getting specials etc.

Also I was going to do the mailing now, but this is a very dead time of year. Should I not waste my "contact quota" by mailing now instead of say the fall???

THANKS! Kim

[bargainbloodhound]

My biggest "marketing flaw" over the past 8 years has been my extreme paranoia about being labeled a spammer when sending out mailing lists.  :oops:

Does ShopPal have a built-in mailing list feature?

The people you email should definitely have opted-in to receive marketing emails from you.  You might get some complaints if you email all of your former eBay customers (but remember that I'm overly cautious about emails) but I know many sellers have done it when opening web sites.

[DecorativeDishes]

Yes, Shoppal does have a feature and then a poster on their boards with a large magnet business uses something call TELL-A-FRIEND. She says she gets a $1000+ bump in sales when she sends out to the lists she had accumulated over the last 5 years. I haven't had good luck getting the Tell-a-friend thing to work so that's a bad sign.

I'm willing to take a chance on sending out one e-mail to my existing customers, but I want it to be timed right and have an opt-in. I think even the eBay newsletter thing has worked.

Suggestions welcomed. THANKS for responding!! I still get something from Overstock almost everyday it seems and I thought I opted out  Kim