Making an Email Campaign Successful
One of the questions many marketers often ask is "Is my
list okay to mail to?" The right answer is, "If you
have to ask, then the answer is no." That's the litmus
test you should use. If you are in doubt about whether or not
you have the subscriber's permission, then the user will have
doubt too.
Webster's defines permission as "the approval or act of
formal authorization to do something." In the case of email,
you need the approval of your prospects and customers before
you send them email. That is permission. That is an "opt-in."
Pure and simple. No gray area.
How do you Capture Permission?
There is no secret to capturing permission, nor any surprises.
It's just about understanding your target demographic, then
going after it. If you have a web site, it's the absolute best
source for capturing permission. A recent study by NFO WorldGroup
showed that most customers will provide their email address
to you online when they feel it advantageous for them to do
so. A full 24% in that study reported that they provide their
email address to receive order confirmations by email, and 22%
said they provide it to receive special offers, coupons or discounts
on future purchases. Finally, 17% said they register online
to receive newsletters or in-depth information to which they
otherwise would not have access.
So, the first step towards permission is making it "worth
the while" for your prospects - by offering them an incentive
or advantage for providing their information. This incentive
could be a white paper, or an informative newsletter, or a contest.
But when you are coming up with your incentive, be mindful that
the more fleeting the reward, the shorter your permission may
last. For example, someone providing an email address and checking
an opt-in box for a chance to win a million dollars is less
likely to be interested in receiving your monthly newsletter
than someone that signs up for it via a smaller incentive, such
as a white paper, or the promise of continued strong content.
Permission is Worth It
Really. The time you take to build a valid permission-based
list is not only worth it, but it will pay off several times
over in customer retention and sales growth. The fact is, the
stronger the relationship and approval, the more responsive
your list will be.
Types of Permission
Lots of marketers sweat the details of what type of permission
to obtain, and with good reason. Should they pursue opt-out,
or opt-in or confirmed opt-in or double opt-in? In this day
and age, opt-out does not mean permission, certainly not by
the standards of any ISP or anti-spam organization. Permission
comes from a proactive opt-in on the part of the subscriber
- meaning they have to check a box or actively sign up to receive
something by providing their email address. Capturing someone's
name via a web purchase doesn't count as permission. You need
to provide them with a check box that allows them to actively
give approval.
Take your opt-in a step further to improve the quality of your
names, and to ensure rock solid permission. This can be done
by using "confirmed opt-in" or "double opt-in."
Confirmed opt-in occurs when you provide the subscriber with
a follow-up email (usually automated) reminding them that they
have asked to receive information and reminding them of the
email address they used. If they forgot, or no longer want to
receive the information, then they can easily opt-out by the
link you provide them in the email.
Double opt-in is the most secure form of opt-in. Though it will
result in a slightly smaller list, it will respond better than
any other type of opt-in list and will have the lowest rate
of attrition and unsubscribes. Double opt-in occurs when you
provide a follow-up email to the subscriber asking them to click
and confirm that they still want to receive your information.
They aren't actually added to your list unless they confirm.
Most ISPs and anti-spam organizations would love it if everyone
used this tactic since it nearly eliminates fraudulent opt-ins.
For example, with any other type of opt-in, I could use someone
else's email address to receive the whitepaper or enter the
contest. Unless you use double opt-in, no matter what your business
does you will receive some false opt-ins, and in effect will
be sending unsolicited email to the unwary recipients. Double
opt-in is the only way to combat this problem.
The fight against spam has reached an all time high, and rightly
so, making capturing an opt-in more important than ever. Many
proposed methods for reducing spam call for limiting email deliveries
to opt-in email only - and some require double opt-in. It is
better to be safe than sorry. Build a permission list. Make
it double opt-in if you can. You'll thank yourself later. |
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