Effectively Leveraging Your Opt-in Mailing List
Up to 60% of a direct e-mail campaign's success can be attributed
to the quality of the list itself. So, you've got a great list and
that's good, but for complete success you still have to follow through
by using that list to its best advantage.
In Klixxx Magazine, the March issue, we began a series of articles
discussing the creation and use of mailing lists, and building effective
e-mail campaigns. In this issue,
the second instalment of this series...
First off, take a second look at your list, and ensure that it's permission-based
- Opt-in at a minimum, but double opt-in is better. Why? Because the
spectre of "spammer" hangs over every adult webmaster's head, like
the Sword of Damocles when he or she markets online, and that isn't
good-because spamming hardly builds your brand, and it doesn't make
much quick money either. Consider two facts:
sixty percent of all direct mail campaigns' success can be attributed
to the list itself. [7]
opt-in click-through rates are typically 6-8 percent. Opt-out
e-mail, like traditional direct mail, has about a 1 percent response
rate at best. [8] Jean Jennings, an e-mail marketing guru associated
with clickZ, is familiar with the history and current trend here:
In the mid- to late 1990s, double, or confirmed, opt-in was the
gold standard for e-mail. Early in this decade, double opt-in fell
out of favor, and single opt-in became the sign-up mechanism of
choice. But...In recent weeks, two well-known e-mail newsletter publishers
moved back to double opt-in. Both cite increased concerns over spam,
and a wish to ensure no one signed up friends (or worse, enemies),
which would result in unsolicited e-mail sent to those addresses.
[4]
Double opt-in is the way to go if at all possible. Basic opt-in
should be considered a bare minimum. There is a downside-the list
will be shorter (but better) and a certain percentage of those who
initially opt-in will neglect to confirm (probably 20%). But you
will have a good list that isn't wasting your time, effort, bandwidth,
and money. And, it won't be trashing your reputation, prospects,
and brand either. This is under your complete control with a house
list, but probably purchased or leased lists are a big factor here-take
a good look at them, and preferably before you shell out the money
for them.
Leveraging the List
Enough said about permission-based lists. Having a good list is
one thing, how you make it work for you effectively is another.
TopCash's Quentin Boyer cautions that "Beyond the obvious issues
of how to build and target your lists, there are subtler aspects
of getting the best possible productivity from your e-mail marketing
campaigns." He draws attention to the following practical issues
when actually using your list:
- target your lists into niches
- mix up your advertising
- vary the look and feel of the actual messages
- make sure sites you advertise are reputable and solid
- vary the frequency with which you send to your lists
- it's a mistake to be too "slavish" to the niche
- make your remove links easy to find and execute
And then back to the spam and truth in advertising again! All of
these, and especially the last issue, bear on a very present danger:
"if you advertise sites that rip off your subscribers, or don't
deliver the promised goods, you'll generate more spam complaints
and remove requests than sales. Remember, just because you are sending
to an opt-in list doesn't mean that the subscribers can't accuse
you of spamming them."
Yes, you can have a carefully targeted opt-in list, and still be
regarded as a spammer if you don't market correctly. Even mailing
a bit too frequently, or not varying the content, can turn a perfectly
valid message into perceived spam. To the recipients, if it looks
like spam and walks like spam, then it must be spam. You don't want
that; and it certainly isn't going to make you any money. The first
line of defense is working from a qualified list, and the second
is to handle your quality messages along the lines Boyer suggests
above.
Al Bredenberg, publisher of EmailResults.com offers a similar list
of "Ten Ways to Keep Your E-mail Marketing Effort from Bombing"
[2]:
- Define your target market
- Make sure your Web site is ready
- Build your own list
- Establish a permission policy
- Choose outside lists carefully
- Develop a compelling offer
- Employ professional creative
- Test!
- Measure your results
- Use e-mail to build relationships and trust
What Are You Trying to Do?
OK, basics behind, what about your own general strategy? What are
you trying to do here? Like in South Pacific-"if you don't have
a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?"-if you don't have
a goal, it's going to be pretty much guess-work how to achieve whatever
it might have been? Jennings [4] says that to be effective, your
e-marketing vehicle needs to have a focus and goal. And she catalogs
some common goals that you might have in mind:
- Generate advertising revenue
- Generate subscription revenue
- Generate leads
- Sell ancillary products or services
- Position the organization as a leader in its field
- Drive traffic to a Web site
- Keep the organization's name in front of prospects and/or customers
- Retain customers
- Upsell customers
She adds: "I recommend you choose one primary goal. You can add
one to three secondary goals. After you decide on these goals, quantify
them whenever possible." Set your goals, and then use your list
along with other tools, tactics, and strategies to achieve them.
Part Two: Text
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