Need-to-Know Info for Your Email Lists

Whether you're publishing an ezine, sending an ecourse, posting to a blog, or building an email list of clients and customers in another format, there are a few things you need to know to make sure that you're complying with the legal aspects of sending email as well as for making your list-building efforts that much more effective.

1. Only Use Permission-Based Email Marketing

Simply put, opt^in email (also called 'permission-based') is email sent to people who have given you permission to contact them via email. So if someone hasn't directly requested information from you, they should not be on your opt^in list.

2. Single or Double Opt^in?

Depending on the email list service you're using in your business, you may have a choice between single or double opt^in email. With single opt^in, someone gives you their email address once and they are added to your list. With double opt^in (also know as confirmation opt^in), someone gives you their email address, to which they then receive an automated response from your list service asking them to click a specific URL to confirm that they do in fact want to be added to your list. Only once they click that link are they then added to your list.

So, which should you use? It depends, but for your main email list, I want to encourage you to use the double opt^in process. It means that you will lose a certain percentage of those people who signed up for your list because they then don't confirm their subscription, but it protects you from being labeled as a spammer - something you want to avoid at all costs.

3. Post Your Privacy Policy

Wherever you give people the option to sign up for your list, make certain your privacy policy is clearly stated. Something like "We will never share your email address, period" should be fine.

4. Have a Clear Unsubscribe Link

In every email you send to your list, have a clear way for your reader to unsubscribe if they desire. Usually this is in the form of an unsubscribe URL at the bottom of the email. When someone clicks on the link, they should be taken to a page where they can remove their email address from your list. Just make sure your unsubscribe function works!

5. Multiple Lists

In the beginning, you'll only be setting up one list, most likely for your ezine. But at some point you'll want to have multiple lists, for different products or programs you offer, to more easily connect with specific people on your list.

For example, I have a list for my ezine subscribers, one for the members of my Coaching Cafe, one for each of my programs, and several others that perform various functions for me.

When you're choosing an email list service provider, this is something you want to keep in mind - the ability to create and manage multiple lists.

6. Q'em up

Being able to compose your email messages ahead of time and then queue them to be delivered on the date and/or interval of your choosing is another great benefit to using an email list service provider.

For example, you can set up an 30-lesson ecourse to be delivered once a day for 30 days. Or create 26 issues of your ezine and set them up to go out every two weeks. This is one of my favorite things about using an email list service - it's the 'set it and forget it' kind of marketing - my favorite kind. :)

I use and highly recommend Aweber as your email list service provider.

7. What about my shopping cart?

Some shopping carts also act as an email list service, but I actually recommend you use both Aweber along with your shopping cart. :)

Here's what I mean:

Use Aweber for your listbuilding, autoresponders, ezine (and ecourse) distribution, and any other mailings to your list. Let Aweber be your email list manager.

Use PayPal to process payments (it integrates with Aweber). THEN when you start consistently bringing in $500-$1000/month in income, sign up with a shopping cart (I use 1ShoppingCart - you'll also need a merchant account to accept payments with 1SC - I use PracticePaySolutions.com). That's when the fees of using a merchant account and a shopping cart become a wash.

Use your shopping cart for selling downloadable products, payment processing (it also integrates with PayPal), subscription/recurring payments, running special offers, and housing your customer list (meaning those people who have bought from you).

Only use your shopping cart's autoresponder system for confirmation emails when a customer buys something from you, and only use their broadcast system when you want to send an email (for a special offer, for example) to your customers.

With this method, your MAIN list of prospects (which will include both those people who have bought from you, assuming they've come to your offers via your communication to them via your list, and your potential clients and customers) are always kept at Aweber, so you never have to move (and lose) your list once you migrate from PayPal to your shopping cart.

(c) 2007 Alicia M Forest and ClientAbundance.com

Rate Article

Related Videos
Play Video Leads and List Building	Play Video Enjoy Being Marketed To - Why?	Play Video Craigslist Fundamentals - #7 - Flagging and Emailing Craigslist Posts	Play Video How to Hide Email Recipients Using BCC	Play Video Beginner's guide to Hotmail - #8 - Share Hotmail Calendars and To-do Lists

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Email Marketing" article category.

People interested in the above article "Need-to-Know Info for Your Email Lists" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

 

Opt In List - The Sensible Way To Develop A Successful Online Business

Developing an opt-in list is one of the most important things you can do for you Internet Marketing business. It will provide you with a long lasting targeted email list of potential buyers. Building your own opt in list is far better than you having to buy email list from email brokers.

5 Advantages That Can Be Derived From Maintaining A Mailing List

Regardless of the pronouncements of the biggest personalities in online marketing, lots of online entrepreneurs are yet undecided to integrate an email advertising approach to their existing setups. Lots of internet advertisers still refuse to produce their own mailing lists.

The Importance Of Mailing List

There are several things the customers have to do when they visit your sales site. The first, they have to decide whether they purchase or not to purchase what you are offering. And then, they also have to think about the proposal you have made.

Why Use Video Email Marketing

In today's world, if you're not marketing on the internet, you're missing a rich opportunity. These are the words of the father of Guerilla Marketing, Jay levinson. Jay is one of the foremost business marketing experts in the world. No one knows how to use the weapons of the trade better than industry expert Jay Levinson.

How to Generate Ideas for Your Promotional Videos, Blogs and Articles Part 1

Are you a marketing-content creator? Do you need to produce videos, blogs and articles to promote your or your clients, products and services? Have you ever suffered from "writers' block", devoid of ideas and inspiration to get your creative juices flowing? You've needed to fill your empty computer screen with your next project before the deadline.

Use Your Email Signature

The email signature is that little piece of information found on the bottom of professional emails which communicates the contact details of the sender - your critical business details. If you are using email for business, then you should have a branded email signature. For better or worse, email is the most prevalent method of business communication utilized today. If you want a sustainable business then you must utilize email as part of your normal business operations.

Email Marketing Solutions and Green Invitations

Email marketing software is on top of the two most pressing issues in today's world: being green and saving you money in tough economic times. These are two important factors when planning a social event or celebration. As a party host or planner, you have to be thinking of the most cost-effective ways to get your message to your guests. And, being environmentally friendly while doing it just makes you feel great!