Guide to Email Marketing without Spamming

Build a solid foundation: Your e-mail subscriber list

You can build a responsive email subscriber list in a number of ways. The fastest and most popular method is by using your website. An email subscription offer should be posted on each of your popular web pages touting signups for deep discounts, discontinued item alerts, seasonal items, service availabilities, grand openings, insider tips and any other offers your customers will find valuable and informative. This online form should have fields that record a subscriber’s first name and email, at the minimum, and should also be posted on each page of your website, preferably "above the fold" in high visibility locations on your most popular web pages. A privacy information page telling customers what kind of email offers they can expect from you, and how often, should be also be included as part of your permission email campaign.

I recommend: There’s a free online service that creates HTML forms for websites and securely stores email subscriber addresses and first names. It can also be set to automatically notify you when there are new subscribers. It’s called Zeop and it’s found at http://www.zeop.com/

Don't spam and send only relevant messages that speak to customer needs

One thing that both corporations and small businesses have discovered about email marketing is that if you are not sending exciting, relevant messages that speak directly to your customers, the email list you worked so hard to build becomes bloated and lethargic in very short order. You must send the kind of offers that your customers want to open, read, print or bring back to your store. This means studying their online and in-store buying habits, and delivering the same kinds of pushes for these products and services. Exciting email messages might include: limited time coupons, service agreement deadlines, deep discounts on popular products and special offers on items specific customers have purchased in the past. Short on ideas that might inspire your customers? Then look in your own email inbox… has an email you’ve received lately inspired you to take action, like click on a website, pick up a phone, or purchase an item? If so, what did that email look like?

I recommend: Don't spam your subscribers, and encourage them not buy from spam emails. The "Spam. Don't Buy It" website not only explains the spammer business model to consumers, but it also has free logos to post on your website.

Immediately honor unsubscribes

Permission email campaigns call for honest and respectful relationships with the customers you are emailing. This includes not over emailing them, respecting their privacy by not selling their data, and honoring their unsubscribe requests. Federal law calls for removing customers that request to be unsubscribed from your list within 10 days, but unsubscribe requests in general should be processed as quickly as possible.

I recommend: Email Marketing Director is an easy-to-use email software that automatically processes unsubscribe requests. It's made by Arial Software.