Email Marketing and Opt-in

[Insight Mailer]

I am interested to learn what peoples opinions are on sending an email marketing shot to a purchased list of people? I am amazed by how many companies think it's a good idea.

Our stance is that we do not let anyone use our system for such activity for a few reasons :

1. Spam is unsolicited, bulk, marketing emails. Not good.
2. Anyone willing to sell you an 'opt-in' list for bulk email is a spam outfit (this we rustle a few feathers I am sure).
3. It is impossible to buy a list where the recipients have ACTIVELY confirmed they want to receive marketing emails from YOUR company.
4. Your email domain is very likely to get black listed due to spam complaints.

If you would like to educate yourself a bit more please google "email marketing purchased list" and see what comes up. Let the education begin!!

 

[martin001]

Hello

I've been working with / marketing on the Internet for probably 15+ years for a lot of clients as well as my own enterprises.

My professional opinion is that if you send to a purchased list you:

A) Get very poor response rates
B) Become another annoying spammer.

Regardless of whether those companies 'so-called' opted in once upon a time, if they have never shown a pro active interest in your products then you are wasting everyone's time.

More importantly you would be better off concentrating on selling better / more to your website visitors as well as working better to maintain the loyalty of your previous buyers, but only if they have specifically invited you to do so.

It's really easy to say to yourself "They won't mind" or "one email won't hurt", but to be honest you're likely going to do more harm than good, especially if you don't correctly handle unsubscribes and bounce backs.

Let me know if I can help further.

Regards

Martin

 

[SBOnline]

What an interesting post - I have spent many hours (if not days) making sure that the bulk emails I am sending to EXISTING customers will be regarded as spam or if I had made the content interesting enough.

Although I have seen email lists used for marketing purposes, I agree that it rarely works - better to keep an existing customer happy than annoy a potentially new one!

 

[joshgoldstein]

Okay, here's the deal with email:

1) The email is there to get people to CLICK THROUGH.

Don't go overboard and try to make the prettiest email ever. The aim of the email is to get the click through - so just make a simple plain text one and send it with a bunch of links.

2) Be honest and sincere in the email.

Don't be a douche - most people can see through marketing hype and actually RESENT you for it. No-one likes a salesman that you get on the Apprentice - if you're just cool with it, people will repond much more receptively.

3) Take objections and turn them into sales multipliers

Don't want them to think it's SPAM? Okay, well tell them not to think it's spam then. Say "Hey. I bought this list from ABC Marketing because it says you're a director. I know a lot of directors personally, and wanted to extend this offer to you because it's been so popular with my friends."



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If you're scared about people hitting the spam button, just tell them why they're getting the email and make an offer out of it.

For example:

Hi "James",

We have your email as you've shopped at ACME Menswear before. I wanted to send out this email because of some news about our store.

-----------------------------------------
Our shop is getting rid of our old stock. There are bargains to be had:
acmemensstore.com/LANDINGPAGE.html
-----------------------------------------

I thought it would be great to let you know about this offer because you've shopped with us before.

Looking forward to seeing you there,

Your name.

​

I am interested to learn what peoples opinions are on sending an email marketing shot to a purchased list of people? I am amazed by how many companies think it's a good idea.

Our stance is that we do not let anyone use our system for such activity for a few reasons :

1. Spam is unsolicited, bulk, marketing emails. Not good.
2. Anyone willing to sell you an 'opt-in' list for bulk email is a spam outfit (this we rustle a few feathers I am sure).
3. It is impossible to buy a list where the recipients have ACTIVELY confirmed they want to receive marketing emails from YOUR company.
4. Your email domain is very likely to get black listed due to spam complaints.

If you would like to educate yourself a bit more please google "email marketing purchased list" and see what comes up. Let the education begin!!

 

[martin001]

Okay, here's the deal with email:

1) The email is there to get people to CLICK THROUGH.

Don't go overboard and try to make the prettiest email ever. The aim of the email is to get the click through - so just make a simple plain text one and send it with a bunch of links.

I don't agree with that all. It should be as professional looking as possible. Suggesting someone doesn't pay 100% attention to the design is bad advice in my opinion. "Plain text and a bunch of links"... I wouldn't win many proposals for email marketing with that in the description!



2) Be honest and sincere in the email.

Don't be a douche - most people can see through marketing hype and actually RESENT you for it. No-one likes a salesman that you get on the Apprentice - if you're just cool with it, people will repond much more receptively.

3) Take objections and turn them into sales multipliers

Don't want them to think it's SPAM? Okay, well tell them not to think it's spam then. Say "Hey. I bought this list from ABC Marketing because it says you're a director. I know a lot of directors personally, and wanted to extend this offer to you because it's been so popular with my friends."



-------------------------
If you're scared about people hitting the spam button, just tell them why they're getting the email and make an offer out of it.

For example:

Hi "James",

We have your email as you've shopped at ACME Menswear before. I wanted to send out this email because of some news about our store.

But the whole point is the customer hasn't shopped with him before, nor shown interest in his products, hence why they are very unlikely to respond.

-----------------------------------------
Our shop is getting rid of our old stock. There are bargains to be had:
acmemensstore.com/LANDINGPAGE.html
-----------------------------------------

I thought it would be great to let you know about this offer because you've shopped with us before.
But they haven't!!!!!

Looking forward to seeing you there,

Your name.

​

Look. OP and Josh / others. Please accept that the 90's are over as far as buying lists and emailing people who don't know you. It's just not done anymore. People will always find an excuse why it is acceptable, but trust me, there are so many other ways of building up your own customer lists honestly.

If you buy lists and email people you will get spam complaints and bouncebacks, then your IP / email will be blacklisted and the damage will be done, not to mention you won't get any sales and you would have paid out for the priveledge too!

Drop me a line if you want some serious professional help in marketing your company, but for now this advice is free: Do not buy email lists - unless they are incredibly niche and your business specifically targets that niche. You won't get a return on investment, you will get lots of complaints.

It's simple, I get lots of emails every day for water coolers this, franking machines that... they all say I opted to receive the information, but the fact is if I did I don't remember and nor will your recipients - They don't need to argue the matter, they just hit the 'report spam' button.

One question - Are you satisified your existing customers have spent all they are ever going to spend with you? I assume you must be to be looking at emailing new potential one.

kind regards

Martin