Email marketing newsletter question

[jonrussell]

I'm planning on sending out a newsletter this week to the contacts I've made recently. My question is really a question of etiquette:

I have made quite alot of contacts from networking and have thus around 150+ business cards. Around 50% of these people I have had a proper conversation with. Do you think it would be acceptable to send my newsletter to all of these contacts? I will have an opt out on the bottom of the email and explain that this is my first newsletter.

Also any advice on the best way to design an email newsletter? i.e. the best package for design and sending the emails?

Thanks

 

[Scott-Copywriter]

I have made quite alot of contacts from networking and have thus around 150+ business cards. Around 50% of these people I have had a proper conversation with. Do you think it would be acceptable to send my newsletter to all of these contacts? I will have an opt out on the bottom of the email and explain that this is my first newsletter.

No. If they haven't voluntarily opted into it then you should not send unsolicited mail.

You might get away with it but though.

 

[Christiane]

I wouldn't, but given the number of unsolicited emails I get from buying stuff, joining this or that, despite never agreeing to receiving their newsletter...

Aweber, constantcontact, spring to mind. A free one is phplist.

 

[IainW]

I use a very strict email campaign manager, I have to state that the email isn't SPAM but I asked the question "can I send emails to people who have contact me but haven't signed up?" the answer was YES - if they've given you business cards, email you a question, or any sort of contact then you can send them a newsletter.

Might be worth chancing your arm, you may have some unsubscribe but you could also get sales and even appreciation from some of them that you thought of them to send a newsletter to.

It's not SPAM, possibly un-solicited but not majorly as they know of you thru some form of contact.

Iain

 

[GeorgeM]

My question is really a question of etiquette

If you have business cards with email IDs then you can contact them by email - by giving you the card they have agreed to that contact.

If you have not emailed these people before, then I would recommend you start by sending a short introductory email - referring back to the original contact.

Then you can follow up by sending your newsletter.

You should include an email opt-out facility for them to use if they wish.

You can use an email marketing tool to send both introductory and follow-up emails.

 

[eyetooth-art]

hi there, just thought I'd mention a site called http://www.mailchimp.com/ for sendign mailshots etc. Goodluck, Steve

 

[MrDean]

Send it to everyone there is not harm in that just make sure you have at the very bottom of your newsletter in small print. If you would not like to receive further communication please send a e-mail to XYZ with the title un subscribe.

by doing that you are giving everyone the option not to receive your future newsletters.

Problem solved.

MrDean

 

[jonrussell]

Thanks for your responses

I think I will chance it and send it out. I will use a mail client and make sure I use an opt out button at the bottom of the email. With the opt out I don't think its much of a risk.

Thanks George I will send an email to people who I haven't contacted directly before prior to sending the newsletter.

I'm going to have a look at Mail Chimp, any other suggestions for ESP's?

 

[designsbysteve]

Just like to second eyetooth, Mailchimp is really good for this. I feel a little bit dodgy sending newsletters, as people tend to react quite badly if they don't want the mail to come in. Definitely offer some sort of opt-out .

 

[LowcostPR]

As I like to go along with the logic of "better to apologise afterwards than to ask permission before", I say go for it, just as long as you have the opt-out.

Yes, some people will throw a massive wobbly about getting unsolicited mail and declare that they will never do business with anyone that has even the same name as you.... but don't worry as these people are normaly so irritating that you didn't want to do business with them anyway.

Go for it!

 

[Call Tracker]

if the email is relevant to their business and you include a clear unsubscribe option, then its fine to mail. If they don't like it they will unsubscribe and your list will become a cleaner opt-in list ready for your next mail-out.

 

[REM..!]

Hi

As someone else has said, if they have given you their business card with an email address on it then they have made themselves available to email contact - including newsletters!

However, a tip worth bearing in mind is to make sure your newsletter has a fair amount of text in it (as this helps to bypass spam filters) and also that you put your unsubscribe option at the top of the email and not at the bottom.

Putting the optout at the top might seem strange as you want them to at least scroll through your newsletter, but to a person opening the newsletter it makes it appear to have come from a valuable source if you are giving them the option to opt out at the start. It adds value to your newsletter.

Hope it goes well,

Nancy

 

[Pete Crane]

The issue around whether, by presenting you with a business card means someon has given permission to be sent emails is perhaps a bit foggy, but essentially if you don't have expressed permission from the recipient that you can produce if called upon to do so then the answer is no.

However, if you design the content of the template to reflect the circumstances under which the recipients are receiving a message, then you can send a mail to them in good faith and hope for some decent initial results. Including an unsubscribe link is a given; it is not the crucial element here. What is critical is how you get the reader to realise why they are getting a message from you and how you phrase the copy. It's something we've been doing for a number of clients of ours for some time now within our email marketing services, and it produces markedly better results.