Email Marketing

[rizbit]

No online business can really survive without some form of online marketing.

I decided to try email marketing.

I downloaded a bulk maililng software and a double opt in lead package of businesses in the UK.

I tried things like mailchimp but the thing was I wasnt prepared to send a limited number of emails every day.

I wanted to send say 4000 emails in a day then leave it the next month or two.

Now I can use SMTP accounts to send the emails but these are very limited to say 500/day.

I then used VPS to send mails using php mail.

Now the company says that they have a zero tolerance to SPAM.

So I read the Can-Spam act to define what counts as spam.

I then crafted my emails so that they had all the required info layed out in the act I read. This included adding a clear opt out section.

The server provider then freezes my account saying that they got two complaints from people I emailed complaining of SPAM.

I define SPAM as being an email from someone who misleads you into reading their email, using misleading subjects, false "From headers" and false addresses. The message will also be related to things that you most probably not be into or classed as "of dubious value" or scams.

if I sent mr T round shops in my city with leaflets promoting my services to businesses would that be SPAM. In the like manner emailing businesses who could use your services can not be seen as SPAM

I find this wrong.

If this is not acceptable way of marketing your online business then what is?

The VPS is paid for monthly and you own it, they also tell you you can send unlimited emails. But if youre not using the emails for business marketing then what else? You are hardly going to buy a VPS or dedicated server so you could send a few emails to your friends?

 

[webgeek]

Most providers do not allow sending email to an acquired list. In their eyes, if you don't have a previous relationship with someone, then you shouldn't be emailing them, especially in bulk.

You can send 100,000 emails, provided of course it's your list, built from business, lead capture, etc, not bought from a list provider. So, it is unlimited.

If you're going to use acquired lists, then you'll need to shop around for a provider who allows such. Believe it or not, it's going to be hard to find!

 

[Elliottc26]

Email marketing is essentially opt-in (permission-based) marketing. Sending unsolicited commercial emails makes them SPAM.

Marketing is in essence an act of research in developing strategies to enter into markets and create relationships, then enacting those strategies. Marketing is highly targeted.

It sounds as if you are interested in advertising, where Google Adwords, for instance, can, even for £5 max per day using CPC, get you seen (thousands of impressions per month) and drive some targeted traffic to your site in delivering your marketing messages.

HINT: Think of Community Online

 

[HFServices]

SPAM is just unsolicited email. The people who sold you the list should be able to provide you with confirmation that the people who are on that list have agreed to receive emails from selected third parties or something similar, you can the forward this to your VPS provider proving it is not SPAM.

If the people on the list did not agree to this or the list seller can't prove this then its unfortunate.

The email lists I provide have the date, time and IP address of the contact plus the website they signed up on and their physical address and phone number. They are no use to you though as they are all from the U.S.A.

 

[zookx]

We get dozens of these a day both to legitimate address' and to speculative ones. We've just done a poll in the office and not one person has ever made a purchase or employed a service from an unsolicited email.

I wonder what, if any, the hake up is on unsolicited emails? Is it just an industry feeding off itself with recipients of the emails now redundant.


My favorite are the ones such as the one below with their; "This mail is not a spam e-mail. You received this mail because your e-mail address is listed in our address book or one of your friends recommended your name. If this e-mail caused any inconvenience, we apologize for the same."


I.e. we know you think its Spam but its really not, honest

Dear Sir/Madam,

Please permit me to introduce our self to you.
We are web Designing/Development Company based in India, We have gained extensive experience over the past 7 years working with other customers in this field & now seeking opportunities to provide our services to international customers.

If you are looking for someone that works tirelessly to complete a task, within budget, and on-time, with a high degree of professionalism, then look no further. We have a track record of excellent task Performance with delivery ahead of schedule & high standards of quality. We are confident that you won't find more professional work at such competitive prices. We guarantee that you will be satisfied with the standard of our work and expertise..

My Commitment to You: We will be glad to develop for you or your customer at NO COST a sample mock up web design on a pre-approval basis to completely gain your confidence. Once you are satisfied with the quality of our work we would be glad to complete the full website design, for you or your customer, to meet your requirements & at price that I am sure will knock your socks off. Our ethic is hard work & customer satisfactions are my first priorities.

Looking forward to the opportunity to meet your needs.

Yours Sincerely
Sales Team

Amazing Web Solutions, (USA, Australia, India)[FONT='Arial Black','sans-serif'][/font]
E-mail : [email protected]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Website: [/font][FONT='Arial','sans-serif']www.amazingwebaustralia.com.au[/font][FONT='Arial','sans-serif'][/font]
Skype: info.aws

Skype: amez2211

[FONT='Arial','sans-serif'] [/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif'] [/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif'] [/font]P [FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Please consider your environmental responsibility. Do not print this e-mail unless you really need to.
[/font][FONT='Arial','sans-serif'][/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif'] [/font][FONT='Arial','sans-serif']This mail is not a spam e-mail. You received this mail because your e-mail address is listed in our address book or one of your friends recommended your name. If this e-mail caused any inconvenience, we apologize for the same.[/font]

 

[EddyP]

Buying lists of email addresses isn't ethically reconcilable with marketing a product. You've got to generate your own email list, and it takes time for a sizable list to be created and become an effective platform for marketing.

 

[cheochi]

Many people don't realize how beneficial follow-up/email marketing can be long term. In fact follow-up marketing can be fundamental to your business's success.

 

[keth]

According to me email marketing is a very cost effective way to communicate with potential customers and existing customers. As in direct mail, email is a faster, cheaper and easier to communicate with their customers and potential customers. No matter what business or industry you're in, email marketing can have a positive impact on sales. Email marketing provides a place for consistent commitment to the customer. Emails can be scheduled autoresponder software that automatically responds to emails.

 

[GRJim]

Hi Rafhelp,

CAN-SPAM and other anti-spam laws have loop holes in them big enough to drive a postal truck through. It doesn't matter what the law says in this case...it matters what people's perception is and if they see your mailing as spam, they will hit the spam button and you may find yourself shut down. That's the reality of it.

What marketers sometimes forget is that ISPs control the data traffic and answer to their customers. If they get enough complaints from them, they will act and they will block your messages. Email Service Providers also proactively protect their deliverability by dealing with anyone who is sending non-permission based email.

Just because the law says you can do something in business, doesn't mean you should. People consider their inbox as a very personal space (much like their front door) and expect only to be contacted by those marketers that they have given permission to -- no one opts in to have their email address sold over and over again. Focus on building your own opt-in email list, provide value and engaging content and you'll find the success you seek.

Spam is in the eye of the recipient.

Regards,
jim