MaineBusiness.com

How to Act Like a Spammer

Nobody likes to think of themselves as a spammer. However, too many businesses (and non-profits!) act like one when they start up an email newsletter.

Just because you have someone's email address doesn't mean they want to hear from you, much less receive an email newsletter on a regular basis. Even when you have a business relationship with someone they may not be interested in getting weekly or monthly missives with links back to your site or store.

I've worked with many companies who are frustrated that they have hundreds or thousands of emails in their database and I tell them they can't just add these emails to their subscriber base.

"But they want to hear from us!"
"But they're our customers!"
"But we're offering something that will really  help them!"
"But we're just trying to provide them with important information!"

Some of these may be true. But put yourself in the shoes of your customers, prospects and suspects for a moment. Do you enjoy suddenly getting a colorful HTML newsletter that you never subscribed to? Is there anything that a new vendor can do to piss you off more quickly then start sending you spam?

So how do you get your contact database to subscribe to your email newsletter? Here's the advice I give most companies.

• Plan on getting most of your new subscribers through your Web site. Have your Web developer set you up with a Email Service Provider (ESP) like Constant Contact. (There are plenty of excellent ESP's out there. Flyte happens to be a reseller of Constant Contact, but that happened after we had been using them for a while.) Add the subscribe box to most if not all of your Web pages.
• Give site visitors a reason to subscribe. No one needs yet another email newsletter. So give them a compelling reason to share their email with you; I call this "email bait." Target the needs or desires of your audience. We use a few different downloadable articles like "10 Questions to Ask Before Setting Up a Web Site" and "The 11 Biggest Mistakes Small Business Bloggers Make." Other compelling arguments might include a raffle for Red Sox tickets, discounts in your online store, or a trial offer of your product or service.
• Invite your contact database to subscribe. Even some purists may blanch at this, but personally I think it's OK. Send this email to your database, informing them that you have a new email newsletter your launching and explain why they would want to join. If you've created a compelling piece of email bait, let them know that as well. Then link to your Web site where they can subscribe. Let them know that if they don't want your newsletter there's nothing they need to do.

Remember, it only takes a moment to destroy the good will you've created with your customers. Better to have a small list of interested subscribers than a large list of people you're frustrating with every email.

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