Email newsletter marketing: to send or not to send? That is the question.

Recently I’ve noticed a lot of questions on LinkedIn and a few other forums about email marketing.  The number one question seems to be whether or not it’s a good idea.  So, I decided to tackle this somewhat controversial issue myself.

First off, since I am a Virtual Marketing Assistant, I believe email marketing can be very beneficial to small businesses – IF it is done the right way.  Heck, I rely on email for 99.9% of my communication with clients and potential clients.  Email marketing is a very affordable way to get your marketing message out to potential customers and clients.  With services as low as $30 a month, you can send out numerous emails to thousands of people instantly.  There are no other advertising options that I’m aware of that can even come close to it.  Just as with direct mail, if your email is worded correctly and includes an action item of some type, you can measure your ROI quite effectively.

In order for you to set up your own email marketing program, you must first build a good list.  Due to the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, you can no longer email people you don’t have permission from.  Essentially, each person on your email list must have given YOUR BUSINESS SPECIFICALLY permission to send them advertising or marketing emails.  Here are just a few ways to build your email list:

1. Collect names and email addresses at the point of sale.  For example, if you own a retail store, when people are checking out have your friendly and helpful sales associates ask if they would like to receive emails with special offers, coupons and notices of upcoming sales and events.  Prepare a form that your sales associates can give to your customers to fill out if they are interested.
2. Collect names and email addresses via your website.  Add a link on your home page where people can sign up for  your email newsletter.  In return they will receive tips and special offers of untold value from you.   If you use an email marketing program such as Mail Chimp, they will provide you with the code for a form to put on your website.  When a customer fills it out their information will automatically be sent to the database and added to your list.
3. Collect names and email address while you are networking.  When you meet a new person and you do the card exchange, ask if they would like to be added to your email newsletter list so they can receive business tips and special offers, etc., etc., etc.

You’ll notice that in my list I NEVER mentioned adding email addresses you find on the Internet at Chamber of Commerce websites, business networking organization websites, business directories, etc.  I can’t stress this enough – YOU MUST HAVE PERMISSION FROM EVERY PERSON ON YOUR LIST TO MARKET TO THEM BY EMAIL.  Not only can you be blacklisted and shut down by your ISP, you can be fined up to $11,000 for EACH violation.  As a VA who sends out email marketing on behalf of my clients, I could also get blacklisted and fined – so just don’t do it!  I’m a virtual business owner – if I can’t email, I’m out of business.

I recommend using an email marketing service, such as Mail Chimp or Constant Contact.  There are alot of email marketing companies to choose from, each with its own pros and cons.  The biggest benefit is that they will manage your email list.  In a previous job, I designed my own email newsletter and sent it out bi-weekly via Word and Outlook.  Not only did it take two hours each time (since I could only send out 40 emails in each blast and had 1,000 names on the list), but every time a person wanted to “Unsubscribe” I had to sort through a thousand email address to remove him or her from our list.  Just cleaning up the list and removing the bad addresses and bounce backs every two weeks added another couple hours.  The email newsletter was truly the bane of my existence, but the results we saw made my time worth it.

With an email marketing program, when someone wants to unsubscribe from your list, the email program will do it automatically.  That alone makes the $30+ a month worth it to me.  These programs will also give you reports of everything you ever wanted to know about your email campaign (how many people opened it, how many people clicked links, how many people clicked through to your website, how many bad addresses and bounce backs you had and how many, if any, spam reports you received). 

So, before you start your email marketing campaign, read through the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 thoroughly.  Make sure you provide a link in EACH email you send out for people to unsubscribe from your list.  You also must provide your physical address and phone number in the email and your email address and name must be listed in the “From” field.  Don’t use any misleading or deceptive phrases in your “Subject” line.  I can’t tell you how many emails I’ve opened, only to end up looking at offers for the lowest priced Viagra, cheap designer watches and hot-hot-hot stock tips.  Finally, don’t send attachments.  People are very wary of attachments these days because of all the viruses going around.  If you have a document you want your readers to see, put it up on your website and provide a link from your newsletter.

Email newsletters can be a very effective marketing method – when you follow the rules.  As always, you can call (or email!) your knowledgeable Virtual Marketing Assistant to manage your email newsletter campaigns, ghostwrite your newsletters, or design your newsletter templates. 

Yvone M. Kon
M.Y. Marketing & Design – Your Virtual Marketing Assistant, At Your Service!

Back to M.Y. Website