| Mailing lists or newsletters is an extremely useful | | | | SPARINGLY. Organize your mailing list in such a |
| method of online promotion...not to mention that | | | | way that messages are sent out once a week or |
| they're free, of course. This form of marketing | | | | twice a week. In fact, I use my mailing list so |
| was aggressively used by viral marketers back in | | | | sparingly that I send out messages only twice a |
| those days when I first started out online | | | | month! The reason? I don't like people spamming |
| businesses. And I thought it was an amazing way | | | | my email inbox and I don't like doing it to others. |
| to market myself to a group of potentially | | | | Period. |
| interested people who MIGHT think of my | | | | Mailing list marketing rule No. 3 - If you're hiring |
| content, products or services useful. | | | | people to do this for you, hire the right people |
| As with anything free and online, there are | | | | With the state of the current economy of the |
| unwritten rules. If you're new to online marketing, | | | | world, it's no wonder that people are getting a |
| it's easy, WAY EASY, for you to unwittingly flout | | | | little desperate and are more willing to try out |
| these unwritten rules and get yourself banned. | | | | alternative methods of marketing...which includes |
| One good example would be this. I am in the | | | | using the internet. If you're hiring people to do |
| midst of moving home and frankly speaking, I | | | | your online marketing for you and they have |
| don't have a lot of spare time to speak of as it is. | | | | included 'mailing list' marketing, please, please, |
| I check my emails very quickly, answer the | | | | PLEASE find out more about how these people |
| important ones VERY quickly but politely, and | | | | are going to go about it before you hire them. At |
| then proceed with my work. There are mountains | | | | the end of the day, if they do things wrong, you |
| of other stuff to do, you see, and it irks me to | | | | are the one who is going to be burnt, not them. It |
| come home to a mailbox full of email messages | | | | will BE YOUR name, YOUR company, YOUR |
| from a Yahoo Groups! moderator belonging to a | | | | products, YOUR credibility that will be on the line. |
| group that I've not only never heard of, but selling | | | | Not theirs. |
| products I am absolutely and totally not interested | | | | Mailing list marketing rule No. 4 - Try not to attach |
| in. | | | | documents because it could be dangerous for the |
| There's nothing wrong with the products they | | | | receivers |
| were selling, they're just...NOT FOR ME. | | | | My email address, especially those that I use for |
| Now, this moderator did not only send me one | | | | work, is something that I guard with my life. I am |
| email asking me if I was interested in joining their | | | | quite sure many of you are quite protective of |
| mailing list, the owner of this mailing list sent me a | | | | yours as well. If you want to highlight a new |
| total of 13 messages, not counting other | | | | product via a downloadable brochure or ebook, |
| 'follow-up' messages that sent me bouncing from | | | | provide a link instead of attaching the whole |
| wall to wall. I did not hesitate to click on the | | | | document along with the newsletter! If we're |
| 'report' button to Yahoo Groups and also made | | | | interested, we'll click on and find out more |
| sure I marked every single one of the emails as | | | | information about it and download it ourselves, |
| 'spam'. | | | | thank you very much. |
| So, if this is not the way to market your mailing | | | | Mailing list marketing rule No. 5 - Aggressive is |
| list, what are the rules and what is the right way, | | | | good but try to be a little subtler, please |
| you ask? | | | | People who subscribe to mailing lists like it short |
| Mailing List marketing rule No.1 - Ask and then | | | | and sweet. While this means that you can be |
| give people the option of saying NO, THANK YOU! | | | | aggressive in a short and sweet way, it doesn't |
| If per chance someone HONESTLY thought that I | | | | mean that you can go for the hard sell all the |
| would be interested in their products/services, it | | | | way, every single day of the week, blinding firing |
| would be nice of them to add me to their mailing | | | | off round and round, not caring if you're hitting |
| list without my permission. The very least they | | | | the right people or innocent bystanders. People |
| could do is to allow me to opt out. In the above | | | | take these things (online marketers like me, |
| instance, there was no such option. | | | | especially) quite personally and we will not hesitate |
| Mailing List marketing rule No. 2 - Don't send 13 | | | | to get your website or group banned and we'll |
| messages in one single day, for heaven's sake | | | | make sure it happens. |
| The mailing list 'send' button should be used | | | | |