Email is the new direct mail.
To small-business owners, email lists are valuable marketing commodities. You can build your own high-quality list for free. However, you must avoid sending unwanted advertising emails when a consumer notifies you to stop. Otherwise, you are breaking the anti-spam law. "Each separate email in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act is subject to penalties of up to $16,000," according to the Federal Trade Commission. With a permission-based (opt-in) email list that you build yourself, you are less likely to break the law, create ill will and waste money on outdated or irrelevant addresses that someone might try to sell you.
Instructions
1. Add a "Join My Email List" button to every page of your website, as recommended by Gail Goodman, CEO of Constant Contact, a marketing company that specializes in email advertising. People who visit your website are already interested in your product, so invite them to stay informed. Offer coupons or another incentive, such as a free newsletter or e-book, to encourage participation; if you have a hot product, it may be enough to offer fast updates of new arrivals.
2. Add a guest book to your website as another way to collect addresses. In it, you can add a check box to get guests' permission to send emails. As with the "Join My Email List" button, offer coupons or other incentives to encourage participation.
3. Collect email addresses at your brick-and-mortar storefront or office, if you have one. You might offer a small discount or gift, such as a promotional pen, to get people to agree. Asking every customer to give you an email address is important; consistency will help grow your email list.
4. Start a blog that is related to your business, and add a "Receive Email Updates" button. Write a short informative entry two to three times a week to keep people coming back. You can write the blog yourself, have an employee do it or hire a freelance writer.
5. Gail Goodman of Constant Contact suggests inviting another business or related organization to partner with you. For example, if you own a toy store, you might partner with someone who owns a children's clothing store. Feature an article by each other in your respective newsletters or blogs, or include a small ad along with your bigger ad if you are sending out emails that are straight advertising. Goodman recommends including an invitation to join the partner mailing list at the bottom of each mailing.
6. Export all the online email data to a spreadsheet to maintain and manage the list. Type in the email addresses you collected at your store or office.
