Playing the Email Marketing Game

We’re gonna play a little Jeff Foxworthy.

Best of Jeff Foxworthy: Double Wide, Single Minded (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But first…

I don’t claim to be an expert on this.

In fact – my knowledge on the subject comes from…

The length of time I have been at it. Six years now.

And the fact – that I do keep studying and paying attention to trends and developments.

I’m talking about the topic of email marketing.

What amazes me is that years later (Let’s face it – email marketing is not new) people are still confused about email marketing.

So let’s lay out some basics and talk “email marketing system(s)” if you will.

The basics…

in 2004 Congress passed “The Can Spam Act.”

That made it illegal to email someone without their permission.

No longer was it “OK” to harvest email addresses.

Harvesting email addresses means some “bot” goes to a website and pulls the email address, adds it to a database and “bam” -you get an email for whatever (let your imagination run wild).

That sort of email spam is why “The Can Spam Act” of 2004 was put into law.

But what else is spam…

Let’s play a little Jeff Foxworthy…

You might be a spammer if…

You go to networking events, collect business cards, come home and then add the email addresses to your “email newsletter” without the permission of the person or making them aware you are going to do so.

You exchange an email with someone and then think because you exchanged an email with them once you have the right to add them to your newsletter list. (You know who you are!)

You send mass-emails out from your “Gmail or Outlook” account and “BCC” everyone.

Or worse yet… You do that – and you DON’T “BCC” everyone.

We can go on but we’ll stop there!

The best way to build an email list is via “Opt-Ins” on your website.

These opt-ins come because of “the offer” you are presenting.

Those can be “Informational” or “Transactional.”

If they are compelling enough a site visitor will “opt-in.”

Once they opt-in and confirm they are on your list.

They have given you “permission.”

You can also take it a step further and be really clear about the fact you will be in touch regularly.

That’s the way my buddy, Ben Settle, does it.

You can also add people to your list in person when they come to you.

You can ask them if they are OK with it.

You can have them fill out little slips.

The more regular you are with your emails and the better your list – the more results you’ll get.

Email is just another channel and it works.

But if you’re a baby about it and a quit after you send one email and hear crickets it won’t work.

I don’t care if you have 10, 100, or thousands of people you can email – just do it!

I take that back – “Get Good At It–As- You Just Do It.”

If you want it our “Free Ebook Has a Whole Chapter on Email Marketing”