Three Rules for Successful Bulk Email Marketing

Bulk email marketing is a technique used for professional internet marketers. On the other hand its cousin, spam, is anything but professional. While it seems that the two might be closely related, once you learn the three rule strategy for successful bulk email marketing you’ll see why spam isn’t anywhere close to the same league. Always double check your actions before you send out mass or bulk emails to ensure that you are not even entertaining spamming.

Rule 1: Use Permission as Part of Your Strategy

The basic difference between bulk email marketing and spam is permission. Spam doesn’t have to contain anything nasty or elicit, it’s simply email sent to people without their permission. Permission can come in the form of subscriptions, which means that users actually request that you send them the information you want to offer. This not only protects you from spam issues, but it also indicates that there is already a predetermined value for the user. He or she is primed for your information.

Opting in is what it is called when someone agrees to be on your mailing list. This can be done any number of ways. Any time you’ve ordered something and you see that there are boxes pre-checked indicating your interest in future offers you’re witnessing opting in. You can also have a splash page where your web visitors land and are encouraged to sign up for email mailings prior to entering your website. It’s not a requirement of the law that you send out confirmation emails, yet many internet marketers find that this is helpful. While it does offer the subscriber a chance to change their mind, it also means that those who respond positively are a more targeted audience.

Rule 2: Become Familiar with the Whitelist, Get on it, and Stay on it

Most of us understand what it means to be blacklisted. A blacklist is basically a list of those who are not tolerated for one reason or another. When it comes to email marketing, you want the whitelist. Really, this list is nothing more than the list of contacts in any user’s email account. These contacts indicate some familiarity with the sender.

A whitelist means that the user is interested in the things that you have to say or offer and is willing to put your email address in their system. The whole point is to prevent the spam filter system from preventing your email from hitting the inbox. How do you get on this list? You simply ask. Include the recommendation to add your email address to their contact list when they initially opt into your mailing and again during your initial emails. If a user is interested they will follow through.

Rule 3: Basic and Simple Campaigns Equal Success

How often are you willing to read through a long winded email that is filled with droll and poetic language, even if it’s from a friend? Most of us just want the information handed to us in a clear format that doesn’t take long to read.

Bulking up your emails to include serious advertising efforts is actually a turn off to most users. You’ll find your bulk email marketing campaign is much more successful if you simply let people know the basics right away. Just like a Journalism 101 class, answer who, what, where, when or why within the first fifteen seconds of reading material in order to keep your readers. If you have the best deal, if you’re starting a new website, or even if you’re looking for feedback from your readers cut to the chase in a respectful manner.

Avoid deceit in your subject headings. Keep it simple and give the direct information from the beginning if you want your emails read and your credibility to remain intact. Deceit only creates distrust. Simple and honest headers and subject lines create familiarity. The user may not open every email, but when they do open one you don’t want to do anything that might prevent them from opening any future emails.

Visit Active Web Group to read more about email marketing and how it can work for you, or contact us today!