Internet Marketing Guide
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8 - Opt-in Email Campaigns

This can be described as an e-mail sent to people who have given you their permission to contact them by e-mail, as opposed to 'spam'.

Spam is unsolicited email sent by a company or person you've had no prior contact with, or it's an unwanted e-mail sent to you by someone after you've specifically requested to be removed from their mailing list.

64% of consumers now use the spam-filtering capability provide by their e-mail software (Doubleclick Consumer E-mail Survey, 2004) and 72% of them delete e-mail they think is spam without opening it. In contrast, 78% of opt-in e-mail messages are opened.

This 'permission-based' opt-in marketing element usually builds on existing relationships e.g. with customers, subscribers to your newsletter, affiliates, sales leads or business contacts.

E-mail marketing is so effective because:

• You're only communicating with people you ALREADY have a relationship with
• It is sent to well defined groups (market segments) who share common interests/traits i.e. it is targeted
• It's inexpensive
• It's Trackable and therefore measurable, so it can be managed

You should only include someone in your opt-in list if they have directly requested information from your company or purchased your products.

'Single' opt-in allows visitors to sign up for something once e.g. your newsletter, and they remain on your list until they ask to be removed. 'Confirmed/double' opt-in allows visitors to sign up for something e.g. your newsletter, you send them a confirmation e-mail and they are added to your list only when they reply or click on a link in the confirmation e-mail. Single opt-in lists grow quicker but can invite 'spam' accusations, because the person has not given their second acknowledgement that they actually want to receive your emails.

Tactical incentives for collecting opt-in e-mail addresses include:

• Free downloads
• Run a competition
• Offer a free course
• Have a members only area

In order to operate successful opt-in e-mail marketing is to totally avoid being accused of spamming. To do this you should:

• Use a clear, recognisable, non-misleading subject line in communications
• Use a valid and consistent 'from' address in communications
• Remove people who request to opt-out from the list immediately
• Display a valid physical postal address in communications
• Use reliable and 'honest' third party service providers
• Keep records of when and how people were added to your list
• Be extremely careful when using bought-in rental lists
• Include a valid return e-mail address on communications to allow genuine opt-out or confirmation
• Get 'whitelisted' with AOL (see http://PostMaster.Info.Aol.com/tools/whitelist_guides.html)
• Get whitelisted with Yahoo (see http://Add.Yahoo.com/fast/help/us/mail/cgi_bulkmail)

Remember to monitor and 'clean' your opt-in list and try and avoid the heavy-handed promotional style that is synonymous with spam.

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contact us now on 0845 4501889 or click here to email us

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