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Email Best Practices: Can I use this list?
Can I Use This List?
There are so many different ways to procure email addresses. Sometimes it's tough to know whether or not you can market to those people using our system. This section is to clear up any questions about that...
"I purchased/rented this list of email addresses..."
NOPE! Sorry to cut you off (not really), but SendPepper and OfficeAutopilot are only for permission-based marketing. Those gazillion people on that list didn't give their permission to be marketed to by you. Throw that list into the incinerator now, but be careful not to burn your hand and if you do happen to burn your hand in the process, don't blame us. You should have been more careful with both the list-getting AND the list-burning. Try this: Build YOUR OWN list like a real marketer and stop looking for shortcuts.
"I set up a drop box next to my cash register for my customers to drop their business card into for a chance to win a free lunch/massage/sack of groceries/whatever."
No. Those people wanted a free lunch/massage/sack of groceries/whatever, not to be marketed to by you. If you want to market to those people, change the sign on the drop box to something like: "Drop your card in here to receive newsletters and special offers and you'll be entered to win a free lunch/massage/sack of groceries/whatever."
"We paid a bunch of money for a booth at a tradeshow and as part of what we paid for we got this list of all attendees' contact info. Can I mail them?"
No. Those people didn't give permission to YOU to market to them. They signed up for a tradeshow. Big difference. If, however, you had a sign-up sheet or bowl for attendees to drop their card into in order to sign up for your newsletter and other special offers, then by all means. Just be sure to send an email soon after the tradeshow, introducing yourself and let 'em know in that first email who you are and where you met them in the first place. Remember that it's better to engage with people early and often so as to avoid them forgetting all about you and then marking your mail as spam when it arrives four lifetimes after they expressed their interest in your thing in the first place.
"We've been selling online and/or collecting opt-ins over the last few years but have never mailed anyone because 'till recently we just didn't have our emailing act together."
Sure, if they all opted in or have a prior business relationship with you, that's all well and good. However, most of these people have already forgotten who you are, so you'll need to send 'em a reminder of who you are and when they opted in and get 'em re-engaged.
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