The following is a sponsored post by ThinData. The Email Authority.
Having the right email subscribers means you will build revenues and increase retention.
So, are you building the right subscriber list? And, are you doing it in ways that have your subscribers actually looking forward to receiving, opening and acting upon your emails?
You can achieve these goals by following 10 key guidelines. To start, here are the first five:
1. Be Respectful. Email is an effective tool for building trust online but only when you solicit and respect your subscribers' consent. In Canada, this means complying with the obligations for companies outlined in Federal privacy legislation (PIPEDA).
2. Be Methodical. You’re building more than a list, you’re building a relationship. Potential list members will need to interact with your marketing efforts several times before you capture their trust. So think in terms of “bite-sized chunks”. For example, collect name and email address during initial contact and gather more detailed profile information over the course of several follow-up interactions.
3. Be Clear. Are you asking for a box to be ‘checked’ or ‘unchecked’? Do you want people to review your privacy policy or do you require it? Clear communication helps ensure that the information you gather is relevant and accurate, and that recipients value your offerings enough to have taken the actions that you request.
4. Be Relevant. One of the reasons that email has become so trusted is that it provides a rare opportunity to consistently deliver relevant information. Give your subscribers options around the type and frequency of the information you can send them. Then respect their preferences as well as providing them with the on-going ability to clarify, confirm and change them.
5. Be Forthcoming. Manage subscriber expectations by clearly describing what you will be providing them. For example, are you going to be emailing subscribers once a month or in response to specific inquiries? Companies whose emails are faked (e.g. phishing schemes) often include details about things they will never do or ask of their customers in their emails.
For tools to help ensure your marketing complies with PIPEDA visit: www.ThinData.com/greatideas/pipeda
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