The following is a sponsored post by ThinData. The Email Authority.
Having the right email subscribers means you will build revenues and increase retention. Last week, we covered the first five steps for growing your list of loyal subscribers. Here are the remaining five key steps:
Be Two-Way. Online trust, just like trust offline, is built through ongoing dialogue. Develop and roll-out initiatives that encourage two-way communication – like surveys and contests. After such initiatives, you can also use the opportunity to ask your audiences for ways to improve them.
Be Fair. Trust is also built by how you verbalize your message – i.e. its language and tone. Marketing messages that balance promotional language with neutral language are often regarded as more even-handed than their pushier counterparts. If you are drawing attention to issues, products or competitors, use credible third-party sources and refrain from using language that could be construed as disparaging.
Be Recognized. To generate trust, your messages must be recognizable as yours. That means including branding elements consistently.
Be Current. Customers in every industry have come to expect that information received or gathered online can and will be acted upon very quickly. As a result, be sure to immediately update and integrate any profile information (e.g. email address or request to change customer status) that you gather.
Be Authenticated. All of the world’s major ISPs validate email senders. Gmail, Hotmail, Rogers and Yahoo! all indicate the legitimacy of an email by adding text or an icon to the ‘from line’ of the messages they deliver. For example: ‘Yahoo! Domain Keys has confirmed that this message was sent by thindata.com.’ This text demonstrates to your target audiences that the sender has the permission to send messages from the domain name. Work with your I.T. department and/or Email Service Provider to make sure that your domain keys have been authenticated – which will allow you to leverage this type of ISP endorsement.
Apply these practical guidelines – along with those outlined in part one – and you will develop a list of loyal subscribers who will enthusiastically accept, open and act upon your email.
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