| A legitimate, ethical email promotion depends on the | | | | in the past are generally safe recipients for |
| company making use of a list of names and | | | | promotional emails. They obviously know the |
| addresses that were collected within certain | | | | company-they may even know you-and it won't |
| standards. Purchased lists do not meet this criteria | | | | seem impersonal when they receive it. If they're not |
| nor do lists of names harvested off of websites. | | | | interested, they're unlikely to react in any negative |
| Sending unrequested commercial email to those | | | | way to being solicited thusly. |
| addresses is called "spamming" and will ensure that | | | | Remember that a promotional email is a valuable tool |
| any internet service provider to whom such activity | | | | for marketing but not a marketing strategy in and of |
| is reported will ban your company from sending email | | | | itself. You may consider designing your email to fit |
| through their servers. | | | | the concerns expressed by your customers. For |
| There are several ways one can collect email | | | | instance, if you have a lot of customers who say |
| addresses that are not "tricks" or unethical and that | | | | things such as "I really like your product but I wish it |
| actually provide a valuable service to your customers. | | | | worked with barcodes", you might send out a |
| The easiest way is with a "Request More | | | | promotional email to announce that you've added |
| Information" form on your website. Business | | | | barcode integration to your software. Consider |
| customers who are researching options for their own | | | | maintaining lists of customers sorted by specific |
| company and find your products or services | | | | needs and concerns to make your emails more |
| interesting will almost certainly make such a request. | | | | effective. |
| You can take is to mean that emails from your | | | | Additionally, there is nothing wrong with using a |
| company are welcome. | | | | promotional email to just be friendly. Consider sending |
| Another good option is to get the email address | | | | a "Happy Holidays" email to clients at the end of the |
| personally while on the phone with customers. Let | | | | year or during other major holidays. Such little |
| them know that you have more information to send | | | | touches of personal attention go a long way toward |
| them and that you'd like to send it via email so they | | | | making your company stand out among the many |
| can view it at their leisure. In this instance, you're | | | | vendors any business likely uses. Sending greetings |
| truly serving their needs. Instead of keeping them on | | | | via email is a very "green" way to do it: no paper, no |
| the phone and, thus, working on your schedule, | | | | fuels used in delivery and no waste. |
| you're allowing them the flexibility to spend as much | | | | Email lists, of course, should be kept current. Good |
| time as they want reviewing your information at a | | | | email marketing services will give a report of which |
| time which is convenient to them. Most clients will | | | | emails bounced and why. Remove dead addresses |
| appreciate such consideration. | | | | from the list immediately. |
| Customers who have purchased from the company | | | | |