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Permission marketing is about getting permission. You have to ask. So how do you ask permission?
There are many ways, both passive and active. Since the legally allowable
methods for actively contacting prospects is diminishing, you should use a
variety of methods so that you can collect as many permissions as
possible.
Passive vs.
Active Management: Passive management can be achieved by
posting a form to your website that asks the visitor for permission to
contact them and their preferred method of communication. For active
management, since you
are faced with the possibility of losing prospects who opt- out, we
suggest the least expensive form of communication: email. Since a national
Do Not Email list has not yet been added to federal legislation (YET), and
most states have enacted opt-out legislation and not opt-in legislation,
email is still a legal form of unsolicited advertising. (The first state
to enact an opt-in email law, California, will not enforce until January
1, 2004.)
Permission
Gathering: When requesting permission to deliver future
communications, be very explicit about how the contact information will be
used. Make it clear what kind of communication the individual is agreeing
to receive and at what frequency. An opt-in for a certain type of
communication does not constitute broad permission to blast away at that
person's inbox with different categories of messaging, unless that broad
permission is explained and agreed to upfront. Someone who opts in to
receive a newsletter about personal health may not be thrilled to
unexpectedly receive an unrequested travel newsletter, a third-party
promotion, or a monthly company update from the same organization.
Confirmations:
When an individual registers, remind him at the point of registration to
look for a confirmation e-mail. In the confirmation, include the
type of communication (weekly newsletter, news alerts, monthly promotion,
etc.) he will receive, and at what frequency. This establishes
expectations and helps ensure the recipient is not surprised when your
e-mail arrives. You can also include a link for the user to confirm
receipt, sometimes called "Double Opt-In".
Opt-out-ability:
Make sure to include unsubscribe information. Tell the recipient if he
wants to unsubscribe from the e-mail at any time to use the unsubscribe
link in the e-mail -- not the "report as spam" button many are
increasingly clicking as a quick way out. Remind the recipient to add your
sender address to his personal whitelist so e-mail is properly delivered
to the inbox instead of a bulk-mail folder.
Personalization
and testing: As clutter grows, personalization and testing are
more critical to e-mail return on investment (ROI) than ever. Personalized
e-mail reminds the recipient you know his name and value the relationship.
Testing is the backbone of smart marketing. If you are unsure your
customers will be receptive to an e-mail, test it on a smaller subset
before rolling it out to your full list.
Content and
subject lines: Ensure all e-mail communications are what you
promised the recipient when she signed up. Someone who opts in only for a
newsletter wants to receive a newsletter, not product promotions. Use
clear, concise copy and highlight your brand in the subject line. If you
deliver a daily or weekly newsletter, include "daily" or
"weekly" in the subject line so it's easily recognized.
Consumers are extremely perceptive; if you try to dupe them with a
misleading subject line that doesn't match the e-mail's content, you'll be
labeled a spammer (and possibly incur the wrath of the government and
lawyers). Content and subject lines that correlate with each other and
adhere to recipients' expectations set a positive framework for building
strong e-mail relationships.
By keeping the above considerations and
tactics in mind when planning and executing your e-mail program, you'll
discover permission, trust, and relevance help you build strong, long-term
relationships with recipients on an individual basis.
Documentation:
The key to surviving legal scrutiny is to document and document
well. Cases have already occurred where poorly documented customer
preferences have resulted in company fines. In the same token, companies
who have documented well and been able to prove their right to make
contact have escaped fines. As current legislation changes and new
legislation is enacted at both the state and federal level, you can expect
a very strict look at providing proof. The time to start collecting is
now!
The Tools:
A manual system of permission collection and database update is prone to
mistakes. And when legal action is at stake, you can not afford the risk.
Using GoldMine, combined with
an easy to use web form, BounceLinker can handle all forms of opt-in's and
opt-out's: phone, fax, email and mail. Click
here for more information.
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