By Chris Ford
Building a relationship with your list takes time. Relationship marketing via email is all about trust. Do you have a list? If so, do they trust you? How do you know they trust you?
Successful internet marketers work extremely hard to build an email list. An effective list that trusts you is like having a fishing pond full of hungry fish ready to eat whatever you feed them. If you fed your fish something that harmed them, do you think they would continue to swim in your pond? I think not. The same holds true for your email marketing list. If you continue to provide value, help them succeed online, provide great content they can use, then you have a fish for life.
Once you have created your list, make sure you do not betray that trust they have bestowed upon you. These five email marketing mistakes discussed below must be avoided at all cost, or your fish will go looking for a new pond to swim in.
1. Never, Ever, Ever Spam. Even though your optin subscriber has given you permission to send them emails, avoid sending them a sales pitch on a daily basis. Before your send an email to your list ask yourself this question, “Would I find value in receiving this email or is he/she just trying to sell me something?” That should be your acid test when you send an email to your list. Learn to send emails that provide quality content, will help that person, and provide those emails at strategic intervals.
2. Sending Emails to Your List only when you are selling something. This goes hand in hand with number 1 above. If there is no value in being on your list then that optin will most definitely “Opt-out” and unsubscribe. Once you have violated their trust, you will never get it back. That trust is gone forever.
3. Ignoring your list for long periods of time. I know some marketers that have a rule of thumb to mail their list not once per day, but twice per day. I have no problem with this concept as long as the email is worthy of good content or value. On the other hand, if you ignore your list for long periods of time, a few months, that trust will also be violated. If they do not choose to opt-out or unsubscribe, you may be able to regain their trust. However, a weekly email with great content is good business practice.
4. Not relating to or being personal with your subscribers. How well do your subscribers know you? Do they know anything about your personal life? For example, your marital status? Do you have kids? Your hobbies? Your educational background? Your success and failures in life? What is your direction for your online business? And most of all, how can you help them? These questions should be answered over time with your personalized email campaigns.
5. Rushing your emails. Always remember the rule of ‘quality content’. Make sure your subscribers name is spelled correctly and your links are accurate. Never rush an email because you have a sales promo or deadline approaching. If your email is ‘self-serving’ it will most definitely come across that way.
Take your time with your list, be patient and provide great content. Always remember that an email subscriber that opts-out or unsubscribes from your list is gone forever.
Chris Doe Ford – have you ever violated the trust of your list? Avoid these 5 common mistakes to prevent opt-outs. For more information please visit my homepage at http://RChrisFord.com
