[thelist] Clients want email marketing
Max Schwanekamp
lists at neptunewebworks.com
Sat Nov 26 12:56:49 CST 2005
Ken Moore wrote:
> I have about a dozen clients that want to advertise locally or state
> wide in email campaigns. The lists must be highly qualified: double
> opt-in, middle to upper class, sort by ZIP. I do not want to do this
> myself. I have looked around and I cannot tell the rip-offs from the
> real thing.
In my experience, even so-called legitimate list providers meeting the
criteria you describe turn bad sooner or later. It goes something like
this: provider builds a solid list of interested eyeballs using proper
double-opt-in etc techniques. The process is slow, but it does work.
Then they start renting that list, and they get successful. Problem is
they cannot build new lists (and thus grow their product) fast enough,
and they get start using "third-party" providers for new lists.
Predictably, one of those providers is a spamhaus, and everyone involved
goes into a tailspin.
The first, best, way is to build your own double-opt-in, well-pruned
list. There are scads of resources on how to do this reliably and
relatively quickly (GIYF). This ensures that you have people who are
willing to hear from *you* (or your client), not just someone fitting
certain vague criteria. Done well, this technique results in an
enthusiastic audience, not just a tolerant one.
If you must go more quickly, you need to find some other business
compatible with yours (or your client's), and approach them with a JV or
advertising proposal. The best such partner would be someone who is
both sold on your product and has a goodly-sized list. They'll
recommend your product to their audience. You'll give them a referral
(i.e. affiliate) commission, and you get very quick traffic. But, this
is generally a one-off, or sporadic, thing. Building your own list
works much better.
Hope this is helpful in some way, if only to help you dissuade your
client from taking the quick-but-risky route.
--
Max Schwanekamp
http://www.neptunewebworks.com/
More information about the thelist
mailing list