Cathy Stucker - The Idea Lady

Attract Customers and Make Yourself Famous

How to Build an Email List

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Email Marketing $19/Month!Before we talk about how to build an email list, let’s consider why you would want to do so. When someone comes to your web site, there are several possible actions they can take. Bottom line, though, there are two: they can buy something or not.

If they buy something, you have their name and contact information so you could reach them again. However, you do not have their explicit permission to do so.Worse, the people who came to your site and didn’t buy are gone. Perhaps forever. Oh, they may come back some day, but it is more likely that they will forget all about you.

Now imagine that they have at least a third option. In addition to buying or not buying, they can sign up for your mailing list. Perhaps they are interested, but not interested enough to buy today. Now they will continue to hear from you, learn from you and remember you. Ultimately, they may buy from you. Even if they don’t, they may forward something they receive from you to a friend who may buy from you, or sign up for your mailing list, or…

Having a list is a way to develop relationships with possible customers. It creates trust and showcases what you can do for them.

So, how do you build a list? One easy way is with a form on your web site. When you use a service like Aweber (the list service I use), you can easily create a subscription box (like the one at IdeaLady.com) or boxes that slide onto the page, etc. Visitors simply enter their email addresses to subscribe, just as you did.

Put subscription boxes at multiple locations on your site. Much of your search engine traffic does not come in via the front page.

Offer a bonus to subscribers, such as a free course or ebook.

When you speak or present a workshop, ask attendees to subscribe by checking a box on the roster, or entering an email address on a form.

Make subscribing to your newsletter a call to action in your email signature, in the resource box of your articles, and elsewhere. Keep in touch with prospects to turn them into fans and customers.

Email and Merlot Do Not Mix

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Have you ever sent an email you later regretted? You know, that late night rant to your boss, or the teary plea to reunite with your ex?

Google, the folks who are always looking out for us, have come up with a solution to stop drunk emailing. No, it’s not a breathalyzer to keep you from sending email when your blood alcohol level exceeds the legal limit. Instead, it is a CAPTCHA-style feature that requires you to solve a series of simple math problems before you can send an email.

OK, I know what you are thinking. Those guys in Mountain View come up with some pretty wacky hoaxes. But it’s not April Fool’s Day. Log in to your Gmail account and click on ‘Settings’ then ‘Labs.’ Enable ‘Email Goggles’ then go to ‘Settings’ then ‘General’ to customize your settings. You can choose the days of the week and times of day to activate the feature.

The dignity you save may be your own.

What Does Your Email Say About You?

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emailMany of us spend hours every week (or maybe even every day!) dealing with email. Make sure yours makes a good impression.

Your email address may be the first thing some people learn about you. What image does yours present? If you are using the same account for business and personal email, make sure your address is professional. I don’t think I want “HotBabe@whatever.com” as my accountant, thank you.

When recipients download an email from you, does your name or business name appear as the sender? Or is it a meaningless string such as “hrt5478@something.com?” Check “Options” or “Set Up” to put your name or company name there.

Make your subject meaningful, too. I can’t tell you how many spam messages I get with subjects such as “Hello!” or “I’ve been trying to reach you.” If you want me to open your email and not delete it assuming it’s an ad, say what the message is about in the Subject line.

If you are sending the same message to multiple recipients, use the Bcc: field for the addresses instead of the To: field. I get email where I have to page through multiple screens of other people’s email addresses before I get to the message. Most of the time, I won’t bother. It also annoys me that my email address is being given to all of the other people who got the message.

Think before you send. Do you really need to forward that latest Osama bin Laden joke to everyone you know? Chances are, you’re not the only one sending it to them.

That goes double for any message you get telling you that you should immediately forward it to everyone you know. Chances are, it’s a hoax that has been floating around the Internet since Al Gore was a baby.

Don’t send attached files unless the recipient is expecting them. Most people won’t open an attachment because of virus fears. And, someone with a dial-up connection won’t appreciate spending 20 minutes downloading the cute animal video you just had to send.

Do you use an email address through the company you use to access the Internet? If you are “@aol.com,” “@earthlink.net,” or whatever, you may be tied to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) even if you want to dump them. To maintain continuity, no matter how you access the Internet in the future, get your own domain and use an email address through your domain. I like the fact that my email address will always be “cathy (at) idealady.com” because I own it.

What Does Your E-mail Say About You?

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Many of us spend hours every week (or maybe even every day!) dealing with e-mail. Make sure yours makes a good impression.

Your e-mail address may be the first thing some people learn about you. What image does yours present? If you are using the same account for business and personal e-mail, use a professional address. I don’t think I want “HotBabe@xxx.com” as my accountant, thank you.

When recipients download an e-mail from you, does your name or business name appear as the sender? Or is it a meaningless string such as “hrt5478@something.com?” Check “Options” or “Set Up” in your e-mail program to put your name or company name there.

Make your subject meaningful, too. I can’t tell you how many spam messages I get with subjects such as “Hello!” or “I’ve been trying to reach you.” If you want me to open your e-mail, say what the message is about in the Subject line.

If you are sending the same message to multiple recipients, use the Bcc: field for the addresses instead of the To: field. I get e-mail where I have to page through multiple screens of other people’s e-mail addresses before I get to the message. Most of the time, I won’t bother. It also annoys me that my e-mail address is being given to all of the other people who got the message.

Think before you send. Do you really need to forward that latest joke or those cute kitten photos to everyone in your address book? Chances are, you’re not the only one sending it to them.

That goes double for any message you get telling you that you should immediately forward it to everyone you know. Chances are, it’s a hoax that has been floating around the Internet since Al Gore was a baby. Before hitting “Send,” find out if it’s real or a hoax at http://urbanlegends.about.com/.

Do not send attached files unless the recipient is expecting them. Most people will not open an attachment because of virus fears. And, someone with a dial-up connection won’t appreciate spending 20 minutes downloading the cute animal video you just had to send.

Although it should go without saying, never add someone to a mailing list without their permission. When you do get permission to add someone to an e-mail list, respect it by only sending what they asked to receive. Have a privacy policy and follow it. You can see my privacy policy at http://www.IdeaLady.com/privacy.htm.

Put as much effort into how you appear online as you do offline.