The phrase “e-mail marketing” calls to mind the ugly word: SPAM. But I’d like you to clear your mind of all preconceived ideas about e-mail marketing and reconsider this amazing community-building tool.
What makes an e-mail SPAM?
- I don’t know the person sending it.
- I never expressed an interest in learning about that product.
- I don’t even know how they got my e-mail address in the first place.
Social e-mail marketing that grows communities is the opposite of SPAM:
- I recognize the name of the sender immediately upon receiving the e-mail.
- I’m excited to receive it because I know it will have valuable information or opportunities for me.
- I remember giving this sender my email address willingly.
We all want to comply with the law and stay away from SPAM. The big buzz word is “opt-in.” But please understand that if you buy a list that is somehow technically sold to you as “opted in”, you cannot consider this part of your community-building strategy. If you somehow legally purchased a list of strangers’ email addresses, they will not consider your email welcome. They will either ignore you, unsubscribe or report you as SPAM.
Some First Steps Toward E-Mail As Social Media Engagement
1. Choose the right email marketing company for you. Check out some comparison lists. What features do you need? What do you want to spend? How many contacts will you send to and how often?
2. Start planning your e-mail marketing campaigns around what will serve your community, not what you hope will bend them to your will. What unique resources or opportunities can you provide? What invaluable lessons can you teach that will make them eager to hear from you?
Some of my favorite E-Mail Marketing Services
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MailChimp: Great when you’re getting started. The first 500 contacts are free. Integrates with event and survey tools. Social media as well as geolocation tools. |
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Blue Sky Factory: More sophisticated campaign management tools and customer service than many other services. Check out their Social Sync social media integration tools. |
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Constant Contact: 60 day trial. Priced based on which services you use: E-Mail Marketing, Event Marketing and Surveys. Social integration available. |
Great Reading From My E-Mail Marketing Gurus
1. E-Mail Marketing: How Not To Be A Dirty Rotten Spammer, by Sonia Simone, one of my heroes and the self-professed “marketer for those who hate marketing.”
Every email you send needs to have something valuable for readers. Otherwise, why are you sending it? Just to pitch your stuff and benefit yourself? That’s not going to work, now is it?
2. Social Media Makes E-Mail Even Stronger, by John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing.
3. Making Social and E-Mail Work Together, by Jeanne S. Jennings on the Marketing Sherpa Blog.
Check out my Delicious Bookmarks on E-Mail Marketing to see if I read anything new today.
