Opt-in email refers to those promotional e-mails sent to individuals who have requested to receive them. Not like spam, wherein promotional emails are sent to a large number of recipients without considering whether such individuals want the information, opt-in emails generally are sent only to individuals who particularly requested for them.
Opt-in e-mails often are personalized, targeted and convey information regarding specific promotions or topics that clients are interested and concerned to learn about.
Usually opt-in e-mails include product information, newsletters, helpful articles and advices or special advertising offers. When for instance a user frequents a certain website selling music and books online, he can “opt in” to accept publications or notices each time his favorite musician or author releases a new material; promotional e-mails may also grant the user with a discounted offer only available for individuals in the “opt-in” list.
Even though this direct targeted email marketing and promotion is more expensive compared to bulk unsolicited email, surveys do reveal that this is more effective.
Opt-in email has many forms. The ‘single opt-in” list is established by inviting or requesting users to sign up through a “web form”. The moment they send the form, they are enrolled to be a member of that list.
You can take it a little further by adding another step, which is requiring all recent members to confirm or verify their subscription through email; this list then is commonly referred to as a ‘double opt-in”.
Confirmed or verified opt-in authenticates and supports that the email list truly is approved; this came to be the basis for qualifying the list as a recognized, “non-spam” method of communication in the business.
There are several businesses on the internet that can rent you a list of email addresses of individuals who opted to accept a commercial email. In most cases, they in actuality are not renting the list as you will not have any chance of seeing the concrete list. These companies charge a fee for every email address that they mail your message to.
As long as all who receives the email are not paid in order that they read the messages, as long as they are truly interested with the offers that they have signed up, this method of marketing may be profitable.
The problem here in most cases is that they charge between 10-20 centavos per email address as well as mailing it to a considerable amount of list so to obtain wonderful results; this can be relatively expensive. However when you can afford it, you will create excellent targeted traffic.
What about “opt-in series” email promotion?
Opt-in ‘series” email promotion or marketing works in such a way that you offer a charming and appealing free sample, gift, article or giveaway at your website, generally works successfully through a pop window and when visitors collects their freebie, then they are obliged to type in their email address and name. Now they are already subscribed to receive a series of your personalized and scheduled email reports and messages pre-written by you. The best series type is that which supplies free helpful and valuable information regarding a certain subject that can solve your customers” problem.
A good quality “email series” will establish good relationships with prospect clients, which is something is more valuable and a point that is often overlooked by many online businesses. This approach can be personalized and fully automated as soon as you have done the structuring and setup work.
Here are guidelines so to be safe:
1. Never purchase someone else’s “opt-in lists”. The clients who opted or choose to receive email messages in that certain list wants receive email information from somebody else and not you.
2. Never purchase and use those types of programs called ‘millions of email addresses plus a bulk emailer program”.
3. Never sell your email list to someone else as well. Clients want to receive mail from you because in the first place, they want the information that you are providing them.
4. Consider a ‘double-opt-in” email procedure when gathering your very own list of emails from your website.
5. Do not use false header on your messages. Meaning, do not attempt to conceal your identity.
6. Never advertise or promote your website on all mailing lists newsletter whereby it was not collected through ‘double-opt-in”.
7. Without delay, fulfill and meet any request of removal from the list. Create a link that is simple to follow on all emails that you send.
When working on a plan, begin by asking yourself and determining the amount of e-mail addresses that you desire to obtain each month. Then, figure out the location or where your target clients frequent as well as the cost in order to obtain visitors to your website so you can invite or request them to “opt-in” to your list.
The second one I just cancelled and the $5 will be returned in 2 days apparently…
