Email Marketing Professionals are constantly debating the value of single optin vs double optin when it comes to building their lists.
What do these terms mean in reference to your email marketing efforts?
Single optin simply means that someone can enter any information in to a capture form and they are automatically subscribed and/or given access to the free ebook, software, etc… that is being offered by the email marketer.
Double optin means that once the form is submitted, the person will receive an email asking them to confirm their request. Typically, the confirmation is accomplished by having the subscriber click a uniquely coded link.
The most common argument for using the single optin method is that some email marketing practitioners believe it helps build a larger list.
The claim is that people are unlikely to take that extra step to click a confirmation link so you could end up losing out on potential prospects.
The most common argument for using the double optin method for email marketing is that email marketers want to know that the prospects they are generating are:
1. Real humans that read their emails.
2. Genuinely interested in receiving the information being offered.
Someone using the single optin method may think that they have 5,000 prospects in their email marketing database but may actually have somewhere around 3,000 because 2,000 are nothing more than junk emails, spam traps, or bots.
While 3,000 prospects is nothing to take lightly, consider that if 2,000 of those addresses are not valid, that means the ebook, software, download, etc… that was being offered has essentally been stolen if you did not ask those prospects to confirm before receiving your offer.
Another big factor for Email Marketing is deliverability.
If your list is cluttered with unknown or garbage email addresses, this can have a negative impact on your overall deliverability. Many email service providers will begin blocking domains that are known to repeatedly send to email addresses that don’t exist. Over time, this can result in your messages not being delivered to the real prospects that you do have. What good are those real prospects if your message can’t be delivered to them?
Some proponents of single optin hold the position that it doesn’t matter since email marketing is so inexpensive. “Why should we care if some of the email addresses in our list don’t really exist? Email marketing is so cheap anyway.”
This is a flawed perspective. Those bad email addresses could be costing you more than you realize.
Not only is your deliverability affected, meaning that your message may not be getting through to even the good email addresses, but you may be overpaying your autoresponder service provider.
AutoResponder companies like Aweber, GetResponse, Constant Contact, iContact, etc… charge on a sliding scale meaning the larger your list, the more you will pay each month.
When their system looks at your account, they see the total number of prospects. So if you have 5,000 records but only 3,000 are actually deliverable, you are paying too much.
The idea behind using technology like autoresponders and email marketing should be to help your business increase sales while reducing expenses. Using single optin to build your email marketing lists could cost you not only in efficiency but also in your pocketbook.
To learn more about TrafficWave.net’s Double Optin AutoResponder system with proven highest deliverability, visit us online at http://www.trafficwave.net/.
Posted in Email Marketing | 11 Comments »
How To Succeed With Email Marketing
October 7th, 2009
More and more businesses are turning to Email Marketing to increase sales while reducing overall marketing expenses.
AutoResponders are powerful tools to use in your overall email marketing strategy. Here are some keys to creating and managing successful Email Marketing campaigns for your business:
1. Add AutoResponder Subscription Forms To Your Web Site! You’ve worked hard to bring targeted visitors to your web site. Adding subscription forms helps you capture valuable contact information from those visitors that otherwise might just be looking for now.
2. Offer something of value to your visitors in exchange for them giving you their contact information. This could be a free report, a free download, a coupon or discount offer, etc…
3. Backup Your Lists! Once you start building your lists, the last thing you want is to lose them for any reason. Make a point of protecting your valuable asset by backing up your lists regularly.
4. Personalize Your Messages! Your Email Marketing messages are much more likely to be read by your prospects when you personalize the subject line and content. Personalization can be as basic as adding their name to your messages or as complex as adding more details such as account history, demographic information, etc.. Most AutoResponder systems provide simple tools for adding personalization.
5. Focus On List Building. Your advertising should be directed toward getting prospects to a capture form so they can request your information. “The Fortune Is In The List”.
6. Manage Lists Responsibly. Your visitors have given you their contact information in exchange for some benefit such as information, download, software, discounts, etc… Treat your prospects with respect. Send relevant and timely information. The better your rapport with your lists, the better your sales will be.
7. Track Your Results! Monitor all aspects of your Email Marketing campaigns such as open rates, click-throughs, etc… to be sure you are getting the best possible results as you mail your lists.
By following these guidelines, you can help assure your success with Email Marketing with AutoResponders.
The value of a well targeted and managed email marketing list is impossible to overstate. In addition to cost savings, responsible email marketing strategies can dramatically reduce the amount of time it takes to move your offer from concept to sale.
For more information on how you can use AutoResponders to manage your Email Marketing lists and campaigns, visit TrafficWave.net LLC.
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