Email correspondence is DEAD. Why I asked class of mine recently how many of the emails were considered junk mail I received answers like 75%, 80% and even 90%. A communication tool that we still heavily rely on is not having the success rate that it did 5 years ago. Email marketers are slowly learning that you can’t just buy a database of emails and start spamming.
Permission marketing is a concept I learned from Seth Godin. He shares the idea that since we are bombarded with marketing messages all day long we are becoming immune to traditional advertising. Now we must not only ask for email addresses but we must follow up with the question, “Would you mind if I kept in touch with you by email?” or “Is it okay to send you my email newsletter?”. Now you have explicit permission to keep in touch by email.
Give people the option to opt out of receiving emails will keep you on good terms and preserve your reputation. I had someone say, “I can’t believe my best friend asked me to remove them from receiving emails after knowing them for the last fifteen years.” Let’s face it. Not everyone wants to receive email as a preferred method of communication and we should respect their decision.
Asking for permission to email and sending timely, quality content, that is relevant to their specific needs will increase the success rate of clicks, to calls, to closes. My
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