Opt-in email lists offer a permission-based approach to acquiring customer and reader email addresses. Individuals on opt-in email lists sign up to receive emails, news, advice or product offers. Operators of opt-in email lists often allow external companies to advertise through their email communications. The benefits of advertising to opt-in email lists are that the readers on the list are pre-qualified, obtained with permission and they are aware that they may receive messages that contain advertising. Successful advertising using opt-in email lists requires that you find lists containing people who would be interested in your product or service.
Instructions
1. Identify the target audience for the product or service you want to advertise. Create a profile for your ideal client, so that you can select your opt-in lists accordingly. Include age, income, gender, marital status, interests and any other information specific to your target audience.
2. Come up with a list of measurable goals you can use to determine the success of your opt-in email advertising effort. Goals can be financial or strategic, and can include anything from acquiring 50 new names to securing 20 new orders. Create a budget to indicate how much you can spend on your effort. Advertising costs vary list to list.
3. Either search on your own for lists or hire a list broker to find lists that meet your budget and customer profiles. Email opt-in lists and brokers are searchable on the Direct Marketing Association's list services website. Find brokers by clicking "list services" and then "list brokers." Find your own opt-in list by clicking "mailing lists."
4. Request or have your broker request media or advertising kits from the companies whose lists interest you. Review the kits to determine the company's audience, how often they send emails and when, how much they charge for their placement and the type of content they typically include in their email messages.
5. Contact the list owner to arrange payment and a date to run your advertisement. Prepare your art files and send them to the list owner before your scheduled placement date. Ask the list owner to send you a test of the email message she intends to send to her opt-in list. Review the test and check your advertisement for placement, presentation and errors.
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