Philippine Business Blog

Some marketers think that they are clever enough by sending proposals to prospected clients through their e-mails, albeit without their permission nor consent. While they may get a response or two, chances are they are actually seen upon as spammers, nuisance or worse, desperate marketers.

While e-mail marketing is a very convenient way to reach to customers, there is a way that one will not be viewed upon as a spammer or nuisance. And that is by making sure that the prospect agrees to be sent e-mails every now and then, especially if there are some announcements that greatly concerns them.

A good example are the warehouse clubs wherein within the application for membership is a box asking the applicant if he wants to receive advice via e-mail. And every time there a sale, new product arrivals, special promo and other important announcements, warehouse club members who checked the box will receive their e-mail notice. This way, a relationship is maintained between the member and the club. Since a database of member’s information are kept, even electronic birthday cards are sent to make the member feel special.

If you have a blog, you can get their ‘permission to send e-mail’ from your site by placing boxes that they could check to signify their agreement on your intentions to send them newsletter and other electronic correspondences. Be sure that they will do this knowingly and consciously, do not trick them by pre-checking the box for them or some other stuff that might confuse them and be in your e-mail list without their full knowledge.

Then as a matter of courtesy, be sure that they always have the option to opt-out of your e-mail list. That will allow them to be in control and this will reflect on you as someone who is considerate of their feelings.

And even if you already have an offline relationship with some customers, don’t ever think that you can send them e-mail without prior consent. Marketing is all about building relationship with your customers, years of offline relationship built through time might be destroyed by just a single invasion of their privacy through a single e-mail. Make sure that this simple matter is not overlooked.