Recently, while browsing the net, I stumbled upon a website that politely requested I "get on their list." And while I can appreciate the sentiment of the company wanting to keep in touch and make sure that they are regularly communicating with their online community, having someone tell me "I'm on their list" makes me think they have a hit out on my head.
So maybe not everyone immediately jumps to assassination when opting into a mailing list, but it is harder and harder for companies to grow an internal database of opted in prospects who want to hear the news and offers about a given industry. People are more and more protective of personal information, and even enticing offers, giveaways, and "member only" specials are not enough to get people to provide that precious contact information.
Getting in touch doesn't have to be a struggle though. There are a few ways to encourage opt ins to an internal list for future direct mail and email campaigns.
#1- Bite the Bullet and Buy a Targeted mailing list
Direct marketing can be a fickle business. Perfect design, compelling copy writing, or even outrageous offers are never enough to elicit a response from an audience who is not well suited to receive the materials. There are plenty mail houses and print shops that are happy to "spray and pray" their clients direct mail- sending to all the residences of a particular zip code, targeted mailing lists can achieve exponentially higher response rates, and all those that respond can be added to a growing internal list (not to mention, drum up some business in the mean time).
#2 ASK!
Just like I was solicited online for my information, adding an opt in page to you website, or Facebook page is a nice way to encourage people to stay in touch with out being over aggressive in solicitation. Publishing a free "e-zine", blog, or guestbook for your website are a few other ways to let your customers know you want to keep the dialog open. Opt in forms are also a good place to mention that your company will not sell information, and after opting in, contact will be limited.
#3 Contribute relevant, content- half as often as you think you need it.
One of the best ways to encourage people to opt out of receiving your materials is to overwhelm their mailbox and inbox with junk. When someone opts into a list, it is because want to be updated on the important happenings of a company, not every time some one gets a fresh cup of coffee. So if you are going to be regularly contacting a mailing list make sure that you are offering up only information that they will find entertaining, and offers that they can look forward to redeeming.
