How Can We Build and Maintain a Mailing List of a High Standard

The mailing list we use in order to send newsletter is very important. In fact it is the target audience we address. These are the people that we expect to purchase a product/service and therefore it is important to categorize and get familiar with our mailing list so we can establish a long term connection. 

What is a list of high standard?

From a technical aspect, a mailing list can be defined as a high standard if it stands up to the following stipulations:

Producing major activity - the percentage of clicking on links through mail is high. People relate to the content that we have sent them and as a result they respond, or provide feedback to our request to click on the different links. For example, a referral to read a continuation to an essay, a referral to carry out an order or a referral to read additional material in our Internet site.

Increasing activity in the Internet site - A referral in a newsletter to a mailing list of a high standard also necessarily leads to an increase of activity in the Internet site, a datum worthwhile examining by using activation control in the site, while combining it with the data of usage in the newsletter itself.

Creating references - people react to a mail send to them through return mail, or a form used for contacting purposes (in case it exists in the newsletter). Through the references we receive, we can read the customers' impressions from the material send to them, and learn from their requests for additional information as well as receipt of purchase orders.

Few mails are sent back - mails that are sent back are defined as those that were sent back by the Internet server and for different reasons didn't reach their destination. We can expect very few erroneous addresses in a good list. One of the reasons for the very few erroneous is the fact that the recipient indeed filled their accurate electronic address in the form we placed at the site. This fact indicates their intention to receive mail and not just because we compelled them to fill the form in order to proceed to the next page. Alongside, there can be a situation that a list which was used to be good, gotten old and therefore some of the addresses are no longer activated.

Few unsubscribe - when very few people, if any, request to be taken out from the mailing list, it means that the recipients are familiar with the sender and they know they were registered to receive mails. Similarly goes for the content of the newsletter if it is relevant for them. By not erasing their address the recipients are signaling to us that they are interested in receiving the newsletter.
These terms can be measured easily with the use of a professional electronic mail system.

How to build and maintain a superior mailing list

Actually, even before you begin to send out newsletters, it is necessary to find out whether you can respond correctly the following questions:

Who are the people in your mailing list?
The recipients that are about to receive the newsletter can come from a variety of fields and backgrounds, but they must have something in common which you should identify. It can involve a potential customers, partners, suppliers, and existing clientele.
It is possible that a list may contain sub-groups that have a different common denominator for example the same geographical region, a specific age range, the type of products they have purchased or were interested in purchasing etc. In case your list is sufficiently large, it is worthwhile to consider a separate mailing list for each of the sub groups.

What do they expect to receive from you?
It is essential to provide an answer to this question in order to match the content of the marketing presentation to the expectations of those registered. Let's assume that your list contains recipients from a wide age range, if you will sent "a hot sale for youngsters at the age of 18" and 70% of your mailing list recipients are above the age of 18, the result will be unsuccessful. If for example, you will send a boring or an irrelevant content to your subscribers, very soon the people will unsubscribe themselves from your list or simply will stop opening the newsletter.

What drives them to join the mailing list?
It is important to explain your subscribers what will they receive for registering. Sometimes we will propose those who register "only" information such as articles, tips etc. Sometimes there is a need to offer something else in return, for example sending mails in regard to discounts or sales. There is a possibility that we will enable the use of demo new software, for a limited period, or we will promise to send a coupon that will provide the possibility to receive a sample of the product.

In regard to such cases it is possible to point out that the people who add their address to the list, with no specific guarantee or reward, are actually telling us that they are interested in our newsletter only due to its content and that is what truly interests them. This point turns them to an excellent target audience for our newsletter. It is necessary to remember - if you offer something in return to registering, some will subscribe solely for that reason.

When did they subscribe?
It is recommended to send a return mail to recipients in proximity to the date they joined the mailing list. That is due to their expectation to receive information, if it will be sent at a later date it might no longer be relevant. It is necessary to strike while the iron is hot.

If a mail will not be sent to the recipient in a certain proximity to the registration date, the momentum will be lost. One of the ways to solve the proximity matter is by automatically sending "an introduction letter", where you welcome the recipient for joining the mailing list and informs him in several sentences what the newsletter is about and what issues it discusses.

How to recruit and categorize recipients?
There are several ways to construct a mailing list. It is possible that different people will join the list in different ways. For example: there is an option of placing a form at the Internet site and invite people to join the mailing list.

Sometime we would want to use a registration form that will require a double opt-in which means that following registration through the electronic form placed in the site, a mail will be sent to the address provided, where the recipient will be requested to confirm registration. Only then he will be added to the list.

It is feasible to use the double opt-in form in several cases:

• In case that the law requires to do so. For example, the anti spam law in Europe - oblige to send mails only to those who confirmed their subscription to the mailing list.
• In case we want to make sure that the recipient information is correct we can mail him a password or a link to the Internet page, while the use of the password or the clicking on the link will create a confirmation in regard to the validity of the mail address provided by the recipient.

It is feasible for different businesses to collect data in different ways. Each business entity is recommended to install a registration form at the Internet site; it is a cheap tool that is available and enables an automatic entry to the information of the different databases. It is possible to place on each page of the Internet site a form that enables entry of the electronic mail address in order to join the mailing list. It is also possible to add a referral to the form in the navigation menu at the site. It is important to allow an easy and simple subscription, don't expect the recipient to bother browsing through all the pages in the site in order to add his address.

It is possible to try and get additional information from the recipient, in regard to his/her preferences: Frequency of mailing, information he/she is interested in etc, it is recommended to remember that a form that is too long might lead the recipient to give up registering.

Additional way to gather addresses is to ask potential clients that already contacted you whether they are interested in receiving e-mails. It is recommended to offer subscription to the mailing list also to existing clients, suppliers, business associates and different intermediaries.

Sometime we will simply want to increase our recipients database in order to catch clients that arrive by chance, for example if customers walk into our store and make a purchase we can offer them to join our members club or even offer a discount at their next purchase in the store, in order to encourage them to register.

The incentive provided to those who join the mailing list

Another way to obtain addresses is by presenting an offer to join a sweepstake, if the possibility exists. In such cases, people will have higher motivation to register and they also will register others. Many times you can see companies offering a significant prize such as a vacation abroad or a car. Obviously the registration is subjected to providing the mail address.

In such cases there is a high probability that the recipient will feed his correct information since he is interested in winning the said prize. Of course it is advisable to immediately send an "Introduction letter". It is of a great importance, since the minute the recipient receives the mail in regard to "your participation in the sweepstake - a grand prize of a trip to Thailand", most chances are that he will open this mail in order to see whether he really won. The sooner the mail is sent, in proximity to the registration date, the chances that the recipient will remember why did he registered will be higher and the percentage of opening that specific mail will be greater.

Segmentation of a the mailing list

In cases of a "mass" database containing potential recipients, it is recommended to send them a mail that contains links in different subjects. Each recipient will click on the link that interests him. In case we have a proper system for follow up we can segment the list according to the clicking, and in the future we can send an additional information to the recipient in the subject he showed interest.

The worse solution - Acquiring a mailing list

Acquiring a mailing list is the worse solution. Sending mail to an acquired mailing list, even if it is segmented, is not a good idea since most people will not even open a mail from someone they don't recognize or don't know. The damage done to the image of the sender for sending a mail that isn't permitted is of a great extent. Usually the recipient develops an antagonism toward a company or an organization that have made a use of an acquired mailing list.