Golden Rules For Your List Articles | Entrepreneur

By: Richard Butler

When you have an opt-in list, you should not just send your promotional newsletters to them and expect them to buy! Now that you have people on your list and you've worked hard to get them there, don't blow it by sending them out so much promotional material that they simply unsubscribe!

Even thought people have opted in to your list, this does not give you a right to send them emails promoting, promoting and promoting every day. Remember your list can be your golden money earner - treat it like that, respect your list and they will help you profit!

It's also important to ensure that every email you send out has an unsubscribe link attached to every email. This allows people to unsubscribe quickly and easily - make sure it is easy. I have been on too many lists, that ask you to click on a link, sign into a website with your username and password, and then jump thru more loops to unsubscribe! Make it easy not difficult to get off the list!

It's important to use a reliable autoresponder service for the following reasons:

Double opt in procedures. This makes sure that when a person signs up they must confirm their subscription - this goes some way to prove that it was them or a person with access to their email account that signed up. Many autoresponder services and programs will also keep a copy of the IP address (a unique address) that was used to sign up for the email list.

Bounce Features. A good service will automatically take not of any emails that bounce. That is any emails that don't arrive at the address they were meant to go to. If this happens the software will automatically remove the email address from your list

Automatic Unsubscribe. As mentioned above you can opt to have an automatic unsubscribe link added to your messages - this is very advisable.

On a side note, when sending out emails ensure they are well written, with appropriate subject lines. Some marketers put in inappropriate subject links like "you've been paid" or, $100 waiting to be claimed - don't do this. If and when the person opens the emails, it just causes them to be annoyed and they may feel like they have been fooled by you