Simply put, marketing is making a connection. And if you’re lucky? A love connection. Love is what keeps someone coming back. Love is an addiction. Love is strong.
Love is also built on trust, so if you plan to email your target audience, make sure they have given you their email address, in the first place. Purchased lists of emails are a no-go. In the days of digital fatigue, a new sender in an inbox is a nuisance. Make sure your readers are expecting you. Make sure they want you to be there. Otherwise, your beautiful, strategically-on-point email is going straight to the trash can or to spam. In other words, it will not be read.
So, how do you get an email list that is truly yours? Three ways, and I’ll talk about them next, romantically speaking, of course.
Romantic Scenario #1: Opt-in section of your website
You’re at the hottest club in town, you’re looking good, and this person locks eyes with you across the room. You smile at them, they smile at you, and before you know it, they’re walking over with their card in hand. A little tete-a-tete, and they say, “Contact me,” with a suggestive smile. You nod slowly with a grin on your face as you slip that card into your pocket. When you return home later that night, you place that card with the others. You add that email address to your ever-growing list.
Now, this part is not necessarily romantic. After all, who has a list? Maybe someone does. Maybe you do. Regardless, if you contact this person now, they are expecting you. They are most likely excited. They will say “yes” to your offer of coffee or lunch.
If, however, you bought their contact information from a third party, also present at the club that night. This person doesn’t know who you are. They don’t trust you. It wasn’t on their terms. They will most likely say “no” to you. You are better off waiting it out, trusting that you will run into this person next weekend. And if it is meant to be, if they can see all of your attributes and appreciate them, they will come to you.
And this, with a romantic twist, is my take on the opt-in section of your website.
Romantic Scenario #2: Pop-ups
Pop-ups are a useful tool on any website. Little windows that magically appear with enticing offers. Pop-ups are roses, in the world of romance. It gets your attention. It makes you pause. Could there be more? Should I give in to this temptation? Now, right away, a rose in the face might be a bit much. It might seem too forward, even awkward, in a contrived and insincere fashion. But what about in time? After a few days together in the office. A few weeks sitting next to one another in class. A rose on one’s desk could be just the thing to take it one step further, and this step could be personal contact information with the promise of a future together. Now, how long is this future? Pop-ups can’t predict or define this. Just like roses can’t. But what they can do is set the wheels in motion. A pop-up at the right time can be a very effective tool. Either plan this after a certain percentage of scrolling on the website has taken place, or you can implement an exit-intent pop-up. Make sure to have an offer they can’t refuse, in exchange for their email address. If you do? You’re in. Add another email address to the list. Cha-ching!
Romantic Scenario #3: Post-Purchase Email
The evening was romantic. An unexpected occurrence where you bumped into each other in the buffet line at a party. You sit together, you talk about things you haven’t talked to anyone about in years. Your dreams, insecurities. Your secret confessions. After the party, you continue on together to the little coffee shop on the corner, just two blocks away. You like the ambiance. You like the company. You each indulge in a mocha latte and exchange witty banter as you play a game of chess that was conveniently placed at your table. As the coffee shop is closing up, you share a kiss outside the door, underneath the street light just as a guy on the bench starts to play his saxophone. It’s perfect. You’re happy with how the night turned out, and you took the leap on that kiss.
Back to digital marketing. That kiss is the purchase, everyone! It is now time to get that contact information. If not now, if not in this situation, then when? This is a must-do. Your list will be solid, and your emails are far more likely to stay out of the dreaded spam folder.
So, now you’ve got your list. You built it yourself. You worked hard for it. You didn’t purchase this list from a third-party. What do you do now? What emails will you send? I will discuss this in my upcoming blog entries.
As for now, they live happily ever after.
The End