I'm getting some disturbing emails from Virtual Assistants, and I sincerely hope this isn't the beginning of a trend. My personal email address has magically ended up on a few Virtual Assistants' email lists. And when I get these emails, there is no option for me to unsubscribe myself.
This bothers me a lot - because not only is it annoying - it undermines the credibility many VA's have worked so hard to build for themselves and for their industry. I suspect these particular VA's purchased mailing lists with my email on it, instead of building their own.
If you're going to buy a list, make sure you know how the names got on the list in the first place. Make sure the names on that list actually want your emails.
If you're going to promote your business via email marketing, always tell your recipients how they can unsubscribe from your list, in every email you send out.
A newsletter program like AWeber or Ezine Director will automatically include an unsub link for you. AWeber is very affordable and offers a free trial period. Ezine Director has a free option while you're growing your list. So, there's really no excuse for not including one, and it's quite rude not to.
I regularly outsource work to other Virtual Assistants, and anyone who sends me unwanted email is immediately crossed off my list of possibilities.
2 comments:
I completely agree with you! I can't stand getting emails like this either, so why would I send one (the whole "Do unto others" concept!)
However, I DO send out brief and to-the-point emails to contacts that could benefit, or know someone who could benefit from a particular service I may be offering - or even a service that someone else is offering that might be up their alley. But it's never an email blast to people I don't know.
Great post. It addresses a bone that I've wanted to pick for a while now!
What you've described is exactly how email marketing SHOULD be done. :) Emailing people you actually know, instead of total strangers, will bring you better results too.
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