Blogger: Kathleen Y’Barbo
Location: The Woodlands, Texas PR Office
Weather: Warm and humid
Newsletters, e-blasts, and blog tours-oh,my! Is it just me, or does it appear that more and more promotional items are arriving every day in our In-boxes?
Savvy authors are using email and the Internet to connect with readers and network with others. Programs such as Constant Connect (www.constantconnect) and Emma (www.myemma.com) give amateurs the ability to look like professional graphic designers for a minimal monthly fee. Press release services offer disbursement of information to thousands of recipients in minutes. All of this combines to make creating promotional materials easier than ever. But once these masterpieces are created, what is an author to do with them?
Why, collect names and use them with at every opportunity, is the obvious answer. But how? That’s where knowledge of the rules come in. As the laws now stand, an author can only use those names that are given to him or her for that purpose. So how does an author collect names for mailing lists?
One great way is to offer a sign-up sheet at events. Contests are also a way to add to your database. Any fans who write you through your website or publishing house should also be included unless they expressly ask not to be.
This brings me to the opt-out. Any author who mass mails via the Internet should provide recipients a way to choose not to receive any further mailings. The two services I mentioned above, two of many good ones, include a link to accomplish this.
So, what have you done to add names to your database?
I’m taking advantage of the “60 days free” offer from Constant Comment to add a box to my blog allowing people to “join my email list.” So far the response has been lukewarm. However, I get lots of comments left that include (via Blogger profiles) a link to email addresses by the commenters. I also get emails from writers with questions for me. Would you suggest capturing these addresses for later newsletters? There will be an opt-out feature.
A very helpful post… my thanks.
Any services you might recommend for sign-up forms to embed into sidebars of websites, blogs?
Thank you for this thoughtful place for word-apprentices to gather and talk shop… or simply to quietly listen and learn from the master crafters…
Thank you! I had never even heard of those two graphic art companies.
They will go into a file I’m keeping of marketing ideas.
I like the idea of a sign-up sheet at events. I’ve had two speaking opportunities recently: a Women In Touch confence and a commencement speech. I hadn’t thought of offering a sign-up sheet.
So thanks for the tips.
The rule of thumb on harvesting email addresses is to send only to those who want to receive. My understanding is if someone makes the first contact with you then that is sufficient indication they want to receive responses from you. Anyone know different on this?
Side bars and other website goodies are definitely not my area of expertise, Richard. My own website, which is being completely overhauled by the brilliant minds at Pulsepoint Designs, will have a sign up bar but Kelli and her geniuses will be handling the design and creation of this. I suggest you find a web designer whose work you like and brainstorm the issue.
For those looking into the services, I belive the intended service name http://www.constantcontact.com (listed as ‘Connect’ then ‘Comment’ in earlier posts.)
I’ve used a local service similar to myemma (www.pottersemarketer.com) for over a year, and have loved it.
The best part about any of these services is people can sign up themselves, opt out themselves, and change their information themselves.
I started a monthly men’s ministry event newsletter in 2003 – years before thinking I’d be speaking at conferences or writing a book. As the mailing list grew managing the emails became a burden – these services are well worth the $30 or so per month!! My newsletter is now nearing 600 men and churches per month (400 direct) but managing the emails is a breeze.
At conferences or other speaking engagements, I generally have drawings at the booth and pass a sign up sheet around in the workshops. The drawings have a clear “Drawing Entry ONLY” option, and I send an Intro email shortly after the event thanking them for their interest to confirm their interest and allow the opt out right away in case there was a mistake.
As usual, WORD OF MOUTH is king. Periodically (but not relentlessly) ask people forward it to others who might be interested. I’ve held drawings out of those who forwarded the email with some success.
Kathleen nails it when she says “those who want to receive.” It is far better to have half has many, twice as interested in what you have to say. It’s not really a “Platform” if 980 out of 1000 people consider you SPAM.
I personally am against just adding someone’s email and forcing them to opt out. I refuse 3rd party signups – if someone gives me 10 names who “must” get my newsletter, I forward to the 10 and let them sign up. If I ask someone a question or comment, that does not mean I want to hear every thought that crosses their mind.
I dragged my feet in this area for almost 18 months before signing up, and within a week wish I had jumped in 4 years earlier.
Feel free to post or email me with any other questions – I promise not to add you to my list. : )
Because He Lives!
Rich Gerberding
Chillicothe, IL
Rich@MenofAIM.org
(website overhaul scheduled this summer)
Exactly, Rich. I think one of the worst sins committed in the name of publicity is annoying a potential reader whether it’s by sending him or her unwanted communications or by bombarding unsuspecting inboxes with weekly or (gasp) daily updates from a ministry whose name isn’t but perhaps vaguely familiar.
Another good thing about these services is that they offer a tracking feature that can show the sender who has opened the email. It allows you to direct readers to your website by clicking on graphics, and you can also see who has done that.
A trick I sometimes use to go back and rev up a PR campaign is to harvest the names of those who opened my previous email and send them another email that might be of interest to them. A note of warning here: see the above paragraph. Do NOT bombard your list or give too much when you should only be offering a little.
We want readers not runners! 😀