[webproducers] Re: Web Design firm marketing
- From: "Tim Slavin (Red House Communications, LLC)" <tim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <webproducers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 4 Feb 2003 19:58:48 -0500
I'm in the same boat. Here's what I've looked at if it helps.
MarketingSherpa.com, ClickZ.com, and MarketingProfs.com have lots of
articles about building mailing lists. You'll get a decent education.
Quick summary: whenever you send against your list, be sure to break it
into at least two mailings so that you can test subject lines, offers,
and the other elements of your email (e.g., From line, copy). Your
website should also have a sign up box, if you don't already. You also
have to have something of value to offer every time you mail, to avoid
being seen as a nuisance. A weblog is one way to generate content
regularly that you could bundle into a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly
newsletter. You should use double opt-in to help if/when you have to
handle spam complaints.
On the tool side, if you have not already, check out tools like MojoMail
(mojo.skazat.com) and phpList (www.phplist.com). You might also want to
look at EzineManager (www.ezinemanager.com) who offer great reporting
and free up to 2499 emails a month.
On the direct marketing side, in the real world, meat space, you might
look at postcard marketing (www.postcardmarketingsecrets.com). It's
something different. Vendors like Modern Postcards
(www.modernpostcards.com) and Amazing Mail (www.amazingmail.com) have
decent lists (about .13/address with some targeting), help you with
design, print the cards, and let you use their bulk mail account to get
.22/piece mailing cost. Something to consider. You would need to mail at
least 3 cards against your list to get a decent response. The website
has a good explanation of what it's about if it interests you.
The problem with mailing lists is keeping them current. Using an
automated tool makes it much easier online than it is offline. In the
real world you have to rely on the vendor selling you the names. If you
go that route, be sure to ask what the bounce back rate is. It should be
no more than 10% bad addresses and the vendor should have a rigorous
update policy.
Whatever you do, don't buy a million email addresses on a CD for $25.
8-)
Tim
tim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.reachcustomersonline.com
-----Original Message-----
From: webproducers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:webproducers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Michael James
Pinto
Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 12:34 PM
To: webproducers-list
Subject: [webproducers] Web Design firm marketing
Does anyone on this list have any experience buying mailing lists? I
need to grow my web design firm past the "word of mouth" state and I'm
thinking of doing some direct mail.
Being a good project manager I've started to do my own research - but
any personal recommendations would be important to me as I can't trust
the advertising that I see. My main concern is to reach people who have
authority at their company - and that the list itself isn't dated.
Thanks,
Michael
=====
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| Michael James Pinto
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| http://www.vm.com
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| http://www.anime.com
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