Posts Tagged ‘email appending’
Advice on Email Appending
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008
While many consider email appending the underbelly of electronic marketing, others are convinced it’s a legitimate way of doing business. So, what exactly is email appending? It’s the process of combining two databases of customer information. One database the company owns; however, it lacks the customers’ email addresses. The other database comes from an append vendor, and it contains those customers’ missing email addresses.
There are two types of email lists that an append vendor can offer: opt-in and opt-out. An opt-in list means that all of the customers have responded to an opt-in email and have agreed to be on the business’ marketing list. On the other hand, an opt-out list means that everyone on that list did not respond to the initial opt-in request email. These people chose to either ignore or delete the email, or perhaps it is an old email address. Obviously, opt-in email addresses are more useful, as the customer is 1) responsive and 2) willing to join your list. For that reason, opt-ins will usually cost between $2.00 and $4.00 per address. Opt-outs, because of the customers’ unresponsiveness and non-interest, can usually be purchased for $.05 to $.20 per address.
The Pros and Cons of email appending
The good thing about email appending is that an opt-in list can fill in the missing blanks to your customer database. If done right, email campaigns to customers can lead to increased sales and frequent customer visits to your website. Having an append vendor help to complete your list could be the start to a healthy list that continues to grow, month after month.
The not-so-good-thing about email appending is the opt-out list. It’s important to remember that just because someone didn’t opt-out doesn’t mean they wanted to opt-in. Using an opt-out list means you are using email addresses without the recipients’ permission. If anyone decides to report your company for violation of the CAN-SPAM act, you will never be able to prove that they opted into your list or that you have their permission to email them.
Aside from spamming, opt-out lists are often completely useless; many believe that the absolute best you can hope for is a 2% response rate. However, chances are you may never get a single response from any of these unresponsive customers.
It’s very possible that you may also jeopardize future relationships with your customers. If your once-happy-with-your-company customers find that you are "spamming" them, they may not only complain, they may decide to never visit your website again. While some people just delete unwanted emails, others take notice and offense to the fact that a company they purchased from is now using their private information without permission, and for their own use. They may wonder if you are selling the information to third parties, and feel taken advantage of. It will be difficult, or impossible, to win those once-loyal customers back.
You may be wondering if email appending is even worth it. Many companies have learned the hard way to stay away from them entirely, while others swear they are worthwhile. An opt-in list may be useful as one-time method to completing your database, but from then on it would be best to build and grow your list on your own.
Tags: advice, Carrie Hinkel, E-Commerce and E-Business, email appending, email marketing, Marketing Your Business, online marketing, tips
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