Email Marketing Tips - Managing Your Data

1. In 'Reporting - Remove Requests', what does 'Yes' and 'No' mean in the
    'Unsubscribed' column?
When a recipient uses the 'unsubscribe' link within your email they're given two options.

'No More Emails' will remove their address from all your Address Books and prevent it from being added again. This is known as an 'unsubscribe' - so 'yes' in the column next to their name indicates that they've unsubscribed from all your future mailings.

However, they can also pick and choose which Address Books they wish to remain a member of. So, for instance, they might want to be removed from your 'monthly newsletter' list, but remain on your 'special offers' list. In which case, they haven't fully unsubscribed - so the column will read 'no'.

It's possible to remove the option for users to pick and choose address books, leaving them to fully unsubscribe or stay with the status quo.

An 'AOL' in that column indicates that the recipient has unsubscribed by using the 'spam can' within their AOL account.



2. Adding a sign-up page to your own site
To add a sign-up page to your website in order to collect email contacts, create an Address Book and find the 'Sign-up code' situated in the Address Book Properties. You can then simply copy-and-paste this onto your site. You can have as many sign-up forms and Address Books as you like.



3. Auto responding to an online sign-up
To send an automatic 'thanks' response to an online sign up, use the 'Sign-up Response' in the Address Book Properties. All sign-up response emails are sent FREE OF CHARGE, and this can be a very useful way of including an opt-out facility.



4. Creating targeted address books
Use the 'Tracked Links Clicked' report to create new targeted Address Books based on recipient behaviour. Clicking a keyword in the 'links' box on the reporting page allows you to export each list of 'clickers' to a new file. You have the option to 'pick columns', allowing you to choose the data you wish to view (including up to 10 additional data fields). The 'Hot Prospects' report is also a good way to easily target.



5. Searching for an entry
To edit an individual's entry in an Address Book, enter their email address or name in the Search boxes and click on the edit pencil. You can then change their details and view campaigns that they have received from you in their User Details.



Tips for buying data:

• What market are you trying to attract? Is this the same as your current market? Does the market that you are trying to attract definitely exist?
• Is the data opt-in? Does the provider adhere to DMA (Direct Marketing Association) guidelines?
• How often has it been updated?
• How was it collected? This is particularly important because different collection methods can have a bearing on the responsiveness of the list. Don't accept vague answers.
• Is the data generic or personal? (eg sales@ or joe.bloggs@)?
• How regularly has it been sent to?
• What kind of campaigns have been sent to the list? And what were responses like?