More questions -- and answers -- about keeping your legitimate opt-in e-mail messages out of the "trash bin."

Judging from the responses to the last "Marketing Tips" Newsletter ("Rescue your legitimate opt-in e-mail messages from the 'trash bin' with these lessons from the FTC spam conference!"), navigating the world of spam and spam filters is an ongoing concern -- and challenge -- for "Marketing Tips" subscribers like you.

Many of you expressed frustration about dealing with spam filters and figuring out the "rules of the game." So I wanted to take the opportunity to tackle a few of the questions we received about the last issue, and share the answers with all of my subscribers so you can apply them to your own business. Let's get started...

QUESTION: "I sent an email promoting two information eBooks I had produced to camcorder clubs who might be seeking technical information for their members and newsletters. All but one club loved the contribution. One individual got very nasty and created a real fuss. As luck would have it my ISP saw both sides of the story and was very helpful in resolving the matter.

The point I would raise is: Where do you start and stop when 99 out of 100 people seek and want information?"

-- Roger Jeakings

ANSWER: Using e-mail to reach other businesses (and in your case, clubs) has definitely been complicated by the whole spam issue. After all, one of the keys to success in business is negotiating joint ventures and partnerships. Whether you're offering to exchange links or proposing joint ventures with related but non-competing sites, it will always mean sending an e-mail message out of the blue.

Now, when it comes to marketing a product, here's the rule of thumb: If someone hasn't requested information from your company or purchased your products, they shouldn't be on your list.

But in your case, you had some material you wanted to contribute (always a good strategy) to these clubs' newsletters, and most of the clubs welcomed it. So how do you avoid having these legitimate business messages seen as spam?

First of all, make sure you're sending the message to the right person. Many business sites will have a section on partnerships or business development, where you can find the contact information for their business development team. They usually have addresses like marketing@mybusiness.com, partnerships@mybusiness.com, or biz_dev@mybusiness.com that are obviously set up specifically to deal with proposals.

Taking care to find out who you should be dealing with does take more time, but it's guaranteed to be way more effective. Think about phone strategies: If you call a company and start trying to sell your software to the receptionist, you'll be seen as nothing but a nuisance. But if you take the time to get the name and number of the person responsible for joint ventures, then you'll have a more receptive audience.

By the same token, take the time to personalize each message, and -- when appropriate -- mention specifics on how you can work together, or why it makes sense to link your web sites. The more the other person sees that you've taken the time to visit their site and think the proposal through, the more professional you'll look, and the better reception you'll get.

Also, make sure your proposal makes sense. If you send a link exchange proposal to a web site that has no obvious connection to yours, you'll look like an amateur -- and a spammer.

Of course, no matter how careful you are, some of your business correspondence may still be treated like spam. Fly-by-night operators have made things more difficult for the rest of us by sending out bulk mailings for everything from toner cartridges to hosting services.

Don't let that deter you from pursuing legitimate joint ventures with other businesses: So long as your message is targeted and professional -- and you're not selling something -- you're on solid ground.

QUESTION: "I have been collecting e-mail addresses from my customers when they complete a purchase. Can I send them e-mail about new products and related topics without getting into trouble?"

-- Michael Craig

ANSWER: One of the signs of legitimate e-mail marketing is that you're communicating with people you already have a relationship with. If someone purchases a product from you and you're releasing updates or a new version, then you can safely contact them in the context of that relationship.

The only exception to this would be that you cannot e-mail customers who have asked to be removed from your mailing list.

Here's another rule of thumb: Only contact your list members about topics that make sense based on your relationship. If I buy your collectibles eBook and then you turn around and send me an e-mail promoting a herbal remedy, or something else that has nothing to do with our previous dealings, then it's going to be received as spam.

Then there's the middle ground: If someone bought that eBook on selling collectibles -- or if they subscribe to your regular newsletter on the subject -- and you contact them about a related service that will help them sell even more, chances are they'll be receptive, because the connection is obvious, and your message makes sense, given the relationship.

Part of the challenge is to make two things very clear at the top of your message:

1. What is your relationship with this customer? How do they know you?



2. What does this message have to do with this relationship?

Here's an example of a message that does a good job on both counts:

Dear Janet,

I hope you've been enjoying the "Selling Collectibles" eBook you purchased on January 12, 2003.

If you've already read Chapter 3, you know how important it it is to be able to accept credit card purchases online. But getting a merchant account isn't always easy -- especially when you're just starting out.

So I wanted to let you know about a service I use...

Right away, Janet knows how you got her e-mail address, who you are, and what your relationship is.

Chances are you can pull this kind of information from your existing customer files. Merging it into your message is remarkably easy to do with a good e-mail automation program or service.

Many web site owners go a step further by giving their customers a clear choice whenever they collect e-mail addresses on an order form during a purchase. This can be a simple as including a checkbox beside the space for their e-mail address, and the words:

Yes! I want to receive updates about related products and services, including special "members only" discounts.

If a customer checks the box, then you can add them to your list, knowing that they're interested in what you have to send them. Keep in mind that the wording you use is important, and that there has to be a clear benefit to reward them for giving their permission.

QUESTION: "You said that you should make sure your customers and readers know who you are but if they don't read your e-mail and don't recognize your inbox address or message then what?"

-- Lorretta Wingert

ANSWER: With the volume of mail -- spam and legitimate -- that people get in their inboxes, you have to do everything you can to make sure they recognize your messages among all the other e-mails.

Here are a few crucial steps to follow if you want your customers and subscribers to recognize your mail right away:

1. Before they even sign up for your newsletter, let them know what to expect. Here's an example:
   
   "Enter your name and e-mail address NOW to get our monthly
   "Golf Tricks" Newsletter packed with easy-to-use tips that
   will take strokes off of your game!
   
   When someone subscribes, they will already know a couple of important things. First of all, they will know the name of your newsletter. Now when they see a message with "Golf Tricks" Newsletter in the subject line, they'll recognize it. Second, they'll know how often to expect it.



2. Once they've subscribed, be sure to send an immediate autoresponder, thanking them for their subscription (and, of course, providing an unsubscribe link). Take this second opportunity to let them know what they'll get and how often.
   
   Here is an example of a well-crafted confirmation message:
   
   

   Subject: Janet, Welcome to the "Golf Tricks" Newsletter
   
   Hello Janet,
   
   Thank you for subscribing to "Golf Tricks" Newsletter!
   
   Each month, you’ll receive an e-mail from me where I’ll discuss some of our hottest tips that you can apply to your game right away...

   Also, make sure the "From" address you use for this message is the same one you use for your newsletter. Using the same "From" address consistently will help your recipients recognize who the e-mail is from, and decrease the chances of them mistaking your message for spam.

QUESTION: "What if one sends out an advertising e-zine and a person who opted to receive it gets it and really likes it then sends it on to friends they think will like it? Maybe those friends may not and 'they' may report it as Spam. How does one protect themselves from this kind of action? Would it have to be stipulated in an agreement that one cannot 'Forward' the newsletter to anyone?"

-- name tk

ANSWER: Having people forward your e-zine, newsletter, or promotion to friends and family is not a problem at all, since the e-mail will be shown as coming from the person who sent it, and not from you.

In fact, getting your e-mail forwarded can a huge opportunity! This kind of "word of mouth" recommendation is an extremely powerful marketing tool. It's a testimonial from one friend or businessperson to another that will carry more weight than any advertising you could buy.

But while getting your e-mail forwarded once is great, it's even better if you convert that new reader into a subscriber. So you'll want to make sure you do all you can to get the second person to subscribe themselves.

That's why we always include this simple link in all of our newsletters:

To subscribe to our "Marketing Tips" Newsletter, go to the following URL: http://www.marketingtips.com/subscribe.html

Of course, our subscribers aren't interested in this -- they already get the newsletter. But anytime one of our subscribers passes a newsletter along to a friend or business associate, that person can easily get to our subscription page with the click of a mouse.

You can even set up a reward program for people who refer their friends or business associates, like a discount on their next purchase, or a free bonus. If you have an affiliate program set up already, this can be a quick -- and cheap -- way of getting new customers while rewarding loyal ones!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Don't let fear of getting your messages flagged as spam scare you away from legitimate e-mail promotions. A carefully thought-out campaign to a targeted opt-in list that you have a strong relationship with is still one of the best ways to get your message out there! Keep these tips in mind:

• Targeted and appropriate joint venture proposals sent to other companies are a legitimate business strategy. Just make sure that every letter you send is very personal, that there is a clear connection between your businesses, and that you're contacting the right person!



• Only contact your list members about topics that make sense based on your relationship, and remove them from your list if they ask you to.



• Let your subscribers and customers know what they can expect to receive from you (and how often), and then remind them of your relationship early in each message, as this will help them recognize your e-mails.

Make no mistake, getting your e-mails delivered, opened, and read is MUCH harder now than it was just 12 months ago. But if you arm yourself with the right information and the right tools, e-mail marketing can still be an incredible opportunity!

If you've found these answers helpful, keep an eye on your inbox for a very special announcement about a new information resource I'm about to release. Until now, I haven't found a way to give you a COMPLETE A-TO-Z GUIDE that walks you through every single step you have to take and shares all of the strategies we use -- and that you should be using -- to become enormously profitable with e-mail marketing!

So I spent the last few months pouring every ounce of my most up-to-the-minute knowledge, research, and test results -- including samples of my most profitable e-mail campaigns -- into this new eBook that sets a whole new standard for what can be accomplished with e-mail marketing! Keep an eye on your inbox, because I'll be releasing full details about it later this week.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Corey Rudl is the owner of four highly successful online businesses that attract more than 1.8 million visitors per month and generate over $6.6 million each year. He is also the author of the #1 best-selling Internet Marketing course online. To check out his site that's JAM-PACKED WITH THE EXACT INFORMATION YOU NEED to start, build, and grow your very own profitable Internet business, I highly recommend visiting http://www.marketingtips.com/tipsltr.html This guy really knows what he's talking about!