Email List Best Practices – What not to do when building your list of subscribers!

I’ve been hearing about the importance of building one’s email list for at least fifteen years. I did build a list while running WomenandBiz.com, but I didn’t put much effort into it. I didn’t offer anything for free, except for great content and a subscription to an email that had a summary of articles and links, when a new issue of the site was posted. On occasion I sent an email about an event I was hosting, that I thought was relevant to my subscribers, and when I launched my book, I sent an email to let them know about it, it was a big accomplishment after all.

Here are the annoying things I’ve experienced throughout all these years, which makes me resist building a list again, or sending emails all together. And PLEASE, if you have the habit of doing any of these things, stop, and see if they are truly helping your business:

• When my email is added to lists simply because I gave someone my business card. No, I don’t want to be added unless I choose to input my email address myself. And I’ve never added email addresses to my list without asking.
• I subscribe to many email lists and I rarely open them nowadays, but sometimes the subject line grabs my attention enough that I choose to open it. I even choose to buy from that person and company. However, my PayPal email address is different than the email I use to subscribe to newsletters. Then, BAM! A week later I’m receiving the same email in 2 different email accounts. Could we please evolve, and figure out the technology and if the person’s name is the same, let’s not add another email for the same person, OK? Please, can we be smart about this?
• When people start sending the same promotion over and over – you have a week, you have 3 days, you have 2 days, you have 24 hours, you have 1 hour, sorry the deal is gone but if you act now, you can secure this. Please! Can we just send one email, and a follow up a few days later with a reminder?
• Another thing that annoys me is when you are already subscribing to a newsletter and then there is a free video from the list you already subscribe to, but you can only access the video if you give them your email address again. Are you serious?
• How about after you purchase what they are selling and they keep sending you offers of the same thing? I actually contacted a company once, and asked to be removed from the sales email list since I had already purchased the program. I didn’t want to unsubscribe all together, as I wanted to keep getting the emails regarding the program I had purchased.

Here is what I consider good practices:

• Ask people’s permission to add them to your list. Isn’t it better to have subscribers who do want to hear from you?
• Be respectful of your list; only send the emails you told them you would. If you said you were going to send them every Tuesday, don’t start adding emails on other days of the week.
• Be consistent and send the email on the same day of the week or the month, whatever you promised.
• Ask your subscribers to share the information with others who may be interested in hearing from you and in subscribing. They will be happy too as long as you are providing good value.
• Create an editorial calendar to help you stay on track.
• If you are giving away something for the email addresses, make sure it is extremely valuable.
• Brag about the number of names on your list, not the number of emails. If you have the same name with 3 email addresses, follow up with the subscriber and ask which one is the best for him/her.
• When someone asks to leave the list, just let them go. Like I said before, it’s better to have people who want to read what you have to say. Don’t take it personally! It’s less energy wasted. I know, I know, it’s an online system, but still, focus your energy on those who are interested in hearing from you.
• You can cross-promote with another business who has an email list and you can both build your lists.
• You can be a guest speaker at someone else’s webinar or event, and offer a free gift (a video, an ebook, download of the recording of a webinar you did) if they subscribe to your newsletter.
• Offer great and consistent content on your website, subscribers will look forward to reading your newsletter each week when you add true value.
• Come up with attractive subject lines, and deliver on them.
• This one goes without saying – do not spam or rent or sell your list, ever.

I write blogs about self-love, about trusting yourself, self-help and business. I also host workshops, webinars and events. My newsletter includes a message from me and links to my articles and if I have something coming up I share it as well. When I know of newsletters, articles or topics that can benefit my readers, I may on occasion include them. If you like my blog, and if it helps you in any way, you can enter your email on the top right side of this page. You already know where I stand. If you don’t want to receive any more emails, I hear you! You can know when I posted a new article by following me on Twitter at @womenandbiz.

Did I leave anything out? Please help us grow the list of best practices by sharing your experience and comment below.