Probably one of the most unconsidered aspects of marketing is your email Service, yet it is critical to all that you do in this type of advertising.
There are basically two (2) kinds of Email service: Web based like Yahoo, G-Mail, MSN, Hotmail and AOL and POP3 commercial accounts. The web-based services tend to be free. Commercial pop3 email boxes you must pay for. The majority of ISP companies provide web-based email services.
Some web-based email services have POP3 features. Do not let that confuse you however, because the email script ITSELF remains web based. It is not the POP3 commercial script which is necessary for services like a Validation program.. The two services are on completely different scripts. Web-based services are NOT compatible with Validation and Box Cleaning software. Those are two critical factors in your safelist submitter marketing. Also, free email services tend to be banned at the majority of safe lists found in the submitters.
If you own websites and have email associated with those websites, several factors also make those accounts bad choices for marketing. Number one factor is that most website providers and hosting services which give you email features have it in their TOS that you are NOT allowed to use that emailservice for marketing purposes. Cpanel providers tend to be especially marketing unfriendly and will cancel your accounts with them if they feel you are receiving 'excessive email.'
So, as you set up your marketing portfolio - keep these points in mind:
Points to remember when choosing and then using your email services:
* Many internet provider email services are NOT marketing friendly and are commonly banned at Safelists. They have aggressive filters in place which reject incoming email - even when you have ASKED to receive email from someone or some program. Remember, you are considered a commercial marketer and you are using email services in your business.
Most email service providers are in the business of providing email services to individuals for private - not commercial - use. You need email services geared for providing commercial services.
* It is best not to use AOL, Earthlink, Juno, NetZero, MSN, Hotmail, Netscape, your ISP dial-up, DSL, cable service provided email or even your own personal cpanel or other personal website provided email service for your marketing. Most of these services have it in their TOS that subscribers are not allowed to use their email services for commercial advertising or marketing purposes. If you defy their TOS, they will (and do) delete your accounts and deny you service.
* Web based services are NOT compatible with box cleaning and validation software. It is critical you use POP3 email with your safelist submitter memberships.
* In your Yahoo Group marketing, you must use Yahoo Email.
* Always set up email accounts to handle your marketing - including a seperate Contact email account. NEVER use your 'real' or personal email for Contact. You will receive commercial email from Admins at the programs you join, especially from the safe lists Admins.
* If your marketing email service has an autoresponder - DO NOT USE IT. All the venues and programs we will be discussing do NOT allow autoresponders.
With all this in mind, take steps now to set up a number of marketing email accounts which you will use in various programs. Some tips:
* Use commercial POP3 email services for your Safelist Submitter accounts.
* Stand-alone safe lists may sometimes allow Yahoo. You will need to consult their TOS. G-Mail is fine for those safe lists not found in submitters. In these cases you are only joining a few lists so can manage hand validating your emails to activate those accounts.
* Set up several marketing accounts on your free email services like G-mail and Yahoo. Those are fine for ffa marketing and etc.
* Set up a specific email with Yahoo to handle JUST your Yahoo Groups.
