How to get a list

I went to mailermailer.com (years ago), got a script to put on my site letting people sign up, they opt in, mailermailer handles all of that, and I have a nice list for my newsletter, which mailermailer sends out and if there are any complaints, they handle it.

Getting a list the way you describe isn’t a good idea, it’s not targeted, people aren’t opting in for your mail and it just results in spam and spam reports.

You want to send your stuff to people who want to see it. That way everyone is happy and you’ll actually see some results.

Good point. A generic site isn’t targeted. What if I put the quiz as a widget on my site though. Then I will know I have targeted traffic because they found me through the SERPs.

I like your point that it could take years to build up a targeted list though. I guess that is why being an e-mail affiliate is such a hard industry to break into.

Setting up a forum with some clever incentives to get people to sign up is a good way to develop a targeted mailing list

Oh, I like that idea. Get their e-mail for something else and give them the option to be included on a list. I guess in that case you would have to make sure to have them check a box to allow e-mails though and you might have some people uncheck the box.

hi Gregger

in my experience nobody reads T&Cs when joining forums b/c they are all the same 99.9% of the time… so you can slip something in the end which permits you to email them with “related offers”

Obv if someone unsubscribes you can add them to the unsubscribed group in your forum software via backend (I use VBulletin for mine and it’s easy to manage, maintain and bulk-email members or groups)

Unfortunately even if someone did agree to receive these things, and then makes a spam complaint when they receive them, swearing they didn’t sign up, you usually get put on a spam list, then you have to spend lots of time getting your domain off it. Such a pain in the ass.

I actually wish people would take note of where they put their email addresses… it would make it easier for the guys who genuinely got the email from a double opt in.

Thats the next point, get them to double opt in to the newsletter. Better to be safe than sorry.

Double opt ins are obviously the best lists to have as everyone on them has submitted their e-mail, received a confirmation and then clicked a link on it to get put on the list. I just worry that I am going to send out the first e-mail and have it blocked by spam filters or just plain laziness.

What if I just sent an opt in e-mail that said “you have been signed up for this list, do nothing to stay on it, or click here to remove your name”. That would ensure that I didn’t have fake e-mails or people signing up freinds as a joke.

P.S. back in my college days, I did that once… in a prank war signed a guy up for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and a few other recruiter lists. They got a ton of letters, e-mails and calls before they finally got their name removed from everything. He got me back pretty good though, but that is a story for another time.

SIgning email addresses up to midget porn is definitely a good way to get back at someone ” title=”” class=”bbcode_smiley” />

LOL Renee, but now we’re just getting off topic. Plus, remind me never to get in a prank war against and Aussie.

That’s why I use the mailer-mailer script – they handle all complaints and you never get into spam hastles. They know if they take the address it’s not spam and the buck stops with them.