Opt-in e-mails often are personalized, targeted and convey information regarding specific promotions or topics that clients are interested and concerned to learn about.

Usually opt-in e-mails include product information, newsletters, helpful articles and advices or special advertising offers. When for instance a user frequents a certain website selling music and books online, he can “opt in” to accept publications or notices each time his favorite musician or author releases a new material; promotional e-mails may also grant the user with a discounted offer only available for individuals in the “opt-in” list.

Even though this direct targeted email marketing and promotion is more expensive compared to bulk unsolicited email, surveys do reveal that this is more effective.

Opt-in email has many forms. The ‘single opt-in” list is established by inviting or requesting users to sign up through a “web form”. The moment they send the form, they are enrolled to be a member of that list.

You can take it a little further by adding another step, which is requiring all recent members to confirm or verify their subscription through email; this list then is commonly referred to as a ‘double opt-in”.

Confirmed or verified opt-in authenticates and supports that the email list truly is approved; this came to be the basis for qualifying the list as a recognized, “non-spam” method of communication in the business.

There are several businesses on the internet that can rent you a list of email addresses of individuals who opted to accept a commercial email. In most cases, they in actuality are not renting the list as you will not have any chance of seeing the concrete list. These companies charge a fee for every email address that they mail your message to.

As long as all who receives the email are not paid in order that they read the messages, as long as they are truly interested with the offers that they have signed up, this method of marketing may be profitable.

The problem here in most cases is that they charge between 10-20 centavos per email address as well as mailing it to a considerable amount of list so to obtain wonderful results; this can be relatively expensive. However when you can afford it, you will create excellent targeted traffic.

What about “opt-in series” email promotion?

Opt-in ‘series” email promotion or marketing works in such a way that you offer a charming and appealing free sample, gift, article or giveaway at your website, generally works successfully through a pop window and when visitors collects their freebie, then they are obliged to type in their email address and name. Now they are already subscribed to receive a series of your personalized and scheduled email reports and messages pre-written by you. The best series type is that which supplies free helpful and valuable information regarding a certain subject that can solve your customers” problem.

A good quality “email series” will establish good relationships with prospect clients, which is something is more valuable and a point that is often overlooked by many online businesses. This approach can be personalized and fully automated as soon as you have done the structuring and setup work.

Here are guidelines so to be safe:

1. Never purchase someone else’s “opt-in lists”. The clients who opted or choose to receive email messages in that certain list wants receive email information from somebody else and not you.

2. Never purchase and use those types of programs called ‘millions of email addresses plus a bulk emailer program”.

3. Never sell your email list to someone else as well. Clients want to receive mail from you because in the first place, they want the information that you are providing them.

4. Consider a ‘double-opt-in” email procedure when gathering your very own list of emails from your website.

5. Do not use false header on your messages. Meaning, do not attempt to conceal your identity.

6. Never advertise or promote your website on all mailing lists newsletter whereby it was not collected through ‘double-opt-in”.

7. Without delay, fulfill and meet any request of removal from the list. Create a link that is simple to follow on all emails that you send.

When working on a plan, begin by asking yourself and determining the amount of e-mail addresses that you desire to obtain each month. Then, figure out the location or where your target clients frequent as well as the cost in order to obtain visitors to your website so you can invite or request them to “opt-in” to your list.

Good luck.

However, even if email marketing is getting more popular, it is somewhat getting a notorious image because of spammers. Spam is a term used for unsolicited emails which marketers use to be able to convey their marketing message. There has been a lot of action that has taken place in different states against spamming. One can actually be sued because of spamming.

Surveys have shown that around 70% of people who receive spam emails are somewhat annoyed or agitated. Majority of people don’t even open emails from suspicious senders or from people and companies whom they don’t recognize. They open emails from persons and companies whom they recognize and have affiliations with. This is the drama in the email marketing field.

However, email marketing is not coming to its end yet. There are ways on how to legally and ethically send marketing messages through electronic mail. One of the ways is “permission-based” email marketing.

Permission email marketing, as the name implies, takes into consideration the consent of the receiver in accepting emails containing marketing materials. Permission can be expressed or implied. Expressed permission is solicited when people check a box which states that they would want to receive email updates and marketing materials regarding a certain product or service. When they click on the ‘terms of agreement” of a certain website, it can be considered that there is an implication of consent to receive certain email messages.

There are a lot of advantages that permission email marketing gives a promoter as compared to spamming. Here are some of them:

1) Legality

As mentioned above, spamming is considered as an illegal activity and some states have developed laws and measures to be able to stop spammers. Permission-based email marketing is perfectly legal and this erases the risks and possible costs that are associated with being sued.

2) Ethical

Permission email marketing is seen as an ethical alternative to spamming. Even if one is not sued for spamming, it doesn’t imply that people are not irritated by the unsolicited emails. Sending marketing materials that are permitted by the receiver are given a “go-signal” and is considered totally ethical.

3) Promotes a good image

Companies which employ spamming activities to be able to market their products are instantly hated by the people who receive their emails. Permission-based email marketing gives a company and its product a good corporate image and therefore more appreciated by the targeted audience.

4) Target audience

Permission email marketing channels precious resources to the right audience. Spamming throws marketing efforts as if the promoter is blind. People who give their consent to receive emails regarding topics which are appealing to them are people who are willing to spend money for products in that field. Therefore, the right target market is reached rather than carelessly spreading the marketing message.

5) Avoids costs

Permission based email marketing avoids added costs. Aside from channeling resources to reach the right audience, permission marketing avoids costs that are associated by being sued by people who have been much irritated by spam emails. Other sanctions that are involved with spamming includes the loss of the company’s ISP.

6) Appreciation

Email marketing that is permitted is accepted by people with open arms. Spamming is not really accepted by the public and it is best that one does not engage in this activity.

A survey was done by a company called IMT Strategies in 2001 regarding the effects of permission email marketing versus the response that people make from receiving unsolicited email. 48% of people who receive marketing materials with their permission are curious to read the emails while only 16% are interested to read unsolicited email. The number of people who deleted email marketing messages with permission are half of those who deleted unsolicited email.

Permission email marketing gives certain advantages against spamming. It is a legal and ethical way of marketing through electronic mail and receives acceptance from the target audience.