CREATING

EMAIL
MARKETING
LISTS

HOW-TO GUIDE
 Creating Email Marketing Lists
HOW-TO GUIDE

Having a solid list of contacts is one of the most important factors in determining the success or
failure of an email marketing campaign. Read the following summary to understand how you can
build a rockhard list.

What is Permission Based Marketing?

Email marketing permission is defined as giving “formal consent” to receive email marketing
messages. Permission cannot be assumed and must be granted by a willing party.

There are a number of ways to gain permission from your target. We recommend that you
explain the value of “opting-in” to the campaign and simply ask for permission. Permission based
campaigns that require an “opt-in” tend to have higher conversion rates, higher retention rates, a
better reputation with prospects/customers and more relevant campaigns.

Models of Acquisition for List Building

Opt-in – This is the most common method of permission. Simply check a box if you would like to
receive our email.

Confirmed Opt-in – This method of permission is similar to the traditional opt-in but follows up
with an email to remind the customer of what they opted in for.

Double Opt-in – This is the longest way of obtaining permission. However, by using a double
opt-in, the recipient is giving you strong permission to email him/her and this often results in
higher retention rates. This method uses a traditional opt-in form, then sends an email requiring
confirmation that they did in fact register to receive the email marketing.

2 CREATING EMAIL MARKETING LISTS HOW-TO GUIDE

Types of Permission-Based Lists
Generally speaking, there are two types of lists: in-house and rentals.

House Lists:

Includes customers, prospects and website visitors

Multiple collection points
Part of an Integrated Marketing Campaign
Lists are segmented into groups with specific traits (i.e. age, gender, etc.)

Rental Lists:

Collected by businesses, websites and publications

Re-sold directly to interested parties or via third-party list brokers
Pricing for sending a message to these lists is standardized on a CPM basis depending
on scarcity, purchase power and amount of supporting data
Cost to design and produce the email messages is additional
Larger examples include BELO, Dun & Bradstreet and Equifax who have access to
hundreds of millions of email addresses and are able to sort by specific criteria and pref-
erences (industry, geographic location, income, etc.)

We strongly recommend that you build your own lists. However, if you decide to rent a list, make
sure you use a trustworthy source. In order to establish credibility, ask the following questions
before you rent:

1. How often do they rent these lists?

2. When were these lists last cleaned?
3. Do these third party senders have any spam complaints?
4. What is the privacy policy and opt-out system that these third parties use?
5. What sites or sources are these opt-in lists gathered from?
6. Is this company CAN SPAM complaint?
7. What are the payment terms and what are the make-good or refund policies?
8. What data points are available about the list?
9. Is the list opt-out, opt-in or double opt-in?
10. How often has the list been mailed to?

Regardless of how you obtain your list, it is imperative to review all legislation before sending
an email campaign. If you would like more information on legislation in your country, schedule a
discussion with one of our research analysts today.

3 CREATING EMAIL MARKETING LISTS HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 1 - Offer

1 Offer
Offer an Incentive

2 Use
People will provide you with
their contact information when
they are enticed by something
3 Provide
that you can offer and they
can’t get otherwise.

Instead of offering a gimmick,

4 Choose
try and offer something that will
help build a lasting relationship.

5 Specify

6 Privacy

7 Stay Current

8 Be Compliant

9 Segment

10 Test

4 CREATING EMAIL MARKETING LISTS HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 2 - Use

1 Offer
Use Many Different Touch
Points
2 Use
Website – Have a sign up form
easily accessible on each page
3 Provide
of site. Also include a check
box on value content down-
loads like whitepapers, tech
4 Choose sheets, etc.
Networking – Take advantage
of viral marketing. Encourage
5 Specify subscribers to use social
networks, widgets and “send
to a friend” options located on
all email communications.
6 Privacy
Events and Tradeshows –
Obtain permission from booth
visitors.
7 Stay Current
Post Cards – Offer additional
incentives to customers who
opt-in to your newsletter after
8 Be Compliant receiving a post card with a
unique URL.
Speaking Engagements and
9 Segment Seminars – Send a feedback
survey to attendees with opt-in
check box at the end.

10 Test

5 CREATING EMAIL MARKETING LISTS HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 3 - Provide

1 Offer
Provide a Preview

2 Use
Include a “preview” of the
message that they will be

3
receiving during the registra-
Provide tion process.

This tactic reinforces trust.

Include a list of subscriber
4 Choose
benefits, the frequency expect-
ations, and a sample email at
registration.
5 Specify

6 Privacy

7 Stay Current

8 Be Compliant

9 Segment

10 Test

6 CREATING EMAIL MARKETING LISTS HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 4 - Choose

1 Offer
Choose the Right Call-to-
Action
2 Use

Depending on the nature of

3 Provide your email, use a call to action
that does not have a negative
connotation.

4 Choose Your call to action should leave

the subscriber feeling comfort-
able with their level of commit-
ment. We recommend using
5 Specify
with “Sign Up” or “Join.”

6 Privacy

7 Stay Current

8 Be Compliant

9 Segment

10 Test

7 CREATING EMAIL MARKETING LISTS HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 5 - Specify

1 Offer
Be Specific

2 Use
Allow subscribers to select
their areas of interest when
signing up. If possible, give
3 Provide
subscribers a choice of content
using checkboxes.

Only send subscribers content

4 Choose
on the topics they have
requested.

5 Specify

6 Privacy

7 Stay Current

8 Be Compliant

9 Segment

10 Test

8 CREATING EMAIL MARKETING LISTS HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 6 - Privacy

1 Offer
Post Privacy Policy

2 Use
Make sure your privacy policy is
clear and concise.

3 Provide Use Demand Metric’s Privacy

Policy Template as a framework
for crafting your opt-in policy.

4 Choose

5 Specify

6 Privacy Privacy Policy Template

VIEW RESOURCE
7 Stay Current

8 Be Compliant

9 Segment

10 Test

9 CREATING EMAIL MARKETING LISTS HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 7 - Stay Current

1 Offer
Stay Current

2 Use
Provide an easy way for
subscribers to update their info.

3 Provide

4 Choose

5 Specify

6 Privacy

7 Stay Current

8 Be Compliant

9 Segment

10 Test

10 CREATING EMAIL MARKETING LISTS HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 8 - Be Compliant

1 Offer
Be CAN SPAM Compliant

2 Use

Fields that are required at

3 Provide the time of online acquisition

include email address and level
of permission.

4 Choose Also required by the

CAN-SPAM Act is timestamp/
date that contact subscribed

5 Specify and IP address of contact.

6 Privacy

7 Stay Current

8
8 Be Compliant

9 Segment

10 Test

11 CREATING EMAIL MARKETING LISTS HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 9 - Segment

1 Offer
Segment your List

2 Use Yo
to
You may want to ask for data that

3 Provide will allow you to include basic

segmentation with your list.

4 Choose

5 Specify

6 Privacy

7 Stay Current

8 Be Compliant

9 Segment

10 Test

12 CREATING EMAIL MARKETING LISTS HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 10 - Test

1 Offer
Test your Opt-In Form

2 Use
Try different data collections and
determine if there are fields that
cause form abandonment.
3 Provide

4 Choose

5 Specify

6 Privacy

7 Stay Current

8 Be Compliant

Segment your
9 List

10 Test

13 CREATING EMAIL MARKETING LISTS HOW-TO GUIDE

Demand Metric helps Marketing teams get stuff done with practical tools,
training, and a simple, modern platform for managing work.

Our analysts identify best practices from fast-growing companies and build
Playbooks & Toolkits, Guides & Reports, Training Courses, and Project
Templates to help you optimize your processes, add structure to your depart-
ment, and get your team punching above their weight class.

Manage your work visually with our easy-to-use platform, built for small
marketing teams by design. See what your team is working on at a glance
so you can spend less time managing projects and more time knocking
stuff off your list.

Through strategic partnerships with the AMA, ANA, and AIPMM, our
1,000+ time-saving tools & resources have become the industry standard.
Don’t start from scratch!

Sign up for a free trial at: www.demandmetric.com

LEARN MORE

© Demand Metric Research Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.