The quickest way to being a spammer

1. Add everyone to your database When you go to networking, conferences or training events, the common activity is the exchanging of business cards. This exchange may be done for all sorts of reasons and you have to be clear what people are expecting when they offer you their card. If you are in doubt, ask them at the time whether they would like to receive your regular newsletter or promotional material. If you are uncomfortable with asking this, then that is a sign that the answer may not be affirmative. Wait and build that relationship further before asking them. This doesn’t happen when networking online for people’s email addresses are usually hidden from view. You have to wait for them to give you their details.

The next time you receive emails after a networking event, let the person know that you don’t want to be contacted in this way or you can just consign them to the spam folder. The upside is that their emails will become less likely to be delivered in future. The downside is that you may still receive further emails.

2. Send too many emails

You’ve heard of the old saying “Love is in the eyes of the beholder” Well, the same is true - the “Spammer is in the hand of the receiver”

You may not consider daily or weekly emails as being too frequent but if your market disagrees, then you will quickly become a spammer!

The easiest way is to test for optimum frequency by monitoring the activity of the open rates of your emails and what the readers do once opened.

Here are some rules of thumb:

1. When people have just downloaded or purchased something, sending a couple of emails close together is acceptable
2. If the frequency of emails is weekly, fortnightly or monthly, then deliver them without fail. Your readers will get into the rhythm of receiving your material and acting accordingly

No contact for six months, then it’s best to delete their details from your database. If you really can’t bear to do this, sending just one email prepared just for these readers. Monitor who doesn’t open and delete these addresses. You want to maintain the highest email reputation.

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Karen Purves is the Chief Marketer at HaveMoreClients.com with over 30 years marketing experience. Her passion is marketing and making it work for small businesses. HaveMoreClients.com offers training, mentoring and consultancy to suit clients needs and aims. Click the How to use Linkedin for Business to get the free report.