Subscribe to the NetworkBefore You Send That Email
Josh on June 5th, 2008
Seth Godin had a fantastic mental checklist for sending email. Here’s a couple of the 36 he wrote, these should all be part of your life:
- Is it going to just one person? (If yes, jump to #10)
- Since it’s going to a group, have I thought about who is on my list?
- Are they blind copied?
- Did every person on the list really and truly opt in? Not like sort of, but really ask for it?
- So that means that if I didn’t send it to them, they’d complain about not getting it?
- See #5. If they wouldn’t complain, take them off!
- That means, for example, that sending bulk email to a list of bloggers just cause they have blogs is not okay.
- Aside: the definition of permission marketing: Anticipated, personal and relevant messages delivered to people who actually want to get them. Nowhere does it say anything about you and your needs as a sender. Probably none of my business, but I’m just letting you know how I feel. (And how your prospects feel).
- Is the email from a real person? If it is, will hitting reply get a note back to that person? (if not, change it please).
- Have I corresponded with this person before?
JG
You missed what I think is the most important one–”If I had to pay 42 cents to send this email, would I?” That one alone would eliminate 90% of the spam/scam email that circulate around.