Double Opt-in or Single Opt-in?
Dec 29, 2008 Autoresponder, Aweber, Email Marketing, affiliate marketing
There is much debate of the benefits or otherwise of a double opt-in process for internet subscriptions. Most ethical marketers believe that it is the key to building lists with qualified entries, others fear they lose too many subscribers in the confirmation process.
Tom Kulzer, the founder of Aweber Communications, believes it is best to ensure that email messages and newsletters are only sent to people who have confirmed that they have asked for them. Ethical double opt-in marketing is the best way to do this. He has put in place very specific procedures and policies to ensure that his autoresponder product prevents abuse of the system. He has absolutely no tolerance for spamming and often speaks on this topic at industry conferences.
Double opt-in with Aweber works this way: the marketer designs a form or link in Aweber, which is then placed on his webpage or in an email. This form seeks information from readers (usually with some sort of reward or bonus for entering the data), which will become date on his list held at Aweber.
Aweber autoresponder immediately sends the subscriber an email to the address they provided asking for confirmation of their intention to subscribe/receive the offer. The subscriber’s details do not appear on the marketer’s list until this confirmation is received.
So, the subscriber fills in the form (first opt-in), and then confirms they did in fact fill in the form (second opt-in). This is necessary to prevent them entering in bogus email addresses - very important to ensuring the marketer’s list is accurate.
Every communication sent to the subscriber through Aweber will also carry an “Unsubscribe” option - not only a good ethical decision by Aweber, but also a requirement in many countries as well, in the fight against SPAM.
If you have any questions about double opt-in, the very professional team at Aweber Customer Support are on hand 24/7 to answer your questions and provide any technical assistance you may have regarding your use of their system.
Tags: double opt-in, marketing email, opt-in, single opt-in
How To Run a Professional Online Email Newsletter
Dec 26, 2008 Aweber, Email Marketing, Mail Server, Mailing List, Online Newsletter
For marketers who offer a newsletter as part of an opt-in process, being able to manage its distribution is of prime importance. If they have elected to use a quality autoresponder, then they are home-free.
The top autoresponders, like Aweber, offer their clients some very professional templates for the production of newsletters, and the number used is unlimited. If a marketer has multiple lists, then they are able to have a different newsletter for each, or combine them all into one.
For those who like to plan in advance, with Aweber it is possible to prepare your year’s newsletters in one hit, and then schedule them to be despatched at whatever frequency you choose.
By communicating regularly with your clients you build a relationship with them, and personalizing your messages with their name will enhance your efforts. It has been proven that by using a client’s name within your message makes them feel as though you are communicating directly with them - your message is for them alone. Aweber is at the forefront of this technology and inserting a name into your message is one click away.
Finding out whether your newsletters being opened or tread has always been a bit of a mystery, but with Aweber, these statistics are readily available. They can produce reports that outline the number of newsletters sent, how many were opened, how many click thrus resulted, and if there were any undelivered.
This information is invaluable when planning modifications to your methods or for future campaigns.
Aweber data and reports can be exported in CSV for use in Excel spreadsheets. Daily, weekly and monthly graphs are available to monitor any new subscriptions.
If your newsletter is available internationally, and most are, then knowing the geographical location of your subscribers can be very beneficial for targeting their niche. Again, Aweber is able to deliver geographical data on sign ups - it is even able to show this data on a world map!
Aweber has an enviable reputation in customer support, and provides this at all levels - from beginners to the more technical savvy professionals. This support is available 24/7 as are all the functions of Aweber.
Tags: Autoresponder, Aweber, aweber.com, build a list, email templates, internet marketing, list building, Online Newsletter, opt-in, professional templates
