Permission Marketing

Permission Marketing
by James Fowler
www.mywebsource1.com
http://mywebsource1.blogspot.com/

What is permission marketing?
Permission Marketing is a very important aspect of your marketing arsenal and you probably use it every day without even knowing you are using it. On the internet it becomes even more important. The definition of permission marketing is basically asking someone if you can perform a certain action – permission – to talk to them or send them something.

The government has created laws on spamming (sending unwanted email) to people. No one wants their mailbox filled with junk and that is where permission marketing comes into play.

The key to permission marketing is to get your customers to volunteer information to you. To do this, you must create a perceived value for them to participate. Some suggestions for this could be through offering online coupons, useful information or tips, contests, news, or a calendar of events. You could create an "eGroup" that would allow people to sign up for several different benefits.

So what makes Permission Marketing so special?
First off, permission marketing isn't unwarranted email. It isn't intrusive to your customer, so right away the customer is more willing to receive this information. Secondly, since they asked for the information, they are more likely to purchase your service or product. Since what you are sending them is of interest to them, they are expecting this information and you have targeted a person that is receptive to you. Finally, permission marketing is a way to connect with people that are interested in what you have to say, turning them from visitors, to customers, to lifelong customers.

Some uses of Permission Marketing
There are many ways to use permission marketing. One of the ways of doing this is the medium of blogging, from which many of you are receiving this article. I created my blog in July and now send this information out to over 700 people. Other ways are through newsletters, warranties, and promotional opportunities. Many large corporations use contests as a way of permission marketing. To sign up for their contest, you must provide your email address and sometimes your address. They will ask you if they can send you more information (usually in the form of a "pre-checked" box) and you have just given them permission to solicit you. Your ultimate goal is to focus on getting that permission to build your list.

For now, Less is Better
When first asking for a person's permission, do not ask the person for a four-page form that asks the potential customer everything from their place of birth to their dog's name. No one will fill that information out. The correct method is to slowly get the customer to give you more and more information. Today you start with an email, tomorrow you find out information to send them a card or gift on their birthday. As you build trust with your customer, they will give you more information. It just takes time. Think of this as a growing friendship. You wouldn't expect to meet someone and have them tell you about their entire medical history. The same applies to permission marketing. Build the trust and the information will come.

Working with others
Is your permission marketing moving too slow for your taste? Then maybe you should join with others that have similar viewpoints to reach more people. This helps your web site in several ways. First, it builds more incoming links to your site which helps your search engine ranking. Secondly, you are adding to the people giving you permission to contact them. This is completely different than selling a list (see below). This is informing people that you have a naturally existing relationship with another site and that if the other site interests them, then yours may as well. The person need only sign up with you. You would do the same for the other web site, offering their services on your site. Another way of doing this is to place your coupons, promotional material, or information on different FREE STUFF sites. These sites will most likely charge you to place your information there, but they can get you many people who might be interested in what you have to say.

What can hurt you while using Permission Marketing
Finally, I'd like to add some words of caution. Be aware that the United States and Canada both have anti-spam laws in effect. If the person does not wish to have you send them information, do not send it. To find out more on the US regulations go to: http://www.spamlaws.com/federal .

Disregarding someone's privacy can also be a bane to permission marketers. When someone agrees to give you permission for one thing, they do not mean for their name to be sold to a list. They are putting their trust in you and by foregoing that trust, you are hurting the value of your product. People who start receiving spam will not return to your site and ask for their names to be removed from your list. What is worse, they will tell others that your permission marketing practices are unethical. In the days before the internet, this was bad, today it is disastrous. One blog or bulletin board comment giving you negative feedback could ruin years of your reputation. Just ask U.S. Representative Mark Foley. The news of his scandal is the result of a blog that ABC picked up from the internet. The power of the written word in play.

Finally, one of the worst things you can do is to get permission from a customer and then never follow up with the goods. By this, I mean, if a person signs up with you and gives you permission to contact them – CONTACT THEM. How else will they remember you? This isn't going to hurt your relationship with the customer, it is going to hurt your business. Imagine someone walking into your store to buy something and you never offer to help them while they are shopping. Ignoring the permission given to you negates everything you work to accomplish. Create the communication. Offer the incentives and turn that customer into a lifelong friend.