Hello all. I have bought and sold several online companies over the years, and have hung on to the email address' of my old customers. Is it unethical/illegal to use those addresses to market my new endeavours? Thoughts?
How did you get their eamil addresses? You doing business with someone doesn't give you the right to email anyone. Usually you get them to sign up for your website or newsletter. These are vehicles that allow you to continue an email relationship. You should also offer and link that lets them unsubscribe.
Technically speaking, you should always use email addresses for each of your particular business. I think for example MailChimp would not let you use the list that you got from different web sites (if you told them you got them this way). But honestly, I don't see anything wrong with it, as long as there is an unsubscribe link. Also, you may consider a short introduction in your first email.
If you don't walk the thin gray line, someone else will. Go for it imo, just include unsubscribe like others have said.
If you have sold your former businesses then you are not authorised to use these email addresses. It will be completely illegal..
If you feel that you have established a working relationship with them, then it should be easy to get their permission to send them email. Getting permission is the main element in email marketing. Like forum, social, facebook, and google marketing, you have to establish some kind of credibility. If you show anyone interested in your business that your customer service is beyond their expectation, then you can pretty much call your own shots. Sure, you have an irresistible product that everyone should want to have, but if you don't show your customers respect you won't have them coming back for more.
Very good point, did not notice it when I replied. If you sold the business, then the list was sold with it.
If you have sold the compan,y the list of customers is now the property of another person and if you are using that list of customers to send them mailings means that you are illegally using another person's property without their permission (akin to trespassing). But since this is a gray area you might as well send them mass e-mailings and choose to include unsubscribe link as part of the email itself.
Timelord, Have you started your email campaign? Are you using an auto responder or something else? I'd like to know what you're using and are you getting any response. How did you build your list?
If you have communicated with them in the past and they voluntarily gave you their email address so that you could get in touch with them, I see no reason why you can't market to them now. The only snag you'll likely hit is getting them to double opt-in again to your autoresponder if they're not already in there (I'm assuming you're going to use an Autoresponder to market to them as that will ensure maximum deliverability, especially with Aweber).
You can't use an auto responder with an old list. I don't think they would allow it ..... unless the leads opted in personally. In other words, you cant re-use a list that was generated somewhere else with an Auto responder.
One of the main benefits of email marketing is Automation. You don't have to manually send out emails to all of your customers. This would get really tiring if you have a Huge list.
but it is also called spamming if u do it with a software and people will get the opposite reaction of the offer instead of just making them all new customers u are going to create enemys and people may report you for bothering them so be carefull about rebuilding the old connections.
Legally you can send anybody a single commercial e-mail as long as you follow the rules found here: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/ecommerce/bus61.shtm There are two types of mentality when it comes to e-mailing. 1) Those who want to build a business e-mailing and 2) Those who want to profit quickly off an e-mail list. If you send to your list, you will likely get a lot of abuse complaints, your IP will get blacklisted and you will land in junkmail folders for any further campaigns unless you stay on top of it. Especially if you try to mix markets. IE, you will have far more abuse complaints if you try to sell Jeep parts to fisherman than if you sell fishing rods to fisherman. The best way to defend against an abuse complaint is to provide double opt-in records which you don't have. So you would have to constantly create new companies and e-mail from new servers in order to continue to use that list and land in the inbox. Essentially that is a common tactic of spammers and the brand you are using will be associated with spam. MailChimp offers a great way to import your list and that is through a "reintroduction campaign". The first e-mail you send out is non-commercial and you explain how you got their e-mail and how you intend on using it. If you do it that way, you have a defense against abuse complaints that is, you were not sending commercial e-mail. Only commercial e-mail is considered spam, you can send transactional or relationship mail with much less restriction. Having a double opt-in list may or may not be more lucrative for you. The benefit is that you can make money long term. I estimate that your list will reduce to about 10-15% of the original size. Keep me posted on what you decide to do, I am interested to know the outcome.
Wow! Thanks for all the comments. I have decided to use the list to build my new brand, and include an opt out option, along with some info on where I got the email address. I will let you guys know how many unsubscibes I get after the first send!
E-mail Marketing is basically sending people offers in their e-mail. By collecting e-mail addresses, you retain the customer so that you can make money off them 6 months from now. As stupid as it sounds, it relies on the principle that people check their e-mail. You can rely on people checking their e-mail 6 months from now more than you can rely on them entering the same search terms, clicking the same ad or going through the same link to get back to your site so you have another chance to make money off them.