Is it OK to email sites that you think will fit perfectly well in your nich directory and ask them if they would like to add their site to your directory? Or is it "begging to much? This is not spam emailing. It is one at a time finding a well suited site and personalizing the email and offering a free link. Is that OK to do? Thanks!
If it's a site you feel would enhance your directory and visitors' experience, why not just add it yourself?
Thanks. I had thought of that BUT since there will also be a featured link option, I would like to give them the opportunity to choose that.
I did it around one year ago for my business web directory and now when I type the combination "freewebdirectory.us" in any email, is blocked by the spam filters. So, I don't recommend it unless you filter your emails before submitting.
This sounds like spam, looks like spam and smells like spam ... it must be spam Leaving the joke aside, it is very likely that your emails will be treated as spam even by the default configurations of most spam filters, not to mention that you could run over some nifty webmaster that doesn't appreciate your offer at all and gets the spam issue further with some law in his country.
Yes I absolutely agree with Mihai but if you want sites to be submitted to your niche directories just go to the niche forums and advertise there suppose you are having a mobile phone directory just go to forums about cell or mobile phones and advertise there
hmmmmm, maybe I am new (I am) to this, but I do not see this as spam. For example, if my directory is on acupuncture, and I see you manufacture acupuncture needles, I then email you and say you would fit perfectly in my acupuncture directory, would you like to submit your site to a free or featured link? That is what I am saying, is that really spam? Thanks.
It depends very much to the way that you craft the e-mail. Including words such as "submit / buy / offer / new / etc." in your subject will probably raise the probability of most default spam filters dealing you as spam and the probability is even higher for web based email services (yahoo, gmail and so on) which deal such emails with even bigger concern.
I would suggest that you submit the site yourself. Once their listing is online, send them a carefully worded letter offering to make any changes they might want for free and mention BRIEFLY that you also offer paid options to make their listing more prominent. If they have a links area, request if they would include your site; but also mention it is not a requirement to participate in your site. This is what I do for my niche site. The subject line is the most critical part of your email. Figure out something that will pique their interest otherwise many will most likely delete it outright.