A Special Resource for E-Mail Marketers

As I've been writing, speaking and consulting in the area of e-mail promotions, I've seen a need for some place for business people to go to locate e-mail lists and other resources. Because of that, I've set up a Web directory that links to thousands of non-spam e-mail lists. I call this directory The Direct E-Mail List Source. The URL is:

The directory is free for now, and you're welcome to visit.

Some Strategies for Long-Term Results

Because of the ethical concerns and the high risks of spamming, I encourage all businesses to stick with voluntary and opt-in e-mail lists for promotions and prospecting. I think responsible business people should discourage spamming within their own companies and industries.

For your e-mail marketing program to have long-term success, I recommend that you work to build solid in-house lists for announcements, promotions and newsletter-type content. In-house lists are especially promising if you already have a marketing database and if you can use it to segment and send targeted e-mailings.

Test, test, test. Refine your offers, creative and list selection to see what works best. Run the numbers. Know what the bottom-line results are.

Build a community. Use your direct e-mail program, not just to make sales and get leads, but to build awareness of your company and its products and services. E-mail can help you develop long-term relationships, which means loyal customers, which means repeat business, which means higher sales and profits.

Al Bredenberg is a consultant and publisher of the Direct Email List Source, a free Web directory of email lists for advertisers, which you are welcome to use for research.

To search for email lists, visit the Direct Email List Source at:

© 1998-2000, Alfred R. Bredenberg. All rights reserved.