follow up answer to marketing with newsletters

Re: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6006664&page=1

I've been selling on ebay as www.stores.ebay.com/akaisilks since ohh Sept 2001 i think it is, and built a good reputation, also landed a lot of wholesale accounts from being on ebay. I've had a website at www.akaisilks.com for about the same number of years. And I'm on every bellydance discussion board that I know of. I supply one of the most prestigious bellydance groups, www.bellydancesuperstars.com so I have celebrity endorsement :)

Repeat customers often get freebies.

I had a mailing list on ebay (still do) ..it's not 'legal' to send out an ebay newsletter asking people to join your other newsletter so as people made purchases I would email them personally to thank them for their purchase and ask if they wanted to join the main newsletter.

make sure you use an opt out option on your newsletter so someone can opt out if they want to.

and I offer monthly specials that other people aren't aware of. I think last month was free shipping worldwide by Dec 31. The month before that was free shipping on orders of $150 or more.

The newsletter ALWAYS offers benefits and rewards and a coupon or free something of some sort. Also since I tend to sell out of some items so quickly, I let newsletter members know when new items are listed so they get the pick of the litter.

benefits and freebies keeps them subscribed. I also have a blog at www.akaisilks.blogspot.com and occasionally run a special there but most of the time newsletter members come from purchases they made somewhere along the way and I ask their permission to add them on .