I attended a conference in Texas last May. A week later, I got an unsolicited email from a college tour company in Texas that obviously harvested my email address (and probably over a hundred others) from the conference attendee list. There was no advice or helpful information—just a tour schedule and a notice that they were taking reservations. The first thing I did was unsubscribe (from a list I never subscribed to) and delete the email.
With one unsolicited email, they made me write them off and take steps to make sure I never heard from them again. It’s hard to imagine anybody else having a much better reaction. I’m sure that’s not the outcome they were hoping for. That's no way to grow a small business.
If you email people without permission and try to sell them something, you’re a spammer. The fact that you get someone’s email address and can get away with using it for free doesn’t make it a good idea. The entire interaction is a selfish one because you’re taking people's time and attention without giving anything in return.
Here’s what I would have done if I were that company.
1. Do a presentation at the conference, like, “How to help students plan college visits,” or “How to see colleges on a tight budget.” Show people you know what you’re talking about by giving away some of your expertise. And make the session so good that people rave about it afterwards.
2. At the end of the session, offer people the chance to sign up for your newsletter list, and promise them something valuable in return, like monthly college visit tips their students can use, or links to campus videos you’ve shot that only newsletter subscribers get to view, or detailed write-ups of the campuses you’ve taken groups to see. Make it appealing so they want to sign up.
3. Send only what you promised, when you promised to send it. Give away information so good that they would be disappointed if the newsletter stopped showing up in their inboxes. Make it easy for people to share it, and have an easy, obvious opt-out function if they decide they don’t want it anymore. You don’t have to hide what you do for a living—there can always be clear links to more information about your services. You can even occasionally send them an announcement about your business because you've given them a lot to earn that right. But don’t abuse the trust by promising one thing and giving them something else.
Now look what happens. Instead of sending one email to 100 people who didn’t ask for it, most of whom will delete it and never think about you again, you send one email to 25 people who want it. If it’s good, they’ll keep coming back to read your future issues. They’ll share it with their students and colleagues. They'll help you grow a list full of people who want to hear what you have to say.
And best of all, if any of your subscribers need a college tour provider in the future, they’re not going to shop around. They’ll already be sold.
Sure, that’s a lot more work than sending spam email. But wouldn’t it be worth it?