Harvesting For A Email List

7 replies
Hello,

I am looking to gather emails from realtors to solicit my services to them. I'm not too educated about the whole process going about with getting them. I've read so much info from bloggers trying to sell their services and I still have some questions with the correct and legal way of going about all this.

If I were to open a google sheet, manually copy and paste emails from a real estate brokerages website. Then use something like YAMM to send out a mass non-spammy email to them within the guidelines of the Can Spam Act - would that email harvesting process be legal? Would I get flagged for spam? or would this simply be a cold email from a business (me) to a realtor?

Keep in mind that these realtors have never heard from me before.

My email wouldn't be spammy, just a simple intro with a link to my new pricing page. Also having an unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email.

As I write all this out. I'm assuming that using a web spider to gather emails would be the illegal way?

Any suggestions you have or info would be much appreciated. Thank you!
#email #harvesting #list
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  • Profile picture of the author DIABL0
    What you are talking about is cold email. However, that doesn't mean you can't get a spam complaint(s). It all comes to how your message is perceived.

    With B2B, I wouldn't just send an offer as you are planning to do. I would send a message and say that you came across their site and you were wondering if (ask a question). It should be a question that based on their answer, will give you a lead in for telling them about your offer. If they don't answer the question correctly, you do nothing and you never sent them a message that may have been perceived the wrong way.
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  • Profile picture of the author palmtreelife
    Keep in mind that these realtors have never heard from me before.

    My email wouldn't be spammy, just a simple intro with a link to my new pricing page.
    Legal stuff aside, Diablo touched on an important point without saying it explicitly. If they never heard of you before, and you send them a sales offer in your first email, you will be extremely lucky to make 1 sale. You can't have a "simple intro" and a "sales offer" in the same email. You are combining too many funnel steps into 1 engagement.

    Put yourself in their shoes. If you received an email from someone you didn't know (that managed to get to your inbox instead of spam) and there was a call to action to buy something, how likely would you be to click "purchase now"?

    If they don't know you, you need to build rapport. At the very least make them believe the email was personally sent to them so you have a chance of getting a response. If I receive a cold email asking me to buy something, I scroll down to the bottom as fast as the mouse can scroll and click unsubscribe.
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    • Profile picture of the author Rainboy
      Originally Posted by palmtreelife View Post

      Legal stuff aside, Diablo touched on an important point without saying it explicitly. If they never heard of you before, and you send them a sales offer in your first email, you will be extremely lucky to make 1 sale. You can't have a "simple intro" and a "sales offer" in the same email. You are combining too many funnel steps into 1 engagement.

      Put yourself in their shoes. If you received an email from someone you didn't know (that managed to get to your inbox instead of spam) and there was a call to action to buy something, how likely would you be to click "purchase now"?

      If they don't know you, you need to build rapport. At the very least make them believe the email was personally sent to them so you have a chance of getting a response. If I receive a cold email asking me to buy something, I scroll down to the bottom as fast as the mouse can scroll and click unsubscribe.

      This totally makes sense. Maybe instead of a sales offer - I could just write a short intro and a link to my portfolio? Or should I leave out any links and just have an intro?
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      • Profile picture of the author palmtreelife
        There are a number of approaches you can take. First off, they do need to know who you are and why you're emailing them in the first sentence. Keep the rest short.

        I saw that your service will be photography? You could make the email a little interactive and have readers "help" you by selecting one of 2 photos that you're thinking of using in a brochure or website. When they click the link, it would take them to version A of your website with that photo header or background or whatever, and if they click the other photo, it would take them to the same website but with the image they selected instead. That way they feel like they're helping you and they get to see your content.

        Another idea is switching roles or quizzing them. Ask the reader "if you were buying a home, which professionally staged living room would you prefer?" Both photos are the same, but one has better lighting, which is the knowledge and skill you're capable of providing to your clients (for example). When they click their choice, again you take them to your website and explain why they were right or wrong. This gives you another chance to showcase your portfolio. They're realtors, so hopefully they all get the right answer!

        Bottom line, you need to build rapport, a relationship with the realtors. All photographers market themselves by saying "hey! check out my portfolio!" which I find so boring and a terrible call to action. What separates you from other photographers that are trying to get their attention? The ideas above can be used to showcase your portfolio, but through a much more interesting call to action.

        Follow up a couple days later with the results of your question and another call to action, but this time offering up a free digital product related to your photography. It could be simple like a 1 page document on how to take professional real estate photos or the top 5 reasons why real estate photos are not as good as they should be...implying that you can do better than them.

        You're in a very competitive niche, so you need to get a little bit creative while still following the email marketing sales funnel strategies. If you're not aware of these, check out the digitalmarketer website and go through their free course. There is a chapter on email marketing and you'll notice that a sales offer is not the first email that is sent out to cold market clients.
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  • Profile picture of the author jmosticc22
    Instead of gathering emails the way you described, why don't you try to create some value for your customers. Create an offer they feel inclined to opt into, not something that looks spammy.
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  • Profile picture of the author agmccall
    What services are you offering. Knowing this might help with advice on how to approach them

    al
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    "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Thomas Edison

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    • Profile picture of the author Rainboy
      Originally Posted by agmccall View Post

      What services are you offering. Knowing this might help with advice on how to approach them

      al
      Photography services
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