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Web Dude
Trade:
Websites, SEO, Email Marketing, etc
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: All the way Western Mass
Posts: 115
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Email Marketing Pt II - What it is, and the difference between SPAM
The first thread in this series really took off, and in kinda a completely different direction than I had thought. Mostly my fault, I should have been more clear, or switched the order of these articles.
Anyway.
Spam mail and Email Marketing are two completely different things, and it's a shame that they are so closely linked. Here's hoping to shed a little light.
SPAM = Unsolicited Email.
Email you didn't want, don't want, and never want. It's eJunkMail.
Basically some douche buys a list of names from another douche, and then shoots you emails about whatever.
He doesn't know you, you don't know him, he doesn't care about you, and you don't care about him.
The whole point of SPAM is to get the message to as many complete strangers as possible, and hope for a conversion at some point.
Spamming is absolutely hands down the most useless form of marketing in the history of the world. I don't know how they make their money, but they do.
Email marketing is email you want to receive, or at the very least agree to receive.
Think about the newsletters you're a member of. Think about the membership clubs you're a part of.
Email Marketing is permission marketing, and is absolutely never about buying some 3rd party list and shooting of a bunch of emails. You do that and you're going to get burned and piss a lot of people off. Not the best way to do business.
Take care of your list, and your list will take care of you
Here's my Borders Bookstore example:
I went in to Borders, and signed up for a membership card, because I could get a discount and I buy a large amount of books. Little Johhny MusicSnob over here asks me if I would like to receive email coupons.
Well hell ya dawg, I love saving money!
So Johnny MyMusicIsCoolerThanYourMusicBecauseNobodyElseListe nsToIt signs me up. That night in my inbox is a message from Borders.
"Thanks for signing up and dealing with the ToolBag at the counter, here's 20% off next time you're in the store."
Am I going to buy a book from Borders that I wasn't planning on buying before? Maybe. But I know when I need a book I'm going there, because I save 20%
Once a month, maybe more I receive an email from them telling me about new books, DVDs, and CDs that are available, plus all their specials. Then they give me a 10-30% off coupon if I go in the next two weeks.
Do I do it? Almost every time.
Would I of shopped exclusively there if they hadn't offered me the coupon, or told me about the new books, or kept building a relationship with me?
Probably not.
Do I consider it SPAM? Would you?
Absolutely not.
How could I?
I want to get the emails, I want to get the coupons and I want to see the specials. And if at anytime I want to get off the list, I click the little unsubscribe button and away I go forever.
And Borders gets my business they otherwise wouldn't of for free.
For the record
SPAM = Unsolicited, Unwanted, and Unknown Emails
Email Marketing = Solicited, Expected, Trusted Emails
World of difference, and it's really all in how you use it.
Which is the subject of the next post "The best way for a contractor to use Email Marketing". I'll flesh it all out so you guys can see what I'm talking about.
Stick around.
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