Comments on: Email marketing of dubious attraction http://www.kranzcom.com/blog/wtf/email-marketing-of-dubious-attraction/ Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:42:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Jamie Lee http://www.kranzcom.com/blog/wtf/email-marketing-of-dubious-attraction/comment-page-1/#comment-654 Jamie Lee Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:22:08 +0000 http://www.kranzcom.com/?p=604#comment-654 Ouch. That really hurt. Not to echo Michele too closely, but this person is sadly off the mark in terms of understanding both the goal of and structure of an autoresponder campaign. The goal is not to throw stuff at the wall, each day for 30 days, and hope a few people accidentally click on your links. Even if it were, this invitation to opt in (thank marketing gods, this person is at least asking permission for the opt in) is so unappealing that I'd be tempted to blacklist the sender as a spammer to avoid having to field any additional requests. Like all marketing materials, an autoresponder campaign must consider the prospect's needs first. It's about providing useful and relevant information delivered in a sequence that makes sense and is timed to correspond logically with the prospect's current position in the sales experience - encouraging him to take the next step towards the action of making a purchase. What the sender of the email quoted in your post is offering would be more accurately described as a daily newsletter or perhaps a blog in email format. Even so, the random content does not sound like something I'd like to waste my time on. Hope it works out for this person. Glad I didn't get the email. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I have to go pull this spike out of my head and write some copy. ;) (PS - thanks for the chuckle!) Ouch. That really hurt.
Not to echo Michele too closely, but this person is sadly off the mark in terms of understanding both the goal of and structure of an autoresponder campaign. The goal is not to throw stuff at the wall, each day for 30 days, and hope a few people accidentally click on your links. Even if it were, this invitation to opt in (thank marketing gods, this person is at least asking permission for the opt in) is so unappealing that I’d be tempted to blacklist the sender as a spammer to avoid having to field any additional requests.

Like all marketing materials, an autoresponder campaign must consider the prospect’s needs first. It’s about providing useful and relevant information delivered in a sequence that makes sense and is timed to correspond logically with the prospect’s current position in the sales experience – encouraging him to take the next step towards the action of making a purchase.

What the sender of the email quoted in your post is offering would be more accurately described as a daily newsletter or perhaps a blog in email format. Even so, the random content does not sound like something I’d like to waste my time on.

Hope it works out for this person. Glad I didn’t get the email.
Now, if you’ll please excuse me, I have to go pull this spike out of my head and write some copy.
;)

(PS – thanks for the chuckle!)

]]> By: Michele Linn http://www.kranzcom.com/blog/wtf/email-marketing-of-dubious-attraction/comment-page-1/#comment-645 Michele Linn Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:47:18 +0000 http://www.kranzcom.com/?p=604#comment-645 Jonathan, I received the same email yesterday. The thing that got me was the intro: "Hello fellow marketer! I've been talking with a lot of people and been working with a lot of our customers, as well as our own folks, to create more understanding around creating lead nurturing sequences -- actually writing the emails --- because most people think this is a difficult task that either requires a consultant or is something that smaller businesses will just not tackle." It baffles me that this person has no idea what she will be writing about for the next 30 emails, and yet she is classifying this experience as lead nurturing. Lead nurturing isn't a random set of (30!) emails sent daily, but rather it should be coordinated contacts that help move a specific audience though the buying process. When done well, it certainly isn't something thrown together on a whim because a challenge. Michele Jonathan,

I received the same email yesterday. The thing that got me was the intro:

“Hello fellow marketer! I’ve been talking with a lot of people and been working with a lot of our customers, as well as our own folks, to create more understanding around creating lead nurturing sequences — actually writing the emails — because most people think this is a difficult task that either requires a consultant or is something that smaller businesses will just not tackle.”

It baffles me that this person has no idea what she will be writing about for the next 30 emails, and yet she is classifying this experience as lead nurturing. Lead nurturing isn’t a random set of (30!) emails sent daily, but rather it should be coordinated contacts that help move a specific audience though the buying process. When done well, it certainly isn’t something thrown together on a whim because a challenge.

Michele

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