Ask The E-mail Diva: Spam And E-mail Acquisition
Hey, E-mail Diva,
What is up with all the spam I've been getting lately? I get 20 e-mails, all with the same subject line. Why doesn't the spam filter catch these? Why doesn't your industry fix this problem? It must be making things a lot harder for people to use e-mail for marketing.
Joel Krueger
Husband
Dear Joel,
The spammers have teamed up with virus writers to come up with a new ways to get spam to your inbox. In the past, viruses were created for "fun"; now they're being created for profit. If even one in one million people receiving a virus takes the desired action, the spammer is reaping a benefit.
You think that because you're a Mac user, people aren't writing viruses for you, but these nasty strains are OS-agnostic, and, according to MessageLabs, three times more likely to hit small-to-medium businesses than large ones. Spammers can infect your computer, turning it into a spam relay without your knowledge. The spam viruses are engineered to bypass e-mail and virus filters.
The Threat Watch at MessageLabs.com and this article from Help Net Security are excellent resources for more information.
Dear E-mail Diva,
We are a new online company offering a complete online recruiting process for employers in the retail automotive industry. Would you recommend a supplier for an e-mail list of businesses in the automotive industry? Ideally, it would include selections by job category, e.g., automotive technicians, sales, service advisors etc. My main goal is to add more resumes to our job board and to enlist more businesses.
Bruce Cassels
Wheel Careers Ltd.
Dear Bruce,
According to MessageLabs' Intelligence Report for November, 74% of all e-mail we receive is spam. Do you want a potential customer's first impression of your company to be an unsolicited e-mail?
I strongly urge you to use online and offline promotions to draw in new customers, then use e-mail to build your relationships with existing customers. Online methods include banner ads, co-registration, newsletter ads and online PR opportunities such as writing articles for industry publications that reach your audience. Offline methods include print ads in industry publications and direct mail lists, which offer the title selections you seek.
The E-mail Diva has never been a fan of e-mail for acquisition, but in today's environment it's especially damaging to your brand, whether fledgling or well-established. Non-e-mail options may be more expensive, but, in the long run, well worth it.
Good Luck!
The E-mail Diva
Send your questions or submit your e-mail for critique to Melinda Krueger, the E-mail Diva, at emaildiva@kd-i.com. All submissions may be published; please indicate if you would like your name or company name withheld.
MELINDA KRUEGER
Melinda Krueger is director of email marketing at OgilvyOne. Contact her at mbkrueger@gmail.com
Recent Email Insider Articles
-
Five Engagement Killers -- And How To Overcome Them May 23, 3:26 p.m.
While we all know that the goal to win and retain engagement extends beyond the inbox ...
-
Once Again, I Double-Dog Dare You! May 20, 11:41 p.m.
In 2008 and 2010, I double-dog dared marketers to experiment with some little-used, out-of-the-box, perhaps even ...
-
The Inattentive Consumer: How To Break Through To Mobile Subscribers May 14, 1 p.m.
As marketers, we have put a strong focus on building mobile programs over the past few ...
-
Mother's Day Hangover May 13, 1:15 p.m.
Post-Mother’s Day, and we made it through. While not quite the holiday retail rush that the ...
-
Parenting Advice For Email Marketers May 9, 3:04 p.m.
For decades, the evolution of email as a viable and proven marketing channel has been, in ...
-
Phishers' Kryptonite: Big Data May 8, 9:29 a.m.
Over the last few years, spam has become a “largely solved” problem. The average consumer sees ...
-
Go Ahead -- Send More Emails May 3, 12:04 a.m.
In fact, send a lot more emails. There, I said it. I feel better now. As ...
-
The Truths Your Email Metrics Don't Reveal May 1, 11:09 a.m.
When you read the latest email statistic as it comes through your news feed each day, ...
-
Email Before Breakfast -- And Other Trends April 29, 1:43 p.m.
I always say, I get more done before 9 a.m. than I do the rest of ...
-
Sending A Welcome Series Is The New Onboarding Differentiator April 23, 3:24 p.m.
The beginning of an email marketing relationship is the most important. Not only are subscribers more ...
Be the first to comment on "Ask The E-mail Diva: Spam And E-mail Acquisition"
Leave a Comment