Commentary

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.

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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.

www.automotivejobfinder.com


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.



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