Real Entrepreneurs Don't Send Spam

Survey Confirms It: Spam Sucks. A new report reveals what most had already suspected: People hate getting spam. And a number of them are using e-mail less frequently because of it. By Katie Dean. [Wired News]

This is a follow-on to a post here October 7 (The Entrepreneur's Take On Spam). The survey cited above shows that a substantial number of people (11%) think your email is spam even if they have asked you to send them email. And the numbers indicating intolerance are rising.

If the intent is obviously commercial -- if the reader can sense that you are trying to sell something, if the reader can hear the "close" coming -- they don't want to see it, read it, or have it in their inbox. And you can bet that if you annoy someone enough, they will NEVER buy from you. 

Think through your marketing plan very carefully. People want information for free, with no strings attached. Your marketing, more than ever, needs to build a relationship based on trust, service, and value to the public. This applies to your emails, newsletters, and your weblog. It probably even applies to your website: if your site looks like a billboard, how motivated are people going to be to buy from you?

11:03:29 AM