The REAL Truth About Email Marketing

By Chip Tarver
Posted Wednesday, September 1, 2004

Oh Boy ... this can be a volatile subject, for sure ...but we're about to tackle it head-on ...

First of all ... whom can you believe?

Option One: On one hand, some people live and die with the sp**am junkies. Many people have built their business this way, although most will never admit it to you.

Option Two: On another hand, some are on the tops of the buildings loudly shouting, "Email marketing is dead." An interesting observation, I think. Don't you?

Option Three: Lastly there is the camp who will fight to the death to defend their opinion that email marketing is alive and well. Perhaps they know something here ...

Who in the world are you supposed to believe? They cannot all be right (or truthful) ...

Let's look at these positions one at a time ...

The sp*amm*ers:
Well, in the old days you could get away with about anything. Lots of people tried this and succeeded. Alarm! Those days are long gone. Now spa*mm*ers are the scourge of the earth.

Sure, people still peddle CDs chock full of supposed opt-in email addresses. Think about it. Who in their right mind would volunteer to be a sp*am sucker? And if they just got tricked into it, they'll unsub*scribe really fast ...

Moral: Don't do it. Ever. You'll not only lose your hard- earned reputation ... you could also quickly lose your ISP, and soon you might even get arrested and fined ...

And don't think that by quoting the UCE law at the top or bottom of your emails it will raise your acceptance at all.

So, that option surely is a bad one.

The Nay-Sayers:
What about Option Two ... that 'email marketing is dead?'

If it is, no one seemed to notice. Email volume is at an all-time high. It's still one of the best ways to market at *almost* a zero cost, and can be your best efficiency.

But because of Option One, many are rightfully concerned. If anything ever cripples the email system once and for all, it will be the sp*am junkies, worms, trojans, viruses, etc.

It's always the rotten apples that spoil the whole barrel.

What's the cure? Build your opt-in list the right way. Stay focused on your target market, don't deviate, and always deliver great content to the people who are ready and willing to receive it. Give people what people expect.

Moral: Email marketing is still a viable chain (for today.)

And the Stalwarts?
Which takes us to Option Three: 'email is alive and kicking.'

I completely agree.

Yes, sp**am is a ridiculous abuse of a wonderfully efficient system carried out by a crew of selfish losers who care about nothing but themselves. The real problem is that they're so stupid they poison their own food supply (and ours.)

Yes, because sp*am is wrecking the system and taxing all of the resources and patience of people - it's the villain. And yes, if something doesn't happen pretty soon, the awful effects of sp*am might become permanent.

So some people are rightfully concerned about this. So am I. You would be wise to be concerned as well, and do your part to be sure our wonderful email system survives and thrives, instead of choking under the tremendous stress.

So don't send frivolous ridiculous emails. Period.

Alex Mandossian calls email 'a gentle tap on the shoulder.' If a friend of your tapped you on the shoulder, would you turn and pay attention - or be rude to your friend?

I make the analogy of email to Federal Express. Most people notice and open their FedX packages. Why? People don't usually waste time and money sending frivolous FedX packages.

FedX packages get noticed. In a perfect world, if a friend tapped you on the shoulder and offered you a just-delivered FedX package - would you open it? (Of course you would.)

If everyone would take the consolidated position to boycott sp*am as a unified group, take no action other than to delete the spa*mmers' emails, and report them when you feel led to do so, we can make a difference.

Do not even unsubscribe to their junk. That also validates your email address for them, and you'll really just get more of the same.

Moral: Protect our amazing email system by treating it with respect. In the long run, you'll be glad you did. Your other choices are watching the system fail over time ... or having a system where you have to pay someone for every email you send.

Which outcome do you prefer?

About the Author
Chip Tarver knows that you NEVER get a second chance to make a first impression. That's why he wrote "First Contact Secrets." Listen to the giants of Internet marketing tell you how THEY make first contact with people they want to do business with. Model their success and success will become yours! "Easily over $100,000 of pure marketing advice." Click here now to see FCS ... (http://snurl.com/articles)