Re: Is it spam if it's targeted?
MARK PEPER <mark_at_hirerocket.com> WROTE:
> We did an email campaign to a very targeted group. Our
> response was great. 13% of the group came back to our
> site and over 5% did exactly what we wanted them to do.
>
> I know there is a lot of controversy about spamming.
> My question is: Would this be considered spamming?
If the email recipients did not request the communications
what you did is considered spamming.
> About 1/100 of 1% (.001%) requested to be taken off the
> list. Our ISP provider sent us a message that spamming
> is not part of there policy and if we do it again we
> run the risk of being shut down.
Apparently your ISP believes your actions were
spamming.
> On a sales/marketing side I have a hard time believing
> this is bad.
If having your internet service interrupted without
warning good?
If one percent of your targeted list opted out by
sending you a "cease further communication"
notice, you can be pretty darn sure the percentage
that was unhappy with receiving your communique
was much higher.
If you read the advisories on this discussion list,
virtually everyone recommends against sending
a "stop spamming me" message to spammers.
> It is a very cost effective way for us to do business.
So far, only in the short run.
> And it works.
So far...
> Do all ISP providers consider this to be spamming or
> are there any that would work with us?
There are plenty of ISPs who allow spamming.
Many of them are located outside the U.S.
> I know technical and sales/marketing staffs have very
> different views whether or not this is good business
> practice or not.
If angering prospective customers (your targeted list)
is something you consider positive, keep spamming.
Can your company survive and flourish by tarnishing
its image in advance of doing business?
> From my experience I thought it worked out great. We
> did do a lot of research and worked with a very
> targeted group, but the numbers prove it worked.
The numbers may prove it produced a positive response
the first time out.
Subsequent mailings may show that your mailings are
blocked by many ISPs who never cared about your
mailing header before.
Remember, a new company can always generate
cheap publicity by dressing people in logo t-shirts
and having them spray graffiti on the side of City Hall.
Chances are that kind of publicity doesn't do you
any good unless everyone is down on City Hall.
While others will argue it is not spam, the folks
running ISPs have the dictionary, and their
definition seems to point the other way.
Think of another approach.
Have you tried radio?
Regards,
John Gaskill
gm_at_info-central-usa.com
Received on Wed Oct 25 2000 - 07:14:53 CDT
