NONE: Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Is spam costing us more than we think?
Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Is spam costing us more than we think?
Mary Firme (mary_at_imaginezone.com)
Tue, 16 Dec 1997 17:59:32 -0800
Leah Roberts wrote:
>First problem... only OPT-IN lists are acceptable, followed by a confirmation
letter that requires a reply to be kept on the list (not taken off). It's too
easy to submit somebody else's e-mail address to a mailing list as an act of
revenge. If somebody doesn't see that little box that you have defaulted for
"spam me," then you will be sending them UCE. My guess is that with such a
low percentage of people opting-out, that is what's happening. I have read
statistics (forgive me - can't recall just where) that state that over 70% of
people find UCE disagreeable (to say the least!)
I publish an email newsletter for our the ShoppingLab
http://www.shoppinglab.com site. We followed protocol and set our listserv
to opt-in and a required a reply to our email confirmation within 48 hours
or the address was deleted.
Of course the first people we invited to sign up were our proud moms! When
none had received the newsletter after its first two weekly issues, we
determined that they (and many others) had not understood the need to
"confirm" something they had so obviously requested. To them the followup
email from us was simply a subscribe confirmation.
Our newsletter is not a marketing vehicle; it provides news of online
shopping, deals to be found online, news and every subscriber has the
chance to "Win Our Stuff" by becoming a subscriber. Given the positive
benefit, low (weekly) frequency, and the need to overcome the unhappiness
of subscribers who never got the newsletter they ordered, we've taken the
*cautious* step of removing the confirmation step. So far we've had no
complaints.
Just the flip side of the caution argument.
Mary Firme
Director, ShoppingLab: The Consumers Guide to Online Shopping
http://www.shoppinglab.com
Imagine Media, Inc, 150 North Hill Road, Brisbane, CA 94005
tel: 415-468-4684 x428
fax: 415-468-4686
e-mail: maryfirme_at_imaginemedia.com
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