Comments on: My name is John… and I am a SPAMMER http://www.ideadesign.ca/the-naked-idea/2009/06/22/my-name-is-john-and-i-am-a-spammer/ A weekly look at how charities can communicate better with donors through design. Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:41:24 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: John http://www.ideadesign.ca/the-naked-idea/2009/06/22/my-name-is-john-and-i-am-a-spammer/comment-page-1/#comment-524 John Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:37:00 +0000 http://www.ideadesign.ca/the-naked-idea/?p=299#comment-524 Thanks for signing up Tom - glad to have you back aboard! I agree Rainer... some people (even my own wife!) have accused me of over-reacting but I take these sorts of things pretty seriously... And I can't say it's wrong for some companies to do it but not mine because it is me... I will likely loose a LOT of eyeballs because people will not actually subscribe, but now I know those of you who do really enjoy the content - so - it's all good... Thanks for signing up Tom – glad to have you back aboard!

I agree Rainer… some people (even my own wife!) have accused me of over-reacting but I take these sorts of things pretty seriously… And I can’t say it’s wrong for some companies to do it but not mine because it is me… I will likely loose a LOT of eyeballs because people will not actually subscribe, but now I know those of you who do really enjoy the content – so – it’s all good…

]]> By: Rainer Fischer http://www.ideadesign.ca/the-naked-idea/2009/06/22/my-name-is-john-and-i-am-a-spammer/comment-page-1/#comment-522 Rainer Fischer Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:14:27 +0000 http://www.ideadesign.ca/the-naked-idea/?p=299#comment-522 I've been studying internet marketing (IM)for the past few years now and the biggest red flag for anyone who is making their living online is spam. Most IMers use autoresponders whereby emails are automatically sent out on a pre-determined schedule. Most of these autoresponder companies (there are some exceptions) will not send out ANY mail for you unless your subscribers have DOUBLE opted-in, meaning that when they subscribe to your content they will then need to re-confirm via ANOTHER email that they do indeed want your emails. In case there's a spam complaint, there will be a trail of confirmed subscription. Legit marketers will follow the Can-Spam Act to the letter because the last thing they want is to be shut down and not be able to mail to their lists which can easily number into the hundreds of thousands. Another important element is to have a clearly labelled Unsubscribe link on every email that goes out. So, bottom line is that when it comes to online marketing, spam is a BIG deal. Rainer I’ve been studying internet marketing (IM)for the past few years now and the biggest red flag for anyone who is making their living online is spam.

Most IMers use autoresponders whereby emails are automatically sent out on a pre-determined schedule. Most of these autoresponder companies (there are some exceptions) will not send out ANY mail for you unless your subscribers have DOUBLE opted-in, meaning that when they subscribe to your content they will then need to re-confirm via ANOTHER email that they do indeed want your emails.

In case there’s a spam complaint, there will be a trail of confirmed subscription.

Legit marketers will follow the Can-Spam Act to the letter because the last thing they want is to be shut down and not be able to mail to their lists which can easily number into the hundreds of thousands.

Another important element is to have a clearly labelled Unsubscribe link on every email that goes out.

So, bottom line is that when it comes to online marketing, spam is a BIG deal.

Rainer

]]> By: Tom Ahern http://www.ideadesign.ca/the-naked-idea/2009/06/22/my-name-is-john-and-i-am-a-spammer/comment-page-1/#comment-520 Tom Ahern Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:55:16 +0000 http://www.ideadesign.ca/the-naked-idea/?p=299#comment-520 John... My idea of spam is shit I don't want. (And I'd very much like to know who's spreading the word that my penis is a fraction of normal size.) Your stuff I like. Thank you. Sign me up. -- Tom John… My idea of spam is shit I don’t want. (And I’d very much like to know who’s spreading the word that my penis is a fraction of normal size.) Your stuff I like. Thank you. Sign me up. — Tom

]]> By: John http://www.ideadesign.ca/the-naked-idea/2009/06/22/my-name-is-john-and-i-am-a-spammer/comment-page-1/#comment-519 John Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:28:28 +0000 http://www.ideadesign.ca/the-naked-idea/?p=299#comment-519 Fantastic comments Joanne... I decided pretty quickly that I couldn't be the one to decide if my content connected with the people I emailed. Just because we work in the same industry wasn't a good enough reason- but this way - I know those who do opt in really do appreciate it... thanks again for coming by - and opting in! Fantastic comments Joanne… I decided pretty quickly that I couldn’t be the one to decide if my content connected with the people I emailed. Just because we work in the same industry wasn’t a good enough reason- but this way – I know those who do opt in really do appreciate it… thanks again for coming by – and opting in!

]]> By: Joanne http://www.ideadesign.ca/the-naked-idea/2009/06/22/my-name-is-john-and-i-am-a-spammer/comment-page-1/#comment-518 Joanne Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:08:23 +0000 http://www.ideadesign.ca/the-naked-idea/?p=299#comment-518 Here is another wrinkle on the spamming issue. Spamming, as unsolicited advertising/promotion, has been around since the dawn of commerce and is not going away. But as I tell my students, junk mail (spam) is only the advertising that doesn’t connect with you. When content connects it’s valuable to us. The distinction for solicitors is between the various portals that are now available. I still get spammed through my mailbox, spammed when I ride the streetcar and spammed when I answer my phone. But it occurs to me that while there are restrictions on outdoor advertising, phone solicitation is annoying but easy to avoid, and e-mail advertising is so restricted that I have to constantly check my server for junked client e-mails, my mail slot is still perfectly accessible to direct mail. Sure, it fills up my blue box, but I check through every piece just in case there is something valuable there. I can check it quickly, at my leisure and it doesn’t clog up my communications systems. It still costs money to produce, so there is some filtering of content, unlike e-mail solicitation. I know that print media is supposed to be dead, but I suspect that for the money, it is still the most effective form of solicitation. This is especially true for non-profits who can’t benefit from the web which is really search driven and therefore product oriented. A very timely topic. Here is another wrinkle on the spamming issue.

Spamming, as unsolicited advertising/promotion, has been around since the dawn of commerce and is not going away. But as I tell my students, junk mail (spam) is only the advertising that doesn’t connect with you. When content connects it’s valuable to us.

The distinction for solicitors is between the various portals that are now available. I still get spammed through my mailbox, spammed when I ride the streetcar and spammed when I answer my phone. But it occurs to me that while there are restrictions on outdoor advertising, phone solicitation is annoying but easy to avoid, and e-mail advertising is so restricted that I have to constantly check my server for junked client e-mails, my mail slot is still perfectly accessible to direct mail. Sure, it fills up my blue box, but I check through every piece just in case there is something valuable there. I can check it quickly, at my leisure and it doesn’t clog up my communications systems. It still costs money to produce, so there is some filtering of content, unlike e-mail solicitation.

I know that print media is supposed to be dead, but I suspect that for the money, it is still the most effective form of solicitation. This is especially true for non-profits who can’t benefit from the web which is really search driven and therefore product oriented.

A very timely topic.

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