Internet Marketing Sins...Yeah Right
OK, I received an email tonight promoting a report called the Internet Marketing Sins.
Frankly, I'm not giving any link love or promoting it because of the hypocritical nature of the report itself (and the affiliates promoting it).
1. The affiliate that send me the spam used the address do-not-reply@xxx.com. Huh? Why can't I reply to your email? Are you too good for that?
That's a marketing sin folks… and it's called arrogance.
2. The report itself is an optin page. Huh? You are writing an 'expose' report about marketing sins, but you are looking to capture my email for the purposes of marketing something that isn't made clear to me up front? I think that's a marketing sin as well.
Wait… you give me the first chapter so that makes it ok. Sorry, that's a sin too… Give me the whole dang report and then ask for my optin if you don't want it to be a sin.
Ok, this post is a bit tounge-in-cheek. We all use optin pages. We all use scarcity. We all use reciprocity… whatever.
If this person was genuine about getting their message out, then give it away. Don't ask for anything in return. Don't deal with affiliates that hide behind 'do not contact me just because' email addresses and don't use the same silly tactics you slam yourself.
Nuff' said.
Woody
Sylvie's Commentary
Hey Woody, thanks for your public comment, which I found posted on your Woody Maxim blog. And yes, I am happy to give you a bit of "Link Love" by allowing people to read your blog post in its original form, and judge for themselves whether they feel your opinion has merit. Enjoy the free traffic.
Update: Woody no longer has his blog up and running, so the link was removed. In fact, the former blog now redirects to one of his "limited time offer" salespages. Sorry Woody, no more free traffic from me.
But "Woody" (yes, I know your actual name, and won't reveal it publicly out of respect for you. After all, no matter what, I still consider you a friend) you brought up an interesting point that tells me you may not have actually read the report. You said "The affiliate that send me the spam", and I would like to clarify something. Please read page 112 of Internet Marketing Sins, Part #1. This section specifically relates to what you said.
If you willingly subscribe to a marketer's email list, and ask him or her to send you email, you aren't allowed to call it spam. The marketer in question is doing what you asked him or her to do, which is to send you email. If you don't want it, you have the power of the One-Click "Unsubscribe". Use it and stop whining.
Now to the issue of marketers who choose to put the "do-not-reply" email address as their "sent from" email. You bring up a really great point I'll be happy to address openly.
Please note that on Page 6 of MY report, I openly provide my email address for people to send me comments, both negative and positive, directly to me. No automated replies here. I do read every single email we get.
It's interesting that you call ME a hypocrite because someone else who chose to send an email to his list uses a technique you don't like. Interesting how your opinion of one person somehow became an accusation of me PERSONALLY.
Note also that at no point do I attack any specific marketer in my report. I attack tactics. In other words, I hate the sin, not the sinner.
But back to your issue where you called the "do-not-reply" method a sin of arrogance.
It's clear to me that you must not have a whole lot of people on your list, or you would know why this practice is becoming commonplace.
As I've said before, my company handles customer support for online marketers. As such, we've seen the nightmare of what can happen when the "do-not-'reply" method isn't used. Here's why many online marketers are adopting this method...
The reason is NOT so they can disguise themselves or make it difficult to be reached. The primary reason is "vacation replies" and "automatic replies" that many people use.
It's a server nightmare! Marketer sends an email to his list and approximately 20% use automated replies, which triggers your automated reply, which triggers their automated reply, and so forth until within 15 minutes, your support staff is overwhelmed with 50,000 emails that are clogging the server.
There is a second, more nefarious reason for this as well. Misinformed and naive people who think that by signing up to a marketer's list, that somehow means they are not spamming if they send that marketer their own commercial message in reply. See note above. Over 50% of the "automated replies" are commercial messages.
So, let me break it down for ya.
Idiots out there use their autoresponder's email address to sign up to an autoresponder. They aren't actually reading the emails they signed up to receive. They are using your opt in box as a way to spam YOU.
Now, the simple solution is to always have your customer support contact information at the bottom of the emails you send from a "do-not-reply" address, thus satisfying everyone who wants to send you a message. In fact, the better way is for your contact information to be a feedback form of some kind so you don't get your email address added to someone's list without your permission.
See, Woody. You're picking on the marketer for trying to protect himself from the actual spammers out there, and you call him a spammer while you're doing it. *sigh* Oh well, I guess not everyone can look at these issues with realistic eyes.
And to your point about us asking for an opt in to download the report?
Have you received a marketing message from me that I'm not aware of? Didn't think so!
Here, let me immediately refund you your purchase price you paid for the report. Tell ya what... If I ever send you an email you don't like, how about you try clicking the Unsubscribe link? I promise you'll feel better!
Email From "E"
Hi Sylvie
I only had to read to page 5 of the Preview to know that your
manifesto is a really clever way to squeeze email addresses.
I'll keep reading and see if you identify this particular tactic and
how ethical you think it is. Not to mention the lurid logo. In the
spirit of honesty, why didn't you just say that you wanted to exchange
my email address for your manifesto?
Sylvie's Commentary
Thanks for your comments. I do appreciate them. :)
Hope you enjoy the report, especially the part about how so many marketers hammer their lists with unrelated offers. Luckily, I am not one of them.
But if you ever, at any time in the future, feel that any email I send you is unwanted, I welcome you to click the unsubscribe link.
I am a strong believer in permission based marketing, and would never send spam. Never have. Never will. Please see the Hammerhead Marketers segment to get the full picture of how strongly I feel about it, on both sides of the coin.
Update
I'm perplexed. Ed and I have had a few email exchanges since this was initially published in the hate mail section, and as as he says on his blog, it feels quite surreal to me as well.
On the one hand, Ed seems to be accusing me of being dishonest (re-read what he initially emailed me and judge for yourself if I was wrong in thinking he clearly implied I was dishonest).
But on the other hand, he posted a glowing recommendation of Internet Marketing Sins on his blog.
It's a little like being slapped with one hand and given a rose with the other. Very confusing!
He says, "I wanted to make sure that you would be dealing directly with Sylvie Fortin if you wanted to send her an email so I tested her email link before I gave Internet Marketing Sins my highest recommendation." Which confuses me further.
Ed, if you wanted to test the email, why not just say, "Hey, before I tell people to get your report, please confirm that you, Sylvie Fortin, will personally be reading the feedback comments".
Instead, you sent me a message that questions my ethics, honesty, and integrity.
What an odd way to say hello!
So, I'd like to step back in time and re-introduce myself to you, Ed.
"Hi, my name is Sylvie Fortin. Glad to meet you."
From "T"
Whether you are right or wrong, you always loose a great portion of your audience when you enter into an argument with an attendee.
Take for instance, when you refer to someone who has a valid point as some sort of idiot
"(Idiots out there use their autoresponder's email address to sign up to an autoresponder. They aren't actually reading the emails they signed up to receive. They are using your opt in box as a way to spam YOU.)"
I am reading mail that I signed up to receive, but, SuccessDoctor, you lost another reader. I think your mail is worthless and spam and I think your wife's mail is worthless and spam. This is private conversation, so if you quote it, quote it all.
And delete me from you wildly successful (sic) mailing list.
Sylvie's Commentary
Your wish is granted and you have been removed from all our lists. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.
