I used to manage my e-mail list meticulously, even down to going through it name by name and eliminating people that my gut told me probably wouldn’t qualify as long term subscribers. I included opt outs, and usually made mention in the body of the message that folks should feel free to let me know if they no longer wished to be on the list. I was also diligent and removed those folks who wanted to be removed for fear I would obtain a spammer reputation.
But despite my best efforts, I would still occasionally get those angry e-mails from people who thought I had gone too far, worn out my welcome, crossed the line, and for all I knew, probably beat on my own mother just for kicks. It really was quite amazing how intensely people responded when they got the impression that they were being spammed, and even more disappointing for me to think that I was being perceived as such.
Today’s lesson… sometimes you just can’t help it, and no matter what you do, you get the label of spammer hung around your neck like a three ton boulder, leaving mental images of you kissing your collective career goodbye. Is there any level of damage control that will work when you’ve been branded with the dreaded “S” word?
Whether the accusation is true or not, it should not be ignored. Enough complaints to your ISP will result in your internet service being shut down, your website yanked, or all of the above. Once the damage is inflicted, it is awfully hard to undo. Can you possibly take the necessary steps to prevent this from happening? And if not, how do you combat the false accusations when they do occur.
One thing to remember is that a lot of people sign up for e-mail lists and then forget about it. Six months later they are wondering why they are getting e-mails from a given outfit. I’m guilty of this myself, and I like to think I’m pretty thorough when it comes to e-mail issues. Moral: it happens to the best of us.
Also, forwarding is a big thing nowadays. Almost every morning I find myself cleaning out forwarded messages of all kinds from my inbox. Occasionally, the forward may look like it is coming from the company itself as opposed to a well meaning friend. Something like this could easily tick off the wrong person, they lodge a complaint, and then you’ve got problems.
About all you can do when you get these responses is to be proactive in responding to them. Promptly remove the person from your e-mail list, and send them a polite personal message, apologizing for the inconvenience and assuring them that you have heard their request and will honor it.
Of course there are methods by which you can be better prepared with regard to your e-mail database:
Don’t buy e-mail lists from companies. It takes longer, but suck it up and take the time to build your list on your own, one step at a time. Building any business endeavor takes time, but the end result is worth it and you will find your list to be more substantive and ultimately more productive for you, your product, and your business.
Make it at least a little difficult to get on your list. Have your webpage set up with an opt out button; basically making it a decisive action for the person to add their name and information to your database. Informed decisions go a long way towards cutting down on the number of irate folks that you will be hearing from (unless of course you go off the deep end and inundate them with useless info or otherwise wear out your welcome, but that’s another story…).
Give them every chance to back out. When you get an e-mail subscriber, if at all possible, send them a thank you message in return. The personal touch is always appreciated and makes people want to maintain the connection.
Don’t be a stranger. If you let a long time go by between mailings, you run the very real risk of people forgetting about you. Then, when they finally do hear from you, it comes off as unexpected and you end up looking like a garden variety spammer. If your product or service warrants it, then touch base with your clients every month or so. If you can send a birthday wish or Christmas e-card, do it. If you establish a relationship with your clients, then the business relationship runs so much smoother.
Whenever you do a mailing, include the URL where they initially signed up. This may serve as a reminder if they are scratching their heads trying to remember who you are. Place the URL near the “unsubscribe” feature to make things easier.
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, well, you get the rest. Don’t engage in activity that makes you look like a spammer. Avoid the cheesy, unrealistic subject lines, include a functional return address, as well as a real header. If your messages look professionally composed, with a personal touch, and coming from a reputable source, then you stand far less chance of your presence being rejected.
