Make it stop!! The constant, incessant drip, drip, drip is driving me mad.
First, I need to come clean and admit I have a problem. I like to learn and thanks to content marketing I have turned into a bit of an ebook/white paper mad man. I jump at a lot of – alright, too many- offers for free information.
Second, because so many feel it’s necessary to require my home address, blood type, mother’s maiden name and a host of other information I won’t share on the ‘first date’, I have several ‘junk email address’ (thank you Google) that I use them to get what I want while giving them a variety of false names and garbage data.
Yeah, I know. I am a marketer and that’s not nice. Either is asking me for information that should wait until I do something beyond contacting you for the first time in order to get a free paper. Deal with it.
But now I see the error of my ways.
Today, I checked one of my Gmail accounts for a paper on Facebook Tips or Twitter Tips … and I noticed that a few of these wonderful businesses have been sending me emails every 3 to 5 days for the past 2 to 3 weeks.
And I couldn’t take my eyes away from them because I wanted to learn what they might offer. Unfortunately, with all but one, the experience was as enjoyable as staring into the sun for hours without blinking.
First, when did the memo go out that really, really, really long emails are effective? Well, in my case, disregard the memo because I have things to do and that list doesn’t include putting up with your long winded journeys through distant lands in order to get to a point. I realize you’re a writer and are still bummed about not getting your novel published – but don’t jump on the ‘story telling works’ bandwagon so you can justify rambling email copy.
Respect the reader. Focus.
The subject line of one email promised to teach me how to write more effective sales letter – but the 1,500 words that followed focused primarily on the author’s desire to pursue personal interests rather than work. Suddenly, near the end, the email switched to ‘…effective sales letters need great offers – to learn more, click this link and order my book…’
Hope the book comes with a neck brace because I think I got whiplash!
Another email, the first in a series from the owner of a marketing firm, took almost 2,000 words to tell me that he was ‘movin’ on up’ to client’s that offered him greater opportunity for personal and professional fulfullment – and that meant ignoring a lot of his long-time clients. (This was, apparently, his attempt to get me to click on a link that would take me to a place where I could find out if I was worthy of ‘better client status’ but I figured if he couldn’t nut-up and tell a long-time client that it was time to move on, I would be better off on my own so I elected to tell him that his services were no longer required by unsubscribing.)
Okay, so here’s my point. Just because you are paying a monthly fee to an Email Service Provider that offers you the ability to set up and manage drip email campaigns, you don’t have to use the feature when you have nothing beneficial to say to your readers.
Fix the drip. Focus on quality, not quantity.
Now, where did I put the aspirin?
