Recently I spoke to an agency owner who tried to launch an e-marketing campaign. He used a high-profile agency marketing firm's e-mail platform, and purchased 30,000 e-mails from a vendor they suggested. He sent messages over the course of a few months and received absolutely no opportunities–only spam complaints. The agency was not aware of any of the following critical components to a successful campaign:
- Message content: Cannot be sales-oriented or the e-mail will likely be seen as spam.
- Sending frequency: Too many e-mails will wear out your list and again make you look spam-ish.
- Scrubbing your list: Nearly a third of the aforementioned list was useless, but the vendor still changed them.
- Opt-in/Opt-out: It must be just as easy to opt out of a list as it is to opt in.
- Domain spoofing: Bulk e-mails to a dirty list are an invitation for domain spoofing. Make sure you are protected.
E-mail platforms are not useless, but purchasing one without the required e-marketing expertise is dangerous. If a surgeon hands you a scalpel, that does not mean you know how to operate, and if you purchase an e-mail platform, that does not mean you know how to launch e-mail campaigns. Hire an e-marketing expert or find a solution that provides the required experience. Don't just pick up the scalpel and start cutting.
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