Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Is Your Ezine Spam?

A few days ago I received an ezine from a computer company I've never done business with - we'll call it "Computers by Brent." I have no idea how I got onto this company's email distribution list, since I didn't request an ezine, and now I can't get off the list.

Despite new laws requiring that ezine publishers provide an Unsubscribe function somewhere in the ezine, this company does not. Nor has "Brent," the owner, agreed to my requests to remove my email address from his list - despite a back-and-forth exchange in which I politely asked for such removal. So now every few weeks I get an ezine from Computers by Brent, and I'm irritated all over again.

Do you think I'll ever do business with this company? Never. Will I ever recommend them to others? Hardly.

So why does the company insist on keeping me on its distribution list? Perhaps it wants to brag about the huge number of "subscribers?" I don't know. I do know that I'm probably not the only person who has been added to the subscriber list against their will.

Instead of building awareness for the company and promoting its services to potential customers, it is actually damaging its credibility and likelihood of getting business from anyone I know. Adding people to an ezine distribution list without their permission is dangerous.

Are you sure everyone on your email distribution list wants to be on it? Have you asked? Unless you're sure, because they had to sign up to receive one, you might just want to double-check that they still want to hear from you. Their needs may have changed since they signed up, they may have moved, or maybe their interests have shifted.

Make sure you're communicating with people who are glad to hear from you, rather than repeatedly irritating folks with your unwanted communiques.