Can An Autoresponder Message Ever Really Be Personal

[Willie Crawford]

I get a lot of emails with "Personal" in the subject
line, yet when I scroll down, I see the familiar
Aweber unsubscribe link.

My question is "Should you ever say that an
autoresponder message is personal?"

My answer is NO.

Yours?

Willie

[JayXtreme]

I voted NO

There is no way on this earth that a mail of that kind can be "personal"... the sender may be sharing something which was previously considered a "personal" issue. But in revealing that to an e-mail list.. it becomes non-personal, imho.

Peace

Jay

[Adam Carn]

I voted NO too but... if you have a really targeted list (e.g. The Four Toe Club) and you want to share something personal with them I guess it can be personal.

Adam

[Willie Crawford]

Originally Posted by Adam Carn

The Four Toe Club

Are you a member too?

Willie

[Elmer Hurlstone]

Based on the question I immediately voted "NO".

The same goes for automated messages on social media sites.

If you wish to send me, or almost anyone for that matter, a personal message there are a variety of methods readily available.

Personal messages are akin to a one-on-one conversation. Period.

Now, perhaps if your subject line stated, "Personal for you, Elmer, and my 3,912 other best friends...", I just might read it.

Elmer

[Paul Schlegel]

I voted NO and I find it annoying, but I would never unsubscribe just because I "don't like" someones sales tactics.

I would unsubscribe if their information is no longer relevant to me.

[Adam Carn]

Originally Posted by Willie Crawford

Are you a member too?

Willie

I'm member of a "Four Finger Club," now if you don't count the big toe to be a toe then yep, I'm a member LOL!

Adam

[Andrew G Gowans]

Hi Willie, I voted on the unsubscribe button. Why?

Mainly because I am saddened by the copycatters to whom I unsubscribe.

One person starts with the "Personal" and then within days, so many others are using the same tactic.

I do get a good laugh though at the "{firstname} personal for your eyes only" entries in the subject line - wouldn't have come from an autoresponder would it, of course not.

You'd think they would at least check that the first name was going to be inserted properly.

Andrew G.

[Willie Crawford]

Originally Posted by Elmer Hurlstone

Based on the question I immediately voted "NO".

The same goes for automated messages on social media sites.

If you wish to send me, or almost anyone for that matter, a personal message there are a variety of methods readily available.

Personal messages are akin to a one-on-one conversation. Period.

Now, perhaps if your subject line stated, "Personal for you, Elmer, and my 3,912 other best friends...", I just might read it.

Elmer

Elmer,

You're one of only 2 friends that I have, so I couldn't use
that subject line :-)

Willie

[Willie Crawford]

Originally Posted by Andrew G Gowans

Hi Willie, I voted on the unsubscribe button. Why?

Mainly because I am saddened by the copycatters to whom I unsubscribe.

One person starts with the "Personal" and then within days, so many others are using the same tactic.

I do get a good laugh though at the "{firstname} personal for your eyes only" entries in the subject line - wouldn't have come from an autoresponder would it, of course not.

You'd think they would at least check that the first name was going to be inserted properly.

Andrew G.

Good hearing from you Andrew. I need to connect with
you two and see how you're doing. Email me some time.

Willie

[Gary Huynh]

I vote NO.

A mass email is never personal and someone who says it is personal is insulting my intelligence. I don't like it and am baffled at why some big name marketers who are obviously intelligent would ever use it.

[JohnMcCabe]

I voted 'no', but with a caveat. I think it depends on how you define personal.

If you define personal as one-off communication from one person to another, an autoresponder message can never be personal. Nor can any other broadcast message.

If you define personal as something important to the sender, and in a business contest, not related to the business relationship, then yes it is possible to send a personal message via autoresponder.

I used to run a newsletter for members of my downline and anyone else who cared to sign up. Along with the usual business-building tips, company news and personal development material, I used to insert a plea for list members to donate blood before major holidays. I knew, from my local blood bank calling me for a donation, that supplies run very low at those times.

[Since this is being posted on Labor Day in the US, y'all can take that as a hint... ]

So, while I think it is possible to send a personal message via autoresponder, I think that most marketers will be too ham-handed to do it well. And that will cost them.

[Ken Preuss]

Like most on this thread I voted no.

Here's the problem. When you actually use the word "Personal" in either the subject line or the e-mail itself, you undermine the understood agreement between sender and receiver that the e-mail is being sent to hundreds or even thousands of people.

Again, this agreement is understood. The receiver is not bothered by being one of hundreds or thousands, but they don't want to blatantly treated like a sheep either.

Therefore... the art of e-mail copywriting (in my experience) is to write the e-mail in such a way that it feels personal, where the receiver temporarily forgets that the e-mail was sent out to that many folks.

This truly is an art in my opinion - I call it the art of suspending reality. When you achieve this your subscribers feel like you truly know them and understand them. And your sales skyrocket as a result.

Ken

[Intrepreneur]

Originally Posted by Willie Crawford

I get a lot of emails with "Personal" in the subject
line, yet when I scroll down, I see the familiar
Aweber unsubscribe link.

My question is "Should you ever say that an
autoresponder message is personal?"

My answer is NO.

Yours?

Willie

Right now I'm watching an email delivered to me that has my name in the URL, my name on the page but not my name being mentioned in the video.

How was this done?

[Steven Fullman]

Willie,

I vote YES...and I understand the reaction I'll get for it.

Why invest in an autoresponder...which gives you the code to personalize your messages...and NOT use the word 'personal' in those messages?

Is it WRONG for someone to send me an email saying, "Personal Message For {firstname_fix}" (sic)?

Of course not. It's just lame.

How's is it ANY different from saying, "Willie. Here's An Adwords Trick Even YOU Don't Know..."

...?

Because you KNOW I didn't "personally" write to you?

Steve

[Willie Crawford]

Originally Posted by Steven Fullman

Willie,

I vote YES...and I understand the reaction I'll get for it.

Why invest in an autoresponder...which gives you the code to personalize your messages...and NOT use the word 'personal' in those messages?

Is it WRONG for someone to send me an email saying, "Personal Message For {firstname_fix}" (sic)?

Of course not. It's just lame.

How's is it ANY different from saying, "Willie. Here's An Adwords Trick Even YOU Don't Know..."

...?

Because you KNOW I didn't "personally" write to you?

Steve

I understand what you are saying Steve.

The only difference is that my friends use the word "Personal"
to indicate to me that it's a personal message rather than a
broadcast. Many marketers use that word ONLY when they
are sending a one-on-one message and use it as code to
say, this one IS really personal.

Willie