What if I send an email twice?

27 replies
Im new to IM. Its much harder than offline marketing!!!

So I have this question.

How does a person react when they see 2 identical emails in their inbox?
I wanna know does that improve the chance for my mail getting read?

Interesting fact is, I had to contact iContant's techies today and their autoresponder sent me their follow-up the way I just described!
#email #send
  • Profile picture of the author Richard Van
    I've noticed a lot of big Internet marketers doing this recently. I suspect it's something to do with deliverability and by sending it twice more get through. Or they tested it and got more opens this way. I'd be interested to know what it is but it seems to be happenning quite a lot.
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  • Profile picture of the author King Shiloh
    Banned
    It shows me that you are not competent. Secondly, I consider it as spamming. Also, I see it as an evidence of a bad salesman.

    Generally, it is irritating.
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    • Profile picture of the author Richard Van
      Originally Posted by King Shiloh View Post

      It shows me that you are not competent. Secondly, I consider it as spamming. Also, I see it as an evidence of a bad salesman.

      Generally, it is irritating.
      I certainly don't like it and wouldn't want to do it but I was wondering why they do it. Be it better open rates or better deliverability or whatever. I was just curious.

      Point is King, spam is unsolicited mail and if you opted on to the list it surely can't be spam? Just my opinion. It actually stinks of someone desperate for you to open there mail and I agree with Alexa, it does seem spammy so just do it normally. If someone doesn't want to open something they won't, sent twice or not. Just saying it can't really be spam if you opted onto the list.
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      • Profile picture of the author King Shiloh
        Banned
        Originally Posted by Richard Van View Post

        I certainly don't like it and wouldn't want to do it but I was wondering why they do it. Be it better open rates or better deliverability or whatever. I was just curious.

        Point is King, spam is unsolicited mail and if you opted on to the list it surely can't be spam? Just my opinion. It actually stinks of someone desperate for you to open there mail and I agree with Alexa, it does seem spammy so just do it normally. If someone doesn't want to open something they won't, sent twice or not. Just saying it can't really be spam if you opted onto the list.
        I wish all online customers/subscribers reason this way, then there wouldn't be any problem of losing sales or anybody unsubscribing from list.
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        • Profile picture of the author Richard Van
          Originally Posted by King Shiloh View Post

          I wish all online customers/subscribers reason this way, then there wouldn't be any problem of losing sales or anybody unsubscribing from list.
          King, I'm not going to get in an arguement about this but when some people that earn way more than me do something, I'm curious, thats all.

          Doesn't mean I think "yeah, I'm gonna buy your stuff" just a why? I'm like that.

          For your info, as I've already stated it stinks of someone desperate but when people, who I won't name but we all know, do it, I want to know why.

          I don't like it. My point to you was you said it was spam, spam is unsolicited mail. An email sent twice isn't spam. lets just find out why, because I know a few big names that do this.
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  • Profile picture of the author sparckyz
    Recipient might just flag you as spam and no more e-mails will get through
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  • Profile picture of the author Apply Marketing
    Well, how about using it every once in a while, like for my 2 most important messages this year?
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    • Profile picture of the author King Shiloh
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Apply Marketing View Post

      Well, how about using it every once in a while, like for my 2 most important messages this year?
      Once in a while...Once in a decade...It is NOT a good marketing strategy.:p
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  • Profile picture of the author mclauchlan
    Many marketers use this tactic in split testing. The older not so used method was to indicate that they had made a mistake and justify sending the second email.

    Either way I think it looks amateur but test it to get some feedback for your own niche.

    John
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Some ideas you really don't need to test ... (and might even lose a lot by doing so) ...
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  • Profile picture of the author IndigoJack
    Doubling up is REALLY annoying and just makes you appear to be a berk who can't send emails properly so if they didn't unsubscribe when they opened the first message they'll definitely be hunting out the unsubscribe button on the second.

    Less is more.

    Anyway, it's your subject line that will determine whether they bother to open or not.
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    • Profile picture of the author Richard Van
      Originally Posted by IndigoJack View Post

      Doubling up is REALLY annoying and just makes you appear to be a berk who can't send emails properly so if they didn't unsubscribe when they opened the first message they'll definitely be hunting out the unsubscribe button on the second.

      Less is more.

      Anyway, it's your subject line that will determine whether they bother to open or not.
      I agree but why are they doing it? There must be a reason. I don't know. Thats what I'm curious about because I think it's crap too but there has to be some reason for it.
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      • Profile picture of the author King Shiloh
        Banned
        Originally Posted by Richard Van View Post

        I agree but why are they doing it? There must be a reason. I don't know. Thats what I'm curious about because I think it's crap too but there has to be some reason for it.
        They are doing it because they want you to read or see it twice since you told them that you are so blind, deaf or dumb that you can't even understand an email that is sent once.
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        • Profile picture of the author Richard Van
          Originally Posted by King Shiloh View Post

          They are doing it because they want you to read or see it twice since you told them that you are so blind, deaf or dumb that you can't even understand an email that is sent once.
          Oh ok, its as simple as that. End of then.
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          • Profile picture of the author oneplusone
            I'll be the first warrior to give you the correct answer

            What is happening is deliberate, after an e-mail is sent out to a list, it is possible to send the same e-mail to the UNOPENED e-mails.

            It is done to increase the open rate, you might have a 25% open rate by sending one e-mail out.

            But by sending the same e-mail to the unopened e-mails repeatedly, you can push the open rate up dramatically, often doubling or trebling the initial open rate.

            The problem is, some marketers are impatient and resend to the unopened e-mails far too soon (for example, the next day), this annoys people as they then see two identical e-mails very close together in their inbox.

            The correct and professional way to do it, is to wait a few days and give people a fair chance to catch up with their e-mails, and then send again to the unopened e-mails.

            Preferably with a different subject line each time.

            On AWeber for example, you would usually only do this with broadcast e-mails. Not autoresponder sequences.

            After a few days you would save the unopened e-mails as a segment, then change the subject line and send to the segment.

            If you sent to a 1,000 size list, and 25% opened (250 people), the segment containing the unopened e-mails would obviously be 750 e-mails (1000 e-mails minus 250 opened e-mails)

            You might get a 16% open rate on the 750 unopened e-mails, 120 more opens.

            Bringing the total opens to 250+120 = 370

            Now instead of a 25% open rate, you have pushed it up to 37%

            And the process can be repeated.
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  • Profile picture of the author Luke McCormack
    sounds desperate in my opinion. If you have no trust then why would your list open your emails?

    Regards

    Nigel
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      I agree but why are they doing it?
      Good question. When I see two identical emails I either unsubscribe thinking I signed up twice - or I assume the list is poorly managed so I unsubscribe.

      Not sure that's the result they want. I never considered someone would deliberately send twice.

      kay
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  • Profile picture of the author mark587905
    I generally delete any email i see twice.
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  • Profile picture of the author Oscar D
    I would not be impressed, to me if it happens once or twice then maybe I would brush it off as a mistake or delivery error, but if it happened often then the content of the list better be excellent or I would seriously consider unsubscribing
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    • Profile picture of the author Apply Marketing
      So as a conclusion: I will not do that
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      • Profile picture of the author Heuristic
        I usually unsubscribe unless it is someone I know fairly well. Yeah, it is irritating.
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  • Profile picture of the author IndigoJack
    So can Aweber detect when a mail is not actually opened but is in screen view when someone opens their Outlook mail client?

    If Aweber can do that then there is no risk that you could be sending a repeat email to someone who has already seen your message.

    But if Aweber can't detect that, you are just being annoying.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steviep
    If I got the same email twice from an autoresponder I'd let it go the first time, but if it kept on happening I'd unsubscribe for sure.

    You're better off split testing different emails to small portions of your list, find the one with the best response then send that out to everyone.
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    • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
      Send me an email twice.. once and I will think mistakes happen. Send me the same email twice...ummm... twice and I will know for sure you fell off the wanna be truck last night.
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  • Profile picture of the author misterhu
    It can leave different impressions to your clients. First, it can be seen as a mistake but can make the clients think that you personally send them. Some however may be annoyed with it. Make sure not to do the same problem so it will be viewed as a mistake and stay with your list.
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    • Profile picture of the author aquablue
      This happens to me with 2 pretty big marketers. I always assumed it was poor list management, as the identical messages appear at the same time.
      Marketers often send the same offers to multiple lists.
      Hitting the unsubscribe button will show you which list(s) you're on.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kay King
        The problem is, some marketers are impatient and resend to the unopened e-mails far too soon (for example, the next day), this annoys people as they then see two identical e-mails very close together in their inbox.
        I think you've identified the problem - it's very possible that an email would not appeal to me on a certain day yet might catch my attention two weeks later.

        I can understand how this could work to increase open rates and sales if used in a logical way. For example, I often open list emails only once a week and glance through them - sending the second too soon would easily be visible and defeat the purpose.

        kay
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