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A serious problem is facing our IM community ...

by Stefan Vee
20 replies
Each day, I am getting more and more (yes 'MORE') SPAM emails asking
me to open an attachment.

I have no doubt that our customers do get these emails as well. Not only
are they tired of being tricked into something, they hardly see any difference
between those SPAM emails and let's say ... a GENUINE double-opt-in
confirmation email from aweber. After all, to them, all it takes is a 'click' to
get into trouble.

It's even worse than that ... Our ISPs and free email providers hardly see
the difference between those SPAM emails and genuine newsletters (or
double-opt-in confirmation emails) either. Each day, more and more emails
from GOOD companies end up in my spam folder. Even my latest reservation
with a very well known airline company ended up in my SPAM folder.

Now, the solution is not AVOIDING to be recognized as spam. I have
several email accounts with a wide variety of email-providers. My spam-scores
are ALWAYS zero, let me make that clear. Simply put, this is not just an
individual problem anymore.

The solution lies in the hands of our ISPs and email providers, and I am seriously
WORRIED!
#community #facing #problem #serious
  • Profile picture of the author icoachu
    OR... you can use Gmail to filter your emails and say goodbye to most of your spam problems. I did that 3 years ago and haven't had to mess with spam on a large scale ever since. Also, you can try spam arrest.
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    • Profile picture of the author Stefan Vee
      Originally Posted by icoachu View Post

      OR... you can use Gmail to filter your emails and say goodbye to most of your spam problems. I did that 3 years ago and haven't had to mess with spam on a large scale ever since. Also, you can try spam arrest.
      Is that what you tell your customers? Like I said, this is not an individual problem anymore.
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      • Profile picture of the author icoachu
        Stefan Vee,

        SPELL IT OUT in your squeeze pages/optin pages that your customers should check their spam folder in case it gets misrouted.

        I get upwards of close to 50% opens according to aweber so I guess I am doing something right
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        • Profile picture of the author Stefan Vee
          Originally Posted by icoachu View Post

          Stefan Vee,

          SPELL IT OUT in your squeeze pages/optin pages that your customers should check their spam folder in case it gets misrouted.
          Any serious marketer does that. True, some do this better than the others, but
          make no mistake about it ... your customer might take the effort to look for your
          initial activation email, they certainly won't white-list you. (too much trouble)

          And then again, it's not an individual problem anymore. Our customers
          are in a constant state of alert because of others!
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        • Profile picture of the author WillR
          Originally Posted by icoachu View Post

          Stefan Vee,

          SPELL IT OUT in your squeeze pages/optin pages that your customers should check their spam folder in case it gets misrouted.

          I get upwards of close to 50% opens according to aweber so I guess I am doing something right
          50% opens means nothing though without knowing the size of your list and a few other details.

          If you also prune that list of those who don't open the emails then ofcourse you will have a high open rate but it's quite irrelevant if you get rid of the people who don't open the emails.
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          • Profile picture of the author icoachu
            Originally Posted by WillR View Post

            50% opens means nothing though without knowing the size of your list and a few other details.

            If you also prune that list of those who don't open the emails then ofcourse you will have a high open rate but it's quite irrelevant if you get rid of the people who don't open the emails.
            All I know is I don't prune and I get upwards of 50% opens on some of my lists. I'd share my secret but it might result in my slice of the pie getting smaller and yours getting bigger. I don't think I'm prepared to do that Last time I shared email conversion secrets my income went down when it seemed like everyone at the forum I used to hang out at started doing what I was doiing :*(
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            • Profile picture of the author Stefan Vee
              Originally Posted by icoachu View Post

              All I know is I don't prune and I get upwards of 50% opens on some of my lists. I'd share my secret but it might result in my slice of the pie getting smaller and yours getting bigger. I don't think I'm prepared to do that Last time I shared email conversion secrets my income went down when it seemed like everyone at the forum I used to hang out at started doing what I was doiing :*(
              Thank you for NOT SEEING that this is NOT an individual problem (you wanna
              be thanked, right?)

              Seriously, I don't think anyone is prepared to listen to your ingenious marketing
              knowledge in this thread!
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              • Profile picture of the author Dan Curtis
                OK. So, it's clear that doing business as usual will not be effective because of the practices of unscrupulous marketers.

                Now, the next question that you should ask yourself is this: How can I turn this situation to my advantage?
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  • Profile picture of the author betterwtveter
    Yes gmail is the way to go.
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  • Profile picture of the author OldLodgeSkins
    Guys, I think you didn't get the OP's point...
    What he's worried about are not the e-mails he himself receives. He's worried about the fact that the spam detection procedures of most e-mail providers are too tight, thus reducing an honest marketer's delivery rate... And you don't change that by telling people to use gmail. Although I'm not sure anything can be done about it, actually...

    Seb.
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    Do you use Facebook ? Then you can make money just by inviting people to a Facebook group ! It's called the Instant Income System. How cool is that?
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  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    Email is getting less and less effective and it will continue to get that way.

    The damage has already been done.

    Once the masses start abusing something it ruins it for the majority.

    I'm afraid not much can be done NOW. Had this conversation been raised 5 years ago we might have had a chance.

    This is why it's important to hit your subscribers from all sorts of angles nowadays. Get them on your email list, your Facebook page, your Twitter feed, and so on. It's no longer enough to just rely on email. You can still get good results but not as good as you could a few years ago... and the same will be said two years further down the track.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jesse L
    Back to mailing postcards, I guess.
    Or, give everyone that signs up with you a free email account using your domain...

    Just another instance of a few bad apples screwing things up for everyone else.
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    The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will. – Vince Lambardi

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    • Profile picture of the author mikeink
      Originally Posted by Jesse L View Post

      Back to mailing postcards, I guess.
      Or, give everyone that signs up with you a free email account using your domain...

      Just another instance of a few bad apples screwing things up for everyone else.
      Good Idea. We operate an apartment building, and you should see how much advertising and direct mail that has the tenant name on it that gets thrown out, along with the other junk We have a large storage container by the mail boxes and that gets filled up weekly.

      Using a free Email like google may help you, I have seveal gmail accounts and the spam(yummy) is high, and only get checked maybe once a week. You may get placed on my good account when you prove yourself, that this not spammy.
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      Well let me see. OH yea need to start work on my ???????? again.
      Been working for slave wages to long.

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  • Profile picture of the author Cash37
    If your free gift is good enough they will hunt down that confirm link
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    • Profile picture of the author Stefan Vee
      Originally Posted by Cash37 View Post

      If your free gift is good enough they will hunt down that confirm link
      True, but please read my previous response (PLEASE?)
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  • Profile picture of the author DubDubDubDot
    Every online industry/niche eventually cannibalizes itself (then there is a "great reset" in which every longtime player is bankrupted regardless of their past success). Email list marketing is in its final throes, so we are seeing list owners trade their lists in the name of obtaining more emails so they can then trade that list too. All of this is with little regard for long term consequences.

    Diversify.

    Do not rely on email lists as your primary source of sales. That ship sailed a long time ago.
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  • Profile picture of the author Anonymous Affiliate
    Low email delivery/open rates is not only a problem of IM. Do you know how many leaflets I receive in my mail box everyday that I dont event look at? How many TV ads I pay no attention to because I take wee-wee breaks during commercials?

    It is the same in all type of advertisement industries.
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  • Profile picture of the author clever7
    I agree that email marketing is becoming less and less powerful with time. Those who are having success with it didn't begin now.

    Now most people ignore all emails, even when they opt-in.

    About seeing important email messages going to the spam folder, this is something I saw happening many times. This is why I check the spam folder everyday.

    Of course, our subscribers won't care about doing the same…

    The filters not always work as they should.

    Other times email messages that should go directly to the trash appear among important messages.

    We really don’t know how our subscribers receive their messages.

    Even if we will get organized and get rid of spammers without losing important messages, will our subscribing do the same?

    No; they are ignorant and indifferent.
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  • Profile picture of the author affilorama-portal
    Although this is the sad truth, there are still few marketers whose emails are still important and they are actually read by their customers. It is just a matter of proving yourself as an honest marketer.
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    ...which is why i stick to straight sales letter page on frontend marketing... and only do email marketing to backend customers.
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