Why I Love Spam!

Why I Love Spam!
By Paul White

Actually I hate it as much as everyone else when I get an anonymous email in my box from someone who has harvested my email address, and who always has a return address like:- XX1234@hotmail.com

Luckily I have a special tool installed on my email program. It's called a delete button!

What I do love however, is the type of unwanted emails you get when you are a member of a safe list, or if you mail to an FFA page, or even the solo ads which you get when you subscribe to some newsletters.

Those of you who have used these FFA mailing services know that you get hundreds or thousands of emails all at once, from people trying to sell you something.

The inexperienced marketer would use a junk email account to collect these, and then delete them all without even looking at them.

But the really smart marketer realises that these ads are a rich source of learning!

You could pay a thousand dollars for a marketing course which would teach you as much as you learn from looking through these ads!

So when you do look at them, what is the first thing that strikes you?

Yes! You can't possibly read them all!

So which do you choose to look at?

Those with the great looking subject lines.

Those that have that magic 'something' that set themselves apart from all of the other ads.

Now can you use whatever these ideas are for your own advertising campaign?

The same of course applies once you open the email. Does the headline grab you? Does it make you want to read on, or does this become just another one which you delete?

There is no single way to get your own ad to stand out. If there were then everyone would use it, and it would no longer be effective.

Trust your instincts. If it grabs your attention, then chances are, other people will respond to it as well.

Don't copy someone elses ad exactly though! Just use the feel of it, use similar words, similar layout etc.
until it becomes your own.

And keep experimenting, until you get the response you want.

And keep reading and looking at other people's ads to see what you should, and just as importantly, what you should not be doing!
Paul White is a former teacher, and is now a highly successful online marketer. He helps people all around the world to become successful online. Visit the popular 'Profit Websites' at:- http://www.profitwebsites.com

Who Sends Out Spam?

Who Sends Out Spam?
by Bob Osgoodby

There are a number of different groups of people who send out unsolicited commercial email, or as it is called spam. First there are those that don't provide a real existing email address and use one that is forged. They're no dummies - they don't want a ton of complaints sent to them. They may also not provide a mechanism that someone can use to be removed from future mailings.

Every jurisdiction on the state level and country level should pass legislation similar to that which exists in Utah, that requires that their real email address is used and there is a mechanism in place to be removed. Non-compliance fines should be severe.

The really bad guys, use the address of someone else which is valid. The holder of that email address could indeed be in for a rocky road, and even face the possibility that their ISP will shut them down. If this ever happens to you, and it will be obvious by the amount of "hate mail" you receive, immediately notify your ISP so they can takes steps to protect you.

Then there is the "poor soul" who isn't aware of the conventions of the web, joins an affiliate program, buys a disk with millions of names and starts his own advertising campaign. These people are identifiable and will be shut down in a matter of hours. In the "school of hard knocks", they have learned their first lesson.

Most people who purchase web space from a provider are put on a web server with 254 other people. If any one of those people start spamming, it clogs the server and slows down the service for everyone else. In fact, many servers have a built in "self protection mechanism" and if the number of returned emails (bounces) exceeds 500, it automatically shuts your account down. If people start complaining about the slowness of their service the technician on duty will quickly identify who is causing the problem.

Now we come to the professional spammers. These people follow all the rules, and send out bulk mail on the behalf of others. They use a legitimate email address and provide a method to "opt out" from receiving future emails from them. The fees they charge range from 2 cents to 5 cents for each email sent. Their lists are cleansed daily, and if they say they can deliver 100,000 impressions, they can. But, do the arithmetic - they will be receiving between $2,000 and $5,000 for a mailing of that size.

These "pros" have their own servers, don't go through the various ISPs, have their own dedicated high speed telecommunication links and servers, and are virtually "bullet proof" as far as being shut down.

Professional spamming is big business, and those who are involved have a lot of money tied up in equipment and ongoing costs. If national legislation is enacted similar to the "Utah Model", they will comply. Any attempt to stop them will likely result in failure. If they can't comply, their investment is so large, they would likely move out of the jurisdiction imposing the rules to someplace which is more lenient.

But let's think about the problem of spam a bit deeper. I'm sick to death with the porno ads - these people should not send me stuff I simply don't want to receive. They can send email to people who have agreed to receive it, but leave me alone as well as all the kids who receive their garbage. Violators should be heavily penalized for sending this out to people who have stated they don't want it.

I also don't want to get ongoing ads for affiliate programs or for mortgage services I don't want or need. Give me an "opt-out" system that works and penalize those who don't follow the rules.

I really don't care if I receive legitimate offers from reputable companies, and I will most likely read them once this problem is brought under control.

What we need is a national "opt-out" list. The penalties should be severe for those who send email to someone who is on this list. The list should be available to anyone who wants it to ensure they will not send advertising to them. There should also be a clearinghouse where complaints could be sent for those violating the law.

But there should also be a mechanism to protect the innocents such as publishers of newsletters. If I say something that someone doesn't like, they should not be allowed to report me for spamming. Any complaint received should require that a copy of what they received be included with their complaint. Face it - there are some people who simply react and make a complaint without following the "unsubscribe" options. There are others who simply forgot they requested something, and when they receive it go "ballistic". And then there are the zealots who fire off a complaint, about any email received that is not from a friend or family member.

Yes Virginia, there are some people who are not the "sharpest knives in the drawer", and any legislation enacted should account for this. We need legislation like this, and if enacted, perhaps the Internet would truly be a more viable place to do business.

Did you know that subscribers to Bob Osgoodby's Free Ezine the "Tip of the Day" get a Free Ad for their Business at his Web Site? Great Business and Computer Tips - Monday thru Friday. Instructions on how to place your ad are in the Newsletter. Subscribe at: http://adv-marketing.com/business/subscribe2.htm

When Computers Talk to Each Other -OR- Spamming My Autoresponder

Autoresponders are marvelous tools! They are YOU working 24/7, answering questions and advertising your products automatically. All you need is for someone to send an e-mail to your autoresponder address, and the autoresponder takes over from there to convince the prospect. Simple, huh?

Of course, the person who will be emailing you (hoping that you are a real person and not a machine) ALSO has a product to promote and an autoresponder to do it with. He or she uses his/her autoresponder address to request more information from you, with a smug grin about their cleverness, because, after all, they cant be bothered to answer all the questions you will have about THEIR product, and you just MIGHT complain that they are responding to an ad with an ad, and who wants that kind of hassle?

Their autoresponder sets off your mail sequence and you are happy because you have a lead receiving all your Pulitzer Prize ads. As soon as your first email is received by your leads autoresponder, HER autoresponder starts sending HER Pulitzer Prize ads to YOUR autoresponder and SHE is happy, because SHE got a lead.

What we end up with is two autoresponders that know one heck of a lot about each other. I see a romance budding somewhere between the "joins now!" and the "see its!" And it looks like a lasting relationship too. I mean, one is offering instant and enduring wealth while the other is spouting promises of an easy and blissful life. Electronic Heaven, here we come!

Exaggeration? No way! I know for a fact that my autoresponder is having a sordid affair with a suave and debonair gold digger called "digitalgold", because they keep writing to each other long letters full of promises and quivering anticipation.

And where do humans come into this equation? Frankly, nowhere - except of course, in footing the bill for this expensive digital love affair. And then they wonder "but why arent my marketing efforts working? I wrote my ads, I set up my autoresponder - everything is done 'by the book'. It must be the fault of the program I joined!" And, yes, sometimes it IS the fault of the program you joined, but more often than not is the lack of professionalism that hounds Internet Marketing.

It seems that some people hide behind the anonymity of the nickname and the impersonal nature of the Internet to treat the field as their own personal playground, not taking into consideration that the one they are hurting most is themselves. Why? Because I will never buy a product from my autoresponders suitor, "digitalgold". The whole idea of a business relationship has been shattered by a thoughtless action.

Then, of course, to avoid all the autoresponder messages to my legitimately placed ads, I too, will place an autoresponder as my return address. And the problem just proliferates.

I wonder if it is the beginning of artificial intelligence.

Do I suggest that we go back to doing things the old, long and tedious way? God forbid that we should actually start TALKING to each other - with words coming out of our mouths! And isnt everyone too far away from the other to actually have a face to face conversation? Beep! Wrong answer. With todays technology we could actually have that face-to-face conversation even if we are on the opposite poles. I have at least three programs on my desktop that will handle sound plus video. The webcam that sits on top of my computer screen cost me the humongous amount of 25 Euros. The headset I absconded from my brother. Dont have all that expensive technology yet? No problem. Chat programs are free - we can converse in real time by typing.

So - next time you want to pitch your product, do me a favor, will you? Talk to ME not to my autoresponder. Knock on my virtual door politely and who knows? I might even let you in and we can have what used to be called "a conversation". It might take a little longer than pressing the send button, but think of all the hours you spend cleaning out your email boxes from unwanted emails.

Plus, you never know what goes through the digital minds of those autoresponders. What if they stop courting each other and start discussing a revolution?

Amalia Sotiriadou, who is a huge fan of modern technology but is very, very tired of spamming.

Amalia has been training people for two decades in a corporate and a personal environment. Her relationship with computers began in 1974 when they still used punched cards for data entry and has grown to a passion ever since. She has been involved in Internet Marketing for three years and is determined to train people to be successful in this field.
At her new site, http://talentgrid.com/business, "TGeBiz: Your MAP to SUCCESS", she is planning to do just that in an almost revolutionary way, with group and individual mentoring programs.

Affiliate Marketing and Spam: The New Realities

The growing backlash against spam is changing the way affiliates need to run their business.
With all the tools available to affiliate marketers, nothing quite compares to a well-written email that that introduces you, explains your affiliate's benefits, and piques the prospect's interest. The path to marketing success is then relatively straightforward - you create a killer letter and get it to as many prospects as possible. Simple, isn't it?

Not any more.

Over the past year there has been a shift in the online environment's view of unsolicited email so pervasive that affiliate marketers cannot afford to ignore it. The movement has made changes in the structural relationship between a company and its affiliate marketers, and has even moved offline into the hands of lawmakers (for better or worse).

Three realties stand out:

- A Spam complaint you are unprepared for can cause significant disruption to your business.

Spam is, to a great degree, still in the eye of the beholder. Someone who doesn't remember opting in to your program and claims your email to be Spam has an unfortunate degree of credibility from square one. ISP's are so intent on shutting down possible Spam sources, that you can quickly find yourself without an account or with a suspended account "pending investigation". The potential disruption - from advertising being spoiled, to confusion on the part of customers, to even loss of access to database information on the ISP's site, can be enormous.

Further, it's hard to envision doing large-scale advertising without sending one email that upsets someone, so this situation is a virtual certainty for marketers at some point.

- The company you are affiliated with has less incentive to back you than you might realize

How many people remember the old Mission Impossible series on TV? The agent always received a tape that explained the mission, wished him luck and by the way..if any of you are caught we will disavow any knowledge of your actions. Companies offering affiliate programs are playing a version of that tape now when they tell you they have a "Zero Tolerance" policy for Spam. It sounds noble, but what it means is that unless you are one of their top super affiliates they'd rather dump you than get themselves caught up in a Spam issue. You are guilty until you prove yourself innocent.

- You can make changes to react to this new environment and emerge a stronger marketer.

Change 1 - Understand Your Sources

Instead of simply mailing to opt in and safe lists on a whim, get to know the people producing these lists. Send a personal email to the list owner and mention how concerned you are about unintentionally spamming anyone. If your source is a quality company you will probably get a personal response back reassuring you that this particular list really is opt in. Keep a file of all these responses so that when you do get named in a Spam complaint you can, as a first step, show this ISP that you have been concerned about acting properly for a long time.

Change 2 - Build Your List Yourself

No tools are safer (or more effective) than opt in lists you build yourself. This is certainly the slowest and most difficult of all methods of marketing but is by far the most rewarding. There is virtually no successful online marketer who does not believe that your personal opt in list isn't the most important asset you have. Why? Because it takes a number of contacts to get most people to buy something online. Selling to people on a first contact, cold call basis is strictly hit and miss.

Change 3 - Become a More Systematic Marketer

Take this time to institute systematic evaluation of all your advertising. There are many tools available to evaluate each mailing you do and each ad you place. Marketers who begin this analysis often find that 50% of their business comes from half the ad sources they use. Cut the dead half and reevaluate regularly. You will find that this will cut the chances that you market to a bad list.

Preparing yourself for this new environment can be an opportunity to make yourself a better marketer while protecting your business from serious disruption. Christopher Greig writes on a variety of marketing topics and helps people develop both active and passive income online at http://character36.com

Spam Spasms and Spamocidal Mania

 Below is a letter I wrote to the following organizations:

S.H.U. (Spam-Haters Unanimous)

N.A.A.P.W.H.S. (National Association for the Advancement of People Who Hate Spam)

P.W.H.P.W.D.H.S. (People Who Hate People Who Don't Hate Spam)

P.F.W.S.H.I.A.L.C. (People for Whom Spam-Hating is a Lifestyle Choice)

S.A.P.W.R.R.R.H.S. (Society for the Advancement of People Who Really Really Really Hate Spam)

P.W.H.S.S.M.I.M.L.W.S.C.O.T.E. (People Who Hate Spam So Much It Makes Little Wisps of Steam Come Out of Their Ears)

And, of course: Spam Haters In The Business of Internet Resource Directory Services.

DEAR FELLOW SPAM HATERS,

I'm writing to suggest that we combine forces in order to present a common front in our righteous war on unsolicited commercial email:

Spam!

I suggest we disband the myriad sites and organizations now opposing unsolicited commercial email in order to form a single, unified organization:

The Spammish Inquisition!

And I further suggest we elect me, Linda Cox, as our leader. Our Grand Inquisatrix!

WHAT ARE MY QUALIFICATIONS?

You think YOU hate spam? You don't even know what hate is!

I hate spam so much that I... well, just a LOT! That's how much!

If I hated spam any more than I already do, I think my head would burst into flames and spin like a top! Can you say that?

Don't think so.

I don't mean to say that I don't hate other things too, like pedophiles and nazis and that drunk guy who backed over my cat when I was seven.

But spam... hooboy!

SQUISH 'EM LIKE BUGS!

I believe we should have a constitutional amendment allowing cruel and unusual punishment in the case of spammers. Maybe that tummy thing like the Japanese do when they get depressed.

As with drugs, mere possession of bulk emailing software should result in the immediate confiscation of the computer it was on, as well as any nice clothes, jewelry, or lawn statuary that might have been purchased with spam profits.

Just thinking about sending spam should be illegal, like joking about bombs in an airport. If I get to be Grand Inquisatrix, I'll have my own force of men-in-black dudes to sniff out spamsters and be really mean to them and call them names until they promise to be good little netizens again.

It's for their own good.

IN CLOSING...

Having looked at the websites of some of the anti-spam crusaders, I know that I am not alone in my revulsion, disgust and utter skin-crawling contempt for spam.

Like them, I have turned a blind-eye to more mundane problems like hunger, illiteracy, disease, country music and poverty so as to focus on the true menace ravaging our cyber-society.

If you wish to support my crusade, you may do so by sending me $99, and as a free gift I'll send you a CD with the email addresses of 40 million netizens eagerly awaiting news of your latest product or service.

Linda Cox, G.I.W. (Grand Inquisatrix Wannabe)

P.S. Oh yeah... stale croutons. Hate 'em.

Linda Cox (J.A.M.G.) was born in a speeding stagecoach amid the screams of fellow passengers as insane, wild-eyed horses dragged them all crashing toward the brink of destruction. That stagecoach was the planet Earth, those passengers were the human race, and Linda Cox is Just Another Marketing Guru. (The horses were just regular horses.) http://www.LindaCox.com/