Voting myself off the email island

I have spent the past three weeks unsubscribing from all the lists, email newsletters that seem to have found their way into my inbox.

It was when I came back from vacation and had over 2,000 emails awaiting my return, that I knew I had to do something.

It’s been a freeing and interesting project.  Half the emails I don’t even know the person, product or service, yet somehow, without my permission, they have snuck into my inbox. 

I find that annoying as I take great care with my own online marketing to ensure that my list is permission based.  Further, I am less likely to feel friendly towards that company because in a way, they have invaded my space, uninvited.

Then there are those where, yes , I did sign up for them.  In a weak moment I likely thought I would have the time to read the material, but truth is I haven’t. 

As the owner of a member-based organization, I am also on the lists of many of my members and for years I almost felt obliged to receive their stuff, but like the others that I don’t read – I have unsubscribed. Nothing personal ladies.

It is also interesting to see how easy it is to unsubscribe.  Usually you can just scroll down to the bottom, click and it is done.  Some may ask you why but on the whole I didn’t bother to respond. 

But there were those that had nothing to click on so you could get off the hook.  Not good practice.  Another irritant is when you have unsubscribed, to still keep receiving their darn emails.  That’s one of the reasons I like Constant Contact, they manage all that for you, so once someone opts out, they automatically are removed.

Now I didn’t get rid of everything – there are some emails I still like to read – like Seth Godin’s or Danielle Laporte’s Truthbombs – and part of their appeal is they tend to be short, pithy and have something worthwhile to say.

I’ve also continued to subscribe to my Paper.li newspapers as they help inform me and I use their material on a regular basis to share with others.

But there are some lessons to all of us involved in online marketing:

1.            Get the permission of the person to add their name to your list.

2.            Send information that is useful and not just self-promotion

3.            Have your unsubscribe option easily available.

4.            Make sure when they have unsubscribed, that you do take them off your list

THE ART OF MARKETING

Are you creative? An artist?

I couldn’t draw to save myself but after listening to Seth Godin last week as he talked about creativity – I reached the conclusion that maybe I can be an artist after all.

Godin, marketing guru and author of the Purple Cow and Linchpin, argues that we need to become artists, to tap into our creative side, if our businesses are to stand out in today’s sea of commerce.

The old marketing tools no longer work. We need to do something different, be different and do it first. The old factory mindset that works within rules, always doing the same old, same old just doesn’t cut it anymore. But what does?

Godin believes that “the market for something to believe in has become infinite.” Marketing has become leadership and consumers want to buy and invest in brands that stand for something. What do you stand for?

When you live in fear, and don’t want to step outside your comfort zone, then you have a lizard mind declares Godin. “Anxiety, he says, is experiencing failure in advance.” He described several trends that caught on just because they were different – like selling odd socks as a pair (would suit those of us who have sock-eaters in residence) or the Candy Store on Highway 11 where no one would expect such a broad selection of candies and where customers spend on average $60 per visit!

What can you do that makes your product or service different? Godin’s closing advice was make art, give a gift and do work that matters. Sounds good to me.