Every once in a while I have been known to send out an email or two about a singular event that I know about or am a part of that means a great deal to me.
I try very hard to send it to only those that I know would be interested. Generally that number of people tops out at about 5. I generally know these people that I send something to. I don't send to people that I've answered a random question from...you know, my Time Warner account sales person. Nor do I send to people that I hijacked an email address from because I got it off another person's mass mail out. (FYI people, rookie move here giving away your entire address book...especially when they are business contacts)
I've noticed something that is happening with alarming rate of frequency lately. Maybe it's the industry that I'm in or perhaps it's because people assume I want to know or maybe it's because people have no real clue to mass marketing etiquette.
First and foremost, if you are planning on sending out emails on a regular basis to people other than friends and family (I am not talking to you dear sweet friends who send pictures of their kids or other updates...I WANT THOSE....I am talking about the people I have never met who got my email addy from somewhere and now send me career updates....in Spanish....cause no matter how I wish I spoke the language I do not, so your career updates are not being read) please do us all a favor and subscribe yourself to Seth Godin's blog. Please go find his very important article on PERMISSION MARKETING and make it part of your check list before you send out mass emails to people. Believe it or not, by just sending ad hoc you're now contributing to the same spam that everyone hates. You're no better than the subject lines trying to convince me that everyone needs an extra inch.
Just because you now front a band that was huge in the late 80's early 90's does not mean that I want the updates on your solo career just popping up on my Blackberry taking up space.
If you're going to send out mass marketing please use a very solid medium like Constant Contact. Not only is it more professional than you just typing out an email newsletter to your entire address book it also has the most important part of any permission marketing newsletter. The all important subscribe and unsubscribe link. By geebus at the very least give me an out to not receive your newsletter if I wish.
I'm not a mean person. I don't like confrontation at all so I really do not want to have to hit reply and explain to you why I don't want your updates of the week each week when I didn't sign up for the updates at all in the first place.
Psst...this doesn't necessarily pertain to just music. I get quite a few 'newsletters' from people regarding their political views or religious thoughts and quite frankly if we've never ever met and I don't know who you are, and you have no social media platform that I could google and learn more about then I don't really give much thought to it.
Again, I'm not at all talking about people I actually KNOW...I love all your updates and miss all of your faces and wish I could see you and your precious families more.
As for you peeps that couldn't pick me out of a crowd (no i am not the crazy lady with 5 kids following me) or if I were to introduce myself you would have no idea you send me 3 emails a week, I am in fact talking about you.
