How I respond as a consumer/recipient often informs how I advise clients in their marketing campaigns. Of course, I do research and use data. But if I find something repugnant, chances are a large portion of their audience will, too.

Email lists are a wonderful marketing tool – when you treat the recipients with joy and respect. But more and more email blasts do just the opposite.

Using the Same Subject Line With Different Attributions – Every Day

This has been one of the fails in a lot of the political fundraising emails in this cycle. Saying “I want to meet you (name) and then pretending it’s come from a celebrity who is part of a fundraiser.

First of all, I worked with actors for decades. I’ve met and worked and enjoyed creating with many of them. The ones with whom I stayed in touch know how reach me legitimately. I don’t swoon for celebrity. Second, as someone who has written some of these fundraising emails, I know the celebrity didn’t write the email, so pretending to personalize it like that is simply insulting.

Third, and most importantly of all – don’t send the same subject line and place different celebrity names on it. Not only does it make you look like trash, it insults me and suggests you think I’m such an idiot I won’t notice.

“I Don’t See Your Name Here”

There’s a quick way to make sure I delete the email without reading it and unsubscribe.

If you “don’t see my name” for whatever it is (a retreat, a conference, a petition, whatever), it’s because I CHOSE NOT to be a part of it.

Emailing me daily that you “don’t see my name here” is nagging me. I have enough on my plate without being nagged.

Buh-bye.

Bullying

Bullying tactics don’t work on me. I deal with bullies in real life by pounding back at them. If I’ve joined your email list and you try to bully me into doing something, I’m gone. You’ve lost me from whatever product or cause – permanently.

It’s a pandemic, asshole. We all have far too much to deal with every day just to survive.

Bullying tactics will do the opposite of engaging me and making me spend money or do whatever it is you’re trying to get me to do.

Emailing Too Often

Don’t email me every day, unless it’s a daily news whatever and that’s what I asked to be on. If you email me every day trying to sell me something, even if I’ve been a regular customer, chances are good I will both unsubscribe from your list and stop buying your product.

Product emails? No more than once a week. I prefer once a month.

Information emails? Once a week, unless there’s some daily blast I’ve requested for a weird reason. If you’re sending me an information email, make sure it’s actual INFORMATION and not just an advertorial. I write both; I know the difference.

Constant Upsell

Yeah, I’ve been to those workshops and webinars, where they tell you that EVERYTHING needs to have a Call To Action attached.

I disagree.

I prefer to be invited to experience more. When it’s an invitation instead of a demand, I’ll pay for it.

When it’s just “buy, buy, buy” it’s time for me to say “Bye bye.”

Email and online marketing has become even more important during the pandemic. But the smell of desperation is a way to turn away your audience instead of to grow them, and treating them like their idiots is not the way to build customer loyalty or interest.

Invite, engage, entice.

Seduce.

Don’t batter.

What email marketing techniques are driving you nuts lately?