Here’s the scenario. I’m planning to launch a marketing effort of promoting our services to prospective clients. However, here’s the ticker of the scenario. These ‘prospective clients’ are actually website owners with average or lower than average level websites. They might not have the intention of making their website better and by George, I don’t think they’d want to spend a single cent improving their website.
After all, in Malaysia nobody complains about a bad website to the owner. So I’m deciding to jump into the these website owners faces and do something about it.
The plan is to prepare either a HTML email or a plain text email and send it right to their emails that are available on their website. The average or lower than average only would normally have their email account placed and linked on their website barely. Oh well, not everyone knows this contributes of enabling spammers to sniff out emails.
In the email later I’ll send a small, short and concise review of their website and methods it could be better by us. It’s all going to be in plain English so they won’t be confused by too much tech talk. Then at the bottom of the analysis, I’m planning to place a so called advertisement promoting our services targeted at owners like themselves for an affordable fee.
End said, if you were an owner or know friends who own a website and if I sent this to you or them; Would you consider this SPAM or Promotional?
At the same time, I’d like your opinions if such a campaign like this would work.
I’d keep the email to a more personal level. Probably, refer them by their names instead of the usual Sir/Madam. IMHO, you can’t really constitute it as spam since you are not sending emails irresponsibly.
Make a connection with the potential customer if you know what I mean. They’ll be more interested about the potentials of a good website will do to their business then deal with a designer’s lingo jumbo. :)
well when it comes to this, you’re walking a very thin grey line.
Good point taken Ethan.
A thin grey line of upsetting the client or being recognized as a spammer or producing my own hate club later? :P
It’s all to do with communication. You definitely won’t hear from the owner if you say,
Hi, your website sucks. Here’s why, and here’s how I can fix it for $XXX.
But if you say:
Hi, I’m Danny and I’m a web designer. I came across your site the other day and I found it interesting / informative / etc.
However, from my professional view as a web designer, I have some suggestions on how to improve your site.
At the moment, your site has problem X, Y, and Z. If you implement A, B and C it will greatly enhance your site and draw more customers.
I would be glad to give you a free consultation if you like. Please contact me at…
I’m in the communication business, and everyday I see how doors can open with the correct communication. So anyway Danny, I’ll give this consultation for free :oP
But do let me know if you generate any leads this way!
Btw, that’s not spam. Spam is unsolicited BULK emails. In this case you’re sending INDIVIDUAL emails and for all intents and purposes, you’re just making a sales pitch through email. Just choose your words carefully in your site review.
David’s right – your method of ‘promotion’ would be personalised and not bulk mailing, even if it IS unsolicited. Hence not spam – unless they don’t respond to you, in which case if you try to follow up, then THAT would constitute as spam.
That’s great advice, David and I’ll belanja you a teh tarik if we meet. If heart attack don’t blame me. LoL!
Anyway, yeah..I was thinking of doing the email somewhat like that. If I were that forward, even I’d slap or punch myself in the face.
But Sashi, if I followed up say the month after with the email again. Is that considered spam..?
David and sashi are both WRONG. Lemmi give you an example of something personalised yet iritating to the point of illigality in some places.
Telemarketing.
In telemarketing, they know who you are, they address you by your first name, they know your background, they offer you a personalised sales pitch (in the sense that you fall within their target demographic).
I get iritated enough when people interrupt my day to shove advertising at me, I get angry when they know my name and my details and I always make it a point to sternly demand they company never contact me again.