Several times a week, I get email from people, who claim to enjoy reading this blog and want to know if they can be one of my guest bloggers. Clearly, they have never read the blog, as there is no guest blogging here. (The clue is in the blog’s name!)
Several times a day, I get email from people, telling me they enjoy reading my blog and would like me to link to them. Clearly, they have never visited the blog, or they would know there are no link-exchanges here. I link to a few sites, all of which are owned by people I know and trust. NONE of them asked for the link. BTW: I just added Danny Brown’s blog to my links (Get well soon Danny!)
In yesterday’s blog post, I wrote about the mindset that says it’s ok to piss-off 99.9% of people you contact, to reach that 0.1%, who may listen to or read your message. That post was about cold calls from unprofessional tele-marketers, but the same applies to other forms of impersonal, mass produced junk marketing too.
…and the best part?
The massive majority of email I receive, asking for links and postings, comes from marketing companies or SEO / SEM (search engine marketing) companies; on behalf of their clients and in their client’s name! It’s their client’s reputations that are being rendered toxic – and I’m willing to bet that in many cases, their clients don’t even know the damage being caused to their name or brand.
Your feedback please
Do you get these cut-n-paste link request emails too?
If so, do you check them out or delete them on arrival?
How does it make you feel about a company, when they send you that kind of email?
Please share your thoughts.
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Funny, but unfortunately true. There appears to be this “get social quick” mentality that really doesn’t work in this space, well, not in any meaningful way.
There are two skills that have to be perfected in order to enjoy a successful and productive life in this space: networking and technology. The networking portion has to be part of a win win offer.
People typically behave in the social space as they do in the real world…
Does it all just boil down to a lack of manners? Or are people (and SEO companies) just that clueless?
Great call on adding Danny btw.
Shannon – I love that term you use in your comment; “get social quick.”
Superb! Thanks for sharing.
Well said, Jim. Couldn’t agree more. Loved “The clue is in the blog’s name!” remark
I got to a point Ash, where I was unsubscribing from some of the blogs I read, purely because the quality was so hit-and-miss – because of guest bloggers.
I personally prefer blogs, where I can get to know the blogger and where the content is of a consistent quality.
Thanks fr the feedback.
Yes, I get them constantly and my reaction is the same as yours. My “favorite” one is how I will be bookmarking your site because the content is great. Then the phony sales hit! They are a waste of time.
.-= ClaudiaBroome´s last blog ..Is Your Child Being Alienated? =-.
Hi Claudia.
It’s always easy to spot fake sincerity. I have no idea why people use that tactic in mass-produced emailings.
Thanks for the comment!
PS I delete them immediately and feel that their ignorance is not a reflection on my site or my information.
.-= ClaudiaBroome´s last blog ..Is Your Child Being Alienated? =-.
Yep, me too claudia. I avoid reading spam and delete those emails immediately.
Good day, Jim C.
Had to answer to this one,
I liked, that You rewrote about other forms of Arrogance I have been online personally I hate to send Emails from ME.. From Ping.fm or Cotweet is all another issue but yeah, I just like promoting & doing it.. :’)
and my Friend Claudia Broome,
DELETING people that FOLLOWS You is NOT a really great way to go about this issue! (not to speak of the SERPs karma)
“Many have wondered why have my PR gone down, or I don’t see my site any longer on Google.”
If considering, SEO or network too. Deleting can and by far WILL cause a reaction through out Your network of websites.
(advice is to back search the PROFILE at least 5 deep and gather all those websites info then make Judgment before preforming this task!)
Thank You Jim Connlly
Ps.. My 2 cents
Norman Flecha
Straight Talk
.-= STRAIGHTALK´s last blog ..Your Designer Will Fire You, for these 5 things! =-.
Hey Straight Talk.
Am I missing something sir? How would Claudia deleting spam emails cause a problem with her page rank?
Ok so I see You (Richard Dumery) and My other friend Shannon Boudjema, would like a work out of this;
Ok lets say ‘they’ send You an email (but in your book it’s SPAM..!) right, You delete it, with out knowing that ‘they’ are following You on almost every social network possible…
Cool (You still with Me)
‘They’ actually have Great PR, makes money but his emails SUCKs.. But You or Your spambot deletes or trashes it.. SO You didn’t respond now they DELETED You.
(still with ME, “Trust Me I know when someone deletes my emails..”)
Now Your website rank, scores, goes to scabs then YOU wonder why..
“The weight of the dollar is to accept it for what it is.. a dollar, it’s neither mines nor Yours.”
Oh and by the way No it’s not My first comment here…
And I prefer the simpler approach!!
“Google before You speak”
Norman Flecha
Straight Talk
.-= STRAIGHTALK´s last blog ..Your Designer Will Fire You, for these 5 things! =-.
Eeeee! I get it now… cheers for the explanation… hah! i like your style.
I don’t quite get the gist here Norman… your first thought here…??
Hmmm. I wonder what would happen if the next time someone reached out with a (poorly) hidden agenda, you simply responded with a candid response.
“Hi, you obviously are new at this and not likely to get anywhere with your current approach. If you’d like to understand how to be successful in this space, let me know. Otherwise… good luck!”
HAH! I think I might just use that…
BRILLIANT – JUST BRILLIANT!
HAH! Richard, feel free to copy and paste as you see fit!
)
Very Brilliant, if was Used for all those emails deleted! Would get more out of IT..
“Simple action, collect them in a folder (blacklist) within your Email provider.. Then monthly You send them that as an email..”
Ps. Jim Connolly, sorry for the commotion. But I had to answer this!! I love it.. =)
Norman Flecha
Straight Talk
.-= STRAIGHTALK´s last blog ..Your Designer Will Fire You, for these 5 things! =-.
Hi Shannon,
Thanks for the comment. I’m guessing those guys are playing a numbers game, where they hope some people will bite. Pretty sure THEY delete anything that comes back, which is not a sales lead – the same way we delete THEIR stuff if we’re not interested.
Nice reply!
Cool Norm, you just killed them all!
On the other hand you are also right, the thing is how are you saying it.
Shanon, Norm is right on both things,
one is that if you over react on spams, this get’s back to you like a boomerang, since spammers are the most faithfull followers I could ever see, they make a buck on it, you know?
Second is that this is his bread, so it seems normal to consider feeding his family instead of giving it away just like that, I think you do the same with your products/services, so don’t be meschine here!
Norm, Shanon is right, be a litle bit less rough in wordings, they are not like me, to can take it all and feel nothing about.
The world is beautiful because we are not all equal, remember this!
Guys, stop arguing over nothing, and try to make something happen for good here,
night,
Emil.
Thank You Emil Pop,
Nice to have You here by the way..
I know I have this bit of me that gets in the way of my writing as You know this is why I really don’t blog.
But YES sir My Friend Shanon has something with the responding thingy..
It would be attractive as a reply to spammers might open their eyes into marketing..
Norman Flecha
Straight Talk
.-= STRAIGHTALK´s last blog ..Your Designer Will Fire You, for these 5 things! =-.
Totally agree Jim,
They are so missing the point – its great to build a massive following on social media or build a massive profile of in-bound links – but they ALL need to be relevant and personal.
My 2 cents
Matt
PS love the blog though!
The best form of email marketing, is when the reader has asked to be emailed information; (like a newsletter.)
Relationships, as you rightly say, are super-important!
Thanks for the feedback Matt.
Norman Flecha STRAIGHTALK – SOS
S illy
P eople
A rgumenting (http://cot.ag/9kP9VF)
M etrics
S erious
P rogrammers
A cquiring
M ultitudes
Jim, I came up with these.. what You think??
And sorry for the misbehaving.. just brighten up my dull Sunday over here.. We got something productive out of It though. “I did”..!
=) smiling
Norman Flecha
Straight Talk
.-= STRAIGHTALK´s last blog ..Your Designer Will Fire You, for these 5 things! =-.
Hi Norman,
Looks like I missed all the fun here last night (UK time.)
Some interesting points and good to see people really interacting with one another.
Thanks!
Great to see so many comments here and such interesting conversations, whilst I was away yesterday evening.
Thanks guys!
I think the root of the problem here is that SEO specialists do just that specialise in SEO, they don’t think of the wider marketing mix.
Hence, reputations are diluted strongly all with the ambition of trying to increase google rankings. Which in itself is great but without a strong brand is counter productive.
I see this alot and not just with SEO companies but with Web designers and telemarketing businesses as well.
I think the key here is for marketing support to be diverse and for people to always look at the BIGGER PICTURE!!
I see that kind of polarized thinking all the time. Like you say Gail; the bigger picture is vital if we want to see EVERYTHING.
Thanks for the comment.
Funny thing is that I don’t do NO type of email marketing if it’s not through a social network..
Personally I find it a waste of time but simply replied with the info because I found out late last year that spammers are People too with a very different perspective and well many good things to look out for.
Deleting, people’s emails is also a waste of time because sooner or later You will open it either it be from them Or a Friend off on of the social networks..
Focusing on more important issues like SEO is and always be my strong point and concern.
But nice to hear what others think!
Norman Flecha
Straight Talk
.-= STRAIGHTALK´s last blog ..Your Designer Will Fire You, for these 5 things! =-.
Hi Jim,
I don’t open spam, period – delete on arrival. I only open mail from sources I know.
I don’t know the companies that do send out spam per se, don’t care to know them; but spam sucks and all associated with spamming suck.
The thing is, by using spam rather than targeted marketing, those guys not only piss us off – they actually miss out on a lot more business. It’s hard to recommend a spammer, right?
Thanks for the feedback Mark! Good to hear from you.