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Major Communications
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Major Communications
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How to get your expenses DOWN, your revenues/profits UP!
Personally, I think the following is a bit long-winded, but it does a great job of explaining THE CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY OF SELLING, WHO'S USING IT, AND WHY!
..*EVERYBODY'S* DOING IT!!! DOING IT!!! DOING IT!!!
DON'T BELIEVE IT?! Well, check it out!
First, BIG NON-PROFITS are doing it!
The Software Publishers Association confirmed that in November 1997 it sent email detailing the organization's Internet Anti-Piracy Campaign to a targeted audience of more than 300,000 FTP system administrators. The mass email correspondence was designed to inform them about software piracy, the group said.
Second, BIG BUSINESSES are doing it!
AT&T reached out and touched Webmasters in January of 1998 with an unsolicited promotional email message. Webmasters of sites that relate to mobile communications received a mass email message hyping the release of AT&T's new wireless service, PocketNet. According to Brad Stevens, director of marketing for PocketNet, the mass email was sent to targeted potential PocketNet customers, and was not sent out randomly. "We put together a targeted list of users who we thought would be interested in the product," Stevens said.
Third, BIG POLITICIANS including MEMBERS OF CONGRESS are doing it!
1) San Francisco political consultant Robert Barnes calls the unsolicited mass emailing he sent out to thousands of Netizens in November of 1997 a "public service." Barnes sees it as a question of free speech. "I'm a First Amendment person," he said. "I very much believe in the free flow of information. I especially believe in the free flow of information as it relates to democracy and electoral politics. "It's a very positive thing to start creating a climate as this technology becomes more user-friendly for a wider majority of people," he added. "We're doing people a service." And if it works, who knows? Next time around people all over the state might be getting voter cards. "We're looking at frankly going statewide next year," Barnes said. "In the June primaries we're considering sending our mailing out to several million people in the state of California."
2) Spam Gets the Message Out
While the potential for e-mail to serve as a powerful, simple communication tool has eluded many members of Congress, the benefits are becoming clear to some members of those most hallowed halls. In fact, legislators are starting to spam people.
"THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST POLLUTERS!" a message from Representative Michael Forbes started off recently.
"As a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York, I write to ask for your help. You probably become outraged like I do when you see your government working against you."
The message, which was sent in September of 1997, explained the Republican Congressman's plans to close a nuclear reactor and sue the U.S. Navy for dumping sludge offshore. It ended with an e-mail petition people could send to voice their agreement or disagreement with Forbes's initiatives.
Forbes estimated that he is one of a handful of members of Congress engaged in such electronic outreach. He was pleased with the response. It was better, he said, than response from postal mailers.
"I was shocked, to be honest with you," he said. "A high number of people wanted us to know they wanted to get this [information] on a regular basis."
As Forbes is making his first ventures into bulk e-mail, the office of Senator John Ashcroft, Republican of Missouri, has turned electronic notification into a science. Ashcroft's staff puts the addresses of those who send e-mail into a database. Those who have expressed interest in issues such as the budget, national testing, encryption and term limits go into specific folders, and the office regularly sends these people updates on the Senator's progress on the issues. This year, the office sent more than 52,000 email messages.
In Ashcroft's year-end message, which went to everyone who has sent the office e-mail, the philosophy is clear:
"If you have further questions or concerns regarding issues before the Congress, please do not hesitate to contact me via the Internet," it said. "The door to self-government has been opened by giving the American people direct access to their representatives."
The message also provides a handy link to the Senator's Web site.
Granted, the members of Congress who send spam do so cautiously. But Ashcroft's approach reduces the risk of a bad reception.
"If they've sent you an e-mail on an issue, obviously they're interested," said Greg Harris, a spokesman for the Senator.
Forbes, on the other hand, took a greater risk by sending a mass mailing. From his perspective, the risk paid; the only bad responses, he said, were from those who wrote messages such as, "I'm a liberal Democrat. I hate Republicans. Don't talk to me."
Still, the experience was encouraging enough to get him thinking about acquiring lists of e-mail addresses narrowed to the county level and polling constituents regularly by e-mail.
"If we have a vote on fast track, I'd like to be able to get information back from constituents," Forbes said. "I want to bring my constituents more into interactive contact."
Besides, he said, on one front, his office has little to lose: "It's very cost-effective."
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AND GUESS WHAT?! EVERYBODY'S GOING TO KEEP ON DOING IT!!! DOING IT!!! DOING IT!!!
AND IF IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR BIG NON-PROFITS, BIG BUSINESSES, AND FOR POLITICAL CONSULTANTS AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, THEN IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR "SMALL" BUSINESSPEOPLE TOO (SOHO, SMALL OFFICE/HOME OFFICE)!
SO THE ONLY QUESTION THAT REMAINS IS WHO DO YOU WANT TO TEACH YOU HOW TO DO IT?! HERE'S YOUR ANSWER (and YES! we realize that we are "SHOUTING" and we've been PROUDLY SHOUTING IT FROM THE MOUNTAINTOPS NOW INTO OUR 3RD YEAR LEADING THE BULK EMAIL INDUSTRY AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP SHOUTING)!
AND SINCE BULK EMAILING HAS TRULY ARRIVED...
"America Online's own product pitches, made to customers as they sign on, are phenominally successful. They are the profit driver for the company. -Greg Shove, Vice President-America Online Inc.
"A gold mine for those who can take advantage of bulk email programs" -The New York Times
"Email is an incredible lead generation tool" -Crains Magazine
"Apart from creating a Web Page for your company, there's another do-it-yourself method of online advertising that has powerful potential. I'm speaking of bulk email, a method of targeting appropriate online readers by the thousands or even millions and, with a simple click of your mouse, send them your marketing letter via email."
"Blows away traditional Bulk Mailing" -Advertising Age
"It's truly arrived. Email is the killer app so far in the online world" -Kate Delhagen, Forrester Research Analyst
In FACT!
Check out this table that will compare the costs of Bulk-Postal vs. Bulk-Email:
BULK POSTAL MAIL vs. BULK EMAIL!
1000 FLYERS!
ITEM: POSTAL MAIL: BULK EMAIL:
Flyers (printing) $100 $ 0
Envelopes (plain
white) $50 $ 0
Postage (first
class) $320 $ 0
Mailing List
(fresh names) $150 $ 0
TOTAL
FINANCIAL
COST: $620 $ 0
TOTAL TIME
COST:
Folding, sorting, stuffing Virtually no time or hassle
envelopes, blah, blah, blah, AT ALL! You could be
roughly 3 hours per thousand! spending this time
What a hassle! How many SAVED making money!
new customers/recruits are All successful people are
you making while doing THIS successful because of their
FUN STUFF?! understanding of the
VALUE of TIME more
than the value of
MONEY! Time IS
money!
RESPONSE
TIME:
6-8 business days AT INSTANT! YOU'LL BE
LEAST IF YOU'RE AMAZED!
LUCKY!
..YOU MUST THEREFORE LEARN...
-Brad Williams President, Online Success
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