Defining spam in advertising efforts are sometimes a borderline situation and often problematic.There is a fine line between advertising and spam and unfortunately many business owners do not understand the difference between the two.
The essence of advertising is to bring new customers as well as keeping existing customers content with their status as customer. Spam will more than likely achieve the opposite and get the advertiser into trouble.This is important because while a clever, well planned Internet marketing campaign can help to attract new customers and keep existing customers, spam is likely to alienate both new customers and existing customers.
The scenario of web advertising consists of a variety of methods of which we will look at two basics. Low cost or no cost advertising is popular among those advertisers with a limited budget or who do not want to spend too much of their turnover on advertising costs. This is generally known as Bum Marketing in web circles. Advertising by means of emails to a list is considered very effective, but requires an own list or a strong advertising budget.
This article will take a look at a few basic Internet marketing strategies such as , email campaign and message board posts and describe how each can quickly cross the line from clever advertising to spam.
Advertising By email
The likelyhood of spam accusations are more likely when it come to email advertising. Periodic mailing are necessary to achieve reasonable results and could be perceived as an irritation or even spam. As these mailings are usually done to subscribed members or a socalled hired safelist with regular intervals, the brand name or product is consistently under the attention of the list member.
Email campaigns can be very useful tools in the industry of Internet marketing. These campaigns may involve sending periodic e-newsletters filled with information as well as advertisements, short, informative email courses or emails offering discounts on products and services.The magic word in email advertising is the List. This is the core of any email advertising or marketing campaign. Without a list of subscribers and customers there is little point in trying to do email advertising. A starting point can be a safe list where you pay for advertising and then get your own interested subscribers from that. The statement:”the money is in the list” is not a meaningless phrase to those who are in the know.
Customers who opted into your email list will likely not view these emails as spam and may purchase additional products and services from your business as a result of this marketing strategy. Additionally, potential customers who have specifically requested additional information on your products and services will also find this type of marketing to be useful. However, email recipients who did not request information are likely to view your emails as spam. Harvesting email addresses and using these addresses to send out mass emails will likely always be considered to be spam.
Forums and Blogs
The “Bum method” as blog and forum posting is called, is not to be relegated to last or no position in the queue of advertising methods. It consists of posting messages answering questions or asking questions. The method is to find as many blogs and forums as possible with content or discussions related to what you are promoting. Most forums and blogs requires registration before a posting can be made. Once done, as many posting as the rules of a particular forum or blog allows, may be made. This should consist of either questions about a subject concerning the niche or an interesting comment or even the answering of questions found on the message board. Never advertise blatantly as this may just stir up a hornet’s nest around your ears. If allowed, include your site or product url in your signature.
Finally, message boards provide an excellent opportunity for business owners to obtain some free advertising where it will be noticed by members of the target audience. If the products and services you offer appeal to a specific niche, it is worthwhile to join message boards and online forums related to your industry of choice. Because
the common interest of the forum or blog members are also what your niche represents, you might stimulate visits to your site or product url. The long-term value of these postings is that search engines will pick up your trail all over the web and in so doing give you a better chance to rate well in search engine rankings. The makeup of the forum and blog population’s interest will of course be representative of the niche of your niche and product. Posting to these blogs and niches forums will almost certainly bring visitors from such forum or blog. Furthermore, the search engines are bound to find the back links to your site or product url with long term benefit to your site or url. Here you will find a large population of Internet users who may have an interest in your products. You might consider including a link to your business in your signature or posting the link when it is applicable to the conversation. However, care should
be taken to carefully review the message board guidelines to ensure you are not doing anything inappropriate.
Ethics and caution
Don’t send emails to untargeted rented lists; in fact try and avoid rented lists as far as possible. Untargeted lists will just cause you grief.
On blogs and forums, ask only questions pertaining to your sub-niche. Also, don’t reply or comment on matters which do not relate to your sub-niche, or something about which you do not have reasonable knowledge.
Replying to blog and forum posts on a subject that has no relation to your product, while displaying your url, can easily be deemed to be spam by forum administrators - avoid this. This technique is smart marketing. Conversely, replying to every message with a link to your website when it is not relevant to the conversation is likely to be construed as spam by other members. Once they begin to view your posts as spam, they are not likely to visit your website via the links you post.
Always make sure that your emails contain an easy unsubscribe link.
