| As a normal course of online business, we all want to | | | | challenge the ones advertising "targeted" email |
| increase our website traffic with buyers looking for our | | | | campaigns. I decided that if they really were legitimate, |
| products, but none of us wants to increase our traffic | | | | the entrepreneurs behind them would be willing to |
| just for the sake of using up our bandwidth. So, many | | | | accept a challenge that wouldn't cost them a thing to |
| businesses fall victim to the slick advertising of | | | | prove. I told every one of them to go ahead and |
| "targeted" email campaigns claiming they have lists of | | | | launch an email campaign targeting customers of |
| opt-in customers looking for products like ours. Do you | | | | products similar to mine, with a promise from me that if |
| really believe these con men? How many people do | | | | I saw both an increase in my sales and website traffic, |
| you know that put their email addresses on lists asking | | | | I would pay them for their campaign and use their |
| to be sent information about a specific type of product | | | | service for future campaigns as well. Not one of them |
| if and when some clown with a list of email addresses | | | | stepped up to the challenge or even bothered to reply |
| happens to come across that specific product? I get | | | | to my email. They all "guarantee" increased website |
| at least a half dozen emails every day trying to push | | | | traffic and sales; some even offer money-back |
| Viagra and Cialis on me and I sure didn't ask for | | | | guarantees, but getting a refund can be a lot harder |
| information about products of this nature. I also get | | | | than paying after they have demonstrated legitimacy. |
| Hoodia advertisements that I never asked for. Did you | | | | When was the last time you paid for your car to be |
| know that the company that holds all of the patents | | | | serviced in advance? Are you expected to pay your |
| for Hoodia as a weight loss product has not | | | | utilities in advance? How about your doctor, dentist, or |
| completed their testing of the product and doesn't | | | | bank loan? The point is, any legitimate service |
| expect to complete it for at least two more years? All | | | | company, particularly one with no real monetary |
| the products claiming to have Hoodia in them haven't | | | | investment like the holder of a list of email addresses, |
| enough Hoodia in them to aid in the weight loss of a | | | | should be willing to prove their claims without you |
| field mouse, but they get away with their claims since | | | | providing a credit card number for them to charge to. |
| they are sold as dietary supplements and not as | | | | A few years ago, I actually paid to have a "targeted" |
| prescription weight loss aids. Just another scam on the | | | | email campaign run, and emails were sent to 3,000,000 |
| market. | | | | recipients. I had no idea that 1% of the entire U.S. |
| Most consumers are intelligent enough to find the | | | | population was interested in this particular product, but I |
| products and services they want when they want | | | | was assured they were opt-in customers that |
| them and don't want their email addresses used to | | | | requested to be sent information about products of |
| push a hundred unsolicited products on them every | | | | this nature. In retrospect and after having been conned, |
| day. I for one will go out of my way not to buy any | | | | I realize that statistically, there is absolutely no way |
| product that I get unsolicited email advertisements | | | | they could have "targeted" anything but a list of email |
| about. I guess the spam email of this nature is really | | | | addresses of unsuspecting customers. I did get an |
| not much different than the invasive pharmaceutical | | | | increase in website traffic, but not in sales. In fact, I got |
| advertising on TV. I know that a few months ago, my | | | | about 20 more visitors than normal over a one-week |
| father kept a log for two weeks of every pill pushing | | | | period, which is statistically just noise and cannot be |
| advertisement he saw on TV. Then, when he went to | | | | attributed to the email campaign at all. |
| see his doctor, he gave his doctor the list. His doctor | | | | People, these email campaigns are nothing but scams. |
| asked, "What is this," to which my father replied, "It is a | | | | The con men behind them are exactly what makes |
| list of all the prescription medications that said I should | | | | consumers suspicious of Internet marketing and they |
| ask my doctor if they were right for me." His doctor | | | | are preying on your desire to get your website traffic |
| got a kick out of it, and so did I, but in two weeks, he | | | | and sales up and they deliver nothing but empty |
| wrote down 79 different prescription medications | | | | promises. The next time you get one of these emails |
| advertised on the TV channels he watched, and he | | | | suggesting that their "targeted" email campaign will |
| doesn't watch that much TV! | | | | boost your sales, ask them to put their money where |
| Over the past few years I have become increasingly | | | | their mouth is and prove it BEFORE you pay anything. |
| irritated by the spam email I get, and I decided to | | | | |