Thread: Email marketing compared to direct marketing.

Hello, first post but I expect to add more with time

We're deciding on whether to pursue the email marketing or direct marketing method to contact possible customers for our new business.

How do companies react to email marketing? I mean, when we're up and running, even though we'll be quite a small business, I don't think I'd pay much attention to email from unknown senders and probably just delete it.

Direct marketing is obviously more expensive, but I see it as more personal and in my opinion, will be more effective compared to email marketing.

What are your experiences/opinions?

Regards,
JB.

It depends how you build your lists.

If you send unsolicited email you will end up being blacklisted as a spammer....

If you send snail mail it may cost you more, but you could get a higher return depending on how you do it

Originally Posted by blacknight

It depends how you build your lists.

If you send unsolicited email you will end up being blacklisted as a spammer....

Would this apply to a free service. I'd be just making a company aware of a free service available to them.
Im looking to start a website (as ive said in a previous post) so get content a some initial traffic i wanted to offer a free service. Would you still reckon its spam.

It would basically be, pick x amount companies from thr golden pages. Send them a simple text mail stating we are whoever and ye can do abc on our site for free. A once off? what u think.

It doesn't matter if the service is free or not. If you send unsolicited email you will upset people.

The better alternative is to pay for advertising space in someone else's newsletter

from Spam Guide - Data Protection Commissioner - Ireland

Originally Posted by Data Protection Commissioner

The provisions of Statutory Instrument 535 of 2003 [European Communities (Electronic Communications Networks and Services)(Data Protection and Privacy) Regulations 2003] took effect on November 6th 2003. Since that date, the sending of unsolicited electronic communications from within the Republic of Ireland for the purpose of direct marketing has, in certain situations, been an offence.

Interesting, if you read the information on that link - it says that you are allowed to send marketing emails to companies (not individuals) provided they haven't expressed any desire not to receive them :

A phone call may be made or an SMS/MMS/e-mail or fax sent for the purpose of direct marketing as long as the sender has respected any opt-out preference expressed by the recipient.

So, it looks as if you can safely send at least an initial marketing email.

Originally Posted by FrankC

So, it looks as if you can safely send at least an initial marketing email.

Not really. The legislation is very weak.

If you want to avoid getting blacklisted you should try to follow these guidelines:

The Spamhaus Project - The Definition Of Spam

and

Spamhaus - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Ok - it would be unsolicited, but it wouldn't be bulk email.

What I was thinking of was a single email, to a single company, with a specific proposal for them. Looks as if that is acceptable.

And conversely, what would be spam, would be to send identical unsolicited emails to loads of different companies.

Originally Posted by FrankC

Ok - it would be unsolicited, but it wouldn't be bulk email.

What I was thinking of was a single email, to a single company, with a specific proposal for them. Looks as if that is acceptable.

And conversely, what would be spam, would be to send identical unsolicited emails to loads of different companies.

Sounds like you've got the idea

Unlike some people:

Lotus Chinese Medical Services Are Spamming Scum

Originally Posted by FrankC

What I was thinking of was a single email, to a single company, with a specific proposal for them. Looks as if that is acceptable.

Would people agree with Frank that this is acceptable?
Could some reciepient companies still view it as spam?