Hardly a day goes by where I don’t encounter someone asking if I want to subscribe to their newsletter. I don’t mind giving up my email address when I feel the content will add value; however, today something different happened.
I received a newsletter I didn’t subscribe to (oh, the horror!)
Let me give you some background.
A few days ago I received an email from a Sales Associate with a Promotional Items company (who shall remain nameless). The person sent the email to me because of my work as a Marketing Consultant. Presumably they had discovered this through LinkedIn, as less than 30 minutes later I had another email informing me this person wanted to connect via that social networking site.
Up to this point I had not responded to the initial email nor to the LinkedIn request. So, imagine my surprise when I received a company newsletter today informing me of the latest sales.
Let me be clear, I’m not entirely opposed to sales staff trying to connect with me via email or LinkedIn. Networking and building relationships are important, but adding me to the newsletter without my consent takes the “spamminess” a bit too far. In fact, it actually violates Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation.
I’m not anti-newsletter. I think newsletters are a valuable marketing tool. They enable companies to connect with customers, learn more about them, and (if done well) help increase sales.
The key aspect is that an individual chooses to receive the newsletter. By opting-in, they are letting you know that they want information sent to them via email.
If a company fails to respect a person’s wishes by adding them to a mailing list without consent or unsubscribing them if requested, not only are they breaking the law, but they also risk alienating future customers. I certainly felt like my consumer rights were violated.
So, what can we learn from my experience:
Lesson #1: Show you value potential and current customers by respecting their communication wishes.
Lesson #2: Know the law. In addition to the general anti-spam law, there may be legislation specific to your business. Do your research and know your rights and responsibilities.
Lesson #3: Create relevant content. I immediately unsubscribed to the newsletter because the content wasn’t of interest to me. Develop content that draws people in and makes them want to hear from you.
Bottom Line: In every way you communicate with your customers, treat them with care and respect and you may be surprised at the results.
Question: What other lessons can we learn from this situation or a similar situation you’ve encountered?