E-mail marketing campaigns are probably worthless.  Poor marketing has ruined what was once only a mediocre marketing tool.   By John Bolduan RealWebMarketing.com

If you've looked for any information on the web regarding marketing or growing your business, you've probably come across companies that offer e-mail marketing. They come in all sorts of bizarre flavors too. There are the guys who have their list of subscribers they'll offer or some of the worst, spammers who send out endless unsolicited e-mail. No matter what you do, avoid these tactics at all costs. I shouldn't have to tell you about the level of hate people are beginning to have towards e-mail spam. Even if the lists are legitimate, you should probably avoid those too. Why? Because people aren't stupid and they resent anyone who is associated with some form of spam. E-mail marketing companies will tell you that's not true. But let me ask you, are you tired of even legitimate e-mail that you subscribed to with ads in it or things you weren't interested in? I would guess you don't like it either.

E-mail marketing in the early 1990's.

There may have been a time when the internet's poor search capabilities made it hard to find what you were looking for. I can remember searching Yahoo in 1993 or so and it was terrible. The results weren't relevant or there wasn't much way to find content in a certain interest you had. It was at those times that e-mail marketing served a purpose of delivering content and organizing it in such a way as to be looked at as a help. When search results began to improve and people could find exactly what they needed quickly without any outside help, that's when e-mail marketing became less valuable. Most searchers are savvy enough that they don't need to have content pushed at them when they can do it themselves. Do you remember the idea of push technology that was promoted by Netscape years ago? It was an idea of pushing content to users and it ended up being a failing idea. With the level of search technology today, nobody needs anything pushed when they can pull good information in seconds.

People don't want to be pushed into your product or service.

This whole idea of pushing content flies in the face of what I was taught as a salesmen 20 years ago. You don't push a product or service at someone without first knowing something about the prospect. In fact, you don't push a product at all, you help them by discovering together the right solution from your offering. This is why e-mail marketing is such a poor concept. It offers blind solutions that don't convert to sales very often. It's all about pushing people in a certain, very narrow direction. And you know what happens when you push people, they push back. It's human nature. 

This is why I believe e-mail marketing campaigns are almost worthless these days. The scammers have used it illegitimately, it pushes an agenda that may not have anything to do with the reader and it clogs e-mail inboxes. The only time they may be worth something is if you're mailing list was acquired from loyal website visitors that have a passion for what you do. They have a level of interest that makes e-mail marketing something of value and not a nuisance. Take for instance this website, www.patmethenygroup.com. I'm a fan of Pat Metheny's music and getting an e-mail  reminder of a concert date, or a new CD or DVD is interesting and it has a community feel about it. People have passion about their tastes in music or other interests! This would not be the same as buying car wax and getting an e-mail update on the latest monumental innovations in car wax. Do you see the difference when I mention passion or interest in a subject?  

Be careful about doing an e-mail marketing campaign. I think it's better not to do one at all. As I've stated, they're almost worthless. Instead, work on your website and make it desirable so that you'll draw people into your solution without being the typical pushy e-mail marketing type. Some people in my position probably disagree with me as they've had some success. At time goes on though, people are becoming less patient with e-mail promotion and junk mail. Don't be associated with these negative marketing tactics.