Exact Target’s deliverability blog has a great post about the definition of Spam.
It’s always fun to listen to companies talk about permission. There are exceptions of course, (address appending for example) but permission is pretty black and white. The interesting part of the relationship comes into play when setting customer expectations.
I did tell CompUSA that I wanted ‘Special’ offers but I didn’t think they would come every few days! How much is to much? I guess it depends on the relationship… One sure bet is to let the reader know how often you’ll be communicating with them. We used to do this routinely when setting up e-mail broadcasts or lists.
On the other hand, much depends on the audience. It’s changing but many marketers seem to (still) impose direct marketing models on the Internet (vs building relationships!). Spamming Special Offers will offend and loose part of the list but mailers can still be ‘successful’.
At the end of the day, it is always about the relationship!
Supply and Demand
Sally Falkow points to an interesting list by London based E-consultancy on The 12 reasons why UK businesses don’t blog.
What’s interesting is that some PR folks tell me that clients aren’t asking for blogging, tagging and social networks. What companies and orgs know though is that things are changing. They sense that customers and supporters are getting info and news from different sources these days– away from the mainstream and their Websites. ‘Engagement’ seems to be a word that Corporate America, not only the non-profit sector is picking up on.
I don’t necessarily hear it alot but also sense that most corporate communication departments know that they’ve already lost some control over the message.
So, the question is: are the agencies leaving money on the table by not listening to the conversation or even asking the right questions?
Podcasting for business
A client called today, asking about podcasts. The questions were more about marketing so we talked about sponsorships and adding podcasts to websites– to spread the word and become more of an industry resource.
A few months ago, I posted about a PR agency brownbag we did with one of the topics being podcasting. A podcast is a program recorded into MP3 file that is posted online. You can listen to it online or download and take it with you on a handheld device like an iPod (hence, the name Podcast).
Businesses using podcasting include IBM for Investor Relations, Cisco to distribute news and even Whirlpool that focuses on lifestyle instead of a product.
You can find a more complete list of business podcasts here.
To begin though, you’ll need a podcatcher, or software to listen. I’m fairly sure that all podcatchers are free. I use juice. iTunes podcatcher is another example. Here is a more complete list.
Once you can listen to the broadcast, you’ll want to find a directory to pick and choose those that appeal to you. A few directories include Podcast.net, Yahoo! Podcast and Podnova.
And, of course, what good would podcasts be without a blog to go along with?