Marketing Problem

[Bob Savage]

Only sure fire way to find out is to pick up the phone and call them. You know, the phone, the thing that we all used to used to talk to people? You remember talking, right? It was the previous form of communication before email

I've seen some terrible email chains were people got in trouble and just about lost their jobs because they relied on email for almost all communication. They went back and forth for weeks, blaming each other, and when we said "Did you call them?", they got blank looks on their faces and said "Ummm, no".

PICK UP THE PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Trust me, customers love to hear from you, especially if you are trying to help them.

I used to be heavy into technology, now I'm beginning to hate it.

How true this is!!!

Plus, if the marketing e-mail is being sent unsolicited, there's a good chance that it's going into the trash even if the SPAM filter doesn't catch it.

I suggest making an effort to contact the person, whether it's e-mail or the phone, well before sending marketing materials, then follow up with a phone call if possible.

[Bob Savage]

I do not think return receipts are that helpful because they give a false assurance that the email was read.

External e-mail (i.e. not within a corporate messaging system) receipts generally require the client e-mail application to send the receipt. Most of these clients will ask the recipient if they want to send the receipt. I always click No and cancel the send of the return receipt. If it's important for them to know I got it, they can call.

Some mail infrastructures allow internal mail routers/hubs to send receipts along way, for every hop, but this is again almost always going to be an internal mail system.

[Bob Savage]

I am old and tired in the ways of email. I have had the same domain since 1995 and it gets spammed into oblivion. 2000+/day that get past the filters. On the plus side I know within 5 minutes if my email is down.

Darren, Google offers a free service (look up Google Apps) where you can point your MX records to Gmail. Gmail has one of the best SPAM algorythms ever, in my opinion. I've used Gmail for a number of years now, and we're using Postini at work (Google bought them, and I believe it's the same algorythm for Gmail), and between the two, I can recall only one mis-flagged message over the years and the SPAM frequency is low enough that I don't care about it.

[Darren Null]

It's not a problem, but thanks. Back in the day I made the mistake of submitting my site to search engines using software and my actual email address. As a result, this one address is on every mailing list ever.

2k a day make it past various spam filters, and maybe 20 a day make it past my desktop filters. I like it this way for 2 reasons:
1) I'll know within 5 minutes if my mailserver is down
2) If there's something compelling that makes it through the filters, I can pretty well guarantee that a friend/family member/client will click on it and give themselves a dose. So my Trash folder is also an up-to-the-minute spammers digest, complete with IP addresses and code samples. It helps.

[Dan Hintz]

I have used the same email address(es) for quite a few years, and I see the spam tide ebb and flow in monthly cycles. One has been my main business contact, so everyone and their uncle has it, as well as being the point of contact for my webpage (i.e., spam bots can, and do, automatically grab it). I have considered dropping this account (phasing it out over a year or two) and moving to a form-based contact system on my website. Other than laziness, the only thing keeping me from doing it is worrying how customers will perceive the increasingly impersonal ways to contact me...

[Doug Griffith]

the point of contact for my webpage (i.e., spam bots can, and do, automatically grab it). I have considered dropping this account (phasing it out over a year or two) and moving to a form-based contact system on my website.

A solution to the above is to use a javascript email obfuscator. The visitor's link clicking experience remains the same and email harvesting spiders see gibberish.

As for filtering, I use extensive .procmailrc recipes on the server side and then forward what gets through to yahoo mail where it gets filtered again. I have about 20 email addresses that work this way (some I've had for 10 years) and get very little spam or false positives.

[Dan Hintz]

A solution to the above is to use a javascript email obfuscator. The visitor's link clicking experience remains the same and email harvesting spiders see gibberish.

Unfortunately, the more advanced bots manage to see through this ruse. Been there, done that.

[Doug Griffith]

Unfortunately, the more advanced bots manage to see through this ruse. Been there, done that.

I use one that is almost impossible to get through - unless the bot processes javascript, reads the screen, or can tell "69eE@QiiMSSve619MSS.E28" is an email address. Other obfuscators simply convert "me_at_website_dot_com" or encoded strings to useful code.

[Phil Garcia]

I can't add anything else that everyone else hasn"t except that there are a couple of things that will get you into the spam folder or not onto your clients mail server at all.
First, do not send anything with an executable file attached to it, i.e. Efax with viewer and such things(PDF's or other flat files are always accepted by mail server's) and secondly, do not use or bounce thru a proxy server to hide your IP(some people like to do this for privacy)...that's my two cents worth.

[Jeanette Brewer]

When I send an e-mail that says...."Want to go grab a beer and watch the game at Buffalo Wild Wings Thursday night? I'm BUYING!!!" and they STILL don't reply.....drives me nuts.

Steve C,

I absolutely, positively promise that you will get a reply from me ANYTIME you send me this email -- especially if we're going to watch the Cowboy game.

[Phil Garcia]

Jeanette, I guess we could meet locally and send the bill to Steve in New York...LOL

[Steve Clarkson]

How about I just send you my credit card number?

Now you might convince me to go watch an archived Cowboys game.....with Drew, Preston, Roger and Tony......but probably not one from this season.

[Steve Clarkson]

I use one that is almost impossible to get through - unless the bot processes javascript, reads the screen, or can tell "69eE@QiiMSSve619MSS.E28" is an email address. Other obfuscators simply convert "me_at_website_dot_com" or encoded strings to useful code.

Ask a simple question and then Doug and Dan get involved.

You guys lost me like four posts ago.

[Dan Hintz]

You guys lost me like four posts ago.

Get some of your friends to actually join you in a few beers and you may begin to understand like we do

[Phil Garcia]

Thanks Steve...just be sure to send me one with a very high limit...you know when I watch a Cowboy game I like to celebrate...oh also I might want to order some material from Johnson Plastics..LOL.
However, I did try my hand lately at making some homemade beer, a Lager type and I was surprise on how well it turned out...A Mighty 6% Alcohol.. I wish I could send you a bottle but I already drank it all...maybe on the next batch.