When I purchased my very first computer, not too long ago, I
signed up for many Internet Marketing Newsletters. Though it”s
been a few years, I still have them.
I”ve subscribed to at least 300 Newsletters and it affords me a
broad outlook. My idea was to track and compare them. The plan
was to see how each one of them changed over time and look for
any discernible patterns, any nugget of information.
Well, I”ve been able to spot changes and the view isn”t a pretty
one!
The general trend is to give preference to sales instead of
communication with the subscriber base. Perhaps the first few
issues are well balanced and in favor of the reader. However, as
time goes by, the universal tendency is to disregard the needs
of the reader.
The Newsletters I”m talking about are very easy to spot: they”ll
devote a single paragraph to the reader and immediately insert a
product hyperlink. It”s gotten so bad, I”ve received Newsletters
with a multitude of stingy 3 or 4 line paragraphs, each leading
to a sales link!
Try as I might, I can”t understand the reason for such
Newsletters? Can you? What they are saying is this: Hi, this is
Joe Blow and let me tell you how this is going to work: I”m
gonna send you this irrelevant, so-called Newsletter. I”m going
to offer little content and a mountain of product links! To do
your part, we expect you to click on the links and buy, buy, buy!
Oh my! I can”t wait a week for the next one!
They are insulting and a complete waste of time for the reader,
as well as the author. Sadly, they keep pumping them out, week
after week! Why would anybody publish such utter rubbish? There
must be a good reason eZine Publishers limit submitted articles
to a hyperlink in the resource box!
I know we all have to make a living. Should it come at the
expense of insulting our readers? Why send out a Newsletter
anybody with more than three brain cells would trash in a split
second? Little wonder all Internet resources are being choked
with garbage!
What a sad state of affairs! It appears like priorities have
gotten very confused, to say the least! We all need to take
stock of the true reasons we write.
These are two questions every Newsletter or eZine Publisher
should ask:
(a) Is the readership a byproduct of the marketing process or
its reason for existence?
(b) Should product sales take
precedence over communication with your readers?
I think Newsletter writers should keep the above questions in
mind when practicing their craft. Yes, the pressure to sell is
great, no doubt. However, continue looking for the answers and
it will help keep you centered, time and again.
==============================================
by Francisco Aloy
(C)2004 Francisco Aloy
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