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Re: ::scr What porn sites don't want you to know..

On Fri, Oct 11, 2002 at 01:54:01PM +0100, Alaric B. Snell wrote:

> Rules of thumb (tho I'm just a techie so miss out on some of the cretinicity):
> 
> 1) Don't wrangle addresses out of people on false pretences. No hidden 
> checkbox saying "If you do not want to be informed of offers, click here" 
> then send people boring crud about buying furniture. Instead, say "To be kept 
> up to date on new products and special offers, click here" (note the change 
> of default) and then only send people new products and special offers, rather 
> than just forwarding sections of your catalogue to them at random (they 
> already *have* the catalogue, see?).
> 
> 2) Try to make it interesting. If you're selling to businesses, make a 
> monthly newsletter with interesting stuff in it and subtle advertising. 
> People will *want* to receive that, and put up with the ads - look at free 
> newspapers!

Yes!  The most successful commercial newsletter I am on - at least successful
in terms of making me spend money and not making me actively avoid the
sender - is the one from Peanut Press.  Their newsletter tells me about new
stuff they're publishing and offers me discounts.  OK, so most of the time
I delete it unread anyway, but occasionally, there's something in the first
screenful that catches my eye.

Another one that works is Fantastic Literature's monthly newsletter.  In
their case, it's just a reminder that they've put up a new catalogue.  So
I visit the site, have a look around, and usually don't buy anything.  BUT
I occasionally do, meaning that they gain a sale.  Compare with HMV, who
spammed me once.

-- 
Lord Protector David Cantrell     |     http://www.cantrell.org.uk/david

  With ... the fact that Linux has become so easy to install that
  certain species of bacteria are now being hired by MIS departments,
  what was once the domain of rigorously trained, highly specialized
  professionals has devolved into the Dark Land of the Monkeys.
     -- Greg Knauss