Sign ups - Competitors Newsletters

[maxine]

I regularly get one particular competitors newsletter and got one today saying all about this that and the other that they were up to and promoting and it got me thinking that I take known competitors out of my opt in lists.

What do you all do... keep them in your opt in lists, take them out, or send them something different? ;)

[estwig]

Humour me, what's an 'opt in list'???

:)

[maxine]

you know.. when someone gives their email address so they can receive your monthly newsletters and promotional email stuff :) ... as opposed to you just finding/using an email address without their permission.

(I might be making up my own little language again... sorry)

[cmcp]

I'd keep everyone in whom opted in. Unless you have anything to fear.

[SillyJokes]

We have toyed with sending our competitors a different email to our customers.

One idea was to announce a new range of costumes for fish just to wind them up but in the end we didn't bother.

[BITS]

Never thought of sending them something different :)

We've left them on as all info in the newsletter is generally available on our website afterwards anyway.

Cheers

Lee

[directmarketingadvice]

Many of your competitors will opt-in using fake names and free email accounts.
So, what can you do?

Personally, I don't give a monkey's if they sign-up or not. I don't even keep track of who's on my list.

(and the only person I've booted off it was someone who was being a knob)

Steve

[maxine]

new range of costumes for fish

What a brilliant April Fool subject :) hehe

I can see it now.. all the videos on youtube.. celebrity pampered fish.. !

[maxine]

Many of your competitors will opt-in using fake names and free email accounts.
So, what can you do?

Personally, I don't give a monkey's if they sign-up or not. I don't even keep track of who's on my list.

(and the only person I've booted off it was someone who was being a knob)

Steve

Well I just think it is a tad cheeky when people use their real company email address :) and thought I may tweak slightly to reward that cheek :)

Daren't ask why the person was being a knob? Just generally? Or doing something naughty with your newsletter content?

Do you think that when companies get too big they become a bit complacement about these things? I mean, I suppose it depends on what the content of the newsletter is but if it is geared towards growth and differentiation surely giving that info away so easily is not a good thing as it just makes it quicker for them to jump onto the "me to" bandwagon which irritates me no end!

Do people have "VIP Lists" where the addresses are qualified in some way?

[I, Brian]

I regularly get one particular competitors newsletter and got one today saying all about this that and the other that they were up to and promoting and it got me thinking that I take known competitors out of my opt in lists.

What do you all do... keep them in your opt in lists, take them out, or send them something different? ;)

So long as competitors are always left following in your footsteps, there's little to worry about. :)

[directmarketingadvice]

Daren't ask why the person was being a knob?

Put it this way, I've had a newsletter for a few years with hundreds of people on it. Only one person has been booted. So, they were in the bottom fifth of a percent when it came to knowing how to behave...

Do you think that when companies get too big they become a bit complacement about these things? I mean, I suppose it depends on what the content of the newsletter is but if it is geared towards growth and differentiation surely giving that info away so easily is not a good thing as it just makes it quicker for them to jump onto the "me to" bandwagon which irritates me no end!

If they've any brains - and if they're paying attention - they'll just re-subscribe under a different name.

So, trying to hide your emails from them is going to be a losing battle. And, the only way to hide your sales message from them is to hide it from everyone else... which isn't a good idea.

So, why bother about it?

Steve