Keith Goodrum

I’m finally breaking the last bond to the pitch-a-thon marketing ezines. Yep, I’ve unsubscribed from the countless email lists I’ve been on for the past couple years. And it felt pretty good hitting the unsubscribe link over and over again.

I’ve rationalized staying on these lists by saying I’m keeping up with all their marketing methods. But, really who was I kidding?

I tried to tell myself that I might miss a marketing tactic, or new strategy… but what was I missing? I’m got the same email from each list. And the only difference was that the sender was different. These emails were the same almost word for word.

There’s no possible way to miss a new marketing tactic because they were copying each other. I finally had to admit to myself that I was just getting pitch from the same JV product using the same email “template”.

The final straw came with the latest launch. I won’t tell you who it is, but the marketers name sounds like Krank Fern. And Krank’s product sounds like “Cass Montrol”…

It’s strange, but if you go to Krank’s blog he gives away some free list building content. He gives some case studies about “Cass Montrol” working for other people. Good solid content. Now, you know he is going to eventually sell you something… but he is using the rule of reciprocation. He gives you something free to join his blog announcement list, and keeps on sending you free content. His plan is you will feel indebted to him when it comes time to buy what he is selling.  And You feel Ok with that.

The rule of reciprocation is overpowering for this reason.

The funny part is you hear that email marketing is not as effective as it use to be. You hear complaints about deliverability issues, low open rates and pitiful click through rates. Could it be that the recipient of the emails are indifferent?!? Low quality traffic? Bogus email addresses?

I would say that the list owners are not using the rule of reciprocation correctly. It’s strange to see so many them pitching “Cass Montrol” to their list. And yet ignoring the example of reciprocation that Krank Fern has laid out for them.

Or they use the rule of reciprocation once, and cannot figure out why is doesn’t stick.

You see many of people give away free gift as an inducement to join their list. And list owners will see success at building their subscribers if the gift has a high-perceived value. However a universal mistake is made by most of them right after the gift is given.

The list owner will usually start hammering away with pitch after pitch after pitch. There is never another attempt to give away worthwhile content or a gift. The rule of reciprocation is never reinforced. If you study the rule of reciprocation you will notice that giver (list owner) gives a gift to the recipient (subscriber) for a specific action (join the list). And the recipient (subscriber) will feel obligated to repay the perceived debt. (by receiving sales messages)

However once the debt is repaid the recipient no longer feels obligated to the giver… After all the debt has been repaid. And for each person the point at which they feel they have repaid the debt is different.

The list owner must do something to get the subscriber to feel obligated to receive future sales messages. And that something is in the form of valuable content, information or entertainment.

What about me? Did I unsubscribe from all the lists I’m on? No, there are good lists I’ve stayed on because they provide a good mix of content vs. sales messages. I decided to stay on the ones that got my attention when they landed in my inbox.

Here are a few I feel are doing it right:

http://www.ryanhealy.com/
http://www.jamesbrausch.org/
http://www.aaronbrandon.com/
http://www.edrivis.com/
http://www.samcarrara.com/marketing/
http://www.terrydean.org/
http://www.patbdoyle.com/
http://www.thekaizenbusiness.com/

Keith