SPAM works…unfortunately

Spam works

OK, now that I have your attention’¦

The reason that so much SPAM crosses our email is that, unfortunately, it works. What you ask?

Spam is just an extension of Mass snail-mail advertising for a product or asking for a donation. Snail mail has a response rate of about 2%, and a purchase or action return rate near 1%. But the costs involved in snail mail are quite high considering printing and postage costs alone, not to mention all the handling. This is why snail mail junk mail is actually ‘œtargeted’ to specific households that are more than likely to purchase or donate, or sent to a high income bracket area, or one of any of a hundred reasons why you were chosen to receive that particular junk mail. Thousands upon thousands of each junk mail are sent to prospective targets, and 1% on average buy or donate. In the non-profit I volunteer for, if we get a 1% return donation rate on our mass mailings, we are delighted. In our case, we do a bit more targeted research and get a slightly higher return rate, but that is unusual.

But the costs of creating and SENDING spam junk email is almost zero. And being near zero, millions upon millions of messages can be sent rather than thousands, and if 1% reply here, it is a fantastic return rate. And, unfortunately, the response rate for ‘œlegitimate’ spam mail, that is, really selling a product or service as opposed to fraudulent email is actually a bit higher.

That is right people; some of us are clicking on some of that spam, over 1% to be exact, and actually buying the product or service. I must admit, I bought something from a SPAM as well one day’¦ some very cool 6 color LED pens for $3 eac. (they had three LEDS, red, green and blue and could light up in any combination of those colors.) And people like us are exactly why SPAM continues to be sent’¦.because overall, it works. (Save the jeers, I know, I am adding to the problem by buying something from SPAM, but as I said, 1% of the messages earn a response.)

Now remember, if1% in snail mail is good, and if you can send 100’™s to 1000’s of times more messages in email, then SPAM in email will be successful at just 0.1% or less. 1 out of a thousand is all it takes to be sucessful. That is not many, but if you send 100 million messages, it adds up fast.

BUT what I do not understand is why people who send SPAM need to lie in the subject? I receive emails with the subjects like ‘œRe: you account’ which have NOTHING to do with the content they are trying to sell me (like Viagra.) Or ‘œRe: your message’, or ‘œImportant Customer Information’ or any of a hundred bogus subjects just to get you to open the email. And this is where my tolerance breaks down. OK, SPAM works, some people buy, so it will continue and maybe even serves a purpose in the long run. But WHY would you EVER buy from a SPAM email that starts out with a fraudulent subject message, a bogus subject, basically a lie? Obviously, this works too, because the SPAM people keep doing it. Some 1% of you must be opening and responding to these types of messages, and then buying the product anyway, but WHY? These people lie to you up front, and then you send them your money? I have a bridge for sale and some vertical real estate for you people.

JUST SAY NO people. If you are going to respond to a SPAM and buy something, at least make sure the company is respectful in their message. The one I bought from had a subject that read ‘œADV: 6 color LED pens’ so I knew what it was up front. Respectful SPAM can be filtered, so if you never want it, great, it is gone. Some people love to read the SPAM. But please, DELETE immediately AND DO NOT RESPOND to any email that has bogus subject, EVEN if you want the product. Fear not, it will come again from someone else that perhaps has more respect for their potential customers than to start an e-mail with a lie. That is just wrong and pisses me off greatly.