Nobody Told Them "The Press Release is Dead."

By Guest Blogger, Mary Schmidt, Marketing Troubleshooter

Somehow I end up on all kinds of lists.  (Dang me for putting my email on my biz card and web site...)

So, every day, first thing - I go through and delete, UNOPENED, all kinds of thrilling news from companies near and far, big and small. Those that make it through the spam filters and haven't been blacklisted, that is...

Maybe 1 time out of 25, I'll open the email...IF I like the company or know the owner (support local biz, ya know)...and realize they're simply a victim of a clueless PR person...BUT, if the email refers to an attachment, the attachment goes unopened and the delete key is clicked pronto.  (I don't have time AND there could be something nasty lurking in that attachment.)  

Please, folks.  For your own good - if you're going to issue anything to anybody - media, bloggers, the woman you sat next to at yesterday's lunch (that'd be me) - first ask yourself:  Is it newsworthy to anybody but me?  Will they be interested?  Did they ask for it?

And, remember if you're blindly sending to an organization ("Hey, they've got over 500 members! Great targeting!"), there's a person on the other end (like me) who didn't ask for it...and, yep, deleted it.  Never got to those 500 members.  

P.S.  Same goes for those postcards you send me.  Please, save your postage.  The best use I make of them is crumbling up and throwing for my cats to bat around...I like you. I hope you succeed. I don't want to hurt your feelings, but...

P.P.S.  It'd be refreshing if people - before offering to help me with: a. my "small biz" marketing; b. how to set up a blog; c. networking; d. "marketing to women"  would - ahem - look at my company name, visit my web site and read my blog.  I'm open to new ideas, but I'm also way past the basics. And, just because I'm female doesn't mean I'm particularly interested in ALL the so-called "women's issues."

Comments

[Yvonne DiVita]

Ah, Mary, we are hostages to email and spam. They dominate the net - and it just amazes me that anyone still pays them any mind. A spam email is so easy to spot!

I, too, delete more than I read. I, too, wish someone would ask themselves, "Does Yvonne really want this?" The killer emails are the ones addressed to, "Hey, blogger..." or, "......" addressed to nobody. And, some really smart people send those emails around.

If you don't address me by name, chances are I didn't sign up for your note. If you do address me by name, it better be because you've met me, or you've taken the time to visit my blog and know what I'm about.

All others - please leave the planet. Thank you.

[Dr Wright]

Yes, its still about permission.
( I wish I had a cat to give the post cards to)

Dr. Letitia Wright
The Wright Place TV Show
http://wrightplacetv.com
www.twitter.com/drwright1

[Data entry india]

They hope that out of 500 mails at least 100 of them will be red out. The people like you and me never give space to those mails. So its better to put your information in your blog or website where no one can delete it.