There is nothing worse than bad PR and bad email marketing. I’ll admit that effective email marketing requires a lot of data capture, interaction and real 2 way value. Not an easy task, to say the least. However, it really irks me when it’s obvious no effort has been put into building that relationship with me. Why send me email if relationships are not what you want?

Well, here is my part of the dialogue. To Insider Pages: your email marketing sucks.

  • You sent me spam. I did not ask for it.
  • You capitalized on the buzz around Martha Stewart in a lame attempt to get my interest.
  • You spent more time designing your newsletter than writing it.
  • You don’t know I blog. You’ve never read my blog.
  • You could have asked me to help you market your product. You assumed I would, but I won’t.
  • You thank me for using your product. I never have.
  • You send me email about Yoga. Never tried it.
  • You don’t ask me to engage. The email is push only - you don’t want to hear back from me for anything.
  • You don’t have a blog.
  • You don’t use RSS to disseminate local reviews.
  • You’ll likely never read this.

Don’t send a blogger an email you don’t want published. It’s going to be something I do from now on out. If you want me to try your product, ask me. Engage with me. I likely will. Don’t spam me.

Rules of the blogosphere:

1. Listen.

2. Engage.

3. Respond.

Let’s see if this gets their attention.

How not to do email marketing:

Martha’s Misfortune:

Not Using Insider Pages

Dear Arieanna,

“If everyone in the U.S. were to walk briskly 30 minutes a day, the incidence of many chronic diseases would be cut 30% to 40%.”

- TIME Magazine

Nice statistic, but what are you going to do about it? With Atkins filing for bankruptcy, it’s obvious that grapefruit and low carb diets are fads that fade. Our members know that it’s fitness, not just dieting that matters. Want a gym where you’re not just another body? Michelle B. of San Francisco compares her gym to Cheers:



“ This is a neighborhood friendly fitness center, where people really do know everybody’s name. A very clean facility and the atmosphere is very personable. ”



Celebrities will do anything to get their fitness fix. Case in point: Martha Stewart. Despite house arrest, Martha snuck to her yoga class, assuring three more weeks of home confinement. Perhaps Martha should have had the Yoga class come to her? Kim R. of Seattle has the perfect solution for Martha’s unique situation.



“ YogaTeam has a few options for your company and can teach an excellent yoga class anywhere from a cafeteria to a hallway to someone’s private office…They’re also available for company retreats and private tea parties at your office or home.”



Had Martha used Insider Pages , she may have been able to avoid more hard time in the slammer..er her luxurious Bedford, NY estate. Guess that anklet has been weighing her down. Take advantage of your freedom and get walking!

Thanks for making Insider Pages the best way to find local businesses!

Jen B.,

Your Neighborhood Insider

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