Email Irony; Email Woe.

Finding the right email campaign application can be tough, much less attaining (and maintaining) a large list of subscribers. I was recently helping a friend get started with a campaign. Having some experience with this, I had a couple applications already in mind. It was a toss-up between Campaign Monitor and Intellicontact. Both good applications with intelligently crafted features. I wasn't in a rush, but I just couldn't decide. So I set up personal accounts with both applications and planned to revisit them in a couple days. I immediately received the token welcome emails from both services - providing me instruction on how to dig in and use their applications. About a day later, after having ignored my new accounts, both services emailed me again. Here's what each of them said: Campaign Monitor Email Format: Plain text

Subject: Did you fall for Campaign Monitor? Dear Matt, Many thanks for signing up to Campaign Monitor and having a look around. Looking at your account, we noticed you hadn't sent a campaign or really got your hands dirty with it just yet. If Campaign Monitor didn't really grab you, we'd love to know why so we can right any wrongs. Just reply to this email and tell it like it is. We read every bit of feedback we can get our hands on and would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks again for checking us out, Dave Greiner and Ben Richardson Campaign Monitor founders

A friendly and straightforward reminder plus an invitation to provide feedback. Over a week later, I have yet to create a campaign and I haven't heard from them since. Intellicontact Email Format: HTML

Subject: Easily Create, Send and Track Your Messages Hi Matt. If you have yet to get started we encourage you to jump right in and see just how easy it is to get your email marketing campaign up and running. In three simple steps you can create your newsletter, send it, and track the results of your mailing. After creating your list follow these simple steps ...

If you have some a lot of time on your hands, you may care to read the entire thing. I'm choosing Campaign Monitor. Intellicontact proceeded to send me emails like this almost everyday. They weren't personal, they didn't have my interests in mind, and worst of all - they wouldn't leave me alone! We all know that subscribing people who haven't given us their permission is wrong. However, even if I give you my email address - nay - even if I say I want to "subscribe" to your newsletter, I don't want to hear from you very often. And when I do hear from you, I only want to read something that will benefit me - not something that will "get me to sign up." I'll get started with your service if and when I want to. Then I started receiving emails from an actual person (Joe). It was a similar message to the first one I received from Campaign Monitor, but more cheesy and salesy. Poor Joe. Just a guy trying to obey the man and do his job like he was taught. But I'd had it. Here was my response:

Please stop emailing me. I have received an obnoxious number of emails from you guys since I opened an account. One correspondence would have been sufficient. I'll start a campaign if and when I want to. Just because you have my email address does not mean it's in your best interest to keep emailing me. I've used Intellicontact and think it's a good campaign application. However, if I get one more spammish email asking me if I need assistance, I'm just going to cancel my account and use Campaign Monitor. -Matt Donovan

I received one more spam mail after that and ne'er an apology. What's ironic is that these guys have thought through their features so thoroughly. They really seem like they know what they're doing. If anyone should understand email courtesy, it should be them.