What is Spam?
Wikipedia defines spam as “the abuse of electronic messaging systems to indiscriminately send unsolicited bulk messages”.
While most people think of spam as junk e-mail, Wikipedia points out that the term applies equally to the abuse of other electronic media:
- Instant messaging
- Usenet newsgroups
- Search engines - This includes creating spam websites, keyword stuffing and social media abuse.
- Blogs - Besides the computer generated spam a blog receives every day, there are people who believe that a blog’s comment space is some kind of billboard. The same people like to advertise on social networking sites in their and other people’s comment spaces.
- Wikis - Wikipedia itself is a target of spam content.
- Online classified ads
- Mobile phone messaging
- Internet forums - This is a first cousin of blog and social networking comment spam.
- Fax transmissions
Spam is Offline Too
It is easy to extend the definition to include non-electronic media and communication:
- Three foot rule - Anybody unfortunate enough to be standing next to the spammer gets an earful.
- Car windows - This includes flyers on the windshield and sizzle cards between the rubber and the glass of the driver’s window.
- Telemarketing and automated dialers - They really sound pretty much the same. It’s hard to tell which is real.
- Rest room graffiti - Okay, maybe I am taking this a bit too far. However, I couldn’t resist. I’m sure by now you get the general idea.
Spam is Bad Business
Spam is anti-social, alienating and unprofitable, unless as Diane Hochman says, you’re going to do it right and set up an offshore server to blast spam messages to millions of inboxes.
Spam is highly inefficient and ineffective. Nearly everyone is turned off by spam or chooses to ignore it. Some forms of spam are illegal in many jurisdictions.
Forty-four years later, spam is a perfect example of Marshall McLuhan’s “the medium is the message”. The spammer’s methodology becomes the focus of attention rather than the message’s intended content.
Why Do People Spam?
Spammers mistakenly believe that spam is marketing. Spam seems like a good simple marketing shortcut.
Spammers are taught to play the numbers game. Somebody out there is going to fall for it. When spammers fail, they rarely consider that their spam “strategy” was flawed.
The Law of Attraction
Learning to market correctly takes time and effort, but it’s worth the investment. You will attract success. Spam only attracts failure.
Real marketing and personal branding shall prevail.
Please share your spam stories. Post a comment. But please, no you know what.
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