Responding to Emails Already Promoting Programs/Brands

[Pokerface]

We all get emails from programs looking for traffic and promote their brands.

There are many, and some that are consistent, that will solicit wanting to be promoted. The issue is we may all already have accounts and promote their brands. Clearly the programs do not do their homework and just email without checking.

If you decide to respond, and you inform them you already promote them, they will often start the questions, what are your geos, what are your sites, etc etc etc.

How does everyone reply to these emails. Do you reply? Do you reply to the further questions? Are you more blunt in your reply?

Personally I will usually reply unless I see it was just a mass mailing, but before replying I check to ensure our account is in good standing, links working etc. If there are issues then there is more to discuss. Sometimes, if you reply with an issue, all you hear are crickets. lol

[universal4]

I will very rarely respond, especially when it is from programs I already have a relationship with.

Reason #1 is it is just spam.

If they were using a list of recipients that signed up at their website, well then they are plain stupid to ask the recipient to sign up, huh?

Reason #2, it's spam and if you do go sign up, they will ask you to agree to their terms and conditions, one of which is that you must agree to never use spam to promote their brands. So you have to agree to never use the exact same tactics of promotions they just did, to promote their brands to you.

Sure some will say it's not spam, well 999 times out of 1000 it is. Did you write to them and ask them to send you more information because you were considering their program? Then in that specific case, it was not spam.

But that is the exception not the rule. It is most likely just a compiled spam list of webmasters and affiliates, to which you most likely NEVER gave your specific permission to be on, nor to be contacted in blind emails that they just did.

If you happen to sign up for their program, and you buy or rent or trade for a list of "players" or "potential players" and promote their brands, and such brands get some complaints from those recipients, you could immediately lose your affiliate account.

Hmm, you just did the same thing they did.

Hardly any affiliate programs out there will admit this happens all the time.

Respond, especially when I am already an affiliate? Nope, how can one comfortably respond without pointing out their hypocrisy, or total failure in not knowing who their affiliates already are?

Rick
Universal4

[Pokerface]

Totally agree Rick.

Then there are the emails, "Hi, I am your new account manager. Can you tell me where you promote us and what are your geos?" Hum ... maybe check your CRM! Oops, many programs don't even have a CRM or use spreadsheets.

Do I sound frustrated this week? lol

[universal4]

Hehehehe,

Yea at least with that version of the email they might have one eye open LOL and I got a feeling a few more guys will be able to vent a little about what bugs them.

Sometimes with the question of "where do you promote us" just send a list of sites, and if they write back, "I don't see us promoted on "such and such", (it always leads to a plea for more exposure. All you have to do is tell them if they converted better where you do have them up they would get more exposure.

Rick
Universal4

[PaulEchere]

I personally don't respond to such emails, unless there is a reason to, which in most cases is absent.

However, I can relate to the "Sometimes, if you reply with an issue, all you hear are crickets. lol" - happened literally the other day

[Theratman]

Universal4 covered it perfectly. There's not much point in replying, as it leads to a pointless exchange. I ignore 99% of those types of mails, send them straight to trash.