If you have subscribed to my blog notification list you may have noticed that I don’t send an announcement to the list every time I post something to the blog (and if you have not signed up yet for my blog announcement list, I encourage you do to so. Just go to the mail blog page by clicking on the title at the very top of the page, then use the sign up form at the top right). Not only do I not send out an announcement for each post, I am also about to start sending the occasional notice even when I didn’t make a blog post.
As an example of when I won’t send an announcement email, take a look at this post that I recently made. It’s a mild “rant”, so to speak, and is simply my way of commenting on an all too common marketing gimmick (audio and video in sales letters). I don’t like it, partially because I have a dialup connection (and I want to decide when and if I download a large file), but mostly because I almost always have several things going at once and those “Hi, I’m Joel Comm…” sound blasts interrupt my train of thought and force me to find a way to turn them off (and the most effective way I’ve found is to close the offending browser window and never reload the page). My blog allows me to make this type of social commentary; however, I don’t think it’s of much value to you when I do so — so I don’t interrupt you with an email. I sincerely appreciate every subscriber I have and don’t want to abuse the trust placed in me.
I’ll also not send an announcement whenever I write a short trackback to other blogs. Again, I don’t think it’s right to interrupt you under those circumstances (”Hey, Sally, I just made a rude comment over on Joe’s blog and wanted to let you know…” — Get the idea?).
Short, opinionated posts like those — along with trackbacks to other blogs — aren’t really adding a lot of value to your visits and I’ve chosen to not send an announcement to my list when I make them. If you are a subscriber and have a different opinion, I’d like to hear it; simply hit “Reply” to any email I send to the list and I’ll get your reply. Please limit your use of that address to list-related issues and questions I invite you to comment on; any other use will result in an instant unsubscribe and you’ll be blocked from both my blog and my autoresponder. That may seem harsh; if it does, then get a copy of James Brausch’s Life Management 101 from Amazon and you’ll find out why I do that.
I am also about to start sending out the occasional announcement even when I don’t post to the blog. I’ll only do this when I am about to release a product and want to offer subscribers the “absolute best” price or when there’s an incredible offer that I’m taking advantage of myself that I think might be of use to you. When I send a product launch announcement email, the price available via the link in the email will be the absolute best price I will ever offer for that product — and in some cases, like if I need beta testers or feedback, I’ll offer a limited number of free copies. But you’ll never see those announcements here on this blog (and the “Launch Special” posts you do see will have a higher price than that available to my subscribers). And whenever possible, I’ll try to find or create some “value added” extra when I promote other’s products.
In closing, I’ll only send an announcement to my blog list when I have something to say to you that I think is worth your time. I won’t bother you with my idle blog-o-sphere chatter but will send you the occasional “best” offer.
You can sign up for my blog announcement list by using the small form in the top right corner of the main blog page. Just click on the title headline to go to the main page, then sign up from there. Please do it now before you forget, because, “If you forget, there may be regret!”
Thanks for listening,
Tom
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