Stupid press release spam

I want to know why companies insist on sending me press releases via email in areas that I clearly do not cover. What a pain in the butt to have to wade through these things in my inbox every day.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a fan of using press releases as a tool to reach buyers. You can read more about that in my free ebook The New Rules of PR. Press releases can be a valuable way to communicate.

I'm also a fan of sending personal messages to people to alert them to things that they may find interesting. I really do welcome the many emails and direct messages that people send me about things that I would enjoy seeing. Many stories in my books and speeches and this blog come from you. Keep them coming! (And thanks).

My problem is with press release spam. Sending press releases to people in areas they do not cover is spam. SPAM, Spam, spam.

What, exactly, do you want me to do with your stupid press release?

Here is a small sample of headlines (and subheads) of some of the releases I have received via email in the past few weeks. WARNING: SOME ARE IN ALL CAPS!

Can anyone figure out why I should care?

Appendix Sonovision-ITEP Signs Reseller Agreement with Inmedius® for Expanded Alliance: To Partner in Single Source Software and Services offering by Appendix

Image Microsystems Wins 2009 Texas Employment Award: Workplace training and employment programs for deaf and special needs community garner top honors for US technology restoration and e-waste recycling leader

Offerpal Media Marks Two-Year Anniversary with 160 Million Users and 730 Billion Virtual Points Issued: More than 2,000 publishers count on Offerpal’s virtual currency payment platform to monetize online games, virtual worlds, social networks and subscription services

Juan Pablo Giometti, President and CEO of National Hispanic Entrepreneurs' Organization to Attend Inside Kenan-Flagler Case Competition October 29 - 31, 2009

MediaBeacon Appoints Enterprise Content Management Veteran to Enhance and Expand Marketing Initiatives: Tom Rieger brings more than 20 years of industry experience to be the Vice President of Marketing and Business Development

LOCAL BUSINESSWOMAN DEBORAH PERRY PISCIONE WINS WOMEN’S INITIATIVE WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD: Bay Area nonprofit for women entrepreneurs announces winners of 2009 competition

Emma Thompson, Helen Bamber to be honored by UN Journalists Nov 11

Inter-Pacific Securities Goes Live with SunGard’s GL Net for Direct Market Access to Malaysia

HighTech PR, Inc. Celebrates 10 Years in Business: Launches New Website in Honor of 10th Anniversary, Receives 2009 'Best of Orlando' Award in the Category of Public Relations by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)

NETSUITE DOUBLES PHILIPPINE OPERATIONS AND DELIVERS LOCALIZED SOFTWARE TO ADDRESS MARKET GROWTH FOR CLOUD COMPUTING BUSINESS SUITES: NetSuite Version 2009.2 Localized for Use by Philippines-Based Businesses Certified by Bureau of Internal Revenue

EA SPORTS LAUNCHES MOBILE MARKETING TOUR FOR FIFA SOCCER 10: FIFA Soccer 10 Launches with 15 City, Five-Week Tour Featuring Custom-wrapped Vehicles Equipped with the New 120GB PlayStation®3 Computer Entertainment System

FORMCLIQ™ INVOICES AUTOMATES AP WITH NO SETUP; AVAILABLE NOW STARTING AT UNDER $3,000

Telmetrics and TARGUSinfo Launch New Service to Improve Effectiveness of Direct-Response TV, Online and Print Advertising Campaigns: Combination of Call Routing and Call Measurement Solutions Helps National Advertisers Maximize B2C Conversions by Delivering Visibility into Campaign Performance

ONLINE STATIONER MOO.COM ANNOUNCES FIRST MAJOR UPDATE TO ICONIC MINICARDS: New MiniCards Give Individuals and Small Businesses More Creative Freedom To Promote Themselves and Showcase Their Work

Stylesight and Itochu Fashion System Co., Ltd. Team Up to Provide Localized Japanese Trend Information Service: B2B Trend Content and Software as a Service (SaaS) Provider is First to Address and Fulfill Global Client Demand for Growing Japanese Market

If you are a PR person and have sent me one of these releases, please remove me from your list. Thank you.

Image: Shutterstock / Julien Tromeur

Comments

[Lou Covey]

What you just did validated their effort. All they are trying to do is get web hits. By publishing the headlines, you gave them what they are looking for. And now that you did it, they will continue to send them, even if you never do it again.

[Cheryl Harrison]

Whew, thanks for the warning - you scared me with those capital letters! The untargeted, unpersonalized mass press release to anyone-who's-email-address-you-can-get-ahold-of is a shame, and a disgrace to PR.

[David Meerman Scott]

Hi Lou - note that I did not link to them. So what good is the Web hit for them? Just a check mark that a PR staffer makes in a report to the company? David

[twitter.com/changememe]

My eyes! My eyes!

I think you should reply with this link www.changethis.com/pdf/37.03.Gobbledygook.pdf

[Rachel Bryant]

What's the deal with the all-caps headlines? "Screams" cheap...

[twitter.com/23Kazoos]

Terrible terrible terrible! And the headlines are boring too! Clearly they have not read ANY of your books!!

[Kathleen Hanover]

To play devil's advocate, yes, these are all perfect examples of press release spam (and probably wretched press release writing, too). But sometimes--in fact, many times--the PR pro finds it impossible to push back on a client who wants you to send their shiny new press release to everyone on earth "just in case." The client sees no down side to this, because, after all, "email is free." And even when you explain why press release spam is a bad idea, some clients just don't give a rip--because they don't have any skin in the game. Why should they care about alienating journalists who wouldn't cover them anyway? It's the PR pro who suffers by being blacklisted, so it's the PR pro who has to learn how to push back.

[Greg Digneo]

Even if you did link to these, I'm not sure that your readers would actually click through to read the whole press release.

Five minutes spent reading your blog should have been an indicator that your audience wouldn't care about partnerships and new product launches. And they most certainly don't care about FIFA soccer.

I'd be interested to hear from one of the "spammers" to learn just how effective this tactic is.

[Bradley H. Smith]

Oooo! Oooo! Pick me! Pick me! I know why!! Oooo!

Email is free.

Give us HARDER questions David :)

Best as always
~ Bradley

[Dan Schawbel]

I don't really get mad at spam anymore because I'm used to it. I delete these types of emails immediately (subconsciously).

[Becky Blanton]

You obviously did not get your C1N1 (Corporate1Nonsense1) vaccine. It protects against viruses and corporate spam caused by cubicle monkeys with access to email and a send button.

Once infected I've found it helpful to respond with the "reporting spam" function on my gmail account. I also set up a dummy account where PR folks can send all the spam they want. I periodically review it and give companies who have a clue my real email. So you miss a story once in awhile. It's worth it not to have the C1N1 virus.

[Jeff Davis]

I get them too (got one today for laptops and I blog about food). I reply back to the sender and make them feel stupid with a "why is this relevant to me?" question. If it persists, I include the agency management on my replies, and have been known to contact the client to let them know how their budget is being wasted by their inept agency.

[Anne Sorensen (Marketing Is Us)]

Great post - thanks David. Guess it just comes down to understanding your audience. If unsure - a personal approach beforehand to guage interest is useful - and builds relationships. In the age of one on one conversations - spamming press releases - is akin to mass marketing. Doesn't work.

[Ben Merrion]

Great examples of what not to do. We send out very few email press releases and only to reporters who might be interested in our issue - adult literacy. We've just started to use paid web services and PitchEngine to distribute releases and it seems to be working. I really liked Louise's and Becky's suggestions.

[David Gordon Schmidt]

All true. As you have aptly pointed out in your books, the News Release is not primarily for the press anymore (surprised you're using the term "press release") - it's a communication tool that should go directly to your marketplace through RSS and other means. Unfortunately, most still rely on the puffed-up self-proclamation as the main ingredient. Let's all be "world leading."

Kudos for just publishing the headlines and not trying to embarrass the senders (as did the tired-old Wired magazine).

David Gordon Schmidt

[Doug - Velocity, B2B Marketing Agency]

I did a spoof press release to point out this ludicrous practice:

http://www.prlog.org/10152116-velocity-the-b2b-marketing-agency-releases-new-release.html

Ironically, it got us a bit of attention!

[Janice L. Brown]

Great article.

The "checklist PR" folks clearly need to update their checklists.

As you have pointed out in your books, direct-to-consumer news releases - properly SEOed - delivered over the Web are a great way to reach the buyers who care about your expertise or need your product. D2C releases also reach bloggers and press (yes, they use Google alerts too.)

"Pull" PR is much more effective than the usual dialing-for-dollars crap. Helping the right people to "discover" a client makes the client much more valuable to them - and today there are so many ways that we can help the right customers, traditional press and bloggers discover clients, such as Twitter.

I still use email, but sparingly. I find that most reporters and bloggers do appreciate an advance or heads-up if the news is important and relevant to them.

I never, as a policy, email a blogger or journalist unless I read their work regularly or have familiarized myself with it. Yes, this takes a bit more time, but I feel that it's more cost-effective for the client in the long run.

The big challenge is educating clients on the new rules. I have given out about two dozen of your books to clients. It's a process, but I am encouraged by how many of them are starting to understand.

[Melody]

Hi David,

As an associate that has a boss, I am often asked to send press releases out to people that I know do not cover my area. It drives me crazy. Maybe some of those listed are in the same position. Still struggling to get the new rules accepted.

Note: I am in the process of changing that...moving on.

[John Patella]

I wish there were a more satisfying way of deleting this kind of annoying spam mail. Maybe an explosion sound effect, or the receding scream of someone being dropped into a deep pit. Anyway, Happy Halloween. :-)

[Jamie Favreau]

Those are really sad. Plus they are in Gobbedygook as well. So I can imagine how ticked you were when you opened it.

[Mark Malafarina]

To your point David I didn't even read your whole post. All those non-relevant messages just made me ignore it. Not sure it's what you wanted to hear, but it definitely makes your point a valid one.

[Brad Slavin]

I really enjoy your blog and I mentioned it in my list of favorite marketing sites @ http://www.bradslavin.com/2009/11/01/top-online-marketing-resources-and-websites/

[Mistie Thompson]

Those headlines made my eyes bleed. Seriously, I know clients can be - ahem - demanding, but still, I'm betting PR "pros" wrote 80% of those headlines without being forced to by the client. PR industry, heal thyself before casting all the stones on the clients.

[Nalts]

Blacklist 'em like TechCrunch. Great way to hold them accountable. My guess the client doesn't know what low levels agencies (or their vendors) go to on their behalf...

[Kyla, Web Designer]

I get a lot of that too, in fact sometimes I get really excited to try out a new product but then when you go to their site, oops...for U.S residents only..haha...what I do now is just keep a personal email and another email for subscriptions to other site. At least now I don't have to get all those unwanted email...but let's face it email campaign does work.