E-mail Advertisements...

[wildhorses]

I am wondering what everyones opinions are on E-mail advertisements for horses for sale? Such as the ones that Double Diamond, Arabian Select, etc. send out for farms advertising horses, equipment, tack, etc. for sale. I am curious if people look at these advertisments and if it is worth the money for marketing with them, or if people just ignore them, send them to their "spam" mail, etc? I have considered using this media as an advertising tool in the past but never have. I was always afraid that when people receive these types of emails on a daily, every other day, etc. basis that perhaps they start to just ignore them, not look at them, maybe take just a quick glance, etc. I have found myself guilty of this. So I am just wondering what people think of this type of marketing tool, if you have used it if it has been effective for you, increased sales or website traffic, etc, or if you feel it's a waste of time and money. Thanks for your input!

 

[Charley]

I'm curious on this too.

On my personal account, I go to the link at the bottom of most emails and unsubscribe. If I continue to get, I mark them as spam.

I do have a few that I do read....like amazon.com for the kindle as I do like seeing what new ebooks are available.

I have just updated our eFlyer for The Little Horse Barn~Auction & eBarns and have a link to it on the main page of the auction. So people can come and see what is featured.

 

[RockRiverTiff]

I also receive both the Double Diamond and the Arabian Select ads as well as Mare Stare reminders, and I always read them. I'm sure a part of that is the fact that we're shopping right now, but when you consider the mailing list those companies have, I would think it would be a powerful advertising tool simply because it's going to put your horses in front of some great mini people.

 

[Joanne]

I am not sure if I would l;ike it for horses being sold, but Double Diamonds miniature horse equiptment sales information is helpful to me.

 

[supaspot]

I like tham as long as theyre not too frequent , like you say, if its too often I stop looking and delete

 

[jegray21]

Good idea as long as it is not too often...

 

[Songcatcher]

I always like to see a pretty horse and always glance at those ads. I'm afraid a glance is about as far as it goes though.

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

It's a good way of keeping people informed in a timely fashion. I have checked out a few sales from the different marketers out there now.

I look at most of them, but when I get too many 'sale type' ads in one day, it may end up in the delete folder without being read.

I use to send out an email type newsletter. It had sale info, but also some sort of information (current medical info, hay prices, anecdotal stories, upcoming shows, registration reminders, etc.), so that it wasn't a straight sales flyer. I'm considering starting it again as it kept me in contact with past buyers and friends.

I tend to read those type of email ads(in other fields not Minis)as I feel I'm getting some benefit not just a 'buy me buy me' ad.

 

[Becky]

I get them and generally read most of them. I think if you have something to market, you need to utilize as many tools as you can to increase sales. Mass emails are definitely a marketing tool and well done, quality advertising usually warrants a second look.

 

[Minimor]

I do get the DD e-mails as well as one or two others and I never bother to open them any more. I just delete them. Why? Because the few DD ones that I did try to open generally didn't work for me--they'd come up showing the first little paragraph, saying that if I want to unsubscribe click here....and everything else was blank. I'd let them sit awhile and once in awhile a picture would show up; more often, though, the page just stayed blank. No doubt it's something to do with my computer--actually that was on my old computer--but still, a blank message was no good to me. Now I have a newer computer that might open them, but I've gotten in the habit of clicking 'delete' and so that's what I continue to do.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

To me, ANY e-mail that comes to me "selling something" that I did not request is SPAM.. be it horses or adult items.. LOL..

What she said. I HATE them. If I were looking I'd go to the website. Otherwise it's junk mail- literally. I especially dislike the ones that come out of the blue- "I'm So-N-So farm, and I want you to check out what I have for sale!" That can pretty much guarantee I won't look at your site.

I did get the DD and Marestare ones, read them a few times, then unsubbed. *shrugs* Either it wasn't anything I could use, or way outta my price range!

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

I'm on the fence between interesting and annoying...the Arabian ones annoy me because I don't have Arabians or an interest in them. I hit unsubscribe at the bottom, but somehow I'm still getting them. The Mini ones if it's a photo/lay out or horse that catches my attention when it first opens I will look or click to the website, but frequently I delete it.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

If I didn't specifically ask for the emails, it's gets on my nerves. I don't mind getting a personalized email from a farm/breeder stating I may be interested in a particular horse (because it's of the breeding/quality/size/etc. I prefer) but when I get an email that is generalized and sent to me and a hundred other emails, that ticks me off. I delete and make a mental note of the farm/person who sent it.

I'm also getting tired of the emails from one horse-related (mostly minis) site that I DID sign up for, but they are sending out announcements of wins, pictures of this horse or that one. I don't need that extra SPAM in my inbox. I'm considering deleting my entire account on the site because I find it offensive that they didn't ask me if I wanted these emails, they are just sent.

 

[~Lisa~]

I strongly dislike them I do like the Mare Stare ones that advertise auctions and I think DD used to do that as well but other then that no I do not even read them

 

[HGFarm]

'Junk mail' and they are usually deleted... I am not into breeding to any QH stallion, or purchasing a jumper. Also not purchasing any Minis right now and if I was, would go out and do my own research on who/where to buy........

 

[disneyhorse]

They are treated as "junk mail" here... deleted before I even think.

If I don't request it, or it's not sent "specifically to me" but a large number of people... I never read it. I have friends who always send me those "forwarded" jokes and pictures, too... but I delete them even from my own mother

They always ask if I saw them, I usually just lie and say "Oh yeah, that was funny."

I get a lot of genuine e-mail, so I don't have time for other stuff.

Andrea