First of all, I don’t do any e-mail marketing, but this is just something I thought of while checking my e-mail.

Some time ago I somehow got on publisher clearing house’s e-mail list and haven’t taken myself off for one reason. No, I am not hopeful of becoming a millionaire through the e-mails, but I like to see what tactics they use to get leads for their affiliate programs.

What you can Learn…

The Subject Line

This is logically the most important part of this e-mail marketing thing. If you can’t get the user to open the e-mail, then you have wasted your time writing the e-mail in the first place. Every time I see a PCH’s subject line, I must admit that I get a little excited. And that is an important part of any marketing- invoke emotion. For example, here is the subject line from the most recent e-mail:

You could be announced a multi-millionaire!

Not, “you could be a millionaire,” or “win a million dollars.” The subject line is indeed interesting and unique when compared to what I would usually see from the net’s incentivizable offers. The subject line doesn’t promise anything, but sort of lies between a statement of chance and one where you have already won something. With this subject line, I will read it, sometimes open the e-mail and then do a double take to read it again.

E-mail Content

This is also a very important part of the strategy that PCH uses. Right away after reading the first few lines of the e-mail is that they use a sensory word right away to get your attention, “You may have seen…”

The next thing I always see in their e-mails is a statement that makes you visualize something:

The PCH Prize Patrol will climb into their van and head out to deliver a millionaire-making SuperPrize®.

Again, this is just like the emotional words they use, it does basically the same thing by making you feel something.
The rest of the e-mail is pretty much just a statement of urgency and a call-to-action.
Conclusion

You can learn a lot just from doing something simple like subscribing to a company’s e-mail list. Become a customer. Not for the sake of being a customer, but instead acting as an observer. After all, it’s FREE!

I’ve been slightly annoyed by my laptop built in mouse pad ever since I got it (and ever single laptop I have used).  Yesterday I purchased something called a Fish Handheld Mouse from KlearGear.com.  It reminds me of the nunchuck extension on the Wii controller so I figure I will give it a try for $11.99.

In the past I have tried using the mini-mouse, but didn’t like it because I don’t have mini-hands.  Also, I didn’t like having to use desk space (which I usually don’t have with a laptop) when using a mini-mouse.

So I have this Fish thingy on the way and will post a review when it gets here…

Oh, I almost forgot.  I was wondering what other people are using on their desktops and laptops.

Here is what I use on my desktop:

I love this thing!  It looks weird and awkward, but once you get the hang of it, you will never go back to the 2d move around your desktop mouse.

What do you use?

I was watching this movie called, “Untraceable,” the other day and had a thought related to affiliate marketing.  Don’t you think that guy could have made bank by running some sort of affiliate offer on his kitten killing site…  I wonder how the merchants would respond if they were advertised on such a site.

Hmmm… Maybe I should start a kitten killing site… It would be like taking bonsai kitten to the Web 2.0 world. lol

I just clicked on a spam comment and it redirected to some adult website.  At first I got a little annoyed, but then I came to quick realization.  The people who create spam will suffer a great problem at some time.  That is the fact that it is not sustainable.  At some unknown time, the method they are using to make money will fail and they will have to start from scratch again.  Not only that, but look at the guy who recently got caught spamming Myspace.com.  $230 million dollars I believe is what Myspace wanted from the guy.

Why I Hate Spam…

These people are not providing any form of value.  Instead they only exist for one reason- the bottom line.  The spammer is only after one thing and that is money… and at any cost.

I don’t think you can base a business off of spam.  Yes, you can make money, but it won’t last for long.   So do you think it is worth it? - I don’t.

Would you like a business you can tell your family and friends about?-  A business you have built from the ground up, that continues to grow and also gives you the chance to meet new people.

Or would you just like to scrap by and make some quick money, see that quickly fade away, and then start all over again?  Would you be able to justify what you do to your Ma, Pa, or Grandma?

In the end, I feel that everything we choose to do defines our character and philosophy on life.  Like Jim Rohn says, Liars are called “liars” because they LIE.

Drink Red Bull (only the stuff made in Switzerland) and then snort a line.  No, I’m not joking… Well maybe about the later.  Every now and again I will drink a Red Bull to gain some extra needed energy and push myself to getting a lot more work done.

I’m not the type to drink coffee or use any type of a drug to alter myself.  In fact, I really only drink water and rarely ever touch pop.  Why is this important to not make a habit out of it?  If I use these things sparingly, I find that they have a greater effect on me.  As opposed to drinking coffee every day and getting used to the caffeine.

So what do you do to get yourself through those long hours in front of the computer? - I’d really like to know.