Another warning about unsolicited email broadcasts

You may (or may not) be aware that I hold little regard for those who choose to place me on email broadcast lists without my permission. If not, please refer to my article, “Perils of Email Marketing

Today I’ve been the recipient of two examples of poor email broadcast management.

The first from a company in Brisbane who open cc’d close to 100 people with a very poorly worded broadcast message (the list may have been scraped from LinkedIn) thanking them for their “support”. I don’t know why the hell I’m being thanked for supporting them, I’ve never heard of them, never mind done business with them…

Several people on the broadcast list complained, openly copying everyone on the list and the receptionist from the company sent a poor apology blaming an intern for the error. That only served to ignite the recipients and I’m sure that by tonight, someone at the “digital native” company will have had their butt well and truly kicked. There are at least 100 people who will now see this company in a poorer light.

The second was a broadcast from a consultancy firm advising me about proposed Government changes to contractor legislation. Unsolicited, unrequired, irrelevant to me.

Why do people continue to do this; broadcast to people other than customers or those who have requested the information?

It doesn’t just apply to email broadcasts either, it’s becoming commonplace on social media sites as well.

Please would people learn that there are protocols…

Not funny.

Please note: I am NOT condemning anyone from sending commercial emails soliciting business. Far from it. Like everyone else, we do that and so should you. It’s no different to using direct mail. What I am criticising is being uploaded to a broadcast list and receiving mass broadcasts.

Posted in Email Marketing | Leave a comment

Some recent sites we’ve developed

We’ve published some interesting sites recently so thought we’d show some of them off…

The first is Fire Service Plus constructed for Steve Caunt at Albion Park Rail (just south of Woolloongong).

This site features a shopping cart and a client login to simPRO the trade service job management portal.

The next site is Dave Russell’s Urban Design Solutions Dave is a very clever designer and provides laods of useful information on his site which was built using WordPress. Check out his free report, “How to avoid the 7 biggest mistakes made when designing a new home or renovating”

Another interesting site is Mobile Test and Cal which is a service for electrical contractors to have their equipment tested and calibrated.

This site features a service location finder, the ability to check via a Google calendar to book a job and the ability to seacrh for test results via an interface into simPRO Field.

We’ve built several sites for Andre’s family companies and this is what he said about us recently…

“Finally someone that ticks all the boxes!”

“After trying many different web designers over the years, we finally started using James and the team at Mediaglue in 2009. Since then they have helped me pull of some fairly ambitious and creative features on websites, their graphic design is always impressive and technical assistance has been excellent.”

For something completely different, we’d like to show you is a dating site called InviteU2.com.au. It promotes quality singles dating events in Queensland

The site was developed from a design the client supplied and features a complex structure of membership forms and payment facilities.

KL Electrics is another site packed with features. This site features a shopping cart developed using OpenCart, a simPRO client login as well as a second payment gateway that allows their customers to pay their accounts online. All they need to do is enter the invoice number they wish to pay and the site queries simPRO and returns the amount owing and provides the customer to pay using a credit card.

 

Posted in Recent Projects | Leave a comment

Brilliant Quote

Thank to our friend Judi Reid at ProfiTune for this wonderfully inspiring quote from Helen Keller:

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved”.

Judi publishes an excellent weekly newsletter that is packed with terrific business tips. It’s one newsletter I always read. You can subscribe at their website, Profitune.com


Posted in Inspiration | Leave a comment

What Others Are Saying

Here are some of the many positive comments we’ve had from our clients…

Regan Jones, GMEC Solutions, Brisbane

“James, that looks absolutely fantastic. At this stage of the development, limited time and nothing more than a conceptual guide from me, you and Jessica have exceeded my expectations. I can’t wait to see the next stage!!!!”

Chris Bloor, Director, Quality Business Institute, Lismore NSW

“James, in a world of wannabe’s you stand out as the real deal. You are one of the very, very few people that I turn to as a marketing expert myself, knowing that I will always get what I need to hear and not just what I want to hear.

“I’m telling you this because I mentioned you to a client today and said; “I trust James Yuille’s handshake more than a ten thousand word contract!”

“So often we simply think stuff that we should say and so I wanted to stop by here and say Thank you for your friendship, encouragement and advice down through the years. Deeply appreciated!”

Gayle Copeland, Managing Director, Dollars At Work

“We were referred to Mediaglue by a friend who was an existing client. Their initial brief was to create us a new logo and image and we were delighted with the designs they submitted. The colours were bright and positive, and gave us a very strong image to take to our market.

“We contracted them to create a full stationery suite as well as proposal folders, brochures, car magnets, display banners and a PowerPoint slideshow template, all of which we loved.

“In addition, they assisted with copywriting and arranged for all of the printing and delivered everything in line with our (sometimes very short) timelines. Their service was professional and everything was done with a minimum of fuss and at reasonable prices.

“I fully recommend Mediaglue to any business looking for professional design and great service.”

Jim Baker, published author and managing director of James W Decorating, NotJustAPainter.com.au

“I would like to give a special thanks to James Yuille who suggested to me when he was helping me with my website, to write a business book on painting. I didn’t say anything, but I thought that was an absolutely stupid idea. I am a painter and decorator, how could I write anything on business that a tradesperson would want to read?

“In early 2006, I started jotting a few things down just for interest sake. The information kept increasing, and then I realised that I may have something of interest to share with painters and that writing a book could work. Most of what I have written has been second nature to me for over 20 years. The rest has been what I have learnt through seminars and books that I have read.

“I completed “How To Become A Really Successful Painter” in 2009 and with the approval and funding by Dulux, it is being distributed to all post trade and final stage painting apprentices in forty TAFE Colleges around Australia. There is now interest for its distribution in New Zealand, England and Fiji

“My second book “How To Become A Really Successful Tradesperson” is based on the same principles and is intended for all the trades.

“My intention now is to market both my books for a world-wide audience, as my basic principles of operating a successful business, will work in any country.

“This was a tremendous challenge for me and if it wasn’t for James, who had complete confidence in me that it could be done, this would never have happened.

“So ‘Thank-you James’ for that stupid idea!”

Jeannette Cuthbert, Joint MD, Excel Event Hire

“I have worked with James in the design of our new web-site and have found him to extremely knowledgeable in the area of e marketing. Our final web site design and functionality is great and will continually be a work in progress as James advises on new and exciting multimedia and marketing opportunities. I would recommend Mediaglue as a web design company who listens and then understands their clients’ needs and can deliver the product to suit.

“I highly recommend James and Mediaglue as a stand out multi-faceted marketing and web design company.”

Angela Trz’an, Investment Property Masters, Hope Island  Qld

Hi James.

“I would just like to say a big ‘thank you’ to yourself and the team at Mediaglue. The ads you designed for our campaign were brilliant and very successful. The day the ad appeared in the paper the phone started ringing. We have tried doing our own advertising before, but with little success.  After seeing the professional and well written ads produced by your company. we will never go back to trying to do our own.

“Looking forward to getting all our advertising and media brochures redone by your company.

“Thank you once again.”

Karen Francis, Centenary Landscaping

Here’s a case study – an interview with Karen Francis of Centenary Landscaping about the work we did on their site…

Karen, why did you decide that Centenary Landscaping Supplies needed a new website?

Our website was 5 years old, it had been built in-house. It looked dated and the content was well out of date as it had not been refreshed for at least 21 months.

We had also previously tried to run an AdWords campaign. It was one big mess and just wasn’t working; we had decided that the medium was ineffective; the reality was that we didn’t understand how it worked. Continue reading

Posted in What Others Are Saying | Leave a comment

Just read a really good book and gave it 5 stars!!

I was at a Thought Leaders breakfast at AIM Qld (Australian Institute on Management) yesterday and a book in a display stand outside their excellent bookshop caught my eye so I flashed the plastic and took it, along with another one I’ve not read yet, home.

Started reading it after dinner and literally could not put it down. Before I tell you the name and author, let me admit that I have been somewhat of a sceptic about social media in general, and those who have read my posts about internet marketing at JamesYuille.com will know that I dislike speakers who do nothing but pitch. This book confirmed my suspiscions about pitch fests and those who run them. What it also did was change my opinion about Twitter and the hierarchy of social media.

I particularly liked the author’s frankness and honesty about marketing today and would encourage you to get it for yourself.

The book is called “UnMarketing” by Scott Stratten @unmarketing. It’s a hardback with a very clever and engaging cover. You can get it for $32.95 + P&H from ManagementBooks.com.au- the link takes you directly to the right page.

I’ll tell you about the other one when I’ve read it although Scott has given me so much to think about and so much to do I doubt I’ll get to it for a few days.

If you’re not already aware of AIM’s bookshop, it’s amazing; probably the biggest range of business titles in Brisbane if not in Australia. You don’t have to be an AIM Member to shop there so do yourself a favour and check it out online at ManagementBooks.com.au or drop in to the shop at Management House, cnr Boundary and Rosa Streets, Spring Hill.

Posted in Recommended Reading | Leave a comment