Happy Birthday, Spam

This week marks the anniversary of the first spam email ever sent.

In 1978, several hundred ARPANET users received an electronic mail message advertising mainframe computers.

The unwanted message was not well received, and spam fell dormant for another 15 years.

It resurfaced in the 90s, and the phrase “spam” was coined (a reference to a famous Monty Python sketch).

This time around, spammers saw potential in the tactic. One team even published a book: “How to Make a Fortune on the Information Superhighway: Everyone’s Guerrilla Guide to Marketing on the Internet and Other On-Line Services.”

By the early 2000s, spam had become a significant problem, prompting tech companies and regulators to take steps to curb spam emails.

Today, spam remains a frustrating part of online life, and it’s expanded beyond email to other digital channels.

Spam, Spam, Spam

For marketers, it’s easy to understand the appeal of blasting messages out to anyone and everyone with your sales message. Good marketers know that the tactic is likely to do more harm than good.

Still, comms pros have to contend with the potential that their emails and digital communiques will be flagged as spam and prevented from reaching intended audiences.

There are technical steps to help prevent this – opt-ins, good list maintenance, and clear communication. (Mailchimp has a good rundown of best practices).

But no spam filter is foolproof, and users have had to get savvy about spotting spam and other unwanted or unscrupulous messages.

That means your messaging must pass users’ personal spam filters as well.

Ultimately, if your audience thinks your email is spam, you’re not sending the right messages. Lots of emails that aren’t considered spam still go unopened. If you want to create true engagement and compel action, you have to understand your audience and what they find valuable.

Our definition of content marketing offers a useful framework:

The generous act of helping your target audiences solve their most pressing problems — with information, insights, authority and empathy.