Let me start by saying I HATE Spam e-mail and Junk mail. Especially ones that have anything to do with drugs, weight loss, Viagra, or {ahem} enhancing things.

But…there are ways to leverage some of the Spam and Junk you get. Every once in a while I get something of interest in my Inbox or my mailbox. It is interesting because it is from a reputable company and it is effective advertising - both from a design and/or a copywriting perspective.

And I have two uses for these types of things:

1) At my company, Kinesis - a creative firm, we keep an Other Company Samples drawer - I’ve also heard these referred to as Swipe files although I don’t like the term as much because it sounds deceitful. In this drawer, we keep samples of mail that provides a useful model for the following reasons:

• Well-written copy
• Great call to action
• Compelling design elements
• Provocative visuals
• Something clever such as interesting folds, die cuts, metallic inks, foil stamps, etc.

I also have a folder in my Inbox where I file e-mails that have effective marketing techniques, copywriting, calls to action, and/or links to persuasive landing pages and websites.
2) The other thing that I do with certain pieces of Junk Mail or e-mail is forward/mail them to a specific client. For instance, today I received an e-mail that promoted an industry-specific electronic newsletter. It was a perfect parallel for a client’s industry and a good model for something he is thinking about doing.

So, for some of my readers who are marketers, consultants, designers, copywriters, coaches, and other professionals who use marketing techniques on a regular basis, take a quick second look at your Spam and Junk Mail. It might just be something that is useful for a whole new reason .

Hugs and success, Wendy Maynard
Your friendly marketing maven

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