There has been a lot of discussion and controversy related to tactics marketers use to get people to take action.
Much of the controversy is related to a method called \”forced continuity.\” This is where buyers will sign up for a trial or shipping-only price offer, and end up in a monthly billing program that they may or may not be aware of.
Over the years I have seen it all.
There\’s nothing wrong with a subscription model as long as people understand what they are signing up for. But even then there are people who do not read the offer completely and end up in a program unaware.
The concept is that people will be so attracted to the initial offer that they will be willing to accept the terms for continuity billing. It happens all the time in the Internet marketing space, as well as magazine subscriptions, health and supplement products and so many other areas. Again, there\’s nothing wrong with subscription models. It\’s HOW you do it that matters.
And while email and websites may be the online channels for this style of direct marketing, I have been paying attention to the offers that arrive in my snail mailbox.
I\’ve got a few examples of forced continuity or outright sneaky marketing tactics that have been personally addressed to me. Check out this video…
As always, I\’d love to hear about your experiences. Please leave your comments below.