\nSometimes the story is bigger than the story itself.<\/p>\n

Take, for example, the recent news that Google has decided to include an unsubscribe link at the very top of its gmail emails. If you haven\u2019t heard, the big G is taking a giant step toward Internet freedom by being what the email marketers can\u2019t seem to be: responsible.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s always a risk with things like this that the facts get distorted by way of interpretation, so just to be clear, Google is not changing the world through committee, even though reading some of the frothing at the mouth accounts from marketing-oriented websites, you might be inclined to believe that. The new feature is, as IT World<\/a> describes it, \u201ca new, clearly marked “unsubscribe” link [that] will appear at the top of the header field in marketers’ emails. Previously only appearing for a small percentage of users, the feature will now be made available for most promotional messages with unsubscribe options, Google said on Thursday. Email recipients do not need to take action for the links to appear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Effectively, all Google\u2019s doing is acting upon what the rest of us think. The fine print and the hiding of unsubscribe links is tantamount to the bureaucracy and BS that makes this world spin its wheels. If you\u2019re going to play by the rules and provide unsubscribe links in your messages, then don\u2019t hide them! In fact, be up front and open about it. You might be surprised how much the average consumer appreciates being respected.<\/p>\n

[That tirade, of course, was the result of built-up hostility, and directed squarely at email marketers]<\/p>\n

\u201cThe change simply makes it easier to find the “unsubscribe” link,\u201d writes IT World. \u201cWith the new setup, the link appears prominently at the top of the message, alongside the name and email address of the person or company sending it. So what used to be like searching for a needle in a haystack will, for some, become more like an open invitation to say good-bye. By clicking the link, users can opt out of a company’s emails without leaving Gmail.\u201d<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t really solve the problem of spam. Spammers will continue to do what they do, and the worst-behaved ones certainly won\u2019t be providing unsubscribe options for their targets. In fact, Google recognizes that there\u2019s a line of division between what some people consider to be spam. \u201cOne of the biggest problems with the Gmail spam filter is identifying unwanted mail or soft spam,\u201d Google’s Vijay Eranti, head of anti-abuse efforts at Gmail told IT World. \u201cThe issue, he said, is that sometimes customers opt into a company’s send-to list but later decide they don’t want the emails. And if they can’t find the unsubscribe button, sometimes they mark the message as spam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Remember, now, that Google subsists off advertising. It wouldn\u2019t exactly be cool, not for their bottom line anyway, to go alienating those who put food on their table. But hats off to Google for not becoming The Man. In fact, they make so much money, they could be a room full of The Men, but they also recognize that, without users, they wouldn\u2019t even be The Boy.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a move that changes the playing field for \u2018legitimate\u2019 spammers. If Google\u2019s going to force their hand and make them more transparent to end users, which companies will get out in front of it and make their unsubscribe process even easier for consumers?<\/p>\n

IT World points out that, \u201cthe tool might seem useful to consumers, [but] it could be a business killer for companies looking to grow their customers online. But Google is actually releasing it to help businesses become more transparent and to prevent their promotional emails from being marked as spam.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s where the aforementioned frothing at the mouth comes in. Google\u2019s move, which has garnered plenty of press, has got the marketers running for their keyboards. Some organizations<\/a> are actually finding the good in this, pointing out that it\u2019s an opportunity for marketers to rethink their online strategy and become more relevant.  VentureBeat<\/a> points out that \u201cby reviewing best practices \u2014 like including transparent company branding, making the purpose of messages evident with an obvious \u201cask,\u201d and finding the sweet spot for frequency \u2014 brands can head off a mass exodus.\u201d And Marketingland.com<\/a> explains why marketers should want to make it easy for their subscribers to leave.<\/p>\n

Others, of course, will try to circumvent and deceive, but how\u2019s that any different than yesterday, when you didn\u2019t know about Google\u2019s bold new move?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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