Am I Nuts Or Is “Oops!” A New Marketing Strategy?

Either there’s a whole lot of really brilliant online marketers who are exhausted, overworked, careless, or suffering from a bad case of absentmindedness …

OR …

“Oops!” is a new marketing strategy and no one invited me to a webinar to learn about it!  Didn’t get an invitation to an Oops teleseminar, haven’t seen anyone Tweeting about it, and I haven’t seen one mention in any of the ezines I read.

Do you think some exclusive and secretive Oops group is purposely leaving me out of the loop?  I’ve got my suspicions and I’m beginning to wonder because …

Rarely does a day go by that I don’t find one of the following in an email subject line:

  • Oops! I sent the wrong link
  • Oops! You missed the deadline
  • Oops! I forgot to mention
  • Oops! I’m sorry you couldn’t attend
  • Oops! I should have sent this yesterday
  • Oops! Looks like you missed this
  • Oops! The call has been rescheduled
  • Oops! The early bird discount expired
  • Oops! Here’s the corrected link
  • Oops! I didn’t mean to do that

Is it just me?  Or are you getting “Oops!’d”, too?

All kidding aside, I know sometimes we just get in a hurry and make a mistake.

My advice?

Stop “Oops”-ing your list and start embracing Slow Marketing.


  • I’m SOOO glad that’s it’s not just me!

    Melanie, I’ve been noticing this for a while now and at first it seemed genuine, but after a time it becomes rather predictable and the result is that I’m unsubscribing from lists. What a shame.

    Love & best wishes
    Heather x

    Ooops! Forgot to say that I really enjoyed the ‘Slow Marketing’ link :DDDD Thank you xxx

    • I’ve been noticing this for quite a while, too, Heather — actually since 2010. 🙁

      It’s my understanding “open rates” are much “higher” with oops emails but that’s not a tactic I would choose to implement with my list of subscribers. I respect them too much and their valuable time. Extra emails in my inbox is something I don’t want or need and I’m pretty sure most people feel that way.

      So happy you checked out Slow Marketing!! It really strikes a positive chord with me and it’s a very sensible approach. 🙂

      Thanks for joining the conversation. Love & best wishes back at you!
      xoxo

  • And I thought people were just “Oops”-ing because they were overworked! Pretty tacky strategy, maybe hit unsubscribe and say “Oops”! The Slow Marketing manifesto was a wonderful read. Thank you for sharing both.

    • Hi Nancy — LOVE your sense of humor!! 😉

      You’re probably a lot like me. I don’t like to “play games” in regards to business. Know what I mean? Of course, no one is error-free so we might have to send out an oops email once in a while. To me, that’s acceptable. But I’ve seen this “pretty tacky” oops-ing tactic turning into an epidemic and I’m definitely not in favor of it.

      Kudos to you for reading the Slow Marketing manifesto!! 🙂
      Thank you for the visit.

  • OK, here’s what I know. A couple of months ago, I accidentally sent out the wrong link to my e-mail list. I was frantic about having to send the second email but guess what? I was told by someone who knows alot more than I do that “oops” emails have a high open rate. There you have it. In my case? More people opened the “oops” than the original message. That’s enough proof for me 🙂

    • Hey Martha — thanks so much for dropping in!

      I recall that email (something about a “lawyer”) LOL! You handled that with your usual grace and charm. And in your case, I know it was an honest mistake and you felt bad that your subject line may have either alarmed or offended some people on your list. Kudos to you! You’re a true professional with a heart of gold. I respect the way you dealt with that issue. 🙂

      You’re absolutely right … “Oops” emails have a very high open rate. So be it. I just don’t appreciate email marketers who “intentionally” create those emails. They’re one of the culprits that clog up our inboxes.

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  • Hahaha! Funny! I have to admit, these tactics have worked on me, but I think they’re getting old already.

    • Thanks for knocking on my door, Alisa!

      I think “these tactics” have worked on ALL of us but you’re right …
      Enough of this craziness already. We’ve figured it out, people, so stop it!

      Please stop by again soon. 🙂

  • Melanie,

    Thanks for sharing Slow Marketing! Love that manifesto and love your writing 🙂

    • Very sweet of you, Kathy — thanks!

      And I’m so pleased you took a peek at Slow Marketing. I hope you’ll share your voice there. 🙂

  • Delightful! LOL-funny! I hate that cutesy ‘aren’t I just adorably clever’ kind of marketing! Dorian has it right, it’s conniving and plain old tacky!

    • Hey Kerry! Glad to know your Oops head is screwed on straight. 🙂

      “Tacky”, “Conniving”, “Dumb” …
      For sure! But not exactly “adorable”, “cute”, or very “clever” in my book. 🙁

      Thanks for popping over!

  • Ha ha ha! I am laughing so hard the coffee is coming out of my nose. Even Mari Smith Oops’ed me the other day! Really! I do think it’s a strategy and makes them (initially) look like they are transparent and are open to making mistakes…it is meant to make them look human. Now that I’ve read your piece and also just realized it’s a strategy, that makes them look conniving and just plain dumb!

    I am with you. Stop Oopsing people.

    • Now it’s my turn to laugh, Dorien, picturing you with coffee coming out of your nose! LOL!!

      I started noticing this (tacky) trend back in 2010 … and it’s been consistently in my face ever since. Big YUCK. Mari Smith Oops’d you?! I’m drawing a line. I’ve always considered her a true professional. It’s possible her VA had a bad day. But now I’m not so sure.

      You’re VERY astute and this is my thinking, precisely …
      ” … makes them (initially) look like they are transparent and are open to making mistakes…it is meant to make them look human.” But why go to those lengths??! Just BE transparent. Sheesh!

      Thanks for dropping in to share your thoughts. 🙂

  • I have seen a lot of “Oops!” lately! And here I thought these were just people who couldn’t seen to get organized. This is a tactic?! Wow. Yeah. I missed the memo. And I don’t think I would have “bought in” to the idea of the class anyway – who wants to look like they don’t have their –oops!– together?!

    • Honestly, Brooke …

      I’m grateful we both missed the Oops “memo”. Can you believe some coaches are actually teaching people to Oops on purpose?! Amethyst is right … people are getting “annoyed by it”. 🙁

      Thank you very much for the visit and I’m with you …
      ” … who wants to look like they don’t have their –oops!– together?!”

  • Melanie, great post! Have come across a lot of “Oops” lately. Great advice – I absolutely agree the need for embracing slow marketing.

    • Thanks for dropping in to share your “Oops!” thoughts, Robin.

      Comforting to know I’m not the only one seeing that “four-letter word” (a lot!) in email subject lines. 😉

      Slow Marketing is the way to go!

  • Thanks for joining the conversation, Amethyst.

    First off, allow me to make a public announcement …
    “Amethyst is not an idiot. I can personally attest to that proclamation.” 🙂

    You’re right. You can’t please all of the people all of the time … but some of us will die trying. LOL!

  • Many people both use and teach it as acceptable marketing, but a lot of people are annoyed by it. My open rates go WAY up when I Oops. The thing is, though, I do it by accident (and much less often these days). Earlier this year, I got a very angry message from someone when I sent out an “oops – the link didn’t work” email. She told me I was being a shady marketer and she was going to unsubscribe. This was before I had heard of the Oops tactic. When I explained I had somehow mis-copied the link, she said, “Well you’re just an idiot then” and unsubscribed. With some people, you just can’t win. 🙂

  • You’re my kind of gal, Bobbye! And I honestly have had my suspicions, at times, that these kinds of messages are “intentional” and another way to get my attention — and flood my inbox. 🙁

    For the most part (since I’ve made my fair share of boo-boos), it’s probably just a matter of human error.

    Put some magic and meaning in your day,
    Melanie
    Hxxx

  • Melanie,
    I’ve been seeing this pop up an unexpectedly high # of times. Just wondering…I can’t believe that anyone would think more email in the box is a good idea…but maybe. Food for thought. Thx.
    Bobbye
    the Write Synergies Guru
    .-= Bobbye Middendorf´s last blog ..Wisdom from Unexpected Places =-.