is email marketing even worth it for an API product?

14 days ago by IndiDev to c/programming

So I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I run a small screenshot API - nothing huge, mix of free and paid users. The thing is, most people who actually use it don’t even log into the dashboard. They just wrote their integration code once and forgot about us lol

But here’s what bugs me - there’s a decent chunk of users who signed up, got their API key, and then… nothing. Zero requests. Ever.

Is it even worth sending them emails? Like “hey you signed up 3 months ago, here’s how to get started” kind of thing. Part of me thinks if someone couldn’t be bothered to make a single API call, no email is gonna change that. They probably just signed up while evaluating options and went with something else.

On the other hand maybe they just got distracted or the docs weren’t clear enough at the time?

For those of you running API products or dev tools - do you bother with re-engagement emails for users who never made a single request? Or is it just noise at that point

FizzyOrange 9 points 14 days ago

I wouldn't. The likely outcome is that your email address is marked as spam.

Part of me thinks if someone couldn’t be bothered to make a single API call, no email is gonna change that. They probably just signed up while evaluating options and went with something else.

Yeah exactly this. Another possibility is that they are non-technical users who don't understand what your product is, and are actually looking for something else. I dunno what though or how you would find out. Do you see search queries that lead to your site?

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calcopiritus 7 points 13 days ago

As a user of the internet. I don't think I've ever done something in response to receiving an email from a product/service I don't use.

The only marketing emails I read are about products I already use daily.

EDIT:

If what you want is to give resources to get started, the moment to do that is when signing up.

"Thank you for registering with our services, here are some learning resources that will help you getting started: "

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lightnsfw 2 points 13 days ago

Same. If I sign up for something and end up not using it there's a reason. If I wanted to use it and had issues I'd have contacted support or used whatever documentation is available to figure it out. Emailing me after the fact wouldn't change anything. Honestly I'd prefer they lose my information altogether.

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cbazero 5 points 14 days ago

Just out of curiosity, what is such an API used for?

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indidev 5 points 14 days ago

In short: search engine results page (SERP) screenshots by region and device

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MonkderVierte 3 points 14 days ago

Is email marketing (aka Spam) ever not a bother?