| By Tom O`Leary
Recently, a customer asked if it would be ok to send an initial newsletter subscription invite out to a list of email recipients that he had. Would it be considered spam? Unfortunately, there is no longer an easy answer to such a question. The CAN-SPAM Act makes sending commercial email slightly complicated. For many reasons, like keeping annoying content-void spam away from our inbox, this is a good thing. Unfortunately, it makes it very difficult for providers of legitimate, content-rich content to get relevant information that we might very well be interested in to us.
To my knowledge, the CAN-SPAM Act makes it rather clear that any commercial email should NOT be sent without the permission of the recipient. Now, this provision has been re-interpreted many times by different people. But the reality is that sending an email requesting subscription to a newsletter would be considered a commercial email. So unless you have the recipients’ permission to contact them via email, it could be considered as spam. The biggest danger that you would risk is tarnishing your reputation and relationships with the recipient/prospect themselves before you even get started. You see, in the end, it is the customer who ultimately determines what is spam and what isn't.
Now, firstly, we would need to understand where we acquired list of emails that we have? If they are harvested e-mail addresses, gathered without permission from the Internet, the mailing will most certainly be identified as spam.
If it is a rented list, and if the source of the rented list is trust-worthy, we might be able to assume that the contacts on that list gave permission (perhaps unknowingly) to the list provider to share their information with related providers, like ourselves. If this is the case, then I would still recommend that we identify early in our initial message where we got their email address from and remind them that they gave their permission to be contacted. In that case, we might send an initial email asking them to confirm (double opt-in) their desire to receive information (a monthly newsletter) from our company. In that email, we should communicate exactly what it is that we are asking them to subscribe to. What frequency it will arrive in the inbox and what the contents will be. This will give them the information they need to determine if our content and frequency is relevant to them.
If it is an in-house list that we grew organically over time, we can assume that they provided their email address to us for a reason - to be contacted by us at some point. In this case, I would still recommend that we send an introductory email, explaining that they provided their email address to us at such and such a date, offer them the option to opt-in to our newsletter (describing again its contents and frequency). Also, we should certainly let them know that if they do not opt in, we will strike them from our list. This ensures that they must confirm their desire to be on the mailing list using double-opt in. Using double opt-in ensures that the people on our resulting list are those who are interested in our content. Lists with lower numbers but higher relevance are much more effective in terms of conversion. Each subsequent newsletter sent to our opt-in list should also contain an opt-out link, as we cannot assume that people interested now will be later. Each recipient of email has the right to request to opt-out. Our job, as email marketers, is to make that easy for them to do.
Here are some articles that I have put together on the GroupMail Article System that might help you in developing a strategy for growing your subscription lists and satisfying anti-spam requirements:
How to Build Effective Email Subscription Lists: Building a subsriber list is important for anyone using email to communicate with customers. But compiling an effective list is even more important. Online consumers demand relevance, so list builders must focus on building large, highly-relevant lists rather than just gathering a bunch of email addresses.
3 Effective Ways to Establish Trusting Email Subscriber Relationships: Face it - we live in a world full of information and growing distrust. Just take a look at the email publishing industry. There are several hundred thousand email newsletters. We are also aware of the problems with SPAM and Internet fraud. For these and many other reasons, people are reluctant to give their email address or personal information to publishers.
Permission Email: 5 Key Requirements: There is a lot of confusion about who we can send email to these days. Since the emergence of the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (CAN-SPAM), which became public law in December, 2003, the lines have only become more blurred.
Increasing Newsletter Subscriptions: What`s in it for Them?: Incentives and contests are a great way to get new members for your web site or email newsletter. Providing incentives and running contests are both effective ways to increase your subscription rate.
Increasing Newsletter Subscriptions: Talk the Talk: In order for potential customers to subscribe to your newsletter, you must first make them aware that it exists. One way to get more subscribers to your newsletter is to regularly participate in industry-relevant blogs, email discussion lists and web forums.
Email Subscriptions: Your Website is Your Newsletters Best Friend: Most people know that diamonds are girls best friend. Well, it is also true that websites are a newsletters best friend! You can’t have a great email newsletter without a great web site. At least it is very difficult. |
