Are You Spamming Me?

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I have found this to be a super-sensitive topic to discuss with micro business owners — but it must be said.

There are few marketing tactics that are more abused than email marketing.

Email is a very powerful way to broadcast your marketing message to your target market but only if it is done correctly.

Proper use of email is a legal issue as well as one of smart business tactics.

Staying Legal

The CAN SPAM Act, passed by the US Congress in 2003 sets very few limitations on e-mail and the limitations that it does set are virtually unenforceable.  However, if you are running a respectable, long-term business, you should comply with all of the below:

1.   There must be a clear way to unsubscribe to future email.
2.   There must be a legitimate, physical address in the email.
3.   Do not use email address “harvesting” software to build your list.  Do not buy email addresses from brokers and send unsolicited email.
4.  Do not use deceptive subject lines.

There are more specific descriptions of the details of the CAN SPAM act here.

Make Business Sense

You could be staying legal with your email and still be damaging your business.

Quick quiz.

Which of the following sources SHOULD you send email to?

1.  A list of emails you bought from a broker
2.  An email address that you found on a website.
3.  Someone that gave you their business card at a trade show
4.  Someone that sends you an email
5.  Someone that verbally says they would like to receive your email newsletter
6.  Someone that opts into your list by typing their name and email address into a form

The answer is ONLY #5 and #6.

Think about it — do you want someone sending YOU their email marketing messages if they found your email address through the first four methods above?

I didn’t think so.

In fact, when you do receive those emails you do two things -  you get ticked off at the SPAMMER and you delete the email.

Email is so easy to send that the temptation to blast it out to everyone you can is one that many business owners cannot resist.

But I Know That People Could Benefit From My Message So It’s Not SPAM

Wrong.

Although it is not as bad as a Viagra email — it is still SPAM.  It is unsolicited email and it will not benefit your company.  In fact, it will damage your company.  You do not want to be known as a Spammer in your industry or locality.

The Power of Permission Based Email

The reason that this topic is so sensitive with micro business owners is because they see email marketing as a low-cost and easy way to broadcast their marketing message to a huge number of people.  Many of those that I talk to have already gone down the path of the “dark side” and it is difficult to turn back.

What you should know is that if you get PERMISSION from the individuals in your target market to send them email — you will be much more successful.

Have you asked yourself why you want to be sending email to people that have not asked you for it?  They have not indicated that they are interested in your products or services.  They have not indicated any interest in you or your company.

Now consider how powerful it is to send email to someone that asked for it.  Someone that showed an interest in your products or services.  Someone that showed an interest in you and your company.

I know sending email is easy and it is basically free – but you must consider the damage you are doing to your business and your brand by sending unsolicited email and the power of sending email to those that asked for it.