Email marketing can be a delicate game to play; while it can be an extremely effective marketing technique, it is also perpetually haunted by the ever-present specter of spam. A successful email marketing campaign must differentiate itself from spam; if not, it will be shot down before it ever leaves the ground. This article will explore the complexities of spam in order to help your email marketing campaigns live up to their full potential.
First off, what is spam? Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines spam as “unsolicited usually commercial e-mail sent to a large number of addresses”. The key point here is unsolicited; a legitimate email marketing campaign should always be opted-in. One way of going about this is to purchase an opt-in email list.
In order to ensure that your email marketing campaign is in accordance with all CAN-SPAM regulations, always follow these guidelines: Be honest about your header information, subject line, and the fact that your email contains an advertisement; include a physical postal address in your email; give people the ability to opt out of your email marketing campaign, and then honor those opt-out requests. If you use a list company such as US Data Corporation for your email broadcasts, we will ensure that all of your email marketing campaigns are CAN-SPAM compliant.
It is worth noting that, if your emails are being sent internationally, you should research those countries’ laws regarding spam email as well.
Although the technical definition of spam is fairly straightforward, this can be a much trickier question when it comes to individual customers’ personal definitions of spam. Many people will flag an email as spam simply because they are not interested in that email’s content, even if they have technically opted in. Legal definitions of spam are therefore not the only factor in determining whether or not your email marketing gets through spam filters; a successful email marketing campaign must not only abide by legal requirements, but must also cater to its customers’ needs and wants. It is imperative that your email marketing be relevant to your customers. Test what works and what doesn’t work; if your customers are uniformly not engaging with your email marketing campaigns, this is probably their way of telling you that you need to change your tactics.
Although the relationship between email marketing and spam can get confusing, don’t get too overwhelmed – US Data Corporation is here to help you navigate the ins and outs of email marketing. Please don’t hesitate to contact our email marketing experts for your email marketing needs.
Sources:
http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus61-can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business